I would appreciate it if somebody could answer these questions. BtW I just bought the game Thursday after debating on whether or not to buy the game since March (reluctant to buy it because of the fear of it being too RTS). Today I was playing as the English in GC and the French wound up attacking me. The French were in an alliance with Navara, Papul States, Poland/Lithuania, and Naples. While I had an alliance with Austria and Hungary. When the French attacked me all of France’s allies joined them in the war yet mine didn’t. Why is that? Is there a way that I can get my allies to join my side in a war? If not what exactly is the point of an ally? I’m wanting to explore some of the terra incognita by naval measures. How do I get an explorer boat? I know about the level21 thing but isn’t there a way to explore that area before that period of time, possibly building an explorer. When your technology becomes more advanced (i.e. discover tech for caravels) do your old, obsolete units automatically become upgraded? Do you have to build new units in order for you to have units from the new tech? How can you tell if your units become obsolete? Read the rest of this entry »

I’m playing my first IGC game, after playing a couple GC games, and am a little confused about alliances. I’m the only “major” in this scenario (so everyone’s annexable). I had thought that
4 countries was the most there could be in an alliance, yet I see the AI countries forming larger alliances, and I’m not able to do so. I only have one ally, and when I look at Savoi and the Papal
States for example, (they are each other’s only allies) I am not given the option of offering an alliance to them. How does this work? Do I either need to annex my ally, or wait till these other people are “between” alliances and try to offer to them then? Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve never seen this before; maybe you have, but given all the Engand AI is crap threads, I thought maybe this is unique. Certainly in all the games I’ve played since April, I’ve never seen it…. I’m playing an IGC as Spain (yes, yes, I know easy to win–but I’m using personal goals not VP as a measure of my skill), and about 100 years into the game, England has not only Vassalized Scotland, but just recently Diplo Annexed it. I almost spilled my coffee onto my keyboard when I saw that. England has also done fairly well for itself in Europe; spreading out of Artois and taking a couple provinces; as well as holding Mantua (north Italy). The only advantage I’ve given them is their Anglia COT from the beginning of the game. I’m also playing with the Burgandy option; so that might help their cause in Europe a bit; since Burgandy makes a mess of the whole North-East France, Holland area.

I’m surrprised they haven’t inhertited Brandenburgh, or Hessen, or Hannover. Seems to me in my games they almost always do. England was far to weak in the past, but since 1.09 and the latest IGC’s they do better… I see them colonize a lot, often taking Scotland (diplo or war) and expanding in Europe. England normally does okay given two things: France don’t attack early, and Scotland don’t get into an alliance with France. If Burgundy is buggering up the works, neither of those is likely to happen so England has time to grow strong. Playing as Spain and beating the crap out of France early on is another way to see a strong AI England. Read the rest of this entry »

Playing as Spain in that first GC of mine (1.09), I made some nice progress up to January 1, 1599 when I got an extremely unpleasant surprise. The game notified me I ran out of money and was forced to take a loan; it did so 5 times on January 1st after which events I gloriously went bankrupt. This really is an utter nonsense as I didn’t borrow for 50 years; to heap insult upon injury, they also deprived me of my yearly income (some $950) on the first day of the year without any explanation.

Now that sets my inflation to 25%, paralyzes my military for 5 years and basically screws up all my plans. I was doing quite well (I think) considering it’s my first game - in control of Palatinate, Caux, Picardie, Champagne, Guyenne, Languedoc, Navarra, Oporto, Algiers to Alexandria seaboard and the whole of Americas with minor exceptions. But my will to live is sapped by this! If it’s an historical event, why wasn’t it explained as such? I would completely understand a Spanish bankruptcy at that time, if not agree with robbing me of my income for the upcoming year. Otherwise it’s a bug I suppose - can it be related to me promoting one governor too many? I brought inflation down to 0% last year. What gives? Read the rest of this entry »

I am a continental coward. Somehow the french managed to totally outweigh my armies, meaning that normandie & aromour didn;t stay in my possession long (earlt, successful war) however, being reformed certaily boosts my colonial dynamism,,although it makes the annexed irish very uppity.
It doen’s appear to hurt to keep sitting on the though. I would add that Tiera del Fuego also has a nifty growth rate, and provides some contol over s. america. As for india etc. my present ambition is to go to war with Attathuya, mainly because it’;s a new area of the world to fight in. Read the rest of this entry »

Natalie Brooks, the adorable yet dashing super sleuth is relaxing at her grandmother’s home when a strange letter arrives from a former high school classmate, Chad Robertson. It seems that Chad Roberts is in some kind of trouble. He asks Natalie to come to his art gallery right away. Natalie soon learns that their old high school is now housing a fiendish gang of criminals and the principal’s daughter is planning on framing Chad for the murder of her very wealthy but completely unsuspecting husband. Will Natalie be able to discover the truth in time to save her old friend Chad and his girlfriend Kitty?

Natalie Brooks: Mystery at Hillcrest High is a full featured hidden objects adventure game by Alawar Friday’s Games. Read the rest of this entry »