So im playing vic3 with one of my girlfriends and she kicks serious ass. I don’t want to be a drag and have fun with her, so im looking for ways to better play. Im russia she’s china. Just general tips would be nice. I want to do the usual and reform quickly and expand my economy.
I’d mostly agree with this, with the exception of the capital, you want it in Moscow for that sweet MAPI bonus. Also, be aware that, as a country with serfdom, low literacy and little unemployment, you actually might have trouble getting people into factories. The main culprit is Serfdom, but you can also mitigate it by building in areas that already have large non-peasant populations and by increasing literacy.
You can also get a little bit of iron construction up right away, thanks to the 16 iron mines you start off with.
There’s also an exploit you can use if you have Voice of the People. Have the Tsar abdicate, have the new guy become a general, fire all over Landowner generals, then exile your Landowner head. You’ll get your new Tsar as the landowner leader, and he’s a Market Liberal, so it’s trivial to switch to Homesteading/Laissez Faire/Free Trade.