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EU4 - Development Diary - 16th of February 2021

Hello everybody and welcome back to another EUIV dev diary and it has been a while for me!

Shortly before EUIV moved over to sunny Barcelona, I devoted some of my time to reworking Australia as I felt the current map of the continent was a bit lacking and very annoying to own what with all these little unconnected islands amidst the wasteland. On top of that, the continent being an entirely uncolonized block of nothing before colonialism seems a little inaccurate, given how lively the continent actually was before the Europeans arrived.

So, first thing to note is that Australia is now entirely connected through colonisable provinces, with the great Pilbara now connecting the north and west of Australia.
20210215172646_1.jpg

Another important rework comes in the form of the new states Australia now enjoys. What I wanted out of this is I wanted Australia to be on par with the other colonial regions in the game in terms of province count and strategic importance.
20210215170805_1.jpg

When shaping the states and provinces, I wanted to hit a nice balance between pre and post colonial Australian borders, so state borders are largely determined by colonial Australian state boundaries, while provinces are more determined by the distribution of Aboriginal peoples. All provinces also have both their Aboriginal and colonial names depending on who owns the province.
1613408346626.png

The Australian Gold Rush can now be yours, with Australian provinces enjoying a high chance of gold and some provinces in the south having a chance for gems, and a few key provinces able to produce coal.
20210215172855_1.jpg

Next, I’ll highlight some of the playable nations down under. Up north we have the Larrakia Federation composed of all of the top-end nations you see here, with Larrakia and Tiwi enjoying a unique set of national ideas. The Larrakia federation was responsible for much of pre-colonial Australia’s wealth through trade with the Makassarians. This trade also brought with it some Islamic influences, though the Aboriginal people of Australia never fully converted.
20210215170717_1.jpg

LAR_ideas = {
start = {
global_trade_power = 0.1
trade_efficiency = 0.1
}

bonus = {
global_ship_trade_power = 0.2
}

trigger = {
tag = LAR
}
free = yes #will be added at load.

LAR_makassar_trade = {
merchants = 1
global_foreign_trade_power = 0.1
}
LAR_federation = {
diplomatic_upkeep = 2
}
LAR_dreaming = {
global_autonomy = -0.05
}
LAR_dowed = {
legitimacy = 1
republican_tradition = 0.2
global_unrest = -1
}
LAR_ceremonial_scarring = {
shock_damage = 0.1
}
LAR_hospitality = {
diplomatic_reputation = 2
}
LAR_kenbi_land_claim = {
core_creation = -0.15
}
}

TIW_ideas = {
start = {
female_advisor_chance = 0.75
shock_damage_received = -0.2
}

bonus = {
leader_land_shock = 1
}

trigger = {
tag = TIW
}
free = yes

TIW_yiminga = {
may_recruit_female_generals = yes
global_manpower_modifier = 0.2
}
TIW_dreaming_totem = {
tolerance_own = 2
}
TIW_kulama = {
production_efficiency = 0.1
}
TIW_purrukapali = {
naval_tradition_from_battle = 0.5
}
TIW_marriage = {
heir_chance = 0.5
global_unrest = -1
}
TIW_isolationism = {
land_morale = 0.1
}
TIW_one_people = {
culture_conversion_cost = -0.25
}
}

Moving along down south we have the Eora people, the original inhabitants of the Sydney area.
EOR_ideas = {
start = {
diplomatic_reputation = 1
light_ship_power = 0.15
}

bonus = {
num_accepted_cultures = 2
}

trigger = {
tag = EOR
}
free = yes

EOR_lifestyle = {
naval_morale = 0.15
}
EOR_bands = {
state_maintenance_modifier = -0.25
}
EOR_enduring = {
religious_unity = 0.25
tolerance_heathen = 1
}
EOR_protect = {
manpower_recovery_speed = 0.1
global_sailors_modifier = 0.1
}
EOR_sacred = {
own_coast_naval_combat_bonus = 1
}
EOR_pemulwuy = {
land_morale = 0.15
}
EOR_berewaldal = {
merchants = 1
global_foreign_trade_power = 0.1
}
}

The Kaurna people, first inhabitants of Adelaide.
KAU_ideas = {
start = {
female_advisor_chance = 0.75
global_tax_modifier = 0.3
}

bonus = {
development_cost = -0.1
}

trigger = {
tag = KAU
}
free = yes

KAU_totemic_matriarchy = {
may_recruit_female_generals = yes
tolerance_own = 2
}
KAU_pangkarra = {
governing_capacity_modifier = 0.1
}
KAU_coastal_pangkarra = {
global_ship_trade_power = 0.2
}
KAU_redgum_shelters = {
build_cost = -0.15
}
KAU_communal_ownership = {
global_unrest = -2
}
KAU_old_tjilbruke = {
stability_cost_modifier = -0.1
reform_progress_growth = 0.15
}
KAU_south_australia_act = {
core_creation = -0.2
}
}

Palawa, first people of Tasmania.
PLW_ideas = {
start = {
stability_cost_modifier = -0.1
land_morale = 0.1
}

bonus = {
monarch_military_power = 1
}

trigger = {
tag = PLW
}
free = yes #will be added at load.

PLW_oyster = {
production_efficiency = 0.1
}
PLW_dual_identity = {
legitimacy = 1
num_accepted_cultures = 1
}
PLW_darwin = {
shock_damage = 0.2
}
PLW_parlevar = {
ae_impact = -0.15
}
PLW_writers = {
technology_cost = -0.1
}
PLW_survivors = {
fire_damage = 0.1
}
PLW_enduring = {
manpower_recovery_speed = 0.25
}
}

Kamilaroi, one of the most populated collective of Australian nations.
GMI_ideas = {
start = {
land_morale = 0.1
shock_damage = 0.1
}

bonus = {
land_forcelimit_modifier = 0.33
}

trigger = {
tag = GMI
}
free = yes #will be added at load.

GMI_sacred_caves = {
core_creation = -0.15
}
GMI_land_of_languages = {
num_accepted_cultures = 2
}
GMI_fertile_soils = {
development_cost = -0.1
}
GMI_dhulu = {
diplomats = 1
envoy_travel_time = -0.25
}
GMI_matrilineal_lineage = {
legitimacy = 1
republican_tradition = 0.2
female_advisor_chance = 0.5
}
GMI_familial_law = {
global_autonomy = -0.05
}
GMI_red_kangaroo = {
global_unrest = -2
}
}

I would have loved to have made ideas for all nations in Australia, but alas time was not on my side there so if you do not have unique ideas, you will get the shared Aboriginal Ideas.
generic_aboriginal_ideas = {
start = {
tolerance_own = 1
stability_cost_modifier = -0.1
}

bonus = {
shock_damage = 0.1
}

trigger = {
culture_group = aboriginal_australian
}
free = yes

aborig_art = {
prestige = 1
}
aborig_fire_stick_farming = {
development_cost = -0.1
}
aborig_walkabout = {
movement_speed = 0.1
}
aborig_outback = {
land_attrition = -0.1
}
aborig_sacred = {
global_tax_modifier = 0.1
}
aborig_dreamtime = {
religious_unity = 0.2
}
aborig_music = {
improve_relation_modifier = 0.2
}
}

But Aboriginal culture is not a single monolithic entity, so it has been divided into its own group. If we were being entirely accurate about this, almost all provinces in Australia would be their own culture, so some generalization has been done for gameplay purposes.
20210215173636_1.jpg

On top of all these new nations, the Aboriginal Australians also have access to the new Alcheringa religion! Most commonly known to colonizers as “Dreamtime”, Alcheringa refers to the vast distinct religions found among the Australian population. Though each people usually have their own distinct faith, most Australian faiths have a concept of “Dreamtime” or “The Dreaming”, a time of myth and legend that simultaneously occurred in the distant past and continues to occur around us every day.
20210215173412_1.jpg

Every Aboriginal people has their own pantheon of gods and “Dreaming Stories”. Alcheringa uses a system similar to the Fetishist cult system, with new stories becoming unlocked via missions.

These missions vary in what you must do, from defeating enemies in battle, to building an oceangoing vessel for the first time, to turning the Makassar trade on its head and dominating trade in the Moluccas.

The Aboriginals also enjoy all new unit models.
image (21).png


That’s all for this week, hope you all enjoy my last hurrah of EUIV content.
 
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The cannon and horse models are generic, although I admit that howitzers decorated with didgeridoo-style artwork would have been quite a spectacle.
Now you just have to do it! Pretty please...

Emu cavalry might be too big a leap, but the didge cannon... if there's no time now, maybe later?
 
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Alrighty, here's clarification on how the religion works. Please keep in mind art is PLACEHOLDER.

View attachment 681904
Here you got your religion's base modifiers, pretty nice.

View attachment 681908
Then, just like Hinduism and Fetishism, you have different modifiers you can choose, but this time in the form of Dreaming Stories. You begin the game with just three of them, but there's many more to unlock.

View attachment 681909
Instead of just having to border other religions like the Fetishists, new Dreaming Stories are unlocked by completing specific missions. These missions range a lot in what they ask you to do, some are as simple as having a large navy or discovering certain parts of the world, but others ask you to take on the daunting task of winning wars against great powers.

If you unlock all of the other Dreaming Stories, you unlock The Rainbow Serpent, one of the most prolific figures in Australian religions and one of few figures who appears across almost all religions in Australia. I won't spoil the exact bonuses of all of the Dreaming Stories, but the design intention behind them is to give players bonuses that are immediately helpful in speeding the player along in what their objective likely is at that point in the game.

Hope that answers every question everyone had about Alcheringa!


What if I say Colonize Australia as GB and decide the Australian way of life is for me and I decide to then convert. Do I not get fancy dream missions about the opium trade war or tea?
 
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As a dedicated player, I started with EU 2, I just want to say thank you to you and the other designers who devote free time to creating content. Your efforts, above and beyond, make this game deeper, richer and more fun to play, regardless of which region you decide to binge on. Thank you. I may never play the aboriginal nations, but that doesn’t change my level of appreciation by one whit.
 
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Seems ludicrously strong to be honest. Not only are the buffs by itself pretty good, they also combo well with the nation's that have acces to them.

One nation can get +25% morale just from religion and NI; another can stack both Dev and building cost just from religion and NI. The synergy is there.
Still much weaker than what you can get with Protestantism, Reformed or Orthodoxy.
I don't understand what's your complaint here.
 
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Ahhh I wish I could have done that too, but alas my original designs for Australia were rejected for having way too many provinces so I had to make cuts somewhere haha
Really unfortunate that they didn't go with the more detailed map. I think the key lesson from Conquest of Paradise is that if you're going to add taqs in previously empty parts of the map, you need enough provinces and tags to give players something to do until they meet the rest of the world. The religion changes look nice and hopefully will keep the game interesting.
 
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Do you really mind some irrelevant OPMs having 2 or 3 powerful ideas? This might give us a few MP possibilities in the region, some fun gamestyle with new religion. Are you this insecure about European majors and other relative powers, honestly?
Er, I think you responded to the wrong person... Pretty sure I agree with you unless I'm very confused.
 
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Australia colonization began in 1788, nearly the end of EU4's game timeframe. Australia's gold rush started in 1851. Why is Australia getting all these buffs? Why does Australia need to "be on part with other colonial regions" when those colonial regions were vastly larger, richer, more populated, more important to history, earlier colonized, and stronger? Is the game not supposed to be based in history? Couldn't this exact same rational be used for buffing, say, North Africa to the same level as China?
 
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Australia colonization began in 1788, nearly the end of EU4's game timeframe. Australia's gold rush started in 1851. Why is Australia getting all these buffs? Why does Australia need to "be on part with other colonial regions" when those colonial regions were vastly larger, richer, more populated, more important to history, earlier colonized, and stronger? Is the game not supposed to be based in history? Couldn't this exact same rational be used for buffing, say, North Africa to the same level as China?
Alternative history, player fantasy, fun, etc.
But I agree that colonial Australia should be weaker than other colonies that were historically richer and aboriginals ideas should not be top tier.
 
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Have to say, this DD about Australia and the previous one about NZ really got me hyped up, can't wait for the DLC to be out !

This is partially OT, but given the amount of historical informations used for the creation of the new tags I suppose there has been behind quite some research. Could anyone point me out to some further readings? as an outsider of the English speaking academic world, historically accurate material about this part of the world is quite difficult to find :(
 
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Can we move Portugal to Australia? just to see if they get some proper NI.
And well i think this is the end of Portuguese Australia colonization tho, because they gonna get wrecked by the natives lmao
 
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So, we putting Peru's and Brazil's historical importance for the timeframe on the same level as Australia now? :confused:

And this really pushes what can be possibly classified as a tag, or how much an specific region or tag groups needs to cover to get a specific religion. Africa sure needs more than the highly bizarre ''Fetishism'' megareligion, not to mention areas like SA.
While I don't disagree that those regions need major upgrades, Shouldn't this be more of a positive than a negative? We know that projects like this and Polynesia were done as pet projects. It means asking for SA and Africa to get fleshed out is extremely justified, not that Australia should have got nothing. I would be disappointed if they never got touched again too, but it seems like it's making an either-or out of something that isn't necessarily. Also we already crossed the "this constitutes a tag?" threshold months ago with the "Stateless Society" government for the tribes in the hills of Champa.
 
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That's basically Oceania Expanded but worse.

Question, why the hell do this aboriginal have ideas as strong as top tier nations? Can you balance something?
If they're low dev and never leave the continent, what's the issue? You afraid one of the groups is going to conquer China because they don't have bad ideas?
 
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a lot of America needs work (and in particular MY pet region of Mesoamerica)
Yeah, and I'd add that the Pacific Northwest particularly particularly needs work. It remains basically untouched in 1.31, other than a handful of missions and their actually nerfed new national ideas. I'm still really hoping that they'll take another look there to add impassable terrain (to represent the Cascade and Coast ranges), more provinces (since the current province count is so abysmally low), and more estuaries/natural harbors (since the region is full of both). That's the bare minimum of what it needs; it'd also be great to get more tags, since many parts of it were extremely densely populated.
 
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Alternative history, player fantasy, fun, etc.
But I agree that colonial Australia should be weaker than other colonies that were historically richer and aboriginals ideas should not be top tier.
That's already going to be happening from the Australia CN being significantly smaller than the rest (only Cascadia rivals it in size).
 
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It is completely untrue to say that only England expelled minorities. The Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492 and Portugal a few years later largely because of Spanish pressure.

It is also untrue to say that Spain vetted new world settlers thoroughly. According to contemporary accounts many early Spanish settlers were Conversos fleeing the Inquisition.

Where I agree with you is that Golden Century is a poor expansion with badly thought out content and mechanics.
So that is the reason Latin America is predominantly jewish...

What matters is not if they expelled or not. But if expelling minorities to colonies (transfering minority culture and religion to there) makes any sense.

In EU4 we can end up with a Catalan Caribbean region and Castillian Barcelona.

Yeah, that is great...
 
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