Boris Gudenuf
Deity
To be fair (to France) she got into a number of wars simply because she was the most powerful state in Europe from the mid-seventeenth century and war kept bringing her more territory and income and also more prestige - this was, after all, the period in which French became the international language of diplomacy and the aristocracy (to quote Friederich the Great of Prussia, he spoke German only to his dogs) and everybody tried to build their own little copy of Versailles in every one-horse German princedom. The cost of all this was very seldom realized until long after the fact.What France expected to such wars ? Showing their importance ? I know it's still a concern nowaday, eventhough a little childish in my opinion. But it's the same as suggesting leaders for their mighty accomplishments we see a lot in those forums. So I better not underestimate mightness. Myself younger I admired Napoleon at school. Mightness can be inspiring, eventhough I don't think 99.99% of the people are trying to be mighty. (they are not fools) Did kings really tried to achieve something mighty ? Like being cited in books ? (I guess you can be mighty or you cannot, therefore kings are well placed for it. I have to admit that I wasn't king, but that I dreamed of might. That made my life and spirit, soul a MESS. I'm understanding this right now, however I have been fooled by sneaky, coward forces that I hope I will have my revenge on, and a bloody one - at the measure of the hurt)
To sum up : how to represent might in Civ, or if any, political reasons that force a nation to declare so many costly wars at the expanse of the economy ? (except from pure loss of control of the player on what he is doing, learning to play the game - what I can reasonably say I'm still doing)
To quote Louis XIV on his deathbed: "Perhaps I have been too fond of war." Leaving a near-bankrupt kingdom to his successors, a tax system so extravagantly Unfair (the entire church and aristocracy were Exempt from taxes, laving the merchants and peasants to pay for everything. Again, Cue the Revolution) it invited Discontent, and a military utterly in the hands of the aristocracy (by 1750 an officer in the army had to have 4 quarters or ancestors of aristocrats, meaning the officer corps was completely closed to non-nobles no matter how talented) made that statement slightly Fatuous: he set up France for a reckoning, and the most amazing thing about the Revolution is that it took so long to break out . . .