u/AquaRegiaAg

In what started out as a Humble Beginnings run (halfway there!), I'm now wondering if it's possible to expand into getting the "Sweet Harmony" achievement. The main issue is that Lan Xang up there went and converted the last of the Mahayana provinces, meaning religion #7 would need to be the Vajrayana provinces hiding way inland.

1. Best way to get claims for far-away provinces? I'd love to save time getting up to Japan, and the province of Hue in Lan Xang has a Great Work that boosts Harmony gain a bunch.

2. Any way to get the Mahayana religion back now that the provinces have been converted? It's not just that they were a lot closer than the other options, harmonizing gives -10% Idea Cost!

3. I'm a few provinces away from being able to form Malaya by decision. Would this wipe out my custom National Ideas, or can I choose to keep them like with other tag switches?

4. Any general tips or questions based on what's in the pictures? Anything just not look right?

(No disrespect is meant by the country name. I randomized the shield, that combo came up, and I could only see a clown face.)

I'm very thankful for all the helpful responses to my other questions, hopefully I'm not spamming the feed too much, but since I'm just now approaching the 100 hour mark I've still got a lot to learn. I'll try to combine all I can think of.

First Pic: State of my Date -> Japan as the Age of Reformation begins. Ryukyu has been vassalized and just waiting for the 10-year timer to diplo-annex. Ming has expanded despite being warred on during a low Mandate period by those countries to the north. I'm focusing on the east, but I'll have to keep an eye on them. Suggestions for containing them / breaking them up that don't rely on blobbing onto the mainland myself?

Second Pic: My first major colonial nation (Random New World). They've colonized one extra province themselves. How much should I subsidize them to really get things going? (Also pictured: the admiral and fleet that just completed the first circumnavigation. Feel like that should have rewarded Innovation.)

Third/Fourth Pic: The second colonial nation to the north. Portugal is present to the east, I got as many of the trade centers as possible with my first five colonies. What is the best way to expand the colonial nation here? Can I declare on one of the native nations for one province but just gobble up the whole thing? Can my colonial nation handle the unrest, or do I need to keep a good stack present? Similar question about how much to subsidize. The ideal goal is that they can expand to hold the entire area, as the eastern half feeds into the western (stealing it from Europe), which feeds directly back to Nippon.

First big colonial game, any major pitfalls or traps to watch for in general that don't depend on specific geography?

Playing as Date to form Japan and go on a colonizing spree in a random New World, this is the first area that is reachable from Wake Island. It appears to be an entire trade node which will connect back to Nippon, so I figured it was worth setting up a CN. If I'm reading comments and the wiki right, would it be best to form five colonies on the bigger island to the east so that they can use the first colony to get the rest of the western island? Since this is my first colonizing game since EU3, I can't remember if colonies extend colonial range or not for this to even be possible.

Regarding Ideas, I just hit Admin 7. Administrative Ideas are so tempting after having spent so much mana on coring provinces in Japan proper (so many stability hits as well), but I feel like Expansion may be forced to get the colonies up and running while still worthwhile. I plan to switch to a Republic once I hit Reform 6, so Plutocracy will be the Idea at Admin 10 if that helps to push the decision one way or the other.

Finished up my first Florence -> Italy game up to the "Complete the Risorgimento" mission. Could have expanded elsewhere while waiting out the truces and the final annexation of Two Sicilies, but I wanted to keep it focused. Might come back to it later to see what an alliance between myself and Spain (and maybe Portugal or Poland if some rivalries switch) can do against the Ottoman blob. The New World is amazingly ordered.

Next up is the unification of Japan. Did it before with no DLC using Oda, this time I'm thinking Date for the tall idea bonuses and expanding into Korea and SE Asia. Maybe a little west coast colonization.

Looking for the best way to pick up the Neapolitan provinces, as they are the junior member of a PU under France, my (for now) ally. Do I try to support their independence, or just stab France directly in the back? The troops are about even, though that will tilt in their favor as France recovers their losses helping me take Venice (Poland is not a fun enemy ally this game). My allies are hesitant after I annexed two vassals, but on the upside England hates France so much they won't step in even as defender of the Faith (I went Protestant after annexing Rome, it seemed appropriate).

Tech 14 is coming up, best Idea Group to even the odds? I was thinking Offensive, but I'd also love to try Trade to squeeze even more trade income and extend my lead as the #1 economy.