Let's Play Europa Universalism 4 as France - A Beginner's Guide

Europa Universalis IV is a grand strategy game that challenges players to guide their chosen nation through the tumultuous period of time known as the Renaissance era, from approximately 1400 AD until the early part of the Enlightenment age. As France in this particular playthrough, you will be tasked with building your fledgling empire into one of great power and influence.

Upon starting a new game set to Normal difficulty, players will find themselves at the helm of an average-sized nation named Burgundy. However, due to its prime location on mainland Europe - sandwiched between powerful neighbors such as Spain, England, Brandenburg (modern-day Germany), Denmark-Norway and Sweden - you should expect plenty of conflict early on.

Your first priority is to focus on building up your military forces so that they can better defend against these threats. To do this:

1) Construct a series of defensive fortresses along your borders.

2) Develop an efficient system for producing troops quickly, such as constructing many militia barracks and/or arming your peasants with basic arms like spears or bows.

Once you have fortified yourself sufficiently, it's time to look outwards towards expansion. A good strategy is to first target one of the weaker neighboring nations - perhaps Burgundy itself if they haven't yet been conquered by another player! Once defeated, integrate their territory into yours through either vassalage (whereby your new subject nation pledges fealty in exchange for protection) or full annexation.

Repeat this process until you have expanded far enough westwards across Europe to threaten the powerful states of Spain and Portugal. These two powers will likely prove challenging opponents due to their strong economies, well-trained armies, and strategic positions; however, with careful planning and execution - including using any opportunities presented by civil war or external threats such as Ottoman invasions - nothing should stop you from eventually emerging victorious over them too.

With these tips in mind, let's begin our journey towards greatness!

Let's play europa universalis 4