I had the itch to play a Paradox game, prior to likely picking up Vicky III over the Winter Sale. So, it was time to play EU4 with all expansions (after the bundle discount a month or so ago), with the 1.37 patch, and my manpower-decreasing, rebel-increasing, and tech-cost-increasing mod in effect.
The theme of the campaign has been an Ottoman/Palaiologos alliance. No, we didn't say, "let's let Constantinople stay Byzantine forever" (although in my last game I left it for over a hundred years), we found another way to make use of the Palaiologos dynasty for Ottoman goals.
The Ottomans have a bunch of new events since I last played them pre-Domination. And you know what? The new events make things harder. The Janissaries are less content, and so are the brothers of the Vali Sultan (heir to the throne). Add in that I made revolts a bit more likely in general - meaning that you actually see events where estates take over countries, as well as just generally somewhat higher revolt levels - and it's been enough to slow down my expansion.
But not to stop it altogether. There were two priorities - securing many of the Turkish beyliks before the Mamluks could, and conquering Constantinople. The Mamluks got Ramazan, but I would get the other three. A good outcome for both; they were able to focus on Arabia.
Meanwhile, Constantinople fell a few years ahead of the historical date. Much like in history, we allowed the Despot of Morea to continue ruling as a vassal of us in southern Greece. But in-game, Morea coalesced around the pro-Ottoman Demetrios Palaiologos, and the Sultan allowed him to rule the mainland part of Epirus when it was conquered. This led to the suggestion from the Despot that perhaps someday the southern Italian lands that were once Byzantine could be restored to his rule as well, all as a vassal of the Sultan, of course.
A month or so later, news arrived that Aragon had renounced control of Naples, setting it free. All of a sudden, the Despot's idea seemed less like a Byzantophile's dream and more like a real opportunity. The strategic ambiguity around whether the Roman Empire still existed in Morea or had been vanquished was quickly discarded, with a system similar to the tetrarchy's augustus/caesar system publicized. Demetrious Palaiologos was a Caesar, subordinate to the Sultan, but de jure still an emperor. A few rounds of diplomacy later, it was announced that the Empire was back to restore the Roman claims to southern Italy.
Needless to say, this led to panic and confusion throughout Christendom. But the Sultan had secured a key ally - Genoa. With a promise to respect Genoa's Aegean and Baltic possessions for at least fifty years, as well as to not interfere with any Genoese developments north of Rome and to work together against Venice, the Genoese were convinced to become the Sultan's new best friends. Thus they helped return the Palaiologos dynasty to Italy.
Things would come to a head a few years later, when another war broke out with Venice, Milan, Albania, and the Pope on one side, and Genoa, the Ottomans, and Provence on the other. The Venetian side would do better on land, but the Genoese side would prove superior on the seas, and in the end the Ottomans gained a small bit of Albanian land and the security needed to reinforce the new Roman province of Magna Graecia over the long term.
1456, prior to the larger war where I retook one province from Albania. "Morean Italy" is the newly-Roman part of the boot.
The Sultan suspects this Italian expedition isn't exactly what the Greeks were dreaming of when they talked of a restoration of the Roman Empire, but it's a vision he hopes to continue pursuing when the opportunity is right.
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The theme of the campaign has been an Ottoman/Palaiologos alliance. No, we didn't say, "let's let Constantinople stay Byzantine forever" (although in my last game I left it for over a hundred years), we found another way to make use of the Palaiologos dynasty for Ottoman goals.
The Ottomans have a bunch of new events since I last played them pre-Domination. And you know what? The new events make things harder. The Janissaries are less content, and so are the brothers of the Vali Sultan (heir to the throne). Add in that I made revolts a bit more likely in general - meaning that you actually see events where estates take over countries, as well as just generally somewhat higher revolt levels - and it's been enough to slow down my expansion.
But not to stop it altogether. There were two priorities - securing many of the Turkish beyliks before the Mamluks could, and conquering Constantinople. The Mamluks got Ramazan, but I would get the other three. A good outcome for both; they were able to focus on Arabia.
Meanwhile, Constantinople fell a few years ahead of the historical date. Much like in history, we allowed the Despot of Morea to continue ruling as a vassal of us in southern Greece. But in-game, Morea coalesced around the pro-Ottoman Demetrios Palaiologos, and the Sultan allowed him to rule the mainland part of Epirus when it was conquered. This led to the suggestion from the Despot that perhaps someday the southern Italian lands that were once Byzantine could be restored to his rule as well, all as a vassal of the Sultan, of course.
A month or so later, news arrived that Aragon had renounced control of Naples, setting it free. All of a sudden, the Despot's idea seemed less like a Byzantophile's dream and more like a real opportunity. The strategic ambiguity around whether the Roman Empire still existed in Morea or had been vanquished was quickly discarded, with a system similar to the tetrarchy's augustus/caesar system publicized. Demetrious Palaiologos was a Caesar, subordinate to the Sultan, but de jure still an emperor. A few rounds of diplomacy later, it was announced that the Empire was back to restore the Roman claims to southern Italy.
Needless to say, this led to panic and confusion throughout Christendom. But the Sultan had secured a key ally - Genoa. With a promise to respect Genoa's Aegean and Baltic possessions for at least fifty years, as well as to not interfere with any Genoese developments north of Rome and to work together against Venice, the Genoese were convinced to become the Sultan's new best friends. Thus they helped return the Palaiologos dynasty to Italy.
Things would come to a head a few years later, when another war broke out with Venice, Milan, Albania, and the Pope on one side, and Genoa, the Ottomans, and Provence on the other. The Venetian side would do better on land, but the Genoese side would prove superior on the seas, and in the end the Ottomans gained a small bit of Albanian land and the security needed to reinforce the new Roman province of Magna Graecia over the long term.
1456, prior to the larger war where I retook one province from Albania. "Morean Italy" is the newly-Roman part of the boot.
The Sultan suspects this Italian expedition isn't exactly what the Greeks were dreaming of when they talked of a restoration of the Roman Empire, but it's a vision he hopes to continue pursuing when the opportunity is right.
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Spoiler 1476 World Status :
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