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EU4 - Development Diary - 17th of January 2017

Hello everyone, in today's development diary we’ll go into details about the Age of Absolutism and the Absolutism mechanic. The absolutism mechanic is part of the free patch, while the Age abilities and objectives are part of the expansion.

So, how does the absolutism mechanic now work?

First of all, we’ve removed the Absolute Monarchy government form.

Secondly, administrative efficiency from technology is now 10% from each tech giving it.

Governments now have an “Absolutism” value, which ranges from 0 to 100, and this increases your administrative efficiency with up to 40% and your discipline with up to 5%, and makes foreign cores on you decay 3 times as quick at maximum absolutism.

There is also a maximum value to absolutism a nation can have, which defaults to 65, with legitimacy increasing it up to +20, republics decreasing it by 30, religious unity increasing it by 5, great power by 5, being empire by 5, and several other factors.

Several events and ideas talking about absolutism now affect absolutism either by directly increasing it, or having a yearly increase.

Absolutism is not just a number that ticks up or down like so many others, this is tied into the actions you do as a player.

Doing harsh treatment on rebels, increasing stability and decreasing autonomy in a province each increase absolutism by +1.

Increasing autonomy reduce it by 2, debase currency reduce it by 1, accepting rebel demands reduce it by 10, assigning a seat in parliament by 3 and reducing war exhaustion reduce it by 1.

These numbers will be tweaked during the development, and actions impacting absolutism may be added or removed from this list.

Whats cool for modders is that you can script absolutism impact individually for your age.
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Here is the special things regarding the Age of Absolutism, which lasts from 1620 until 1710.

Rules

Absolutism mechanics are enabled.
English Civil War & Court & Country Disaster, can only happen in this Age.

Objectives
  1. Have 3 Trade Companies
  2. Own and Control at least 3 Universities.
  3. Have 90%+ Absolutism
  4. At least 5 different cultures promoted.
  5. Be Emperor of China
  6. Reach a force-limit of 200 regiments.
  7. Be on victorious side of the religious war.

Abilities
  • 50% shorter unrest impact from changing autonomy (shorter cooldown)
  • +1 Yearly Absolutism
  • 50% cheaper and quicker to change rivals
  • Forts bordering rivals are free to maintain
  • +5% Administrative efficiency
  • Allow Edict “Edict of Abolutism” 10 years less separatism in state.
  • Harsh Treatment 50% cheaper
  • France - 20% extra firedamage
  • Netherlands - 0.2 corruption reduction
  • Sweden - +35% manpower recovery
  • Manchu - +50% Larger Banners
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Next week, we’ll look into the Age of Revolutions.
 
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The Netherlands...

An excellent counterpoint, to be sure. Though, to be fair, as represented by the statist vs orangist, they have their own dynamic similar to absolutism vs liberalism (or whatever they want to call it, if indeed there will be such a mechanic).

When I made my initial statement, however, I was thinking of the Italian cities, Novgorod, the Hanseatic cities.

As an idea for the benefits of 'liberalism' would be to have trade benefits, interest benefits, stsbility benefits. Tech/idea benefits would be too cliche, and military benefits might be redundant with absolutism.
 
I sense mass conversion in Europa in this age, if Treaty of Westphalia will not exist
To be frank if the Treaty of Westphalia hadn't happened historically you probably would have seen mass conversions---especially if the Catholics had won.
 
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I'd say that if it's two tributaries then Ming won't really care; if it's an outsider attacking one of her tributaries then she might do something.

I haven't seen any info on tributaries. Any links?
 
Will anything be done with the Oprichnina idea for Russia, now? I personally I feel it would be better off as an age of Absolutism modifier or event, it's far too specific for one ruler for me to consider it a proper Russiam idea.

The Oprichnina where basically only exclusive formed and active to the middle part of Ivan the Terrible's reign which was absolutist in nature. The Oprichnina basically was a system where Ivan gave land to people who he trusted and gave them absolute authority to do whatever they wanted thier land and subjects with all its member coming from all walks of life be it boyars, foreign adventurers, Ivan's Tartar brother in law, and middle-class people as well.

So what if the Oprichnina becomes a modifier for an event chain like what already present with serfdom, maybe it could be triggered by legitimacy or stability?
 
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Keep in mind that in this age Absolutism was about the monarch wrestling power from the nobility, free cities, the clergy, etc., not about oppressing the common folks. It was a way to centralize control on the resources and goals of the nation.
Following this train of thought,

@Johan will Absolutism have any impact on relations and interactions with various estates?
 
Doubtful; considering Republics do not have a Tech 20 type either.
Theocracies and hordes have a de facto one type - let's reduce all the monarchies and republics to one :p

You know - this is time of monarchy, so IMO is not a problem of that is more monarchy governments.
 
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Theocracies and hordes have a de facto one type - let's reduce all the monarchies and republics to one :p

You know - this is time of monarchy, so IMO is not a problem of that is more monarchy governments.

Actually, thats not a terrible idea. Flesh out mechanics so that every type is represented in some fashion.
 
Although absolutism is interesting I'm going to just go out of my way and be one of those expressing my negative impression of the new DLC so far. I don't understand for the life of me why France is getting increased fire damage in lategame - if they survive 'till this age, they're usually the huge whomper with a 100'000 men at their disposal. They're a tank, who usually pick Defensive which stacks brutally with Elan.

I hate the nation-specific bonuses, and I can't get behind more modifiers and more unlockables in another interface. It's not interesting and I'm sincerely disappointed in what we're getting. The latest dev diaries haven't relieved my worries but only confirmed them. I'm definitely skipping out on this DLC, and it saddens me because it'll be my first.
 
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Although absolutism is interesting I'm going to just go out of my way and be one of those expressing my negative impression of the new DLC so far. I don't understand for the life of me why France is getting increased fire damage in lategame - if they survive 'till this age, they're usually the huge whomper with a 100'000 men at their disposal. They're a tank, who usually pick Defensive which stacks brutally with Elan.

I hate the nation-specific bonuses, and I can't get behind more modifiers and more unlockables in another interface. It's not interesting and I'm sincerely disappointed in what we're getting. The latest dev diaries haven't relieved my worries but only confirmed them. I'm definitely skipping out on this DLC, and it saddens me because it'll be my first.

You'll buy it.
 
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You'll buy it.
No I won't. I'll buy the content pack with the unit skins, if there even is one, and that's it. I'm disinterested in Ages and think they'll actively detract from the game. The stuff I'm interested in is in the free patch.

I know you're with this whole idea about people saying they won't buy it but that they do, but no, I unfortunately don't share your enthusiasm for this DLC in the slightest. I hope that's not a tough fact to deal with.
 
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No I won't. I'll buy the content pack with the unit skins, if there even is one, and that's it. I'm disinterested in Ages and think they'll actively detract from the game. The stuff I'm interested in is in the free patch.

I know you're with this whole idea about people saying they won't buy it but that they do, but no, I unfortunately don't share your enthusiasm for this DLC in the slightest. I hope that's not a tough fact to deal with.
So...you're buying it?
 
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I'd much prefer if these nation specific bonuses were tied to something tangible instead of just being the nation, like the Swedish bonus being granted to the leader of the Protestant league, the Ottoman one earlier being tied to having won a siege in Constantinople (or Edirne for Byzzies).
 
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No I won't. I'll buy the content pack with the unit skins, if there even is one, and that's it. I'm disinterested in Ages and think they'll actively detract from the game. The stuff I'm interested in is in the free patch.

I know you're with this whole idea about people saying they won't buy it but that they do, but no, I unfortunately don't share your enthusiasm for this DLC in the slightest. I hope that's not a tough fact to deal with.

It seems a bit early to already say "I WILL NOT BUY THIS". Just wait for the release, check other players thoughts and feelings, then decide if you want it or not. Try it, it works!