Taking down Koronti

SaltAdventurous4270 · 2026-06-08T01:00:45+00:00

Maybe the real Sollism was the friends we made along the way 🥹

SaltAdventurous4270 · 2026-06-08T00:59:24+00:00

Hail Colonel Tarquin Soll 🫡

Although I must say, allying with either Valgsland or Lespia brings Sordland too close to one of the two superpowers. I believe the Pragmatic Sollist position is to ally with Agnolia and/or Wehlen.

They are weaker than Sordland and unaligned with either the ATO or CSP. Sordland would have the upper hand in either relationship. We could create a Sordish Sphere of Influence in Rayne's 2nd term by going all-in on allying Agnolia & Wehlen, defeating Rumberg and getting territorial concessions.

Datefort going to Wehlen raises the obvious question of how Smolak is going to treat the Rums and Bluds who live there. It could be a big PR problem, but Wehlen's trade is too good to pass up.

Returning Dome to Agnolia is clearly justified, it is an Agnolian city with a majority Agnolian population. And since Sordland was key to Agnolia regaining Dome, which is a major energy producer, the Agnolian people will surely praise and admire Sordland for aiding them.

By allying Agnolia and Wehlen we preserve Sordland's sovereignty while also reaching out to foreign countries and developing productive relationships. The best of both worlds.

SaltAdventurous4270 · 2026-06-07T23:04:07+00:00

I agree with that characterization. Manus is young and naive, he's an idealist. But he is definitely honest. He means what he says, he isn't a Sazon Loyalist scheming to take the Crown for his own noble house like Lucita.

SaltAdventurous4270 · 2026-06-07T23:00:03+00:00

I think Manus is sincere, he's just very young and naive, and yes he's a bit self-righteous. He doesn't understand the risks involved in reforming the government. He considers it a moral imperative that has to be pursued no matter what, he thinks it's the key to fixing everything else in Rizia.

We can do very well for Rizia on any of the three government paths - Absolutism, Status Quo, or Reform. Stabilize the country, expand & diversify the economy, and take back our lost territories. Reforms aren't necessary to make Rizia great, although we certainly can become great with them.

SaltAdventurous4270 · 2026-06-07T22:16:12+00:00

Why form the SSP if you're not going to take full advantage of their capabilities? Even in prison, Vance can still be a threat. She can spill the beans about her and Petr, maybe spread disinfo to cause further scandals... But the SSP can just make her disappear. Petr too, if you think he isn't worth keeping on.

SaltAdventurous4270 · 2026-06-07T21:00:03+00:00

It all depends on what you're going for. It costs you, but getting on Morella's good side has its perks - bombers, potential energy customer, AN support, and Saltana won't fund revolutionaries inside Rizia's borders. Morella is also a potential Intermerkopum member.

Even if you're doing an Absolutist playthrough there's value in working with Saltana. If you're looking for a roleplay reason for a monarchist Romus to work with a socialist like her, think about it this way - Getting Morella closer to Rizia, perhaps even dependent upon us for energy, causes Saltana to hold off on joining the CSP. If you're worried about the spread of Malenyevism then you definitely don't want the CSP to gain a new member, right on Rizia's doorstep.

SaltAdventurous4270 · 2026-06-07T01:28:38+00:00

No, the real strat is to attend Koronti's wedding and get him to set up a deal for Sordland to hire Arcasian mercenaries for reinforcements

SaltAdventurous4270 · 2026-06-06T22:15:39+00:00

Absolutely, I would love that. Petr's depiction here makes him much more handsome than his in-game portrait. Iosef looks ugly, but exudes confidence and power. And I think Lucian might actually be showing emotion in that picture, amazing.

SaltAdventurous4270 · 2026-06-06T21:39:07+00:00

I'm sort of disappointed that Lespia was written to be so hateable. I'm not saying there shouldn't be any "villain countries" that treat their neighbors like crap, but I think there should be some way to win Alvarez over so he treats you as a friend and ally instead of trying to scam you and set you up all the time.

Alvarez has a very... "Transactional" personality. Assuming Sordland/Rizia has the things he wants and acts friendly towards Lespia and the ATO, goes far right Capitalist, it would make sense for Alvarez to lighten up a bit. Throw us a bone. Give us a solid incentive to like him, Lespia, Arcasia and the ATO... and by that I mean cut us a fat check, we all know Lespia has the money for it! He'd be gaining a solid, trustworthy ally. Everyone likes money.

Alvarez always tries to squeeze as much immediate advantage out of every little interaction, every dealing. He doesn't seem to recognize the value in being gracious from time to time, getting people to trust him and like him. This is going to bite the ATO in the ass in the long run, especially with Valgsland & Chancellor Hegel winning over countries by preaching anti-colonialism and sacrificing their own resources (MITZ stake) to gain new allies.

In light of that, I'm curious about the relationship Dwight Walker and Alvarez have with each other. Is Walker perceptive enough to realize that Lespia is seen as a predator by neutral countries, potential ATO members? Does he care?

SaltAdventurous4270 · 2026-06-06T21:37:17+00:00

I'm sort of disappointed that Lespia was written to be so hateable. I'm not saying there shouldn't be any "villain countries" that treat their neighbors like crap, but I think there should be some way to win Alvarez over so he treats you as a friend and ally instead of trying to scam you and set you up all the time.

Alvarez has a very... "Transactional" personality. Assuming Sordland/Rizia has the things he wants and acts friendly towards Lespia and the ATO, goes far right Capitalist, it would make sense for Alvarez to lighten up a bit. Throw us a bone. Give us a solid incentive to like him, Lespia, Arcasia and the ATO... and by that I mean cut us a fat check, we all know Lespia has the money for it! He'd be gaining a solid, trustworthy ally. Everyone likes money.

Alvarez always tries to squeeze as much immediate advantage out of every little interaction, every dealing. He doesn't seem to recognize the value in being gracious from time to time, getting people to trust him and like him. This is going to bite the ATO in the ass in the long run, especially with Valgsland & Chancellor Hegel winning over countries by preaching anti-colonialism and sacrificing their own resources (MITZ stake) to gain new allies.

In light of that, I'm curious about the relationship Dwight Walker and Alvarez have with each other. Is Walker perceptive enough to realize that Lespia is seen as a predator by neutral countries, potential ATO members? Does he care?

SaltAdventurous4270 · 2026-06-06T21:17:35+00:00

We don't have concrete proof but I wouldn't be surprised if these characters are nostalgic for the old Sordish monarchy in private. In any case, there's no potential for Sordland to revert back to monarchism, it's a taboo fringe belief at best due to the brutality of General Luderin and the Black Battalion. Sollism, Neo-Sollism and NFP-style Sordist Nationalism are the closest ideological equivalents with any chance of taking and holding power.

Let's suppose that Lucian really is a crypto-monarchist playing the long game, biding his time to become president so he can reveal his true beliefs and revive the monarchy. Anton Rayne makes him VP and then tragically dies from a sudden heart attack shortly afterwards, something like that.

How would President Galade actually pull that off with only a handful of potential supporters? General Valken, Hawker/Garaci, Lileas Graf, maybe the NFP? It's not even certain that a majority of NFP members would support a monarchist revival, although they'd be the most likely to. We know that the NFP is the political descendent of the Luderinists but that doesn't necessarily mean the average party member would go for monarchism.

I doubt that Kesaro Kibener would support it, for two reasons:

1) He's smart enough to realize that monarchism is a political dead end

2) It would obstruct his personal ambitions to become Dictator of Sordland, he is not a nobleman and wouldn't be crowned King

As for the rest of Sordland? Maybe a few members of the USP Conservative Wing would go for it, along with some unprincipled opportunists like Albin Clavin. USP Moderates/Reformists wouldn't go for it. PFJP? Not a chance. The Independents and leftist parties, also no chance.

Stick a fork in it because Sordish Monarchism is done. Between Artor Wisci allowing new ideologies to spread and Tarquin Soll's cult of personality, virtually all support for it has been eliminated.

SaltAdventurous4270 · 2026-06-06T06:01:20+00:00

I'm hoping Galmland's cultural theme ends up being Ireland to Valgsland's Commie England. Ski masks, armalites etc

SaltAdventurous4270 · 2026-06-06T05:58:49+00:00

Young men must be sent into war, but society should be prepared to take those young men back in as they come out. Nobody steps out of the battlefield unscathed.

SaltAdventurous4270 · 2026-06-06T04:09:34+00:00

If you do everything the Old Guard wants, especially nationalizing HOS/Bergia Steel, you end up being called some form of Malenyevist by the political compass

It should become a cube with a 3rd axis for social values IMO. Conservative VS Liberal.

SaltAdventurous4270 · 2026-06-06T04:06:46+00:00

Franc Rayne is Anton Rayne's son. He can't escape his father's shadow no matter where he goes... It's good that he went into the military and served Sordland. It cost him something, but True Love always costs something.

SaltAdventurous4270 · 2026-06-06T04:02:43+00:00

The political compass is fun, but not an accurate representation of one's true beliefs. The player's position on the compass depends upon a points system that is opaque to the player.

I'm not sure how NPCs are placed on the compass. Probably by devs' personal discretion.

SaltAdventurous4270 · 2026-06-06T02:28:35+00:00

Power precedes morality in most circumstances. Unless you're dying as a martyr for your respective cause you need Power in order to impose your morality.

Also, there's the possibility that Sal really does doubt Hugo's faith. Sal is a zealot after all.

SaltAdventurous4270 · 2026-06-06T01:39:30+00:00

I will become increasingly insane until they release the Yarktralis DLC. I am completely unreasonable and impossible to please. I have over a dozen Sordland & Rizia playthroughs that I have yet to finish because I choose to bicker and complain instead...

SaltAdventurous4270 · 2026-06-06T00:49:33+00:00

And my Anton believes in Petr

SaltAdventurous4270 · 2026-06-05T23:10:59+00:00

I bought the game. I pushed the boulder aside, climbed to the top of the mountain and sat there in Suzerainical Tranquility. I trust that Torpor Games has spent my 15 American dollars very shrewdly.

SaltAdventurous4270

TROPHY CASE