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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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Meh, I don't feel to good about this. What's stopping me playing as a SEA power from invading these provinces with a no cb war goal and gaining a foothold on Australia? Would I still be able to get gold mines from event? These changes along with Oceania seem kinda superfluous when major regions in the world could get a little bit of tweaking like Scandinavia or Animist Africa.
 
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Were there gold mine events? I thought it was only tojo that had a gold mine switching event, whilst schwarz got a bonus to goods production
Also I think the point is SEA change overtime from trading with Abos to conquering them
The gold mine events are for colonizing the provinces it appears although it's not currently clear if these gold mines will spawn on previously aboriginal provinces. The dev diary is unclear regarding this. I'm not to thrilled with SEA countries conquering Australian OPMs and gaining a foothold on the continent before colony tech or these OPMs being allied to outside powers when no such thing occurred historically. While I typically advocate for the sandbox experience in EU4, these tags will need to have some protection or they will end up existing just to lag my game.
 
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You realise that being good as a tag in EU4 is not a statement about a culture's superiority in real life, right?
That's not what I said at all and I think you know that. The user I was replying to said that aboriginal culture and civilisation was 'nothing', which is both inaccurate and offensive. Never said that ideas in EU4 are tied to the superiority of a culture, and I never would because that's a silly idea.
 
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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!
Is there any chance we might be able to get a more hi-res or detailed pic so that we can see all of the individual provinces in Australia? I've been trying to figure out a province layout/count from what's already been posted but it's been pretty difficult.

Edit: Also, really excited to play in the region now and I'm looking forward to release!
 
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They said abos might borrow NA mechanics, so you might be able to force relocations. The perma claims in mission tree is one of the last missions for Malacca, and Majhjapit starts with a disaster, so abo tags will probably stick around as long as tidor and Ternate do
The AI is pretty passive so your probably right. It's surprising how long OPMs can survive while flanked by titans.
 
That's not what I said at all and I think you know that. The user I was replying to said that aboriginal culture and civilisation was 'nothing', which is both inaccurate and offensive. Never said that ideas in EU4 are tied to the superiority of a culture, and I never would because that's a silly idea.
Huh, you're right. Not sure how I got the impression it was otherwise. My mistake.
 
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Huh, you're right. Not sure how I got the impression it was otherwise. My mistake.
It's alright, someone else also thought I meant something else, so admittedly I may have just worded my original reply poorly. Apologies if I came across as too hostile.
 
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Meh, I don't feel to good about this. What's stopping me playing as a SEA power from invading these provinces with a no cb war goal and gaining a foothold on Australia? Would I still be able to get gold mines from event? These changes along with Oceania seem kinda superfluous when major regions in the world could get a little bit of tweaking like Scandinavia or Animist Africa.
nothing will stop you and I doubt they thought about it, either. makes a SEA game trivial because you can just blob into a whole continent with no negative side effects.

will also be fun, if playing as a colonizing nation, to see Australia when you discover territory in Asia and it's teched on par with Europe because of bad game design.
 
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I have not started a new EUIV campaign in about 2 yea-

PLAYABLE ABORIGINIES

I will now buy your DLC
 
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nothing will stop you and I doubt they thought about it, either. makes a SEA game trivial because you can just blob into a whole continent with no negative side effects.

will also be fun, if playing as a colonizing nation, to see Australia when you discover territory in Asia and it's teched on par with Europe because of bad game design.
That's exactly what I thought. Feels bad.
 
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As a heads up, don't go into the Steam discussion board for this Dev Diary. Highly derogatory towards blakfellas and very indicative of how we're treated online. I suppose it's a microcosm of what happens in real life.
 
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As a heads up, don't go into the Steam discussion board for this Dev Diary. Highly derogatory towards blakfellas and very indicative of how we're treated online. I suppose it's a microcosm of what happens in real life.
Really sorry to hear that. In any sufficiently large group of people there will be arseholes, but online they feel safe enough to act out what they really are.
 
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Any plans to make the game more color blind friendly? As it stands, many of the map modes are confusing or totally unusable for people (such as myself) with red-green colorblindness.
Is there maybe a mod to do that? I know some other games have them, and it seems a simple and obvious thing to mod for.
 
Really sorry to hear that. In any sufficiently large group of people there will be arseholes, but online they feel safe enough to act out what they really are.

Preciate you saying that bud. It happens a lot with anything related to Indigenous Australians. Should see what happens every year around Jan 26.
 
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Meh, I don't feel to good about this. What's stopping me playing as a SEA power from invading these provinces with a no cb war goal and gaining a foothold on Australia? Would I still be able to get gold mines from event? These changes along with Oceania seem kinda superfluous when major regions in the world could get a little bit of tweaking like Scandinavia or Animist Africa.
Nothing will absolutely stop you doing it, but it won't be much easier than before. You still have to explore those provinces, and if you do it with QFTNW idea you could colonise them anyway, so... what stopped you doing it before?
 
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