AHC: "Wank" the Ryukyu Kingdom

[birdboy2000]

The Ryukyu kingdom is perhaps best known by fans of Europa Universalis III as quite possibly the hardest nation in the game, and as the one the developers put in a "take over the world" achievement for.

Historically, it was never going to take over the world, but it didn't do that terribly - from its roots on the island of Okinawa, it managed to conquer many nearby islands and get the Ryukyu island chain named after itself, although it later lost the Amami islands to the daimyo of Satsuma, which also turned the state into its vassal. The Ryukyuans also were fairly well-established traders even before Satsuma invaded, and this position actually was helped by said vassalage, because China and Japan refused to trade with one another, but were glad to trade with Ryukyu.

Is there any way this state can do better politically and cover more of the map?

 

[Dunning Kruger]

Use a national idea on colonization and expand to the south pacific islands.

 

[birdboy2000]

Yeah, it's not impossible to expand as them in the game - especially when lots of southeast asia starts without forts. Haven't managed world conquest with them, but I've never pulled one off even with easy countries.

But I meant in actual history.

 

[Falecius]

May they take over Taiwan as a larger powerbase ( the lowlands only at first I'd say) ? From there, they might in time turn into a serious player facing China and Japan (although still not on par). They could assume a prominent position in SE Asia trade (with some territory to back it up) and from there expand into Micronesia and maybe other parts of Near Oceania.
But at that point, the seat of central power would likely have to relocate, as Okinawa would be too peripheral.

 

[Strategos' Risk]

It'd be cool if they simply survived. Maybe continued Chinese protection.

 

[Falecius]

It'd be cool if they simply survived. Maybe continued Chinese protection.

Not worth much against Meiji Japan. Although arguably it could lead to an earlier and more even Sino-Japanese war.
It could be interesting, but I doubt that Ryukyu can survive such a thing. They'd Japan's most juicy and easiest target anyway.

 

[Dorozhand]

They could become a powerful Thalassocracy and have trading posts and colonies on eastward Pacific islands. A conquest of Formosa and some of the Philippines might make them a powerful nation, like a southerly clone of Japan with an oceanic naval tradition.

 

[WhatIsAUserName]

The Ryukyu kingdom is perhaps best known by fans of Europa Universalis III as quite possibly the hardest nation in the game, and as the one the developers put in a "take over the world" achievement for.

Historically, it was never going to take over the world, but it didn't do that terribly - from its roots on the island of Okinawa, it managed to conquer many nearby islands and get the Ryukyu island chain named after itself, although it later lost the Amami islands to the daimyo of Satsuma, which also turned the state into its vassal. The Ryukyuans also were fairly well-established traders even before Satsuma invaded, and this position actually was helped by said vassalage, because China and Japan refused to trade with one another, but were glad to trade with Ryukyu.

Is there any way this state can do better politically and cover more of the map?

Well, if you mean specifically the Ryukyu Kingdom, formed 1429, I think it's a little too late for it to become a notable power. An idea that popped into my head, though probably unworkable, would be for Ryukyu to try to take over Japan, with the King of Ryukyu becoming a Japanese vassal (like of Satsuma) and forming some sort of Ryukyuan bakufu. Or perhaps it'd be like the Manchus in China, with a Ryukyuan layer at the top but a fundamentally Japanese state. But I don't think that would work, unless there's an earlier unification of the Ryukyu Islands allowing them to become contenders in Japanese conflicts.

China is obviously too difficult to do anything major, acquiring Taiwan probably won't the Ryukyus a major power, and ditto for the other minor islands in the area.