Problem with Victoria

[Nikolai]

Clerks give you among other things('cause I'm sure I've forgotten something) more research points, more effective production from your factories and therefore more money(IF you are gaining money that is, if not you'll loose more I think because of the efficiency). Also they can be converted to captialists, who as mentioned is good to have.

[Heresson]

Sometimes I se clerks, or even workers, working in factories. SHould it be so, or not?

[Nikolai]

Clerks are supposed to work in factories. With workers, do you mean laborers or craftsmen? I suspect you mean craftsmen, as they do work in the factories, while the laborers work the RGOs(the things that produce iron, wheat and so on).

[Heresson]

Thanks again. One more problem. I've seen many times successful fight of smaller nations against stronger ones. I need to know how do the do it. I'm Austria again, and I';m doing great were it not for that I'm surrounded by hostile Russia that's about to declare war against me. I have extremly long boarder with it. Additionally, Russia's allied with Prussia, and Prussia's allied with Ottoman Empire and Netherlands. Tragedy! I can take care of the Turks and Prussians, but Russia's too much for me.
Should I place my soldiers along the boarders (I can afford about 4 infantry in each province along the boarder), or create larger forces (8? 12?) in every second province, to destroy incoming Russians? Because if I do the first thing, they eventually do the correct thing - create 25 troops army and attack one specific province with it.

[Nikolai]

Sorry, this is a thing I don't have an answer to... I'm pretty bad at such things myself... I would try to build some fortifications along the border, at the places I have my troops that is, I think that'll better their fighting chances. And have you any other country that you can ally to? That would be of great help as cannon fodder and distracting of your enemies. Especially if the ally bears the flag of the UK. But also France would be good. China would probably also be of great help, as it has plenty of troops available. And even if they're pretty bad quality, I've seen China and the UK/Russia in prolonged wars that would certainly help you in this case, by forcing Russia to divert his forces.

[Heresson]

Thanks! Uynfortunatelly, no-one wants to ally with me. I don't know why. But it's better. I've became the third of great powers, and though Russia and France did declare war at me, these were only colonial wars and I've managed to avoid any fights simply by puting my forces by the shores. Russia's scaring me, though. It's reached as far as Tibet, Indian Ocean coast, and most of Persia. France's puny, I could use that colonial war for taking its Algerian posessions, but am afraid of a great conflict. I'm just slowly growing in power. Of course, I've built forts by the boarders, though I still have a problem: should I fortify Galician boarder (flatlands), or Carpathian mountains (losing at least 3 provinces on the start, but making the boarder a bit shorter and easier to defend). My empire's still groing. I own most of inner Africa: from Turkish boarders in Tripoly to the shores of Nigeria, boarder of Egypt, great lakes and shores of Mozambique; I also own one Mexican province, three Indonisian islands and thre islands next to the shores of Japan. In Europe I've only conquered most of Piemont and Papal States and Parma. I have one question, Nikolai. I've seen Russian culture in Russia, and German in Prussia, spread in their provinces. How do they do it? Also, wtf no-one immigrates to me? I have good social services, no crime and stuff... Thanks again, and no, I can't use Enter on this computer.

[Nikolai]

The reason noone wants to ally you, is because of your BB. Too much warmongering I'm sure.

If you want immigration, there's some things you have to do(I'm not 100% sure I remember all of them, in that case I hope other jumps in): You need to have no debt. It helps to have liberals in power. The more political freedoms/reforms and, most important, social reforms, the better. Since you say you have good social services, I guess it's the debt it comes to. And perhaps political freedoms, I'm unsure how you're faring there?

The reason the population in Russia and Prussia grows, is probably because they have researched the techs that improves health and growth in their country. It can also be that they have little emmigration(to avoid that, the same rules applies as with immigration I think, only the other way around). Pops tend to move around to places they get better living standards, jobs and such things. As the pops in f.ex. Russia has grown, some of them probably has found better terms(most probably jobs) other places in the Russian Empire.

As for the placement of troops: I'm no expert as said, far from it, but from a RL perspective, I'd guess it would be wise to defend the shorter, better defendable line. It wouldn't surprise me if Paradox has thought of such RL things too, the complexity and realistic approach Victoria has, taken in mind.