After playing an extra-long session as elysia with the new release and a hella lot of discussion about the mod (and bug reports... the bug reports) i was told "you should've written up an AAR"

damn right, skipper, i should, but now it's a decade into the XVII century with elysia and i couldn't explain everything that happened in my game if i tried.

So: welcome to the preliminary post for a markland-> vinland -> CONQUER THE WORRRRRRRRRRRRLD... or at least the americas AAR. Admittedly, it's a bit late in the day for me to do much playing, but i'm here to set up!

screenshots will accompany my write-ups as they go, and i hope players might be interested.

so, without further ado: let's get down to it!

http://puu.sh/nwQ7c/34995d3879.jpg

in this particular print we can see the mods list for this game. Yeah, i use the fourteenth idea mod and heartily recommend at least having "the tenth idea". While it removes a bit of depth from idea choices, it does add more interesting effects to the game, so i'll be using it.

http://puu.sh/nwQjY/9dc4301182.jpg

and here we are at markland. Now, someone might ask "why markland?" and there are three important reasons: the first one is that it's a highly diplomatic jarl we start with, useful for bumrushing through the discovery ideas group and reaping all its benefits. second, eskikewakik, the one colonizable province markland can reach, does not have an arctic modifier for settler growth like Helluland's Mingan. Faster colonies are always good. we can conquer the arctic provinces (and colonize them ourselves, with discovery's brave the elements) later. Any minor early game advantage is important - and that also includes the fact Markland gets a CoT in the st lawrence, not in the much poorer hudson bay. finally, markland gets slightly better access to native american tribes to conquer/vassalize (good vassalization strategy is key to elysia, less important for vikings, but doubling up on "coring mana" and having cannon fodder that will not cost you manpower to throw at people is always good. therefore, while the AI will play both colonies at roughly the same skill level, markland does have more advantages to capitalize on in a player's hands. And the faster you form vinland, the faster you can bring the fight to the rich elysian bay...

http://puu.sh/nwQDs/3c10b5ffa5.jpg

the opening screen! Not much to show off here, but at least we know how it's gonna go.

http://puu.sh/nwQFB/1e0b55d3b1.jpg

and this is the beginning of the end. Nordics don't have much to do early with low tech, so they start with the idea group out. Filling this as quickly as possible is a priority.

http://puu.sh/nwQJP/09c5f38828.jpg

nothing much to see here. Leif is an excellent heir, so we're bound to get a hunting accident. Or eirik will live to the ripe old age of 79. National focus set to DIP, as i've explained. don't have much money to pour into advisors and we need cash for conquest/colony maintenance, so slots stay empty.

http://puu.sh/nwQO6/0ba65f2dfa.jpg

Trade screen is the next screen that matters. Sending a merchant to collect in erikson gulf - while 10% of absolutely nothing is still 10% of absolutely nothing, even a tenth of a ducat matters when you don't earn much.

http://puu.sh/nwQRo/bf382c8993.jpg

mission screen. Don't have anyone to fight for a few years, but i want to rival helluland ASAP anyway because we are the one true vikings after all, and a bit of power projection is better than nothing. take improve our prestige because whenever we actually manage to get around to it, stab is great. Several decisions we can't take. all of them worthwhile - especially the theologian ones. can hire a theologian for the decision and kick him off later - as seen in the next print.

http://puu.sh/nwQY4/65c8da6ff9.jpg

and the next one with the decisions taken!
http://puu.sh/nwR02/2e0943b58f.jpg

gotta remember to give laf the boot in december. I'm sure that won't come back to bite me in the ass...

http://puu.sh/nwR3x/064c9f86de.jpg

norse have several deities available. Tyr is the best one for the early expansion i need to be doing (especially if i go the vassalization route), and while an income-boosting god might be better, so long as eirik doesn't die (ooooominous) before i fight at least one war, this is as good a choice as any. I'd take a national tax god if i could, instead, but we deal with what we deal.

http://puu.sh/nwR8o/856d158989.jpg

estates screen. Not going to print off everything, but here's the scoop: seek support of the clergy. Boosted influence lets you demand 50 admin. Generous donation, it's affordable. Merchant guilds, monoply charter, ask for contribution. Offsets the clergy, loyalty still slightly increased. Can't get dip points, that's a shame. both nobility interactions - points and offsets disloyalty. end up a bit better off than before, right? helluland becomes available for rivalry too, so that's set.

http://puu.sh/nwRhJ/857c3ae354.jpg

finishing touches. Fabricate on native americans sharing erikson gulf as a sea zone. Have three options: went with innu and mohawk. probably vassalize mohawk if i can fight them without a massive federation. Luck matters at that point, but so long as i have skraelings to extort and vassalize i can expand. Why do i talk so much about vassalization? Well, that'll come in play when i exploit vassal mechanics. if i end up having to, of course. Not really much of an "exploit", but it helps offset the colonial range stuff.

http://puu.sh/nwRpx/a9529e6f7c.jpg

finishing touches before save and unpause. recruit regiment to forcelimit. Infantry, of course. send barques to patrol trade. Cog fleet to cabot strait where i'll move army to the mainland from the peninsula. will recruit cogs to forcelimit too after move. And that's the preparatory post!