• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.

EU4 - Development Diary - 14th of March 2017

Good day everyone, it's another bright and sunny day in glorious Stockholm, or rather, I wish it were. To distract from the grim grey reality of this cursed latitude let's delve into the second Religious overhaul present in Mandate of Heaven: Shintoism.

One month ago we got a Dev Diary covering changes to the Governance of Japan. As many of you I'm sure are aware, we model Japan with the strong but mechanically lacking Shinto religion. Shinto belongs in the Eastern religion group and are eligible to compete for the Celestial Throne and as part of Mandate of Heaven, Shinto nations will also have their own Isolationism mechanic.

eu4_154.jpg


Shinto nations will have an Isolationism level, 5 stages from Open Doors to Closed Doors each giving their own national effect. Japan starts in 1444 under the Ashikaga Shogunate before their Sakoku period of Isolation and as such is at an "adaptive" level. Periodically, this Isolationism level will be challenged by Incidents. Up to 8 of these Incidents can trigger throughout a campaign, depending on the situation in and around Japan.

eu4_153.jpg


Each incident can fire once per campaign and are spaced out by at least 30 years. They will spawn events giving choices on the issues they present in the vein of accepting new ideas, goods and people in Japan. Depending on how you react to these choices, your Isolationism level may draw closer towards open doors or closing off from the world as well as a 50-year modifier to your nation at the end of each Incident's event chain. Which path you wish to take is up to you and how you wish to shape your nation.

Isolationism level bonuses:

Open Doors
technology_cost = -0.05
embracement_cost = -0.1​
Adaptive
global_institution_spread = 0.1
development_cost = -0.1​
Selective Integration
idea_cost = -0.1
build_cost = -0.10​
Isolationism
culture_conversion_cost = -0.15
missionaries = 1​
Closed Doors
war_exhaustion = -0.03
stability_cost_modifier = -0.15​


eu4_152.jpg


Each Shinto nation will face these Incidents independently but the mechanic does not exist in a vacuum for each nation. The Shogun will gain a bonus to prestige for each Daimyo who has the same level of Isolationism as they do and conversely, suffer for each who does not. The Shogun has the power to force their subjects closer towards their own Isolationism level but at a great cost to their Liberty Desire.

the 8 Incidents in the game are:

  • Shushi-Gaku Neo-Confucianism
  • Nanban Trade
  • Proliferation of Firearms
  • Spread of Christianity
  • Rising Shogun Authority
  • Ikko Ikki
  • Wokou Pirates
  • Urbanization
Since each have their own triggers, it's not a given you will see all 8 if, for example, you do not get a port for Wokou Pirates or Christianity is wiped clean off the map preventing its spread.

Exciting stuff, but I want to take this opportunity to look at Japan itself too. We have spiced up Japan with map changes, new provinces and many new nation tags in the Islands, as well as re-writing a lot of the old existing events for the Japanese. Additionally, we have given unique National Ideas to all starting 1444 Japanese nations to stand in line with our goal of revitalizing the region. I'd like to extend a thank-you to community members @chatnoir17 and @Grand Historian for their extensive contributions towards these. Suggestions are always appreciated towards the development of our games.

I'll share just a few of these Idea Groups with you who enjoy reading our script files:

Code:
UES_ideas = {  #Uesugi
    start = {
        army_tradition_decay = -0.01
        production_efficiency = 0.1
    }
 
    bonus = {
        infantry_power = 0.1
    }

    trigger = {
        tag = UES
    }
    free = yes
 
    ues_kanto_kanrei = {
        diplomatic_upkeep = 1
    }
 
    ues_yamanouchi_and_ogigayatsu_branches = {
        army_tradition = 0.5
    }

    ues_kamakura_office = {
        reinforce_cost_modifier = -0.25
    }
 
    ues_dragon_of_echigo = {
        land_morale = 0.1
    }

    ues_nokizaru = {
        spy_offence = 0.2
    }
 
    ues_agakita_shu = {
        discipline = 0.05
    }
 
    ues_denkoku_no_ji = {
        idea_cost = -0.1
    }
 

ITO_ideas = { #Ito
    start = {
        spy_offence = 0.2
        global_garrison_growth = 0.25
    }
 
    bonus = {
        global_trade_goods_size_modifier = 0.1
    }

    trigger = {
        tag = ITO
    }
    free = yes
 
    ito_gokenin_family = {
        prestige = 1
    }
    ito_alliance_with_tsuchimochi_clan = {
        free_leader_pool = 1
    }
    ito_land_of_gods_landing = {
        ae_impact = -0.1
    }
    ito_anti_shugo_movement = {
        province_warscore_cost = -0.05
        core_creation = -0.1
    }
    ito_network_of_fourtyeight_fortifications = {
        defensiveness = 0.2
    }
    ito_sympathy_to_christians = {
        tolerance_heathen = 2
    }
    ito_foresty_development = {
        build_cost = -0.1
    }
}

TTI_ideas = { #Tsutsui
    start = {
        defensiveness = 0.2
        land_morale = 0.1
    }
 
    bonus = {
        global_missionary_strength = 0.02
    }

    trigger = {
        tag = TTI
    }
    free = yes
 
    tti_warrior_monk = {
        infantry_power = 0.1
    }
 
    tti_winner_of_eikyo_civil_war = {
        war_exhaustion = -0.01
        prestige_from_land = 0.25
    }
 
    tti_kasuga_shrine = {
        prestige = 1
    }
 
    tti_mountainous_province = {
        hostile_attrition = 1
    }
 
    tti_nara_city = {
        legitimacy = 1
    }
 
    tti_wise_opportunist = {
        ae_impact = -0.1
    }
 
    tti_kofukuji_temple = {
        idea_cost = -0.1
    }
}

Map Changes, new nations and new National Ideas are all free parts of the 1.20 update, while all things Isolation related are paid feature of the upcoming Mandate of Heaven Expansion, which releases for $19.99 on April 6th 2017

That wraps up Japan and Shintoism nicely, and next week we will be talking about an extremely exciting feature which is going to truly make your Diplomats work for their non-existent salaries. See you then!
 
Last edited:
At the end of the chains you get a modifier for 50 years dependent on your choices as well.

For both the Ikko Ikki and the Christianity incident the extreme versions of the end will not see your state religion officially changing (as that would remove the incidents and japanese mechanics), it is just seen as you giving this religon a favored status above the others.
If you do eventually form Japan however you will then be able to make Christianity or Buddhism the official religion if you so choose (and the factions you previously backed will be disappointed in you if you don't).

So are you saying that there might be an emergence of Shin Buddhism in Japan due to the Ikko Ikki event?
 
The isolationism bonuses seems a bit lackluster for something as important a part of the country? Also, wouldn't it be cooler if you also had negatives? (Like revolt risk, stability cost, institution spread, trade power abroad, diplomatic reputation, etc.)

Also negative potential for gunboat diplomacy from European powers trying to force open trade....

I know, this is not industrial era but with colonial bases nearby in India or Indonesia, provided it is well supplied, and ships of the line, I imagine that European colonial powers might still have potential to force open the trade in late-game. A casus belli for trade war could be granted upon rejection of a demand to open the market. I think it is still plausible in this part of the timeframe.

I wish China also had this option to close the trade (or do they?) along with the suggested CB above as result. Would've made for an interesting twist to diplomacy.
 
  • Closed Doors: -0.03 War Exhaustion, -15% stability Cost
  • Isolationism: -10% Stability Cost
  • Selective Integration: -10% Ideas Cost
  • Adaptive: +10% Institution Spread
  • Open Doors: +20% Institution Spread, -10% embracement Cost
Closed doors and Selective integration seems way, way better than the other 3...
 
Any hints on the French flag icon beside the HRE icon along the bottom?

That's the revolutionary target alert, that's been there for a while. Changes depending on what target is the center of revolution, but usually (and in this case) it's France.

EDIT: A question I'd have, what with all the wonderful new ideas for the Daimyo, will they get the choice to keep them or change to the standard Japanese ideas upon forming Japan?
 
People are not going to be happy with that price tag, myself included. I think for a DLC it should be $15 maximum. The changes and additions look great though. I hope you can add the pirate republic of Nassau to the game one day. :)
 
That's the revolutionary target alert, that's been there for a while. Changes depending on what target is the center of revolution, but usually (and in this case) it's France.

EDIT: A question I'd have, what with all the wonderful new ideas for the Daimyo, will they get the choice to keep them or change to the standard Japanese ideas upon forming Japan?

I thought it was suppose to be only visible to countries in the same continent as the revolutionary country. Or was that changed?
 
has the Kristian event been altered, so we can stay shinto?

I believe that was answered already. In the corresponding event chains, you can gravitate towards either Christianity and/or Buddhism, but it won't change your religion since that'd kinda defeat the point of having those event chains and boni at the end of them. Once you form Japan though, you can formally switch religions if you so choose (at the risk of pissing off those factions that you have courted if you decide not to change after all or vice versa).
 
People are not going to be happy with that price tag, myself included.

Being realistic, there will always be people that are never going to be happy about giving out money, whatever the price. The question is how much you're going to get for that price. In this case, I think there are quite a few features in Mandate of Heaven, and remember, while you get a lot of functionality (in the patch) for free, it wasn't free for PDS to develop it, so actually, by paying the DLC, you allow the whole community to benefit from the work your contribution allowed to develop.

If the price is too much, you can always enjoy the free patch for now, and wait for the DLC to be on sale at an appropriate discount level for matching the enjoyment you'll get from it. :)
 
Do the Incidents all give temporary bonuses like Neo-Confucianism until they are resolved? I mean, for now Shinto still looks a bit... weak. But it's a nice change, of course.
 
You should seriously rethink those Isolationism level bonuses. The "open door" ones are WAY to weak. Better institution spread and embracing is UTTERLY useless, as Japan does not even get the chance in most games to get any spread, thanks to being hated by all neighbors who could spread anything to Japan. Unless there are actually (open door) events/incidents which make an institution to be present in single provinces, the difference in tech with closed or open doors will basically be zero, which destroys the whole intention of this change.
 
Cheers for the delightful DD, daring DDRJake, hope Stockholm isn't to drab and dreary for ya :). This expansion is shaping up to be a ripper, new Shintoism mechanics sound like they'll add plenty of depth to playing as Japan. Only complaint I have is all these expansions coming out at once :p (which has to be the definition of first world problems - ie, not a serious complaint - although while I've grabbed Monks and Mystics and will grab this and Utopia, I can't help but think there'll be at least some launch day sale cannibalisation between Mandate of Heaven and Utopia - although your marketing/budgeting peeps may have already worked out it all works out in the wash).


Very nice :cool:.
 
We did change them. Some have gone to Ashikaga but in general the changes for the Japanese formable ideas have been strengthened now that there is much greater variety in what you can have beforehand.
The main concerns are their unique +10% Discipline and +15% Inf CA boosts. Please don't tell me you've changed that combo!
 
Last edited:
Do the Oda clan get some special national Ideas too ?. Sadly they only show up later in the game iwould love to unite Japan with them. Maybe they can be formed in the national dicision thing as the clan who ownt he province there so we could still get nobunaga :D
 
The main concern are their unique +10% Discipline and +15% Inf CA boosts. Please don't tell me you've changed that combo!

Discipline is 5% now (but that was already decided before we redid the set) but infantry combat ability remains at 15.
There are other bonuses that are out of the normal range though.