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EU4 - Development Diary - 20th of August 2019

Good day and welcome to another EUIV Dev Diary. This week we shall be tackling the Ecumenical matter of Catholicism in the game.

Catholicism is a bit of a funny one when it comes to religions in EUIV. When the game came out, it was one of the few religions that actually had mechanics attached to it, which helped in making it an attractive choice, both in terms of power for your nation, and flavour for your campaign. Over the many years of EUIV's updates and expansions, many religions across the world have been given their own mechanics and flavour, leaving Catholicism in the lurch. Its mechanisms have dulled in the face of those from other Christian denominations, and it is often blasted as a poor pick of religion for a budding European power, when Protestantisms and the Orthodox and Coptics are such tantalising alternatives.

In the upcoming European Expansion, we want to empower the Catholic faith, and bring a sparkle back to the appeal of remaining faithful to Rome, as well as allowing the Papal States themselves to thrive in the power and authority as being head of the faith, and really feel the impact of the faith being torn apart when reformation hits.

Firstly, as anybody knows, the root of all power is money. To this end, the upcoming expansion will be introducing the Papal Tithe. There will be a treasury in the game, not owned by any nation but belonging to the Curia itself.

As will be a common theme, numbers and UI are far from final

20th Aug Tithe.jpg


The Curia Treasury fattens up based on the number of Catholic nations in the world. The money is not taken from the nations, but rather is added to the Curia based on the amount of Crown Land held by the Clergy Estate in these nations. Nations who pass the Dissolution of Monasteries will stop their lands from contributing to the Tithe.

The Tithe can also be directly paid into by particularly pious nations. Nations can buy indulgence which pays directly into the Tithe, and in addition to feeling relief from avoiding purgatory, can enjoy added Papal Influence and temporary defence from Excommunication.

The Curia Treasury can of course be dipped into, and the privilege few who can do so are the lofty Curia Controllers themselves. Each Curia Controller can pass one Papal Bull in their tenure, which is an action the exclusively costs money from this Curia Treasury. Papal Bulls are unique actions that affect all of Catholicism:

  • Illius qui se pro divini: Enables Crusades after the Age limit is imposed.
  • Apostolicae Servitutis: 50% Cheaper Curia Powers (Levy Church Tax, Proclaim Holy War etc..)
  • Praeclara Carissimi: -5% Development cost
  • Immensa Aeterni Dei: -10% Embracement cost, 25% Institution Spread
    Cardinals will spread institution if the institution has been embraced in a province of another Cardinal or the capital of the Curia(Rome).
  • Libertas ecclesiae: +20% Imperial Authority Growth
    Available if Emperor & Catholic Empire. (Not White Peace)
    All Catholic Nations in HRE get +15 towards approving HRE reforms
  • Dei Gratia Rex: +0.5 Yearly Absolutism & -2 Unrest in Catholic Provinces & -25% Drill Decay
Costs for these are a base of 1,000 ducats from the Papal Treasury, and increase as Reform Desire does. If devout Catholic nations wish to maintain the ability to empower their entire faith in the face of growing Reformation Desire, then they will have to expand Catholic lands or force convert their heretical neighbours.

The Pope himself has also been empowered with the option, but not the obligation, to play as a Kingmaker within the Catholic Faith. Cardinals will still spawn within Europe, but the Pope has the choice to directly appoint cardinals to other nations out of his own pocket.

20th Aug Appoint Card.jpg


The Papal State can assign Cardinals to nations who he thinks will best serve Catholicism. The cost for doing so is relative to the target nation's development and number of existing Cardinals. The Papal State will enjoy added influence to becoming the Papal Controller themselves through this action, and the target nation will have a longstanding boost to relations towards the Pope. Of course, the Papal States can assign Cardinals directly to their own land, but this action will come with a boost to their corruption. To make the traditionally invisible Cardinal mechanic somewhat more omnipresent, Cardinals are now visible on the (placeholder?) religious mapmode.

Finally the Pope can himself add directly to the Tithe with his own treasury. This may be of use for a particularly expansionist Pope who dismays other Christians by declaring themselves Kingdom of God. This Decision will no longer disable Curia mechanics.

Italy and Catholicism remain focus points for the upcoming Update and Expansion, and we're not done talking about them. When the situation in Europe gets a bit spicy thanks to theses being nailed onto doors, there may be more popping up, but for now that's [REDACTED]

Next week, we'll be talking about something completely different, and hopefully welcome news to those who have been wondering what's happening with that 64-bit support we were talking about earlier in the year.
 
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I have two questions:
1) "Each Curia Controller can pass one Papal Bull in their tenure". Does it mean: a) one reform per Pope, or b) one reform per nation that is alternatively Curia Controller? Because as France, for instance, you can reliably stay Curia Controller for many elections. Will France be able to pass only one reform in centuries, or the prohibition resets when a new Pope is elected, regardless of his loyalty?
2) Regarding the picture, I recognize 3 things: reform deside on top, curia money below everything, the amount of papal influence on the left... and to the right? What's that? That percentage? The chances you have to become Curia Controller when the current Pope dies? And what's the face+ button next to the papal purse stat?
 
the prohibition resets when a new Pope is elected, regardless of his loyalty
This. The bull resets whenever a pope dies, and so does Papal Controller status.
 
As both a nominal Catholic, and a devoted EU4 player, I am incredibly happy by all this. Thank you for the improvements. Especially the 50% discount for Papal actions. That's certainly GREAT. +1 stability for only 50 papal influence; and the other perks for only 25. Amazing. I'll enjoy my next run as France, or Castille, indeed.
 
It would be cool if you as the Pope had the option to undo Pope Clement V's disbanding of The Knight's Templar. They already exist in the save converter (https://eu4.paradoxwikis.com/Knights_Templar) from CK2, and it would add some flavor to it. Maybe it would be a decision you could take after retaking Jerusalem? Idk, I think it would be cool. They have dope national ideas too. 10% discipline is no joke.

Edit: Now that I think about it, weren't they created with a Papal Bull? That could be an interesting one to add (even though I don't think you're taking suggestions on additions here).
 
I don't see how it'd work out well. I mean most of the Crusades were less "Free a nation" like Jerusalem and more stuff like "Boot the Moors out of Iberia" such as the Reconquista. Or the Baltic crusades adding to an existing polity. Really what you suggested only works well for that one case. An event to establish Jerusalem. Which is kind of outside the timeframe in general. Really the only one I remember falling in the game's timeframe is the Reconquista myself.

Which I guess is why it's modeled the way it is. Not like the Reconquista saw a flood of Hessian knights coming to turn Grenada into the Hessian Order as a nation or something. So it's fitting to that extent. And an important check for early power against the Ottomans to keep them from just steamrolling into the more valuable European clay than taking up the relatively low value desert of Arabia.
Like i said, it could also work to remove muslims from Europe, the exact thing you said. The participating countries would get prestige, diplorep and whatever else if they succeed.
 
If we use any hats that represent cardinals, it ought to be a galero. Cardinal Burkle agrees.

It think it just comes down to preference. I don't care which hat it is, the zucchetto is more commonally known as the Cardinal's Hat.
 
Am I the only one who fails to see how this diary makes Catholicism "a force to reckon with"? Most people seem to think the real issue is the hat cardinals wear, lol?
 
Am I the only one who fails to see how this diary makes Catholicism "a force to reckon with"? Most people seem to think the real issue is the hat cardinals wear, lol?
Had You spared ten minutes reading past the first two pages, You would have spotted quite a few posts critical of Catholicism-remake, after which it is still sucking quite hard as a religion for everybody, bar the Curia controller.
 
I like these changes - using money to influence the pope is historical and accurate. These changes add a lot of flavour for playing Catholic and the new modifiers will especially be useful in single player.

However, even with these changes, Catholic will still be the poor man's religion in multiplayer (simply due to a lack of military bonuses). Have you considered how to change this, or perhaps this is linked to mechanics that will be explored later?
There is a Papal action active for 20 years that provides excellent war bonuses. And if the -50% bull for Papal actions is passed, it only costs 25 papal influence, which is pretty affordable.
 
I for one agree with this.
Thank you. I also pay a lot of attention to the aesthetics of the game. Have you ever set the map on terrain mode? It's BEAUTIFUL. A work of art. Specially in places like France, Germany, Russia (forests in winter!). Paradox made a great job in that aspect too, and it's something I enjoy while playing. Also the drawings for most events.