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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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I like the states and additional provinces, as well as the economic upgrades. I am less keen on the new native tribes that are going to interfere with colonization, especially since one of them appear to be located in Sydney where I like to locate the capital for my colonial nation. Will these native tribes migrate like the American ones or will they stay where they are, meaning that you would have to send troops to dislodge them from Sydney?
 
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A historical question: Why none of the old world powers (before the Europeans) ever made a stable foothold here?

Wasn't worth it, and they had a different way of thinking

The most accessible part of Australia - the Top End and the Cape York peninsula - despite having a climate similar to southeast Asia but more seasonal and drier, is horrendously infertile (as is Australia in general, the soil sucks). There probably were merchants and visitors perhaps trying to stake out the place but they were like "why the hell would anyone want to live here" and moved on

The Austronesians didn't like it, the Maori didn't like it, nobody liked it it seems.
 
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For each new comment about national ideas, I will replace a Prussian military bonus with +10% Transport Combat Ability. I may lack the authority to do it, but by golly I'll try. I got very twitchy fingers.
No Transport CA is too OP, you'll just make the Prussian military might unstoppable!
 
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It’s been stated already, but for those who want to complain about NA and Australia getting content this update, I want to remind you that both of these regions received this updated content because
1) they were passion projects by devs who used their spare time to do these reworks; this was not necessarily done on company time, nor are either the primary focus of this update, which is Southeast Asia
2A) these passion projects were contributed by developers who are no longer working on EUIV
2B) these passion projects were started before the EU4 team moved from Sweden and relocated to Spain, and they have only been in Spain @ PDX Tinto for a very, very short time
3A) the current EU4 team now located at PDX Tinto has a lot of local developers now, meaning that a good chunk, of not the majority, of the dev team now speaks Spanish and/or possibly Portuguese
3B) All of this content for this update was started in Sweden, before the current team began working on the game, so all these Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking devs started their time working on EU4 with this already-existing project focused around SE Asia + passion projects contributed by former EU4 team members, which means that they haven’t had a chance to do anything else yet with other regions because they are not the primary focus of this upcoming expansion

There’s also the factor to consider that if the EU4 team knew that they would be relocating to Spain, where there are local developers who speak the same language(s) as the majority of the South American continent and therefore can open up an entire world of historical Spanish- and Portuguese-language documents and such, would they start a project focused around South America that wouldn’t be able to be given the focus it deserves while the team was still in Sweden at the time?

That doesn’t mean necessarily that a South America rework is the next thing to come (though it should be), but now that you have a good chunk-to-a-majority of the dev team speaking the same language(s) as many of the countries in South America, so there is infinitely more that can be done for South America when you have people who can natively understand the historical records. That means that with the Tinto team, it may actually get more of the attention that it deserves at this point then it would have otherwise, especially when compared with the reworks and attention that have been given to other regions lately. And I would much rather wait for a rework of an area by people who can provide more details than to get an update quicker but find it lacking - as many have already expressed when it comes to things like the Golden Century map changes.

So have patience! The content we’re getting this time around isn’t some sort of “screw you” to SA or even Africa. Their time will come, and the way and the where dev is going now actually makes it more likely that not only will be seeing a rework in those areas sooner rather than later, but they will be given more attention and detail than they may otherwise, so it may be a wait now but it is likely to have the net benefit of having a way better end result
 
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Alright, you asked for it. I am very pleased to reveal the new Prussian National Ideas:
View attachment 681777


I will return to actually answering some questions later, and clarifying some things about how the Aboriginal religion works.
You know, speaking of Transport Combat ability, is it ever planned to have a nation with Transport Combat Ability in their National Ideas? Tbh, it just sounds like a funny thing to do.
 
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It’s been stated already, but for those who want to complain about NA and Australia getting content this update, I want to remind you that both of these regions received this updated content because
1) they were passion projects by devs who used their spare time to do these reworks; this was not necessarily done on company time, nor are either the primary focus of this update, which is Southeast Asia
2A) these passion projects were contributed by developers who are no longer working on EUIV
2B) these passion projects were started before the EU4 team moved from Sweden and relocated to Spain, and they have only been in Spain @ PDX Tinto for a very, very short time
3A) the current EU4 team now located at PDX Tinto has a lot of local developers now, meaning that a good chunk, of not the majority, of the dev team now speaks Spanish and/or possibly Portuguese
3B) All of this content for this update was started in Sweden, before the current team began working on the game, so all these Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking devs started their time working on EU4 with this already-existing project focused around SE Asia + passion projects contributed by former EU4 team members, which means that they haven’t had a chance to do anything else yet with other regions because they are not the primary focus of this upcoming expansion

There’s also the factor to consider that if the EU4 team knew that they would be relocating to Spain, where there are local developers who speak the same language(s) as the majority of the South American continent and therefore can open up an entire world of historical Spanish- and Portuguese-language documents and such, would they start a project focused around South America that wouldn’t be able to be given the focus it deserves while the team was still in Sweden at the time?

That doesn’t mean necessarily that a South America rework is the next thing to come (though it should be), but now that you have a good chunk-to-a-majority of the dev team speaking the same language(s) as many of the countries in South America, so there is infinitely more that can be done for South America when you have people who can natively understand the historical records. That means that with the Tinto team, it may actually get more of the attention that it deserves at this point then it would have otherwise, especially when compared with the reworks and attention that have been given to other regions lately. And I would much rather wait for a rework of an area by people who can provide more details than to get an update quicker but find it lacking - as many have already expressed when it comes to things like the Golden Century map changes.

So have patience! The content we’re getting this time around isn’t some sort of “screw you” to SA or even Africa. Their time will come, and the way and the where dev is going now actually makes it more likely that not only will be seeing a rework in those areas sooner rather than later, but they will be given more attention and detail than they may otherwise, so it may be a wait now but it is likely to have the net benefit of having a way better end result
One of the most reasonable posts so far (and this is coming from someone who really wants SA to be reworked). Thanks!
 
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You know, speaking of Transport Combat ability, is it ever planned to have a nation with Transport Combat Ability in their National Ideas? Tbh, it just sounds like a funny thing to do.
I think it's been removed from a fair few nations for being less useful than female general chance
 
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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.
That's not the equivalent of the game's minority expulsion at all. Since they didn't ship the minorities off to the colonies, they just expelled them to "wherever" (which would usually mean Morocco).
It was a mess, sometimes they were expelled, sometimes forcefully conversed and forbidden to leave the country, sometimes they were outright massacred. It really depends on the edict, location and context. But neither is reflected by the minority expulsion mechanic.
In gameplay mechanisms what happened in Iberia translates much more into normal culture and religion conversion than the minority expulsion mechanic.

But actually, since the game doesn't have populations, Jewish minorities are completely absent from pretty much anywhere altogether. So there really is no mechanism that can accurately portray the expulsions since there is no one to expel.
 
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Alright, you asked for it. I am very pleased to reveal the new Prussian National Ideas:
View attachment 681777


I will return to actually answering some questions later, and clarifying some things about how the Aboriginal religion works.

You lunatic! That will make them a whole 90% stronger! Why would they need any heavy ships with that!?
 
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Is there any chance for minor adjustments to the model of the individual for aborigines?
Could you please add a beard and darken the skin a bit because it's way too light?

This is what a beard could look like
tumblr_inline_ndxmy9ZJbO1smxh5i.png

This is what skin color looks like in native aborigines
img_57333_2_small.jpg
 
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I really like the idea of representing Aboriginal Australians like this, but my critique here along with other colonizable regions (North America, Siberia, Africa, etc.) is that it has to force empty space between the groups to accommodate the existing colonization system, which is really only reasonable for a handful of places that didn't actually have any earlier human settlements (which is really only a handful of random, far flung islands).

What we really need is a fundamental redesign of the colonization system entirely, combined with filling in the map fully with indigenous peoples. I've floated a few proposals over the years, but some sort of extension of the "charter company" (i.e. buy a province) mechanic, or a within-province investment mechanic would be more realistic (combined, of course, with the more common instances of just flat out conquest). In that case though, the "colonist" agent would be moved into a culture changing/development increasing role, and we would need some mechanics that make holding far flung territories require some specialization to replace the current "colonization" ideas.
 
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I really like the idea of representing Aboriginal Australians like this, but my critique here along with other colonizable regions (North America, Siberia, Africa, etc.) is that it has to force empty space between the groups to accommodate the existing colonization system, which is really only reasonable for a handful of places that didn't actually have any earlier human settlements (which is really only a handful of random, far flung islands).

What we really need is a fundamental redesign of the colonization system entirely, combined with filling in the map fully with indigenous peoples. I've floated a few proposals over the years, but some sort of extension of the "charter company" (i.e. buy a province) mechanic, or a within-province investment mechanic would be more realistic (combined, of course, with the more common instances of just flat out conquest). In that case though, the "colonist" agent would be moved into a culture changing/development increasing role, and we would need some mechanics that make holding far flung territories require some specialization to replace the current "colonization" ideas.
I really liked what another user suggested, that when a colonial power conquers a province from a Native nation it becomes a colony instead of a full-fledged province like it happens now. There should be a development threshold for this though, so if Spain conquers Cusco and Tenochtitlan, for example, they stay as regular provinces instead of becoming colonies.
 
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I am happy that Australia is receiving content (however I am particulary more hyped to play with some Polynesia tag).
But if EU4 dev cycle ends without a SA improvement I would be very sad and disappointed.

During the first half of the game (the most popular part of the game) Latin America was the most important and rich region for colonization, it's resources were one of the main reasons for breaking power equilibrium in western Europe.
A game about exploration and colonization that neglects Latin America to few and huge provinces, few tags, low dev and simplified geography is just wrong.
 
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Very exciting to see Australia reworked with a whole new religion. Loving these last DDs so far!

(Btw, a bit unrelated but is there going to be a Jewish religion rework since we are getting reworks to some other religions with not-that-much mechanics like Zoroastrianism, it'd be cool to see I guess)
 
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Love this! Is great to finally have on base game nations for the regions I was planning for my own MOD, that save me alot of work! ;)

I am happy to see regions like SEA, Oceania and NA have more content and mechanics, hope Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa could also get a huge DLC the next time.
 
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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.

To the new world. The expulsions by Spain were not to the new world, they were, in game terms, simple culture conversions. They didnt turn half of the Carribean into Sunni Granadan provinces. This is a very important distinction, and a basic failure of the expansion.
 
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