• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.

EU4 - Development Diary - 23rd of October 2018

Hello! We’ll finally reveal some features of the upcoming Immersion Pack coming with the 1.28 patch. However I need to warn you: HEAVY USAGE OF CODER ART INCOMING!

Our artists nor me have had time to get our hands on the new features yet to make sure the interface is up to par for user usage. So everything is just how the programmer left it. Terrifying thought.

We’ll start with a feature only available to the Catholic Iberians. Establishing Holy Orders. Keep in mind numbers are as usual up for tweakage!

upload_2018-10-23_9-16-19.png


These are inspired by Jesuit Reductions in the new world but an Iberian nation can put them anywhere as long as the nation own the entire state and that it is fully cored and stated. The available orders are: The Society of Jesus, The Order of Preachers and The Order of Saint Francis.

When an order is selected for a state these following effects are applied to all provinces in that state.
  • Jesuit Order
    • +1 Tax Development
    • 1.5% Local missionary strength
    • -10% Local Build Cost
  • Dominican Order
    • +1 Production Development
    • Removes slaves if trade goods and replace it with something else
    • -30% Culture Conversion Cost
  • Franciscan Order
    • +1 Manpower Development
    • -3 Local Unrest
    • -0.05 Local Monthly Devastation
Each of these costs 50 monarch power to put in place, 50 of the type that order represents. Administrative for Jesuits, Diplomatic for Dominican and Military for Franciscan. As an overlord of a colonial nation you can still place these in their land. The AI will know if a player is involved and restrain itself from placing these orders themselves letting the player optimize their usage.

For the few that manages to recreate the Cremé Pheonix, an Andalusian Muslim, we'll see what we can do for you ;)



Next Feature is one for every colonizer which we have done together with trying to improve the Colonial Diversity, to try and prevent the Colonial AI to spend so much dip points on purging away cultures. Instead allowing the Americas to become the melting pot of cultures it was. Also yet again I warn you that everything you see is in a state of work in progress.

upload_2018-10-23_9-16-44.png


With Expulsion of Minorities feature you can now tell those damned Puritans in East Anglia to head off to Plymouth Harbor and get on the Mayflower.

Using this costs you diplomatic points akin to how much it would take to culture convert in that province, but upon colony completion it both converts the religion and culture of the province while making the colony have the old religion and culture of home. Also upon completion you get some extra development in the finished colony based on how big the home province were for the minority you sent to live in the colony.

Besides the Culture conversion cost modifier reducing the cost to do this action, in Exploration ideas there is now an idea that will also reduce this cost if you own the Immersion Pack.



Now I’m going to hand it over to our beta who have helped us out with the map in this iteration and helped us overhaul the Spanish Main.

Hello, I’m Evie. You may remember me (as GuillaumeHJ) from old Dev Diary classics like “How to add provinces to Western Africa without getting bored” and “There’s no such thing as too many provinces in North America”. For those of you who joined us since Art of War: nice to meet you.

As you can probably gather, I’m here to talk to you about more map changes. After all, it’s one thing to add provinces to Spain, but much of Spanish history in the Europa Universalis timeline happened outside Spain, in the part of the world that would receive the apt name of “Spanish Main.”

Stretching from the coast of Texas all the way to the mouth of the Orinoco, across the Caribbeans, and back into Florida, the Spanish Main was the heart of the Spanish colonial empire, where the great Treasure Fleets sailed to gather the wealth of the New World. As a result, the “Spain” update also includes extensive additions to the region.

upload_2018-10-23_9-27-8.png


Map-wise, the changes are extensive – upwards of eighty new provinces and twenty new tags in Mesoamerica, Central America, the Southwestern United States, the Caribbeans, Florida, Colombia and Venezuela. But Cuba and Hispaniola are now up to nine provinces. Colombia and Venezuela get a plethora of new provinces as well along the coast, bringing them much closer to the density found in Central America. The lion’s share, of course, goes to Mexico, especially the heart of Mesoamerica.

upload_2018-10-23_9-27-37.png


The most important (and by far the most requested) of those provinces are, without a shadow of a doubt, the two we split off from the original Mexico province, representing Texcoco and Tlacopan, the two cities that (along with Mexico-Tenochtitlan) formed the Aztec Triple Alliance. Reducing the Valley of Mexico and the Aztec power base to a single province always felt wrong, so when the opportunity came to update the region’s map with smaller provinces, adding these two was the very first item on the list of changes that needed to happen.

More than new provinces, though, the heart of the update is the new tags. Nine in Mesoamerica proper, six in the Mayan regions, six in the deserts around the US/Mexico border, and one each in Central America and Colombia bring a great deal of depth to the region. Who are they? Read on to find out.

upload_2018-10-23_9-27-56.png


Mesoamerica

Northwestern Mesoamerica, beyond Colima and the Tarascans, is often thought of as a void, but actually it was a Greece-like patchwork of cities. Representing them all is beyond the scope of this patch, but we’ve added two of the more significant local powers, Tonala and Xalisco, to bring relief to the area.

At the northern edge of Mesoamerica lived a plethora of people that the Aztecs collectively called the Chichimeca (roughly compared with the Greek “Barbarian”). Though they didn’t have the great cities of Mesoamerica proper, they played a fundamental part in regional history, and provided formidable resistance to Spanish expansion for half a century. For them, we’ve added three tags: Otomi and Guarames are two of the more significant people, while Chichimeca covers a variety of smaller groups.

Near the Chichimecan, we find a historical oddity: a Mayan group that wandered far from Yucatan and Central America, to the opposite end of Mesoamerica, the Huastec people.

Closer to the Aztecs, a number of additional states represent various regional powers of some note. To the south, Coixtlahuaca, a mixtec kingdom, fell early when their king defied the Aztecs. To the south-east, Teotitlan became a loyal ally of the empire. To the west, meanwhile, Matlatzinca served as a buffer between Aztecs and Tarascans - until the Aztec invaded it, precipitating war with their powerful rivals.

The South: Mayans, Central America and Colombia.

Further south, the Yucatan peninsula was home to about sixteen Mayan polities in this timeline. Having them all would, again, be impossible, but instead of just having the two rival dynasties of Cocomes and Xiu (whose rivalry dominated Mayan politics in the era), we’ve added two of the better known late post-classic city-states, in the form of Can Pech (Campeche) and Chactemal (Chetumal).

In south-eastern Mexico, a pair of additional Mayan tags add depths to the Tabasco and Chiapas regions. In the former, they’re the Yokotan (or Chontales), who claim descent from the ancient Olmec civilization. In the later, the Tzotzil, one of the more significant local group, serve a similar role.

In Honduras and Guatemala, the Kiche kingdom no longer can afford to get complacent – their perennial rivals (and erstwhile vassals), the Kaqchikel, are now in the game plotting to gain the upper hand, while further east, the Chorti people could also turn into quite the threat.

In Colombia, the Tairona, sister people to the Muisca (who are already in) form a new addition at the northern edge of the country, where the last of the Andes come to die in the Atlantic.

Last, but not least, we have our first non-Mayan Central America tag, based in the coastal jungles of Nicaragua: the Miskito people, who remained independent of Spain long enough to become a British protectorate instead.

The North: Pueblos and Natives.


IgbC0QGuk3upg8uvhpjk-0HX4OCW7aXXXyS4lf9KytamL5ThuS98ci1AcAdoa44WWeL89QJbbdexjzabvLTY5qvj9ZhftojjVsnTVH1_StMpZl1kul0sFaGQJrvx6F1KkAtZKJv0


To the north, we find ourselves drawn to the upper end of the Rio Grande valley. There, the old Pueblo tag has been split in three to represent the various groups that together formed the Puebloan people. In addition to the old Pueblo tag (now limited to the Rio Grande valley itself), we now have the Keres tag (covering famous pueblos like Acoma and Zia, to the west of the Rio Grande), and the Zuni one, near the New Mexico/Arizona border.

Beyond the Rio Grande valley, our additions take the form of Native American tags. Adding depths to the Apachean people on top of the already-present Navajo and Apache tags, we find the Lipan and Mescalero ready to make trouble for colonizers in New Mexico and Texas, where they were a formidable obstacle to the Spanish historically. Further west, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, California finally get representation of its native people in the form of the Yokuts. Finally, in the deserts of north-western Mexico, the Yaqui people, who resisted Spanish then Mexican dominion into the twentieth century, join the fray.

Together, all these additions bring a lot more depth to the areas of the map that ended up being conquered by Spain.


Thanks Evie! Next week I'll be back to talk about more features, one of which that Sweden had quite an excellence of building ....
 
Last edited:
1. How many cultures a colonial nation can accept or they are auto-accepted?
2. How much extra development the new poor colony can get if I banish from a very rich province i.e. banish francien from Paris?
3. How much is the threshold for a religion/culture to become minority? And Can I only banish culture/religion in state provinces?
 
Holy Orders are very underwhelming imho.. Just another button that cost X and gain X permament bonus in region.. No real gameplay in it, there is no thinking about investment, if you have the spare points you will click it (since it's cheaper then normal development) else probably not. There should be missions for the orders, with the orders spreading the faith/culture and colonizing the new world, making the local population join your cause.. It was normal for Jesuits for example to go to uncolonized areas and establish jesuit outposts there and work on converting/settling the region.. Right now you just have to control a state, press button, get bonus. The name is the only flavor (and possible some 2-3 events?).

You're not wrong, this is pretty bland in terms of gameplay mechanics. But then, it's also something only available to Iberian Catholics (and I guess Al-Andalus specifically), so you wouldn't expect a ton of depth to it. IMO if you want deep and interactive gameplay around Holy Orders, go play CK2; that's just not really what EU4 is about.
 
This feature can not be used together with Siberian Frontier.
Feature is only available for Colonial Nation regions. When a Colony is founded it will base its culture/religion on the majority that also exists in the home continent.
Thanks for clarification!
I have other questions. Can we do expulsion of minorities in territories and/or non-cores? Can we do that in territories? Can we do it in a territory that has both a different culture AND religion (and will both get expelled or only one at a time)? Can we, for example, grab Iberia as Basques and expulse all other Iberians to New World? Or send North Africa to the New World, making a Sunni Colonial nation?

Also thanks for paying attention to Iberia suggestions thread which in my opinion has a lot of fine additions.
 
Thank you.

About the islands and provinces:

La Española: 76,000 km2 - 9 provinces

Cuba: 109,000 km2 - 9 provinces It seems that if you have gone a little hand.

You have to be careful because I have come to see a New Spain almost richer than France, something that is an aberration. If you are going to put in so many new provinces, you should create difficulties in the development, because the whole new world was very depopulated from 1600, and in 1800 it was still the same.

That is to say, in 1825, Mexico had 7 million inhabitants, 12 of Spain and 30 of France. If we add that there was not the wealth of Europe, things can not happen as they sometimes happen, to see colonies with a lot of development and a lot of wealth.

On the other hand, what you have said that the Jesuits are the army of God, is metaphorically, because they have always been sent to spread the faith, that is, a wise Jesuit who would be in America or Africa but not in the Vatican.

They have always been dedicated to education, there are now Jesuit colleges even in Manhattan.
They are not originally from France but from Spain. Its founder, in fact appears in the game.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_Jesus

A joke:

* A Dominican, a Franciscan and a Jesuit are one day in a church when there is a blackout and they are left in the dark. The Dominican takes the opportunity to reflect deeply between the contrast between light and darkness, the Franciscan humbly prostrates himself and begins to pray "to the sister light and the dark sister", and the Jesuit ... goes to the sacristy and changes the fuses .
 
You're not wrong, this is pretty bland in terms of gameplay mechanics. But then, it's also something only available to Iberian Catholics (and I guess Al-Andalus specifically), so you wouldn't expect a ton of depth to it. IMO if you want deep and interactive gameplay around Holy Orders, go play CK2; that's just not really what EU4 is about.

The thing is that it should be what EU4 is about seeing as the mentioned Holy Orders played a major role in this time period, both in Europe and outside.
 
After I saw 9 provinces's Cuba and 8 provinces'Haiti, I find that my overhaul project of China to make Ming (China proper) 300+ provinces seems to be very modest at all:eek:.
Colonism seems to be a little more interesting and more useful, and we can benefit more from colonies.
 
will anything be done to make the caribbean be colonized by more than one european nation? the ai tend to avoid colonizing CR that another colonial nation has started on, at least if they are both catholic. and the caribbean being rich, it's usually all gone by the time england flips to anglican. even then, france, spain, england and the netherlands all had sizeable presence, with many smaller nations getting an island or two.
all of it being colonized by a single nation by 1520 kinda sucks...
 
Feature is only available for Colonial Nation regions. When a Colony is founded it will base its culture/religion on the majority that also exists in the home continent.

Which it already does, as of 1.27.x. At least in colonial territory.
 
Amazing, this may very well be the first immersion pack I buy. There are some minor and great changes here, like the buff to colonial alaska, renaming it cascadia.

Since you updated the province count in the Caribbean and Mexico, you could give a few tweaks the Colonial Peru region since it was also crucial for the spanish colonial empire. (And maybe even Colonial La Plata)

I love the holy order features but maybe they shouldn't be restricted to just Spain and Portugal, and they should totally have a downside. Atleast for the Jesuits, since they got eventually expelled from America.
 
You guys really do have to balance AI colonizers. IRL Spain was invading the Aztec and Inca in the 1520s. In game? As the Inca you usually get attacked in the 1600.

Conversely, the Inca also don't expand anywhere near as fast as they historically did so if Spain is going to invade in the 1520s you have to also make it so that the Inca Empire can unite by 1500...maybe more conquerable regions and less colonizing.
 
You get increase to the Settler Chance based on how big the home province is.

Nice. Another question: Will religious zeal that recently converted provinces get prevent you from changing the home province's religion in this way, or can we start sending the blasted Puritans to Massachusetts the moment the Center of Reformation strikes?
 
Yeah and maybe something with the Philippines too, maybe they can be a colonial Nation too. Spain was very interested in that region too and Portugal the same they had to figure out in which sphere of influence the Philppines were part of. Spain ruled them until the US conquered them in the 19th century. So would be great to add there a Colonial Nation too which brings you in trouble with maybe China?
 
The legacy of my people, ladies and gentlemen :confused:



So special emphasis on the region, then, I assume you agree. : p
Or the 'spain' means it's kind of the spain update we asked for but only kinda.


Just when they are strong enough, especially after take colonies from the Ottomans and Mamluks you will understand m8.
I have no idea what you just tried saying. What does the mughals and mamluks have to do with australia and new zeeland fighting of rebel spawns? If you are taking about them fighting off the mamluks and/or the ottomans of course they shouldn't be able to the ottomans and mamluks are superpowers australia is a minor country on the frontiers. It's total population in this era was likely never more than a million tops in this period. At the end of the game the ottoman empire had 26 million people.
 
Last edited:
Amazing, this may very well be the first immersion pack I buy. There are some minor and great changes here, like the buff to colonial alaska, renaming it cascadia.

Since you updated the province count in the Caribbean and Mexico, you could give a few tweaks the Colonial Peru region since it was also crucial for the spanish colonial empire. (And maybe even Colonial La Plata)

I love the holy order features but maybe they shouldn't be restricted to just Spain and Portugal, and they should totally have a downside. Atleast for the Jesuits, since they got eventually expelled from America.
Really? The more I think about it, the more I feel the exact opposite. But maybe that's because I was expecting an Iberia focused immersion pack ("put the Europa back in Europa Universalis" and all that, as DDRJake said). Instead so far we appear to be getting a very underwhelming map update in Iberia and the Maghreb; 3 flavourless, zero-strategy buttons to click that are locked to Iberians for no appreciable reason; and an "expulsion of minorities" mechanic that has nothing to do with Spanish and Portuguese colonialism and seems to have an interface so painful to use that I would avoid it just to be spared the headache (I hope the lists thing is just a work-in-progress, or that at least they make it sortable alphabetically or something).

We were also promised better AI, which would be fantastic but I'll believe it when I see it. And I really like the map updates to Mesoamerica and the Caribbean. But I hope they have much more to show us, because to me this is in worse than RB territory at the moment.