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Tinto Flavour #31 - 11th of July 2025 - Aztecs

Hello, and welcome one more Friday to Tinto Flavour, the happy days in which we take a look at the flavour content of Europa Universalis V!

Today, we will take a look at the flavour content for the Aztecs! Let’s start without further ado:

For the past two centuries, groups of Nahua people descended from the Chichimec migrated to central Mexico from their legendary ancestral home, known as Aztlan. Our people were one of those wandering groups.

As with many other Nahua nations, we settled our own Altepetl. It was named Tenōchtitlan, and we built it over an artificial island in the heart of Lake Texcoco. Our most prominent figures were also influenced by the Toltec culture, and we started to develop a refined civilization in the lagoon. We would also come to be recognized as prime fighters by our neighbors, as our equally refined warring skills make Aztec armies a force to be feared...

However, we currently stand as vassals of the Altepetl of Tepanecapan, our expansion possibilities are limited to the proximities of the lagoon we inhabit. Only an intelligent leader can lead us in our journey to subdue the valley of Mexico and beyond.
Click to expand...

Country Selection.png

As usual, please consider all UI, 2D and 3D Art as WIP.​

Before we start, you may notice that we have reconfigured the Country Selection Panel a bit, and that we now have a new tab called ‘Content’, where we’re grouping the unique features and content available to each country:
Content.png


Tenochtitlan.png

Please take into consideration that the first screenshot is the most zoomed-in map that we’ve ever shared with you, in a very difficult area from a geographical point of view. Therefore, please consider it as the usual WIP stuff, as it’s already on our radar to make some improvements here and there to make it look better.

Mexico.png

Mexico may prove to be a very difficult area to expand in…​

The Nahua countries start with a unique government reform, the Altepetl, that nudges towards expanding through subjects, and also slave-raiding (which is also linked to the Nahua Ritualism mechanic of sacrificing slaves, as we saw last Wednesday):
Estates.png


Reform Altepetl.png

There are also a couple of Privileges available to countries that practice Nahua Ritualism:
Privileges Warrior Tribunal.png

Privilege Tax Exemptions.png

And also attached to Nahua Ritualism, a unique building that unlocks two unique units, the infamous Jaguar and Eagle Warriors:

Building Warrior Temple.png


Unit Jaguar Warriors.png

Unit Eagle Warriors.png


And a unique Sumptuary Law, with two available policies:
Sumptuary Law.png

Policy Warrior Culture.png

Policy Tradition.png

And a unique policy for the Administrative System:
Calpixque Syste,.png

Here you have some of the unique Advances of the Aztecs:
Advance Warrior Societies.png

Building Calmecac.png

Building Telpohcalli.png


Advance Chinampas.png

AdvanceCalpixcayotl.png

Advance Reformed Telpohcalli.png

Advance Return of Quetzalcoatl.png

Although most of the content related to the Aztecs is very attached to the Nahua Ritualism features, and thus, is very mechanical, there are still some non-generic, non-religious related DHEs available for them:
Event Pyramid1.png

Event Pyramid2.png


Event Tlacaelel.png


Event Tzompantly.png

And well, a final boss to deal with:
Event Cocoliztli.png

… And much more, but that’s all for today! Next week we’ll have a Tinto Maps Feedback on Monday, a Tinto Talks on Wednesday, and Tinto Flavour on Friday:
  • Tinto Maps Feedback for Indonesia
  • Wednesday -> Tinto Talks about Inti & Folk Religions
  • Friday -> Tinto Flavour about the Inca
And also remember, you can wishlist Europa Universalis V now! Cheers!
 
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The chinampas advance would if I understood the description correctly make more sense as a maybe even better source of food production but limited to hills / mountains terrains. Maybe a decrease in the food production malus provided by these terrain types ? To help the aztecs expend in the historical lands they tended to focus on.

Also maybe open up that research to their whole culture group I'd say.
 
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Kotyk-durkotyk said:
County and Count in Mesoamerican naming feel quite inappropriate :(
Maybe there would be a way to hide it?
Click to expand...
Also, I'm not the first to suggest it, but it feels that with a 'border' along the active tab, UI would be a bit more consistent and clear.
Maybe the borders could be a bit more contrast.
1752239855342.png
1752239839642.png
 
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So, based on Wednesday's TT, until you reform your religion you won't be able to get rid of the Altepetl reform and will be limited to an ultra tall subject based gameplay? Even with the criticism others have voiced about the religion and the concept of reforming it, I've got to admit it seems like an intriguing and different in a fun way playstyle.
 
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Is the rise of Tezozomoc and the Tepanec something that's given events, or left to chance with normal gameplay? Alternately, is Tezozomoc (Who is just a teen at this point, and not in power) given great stats or traits which lead to good stats to make this outcome more likely if he comes to power?

And are there any events that might lead to the historical relationship between the Tepanec and Tenochtitlan? Being so closely allied as a tributary and marrying into one-another's families would definitely help the Aztec rise as the two were quite intertwined until they were overthrown and annexed by the Aztecs.

It seems like having some combination of these things would help make the Aztecs more viable to rise naturally.
 
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If the Eagle Warriors and the Jaguar Warriors are going to have the same stats why are they two independent things?

Also it is the religion or the building that allows for the 'recruitment' of them? (If you somehow had a different building that allowed for recruitment of units and were Nahua Ritualistic could you recruit them? Is there any other unit that is limited to a specific "Barracks" building?
 
Pavía said:
Before we start, you may notice that we have reconfigured the Country Selection Panel a bit, and that we now have a new tab called ‘Content’, where we’re grouping the unique features and content available to each country:
Click to expand...
Why no country-related DHEs? You mentioned them in the post :)
Although most of the content related to the Aztecs is very attached to the Nahua Ritualism features, and thus, is very mechanical, there are still some non-generic, non-religious related DHEs available for them:
Click to expand...
1752240173514.png
 
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Pavía said:
Although most of the content related to the Aztecs is very attached to the Nahua Ritualism features, and thus, is very mechanical, there are still some non-generic, non-religious related DHEs available for them:
Event Pyramid1.png
Click to expand...
I think you should try and create a special clause in the city image generator's logic for Tenōchtitlan (and also for Venice) so it would appear as if built on a lake/island. A Tenōchtitlan on a grass flatland like this looks jarring. Perhaps this could also disappear when Lake Texcoco is "dried"
 
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"The Nahua countries start with a unique government reform, the Altepetl, that nudges towards expanding through subjects,"

Looks at Altepetl.
"Disallows Taking Land in Peace Treaties"

How is a complete ban 'nudging towards'?
So is the only way of gaining land is through annexing subjects?
 
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Pavía said:
Please note that this is an advance for Age of Absolutism, long after the Aztec Empire was conquered; this is the only instance in which we allow for some alt-historical, more pop-history oriented content, as I've already said in previous Tinto Flavour posts.
Click to expand...
Could it at least be framed a little more alt-historically then? Say by adding something like "Contact with the Europeans has brought interesting new ideas about our gods..."
 
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Also, something I've asked before but is now related to the OP: can Subjects (be they Vassals or Tributaries) pay tribute only in gold, or can they pay in other resources (Manpower, Religious Influence, Trade Goods)? I find this is specially important for the Aztecs as each of their subjects had to pay up in goods (a province had to primarily send gold, another obsidian, the other would mostly send clothing etc); this could be abstracted as purely sending ducats as usual, but you've gone out of your way to make their gameplay subject-centred, so might as well go all in.
 
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nyetflix2 said:
  1. Any flavor for any other Mesoamerican countries?
  2. Anything for the conflict with Tlatelolco?
  3. Anything for arranging for Acamapichtli, with his Culhua-Mexica background and thus Toltec descent, to take over as the first proper Tlatoani?
Stuff that is probably handled by base game mechanics, but I just want to check on:
  1. Is drought/famine a possibility, or possibly scripted? There was a significant one in 1454 that set back Mexica expansion.
  2. Is it encouraged to make some countries tributaries/vassals instead of annexing them outright? In the early 1500s the Triple Alliance had more than 20 so-called “strategic provinces” alongside their more core network of tributary provinces.
  3. Will I be able to send my pochteca merchants out as spies or as a stepping stone to conquest/subjugation? Sometimes (for instance in Soconusco and Coixtlahuaca) the locals harassed/expelled the pochteca, which drew the empire into a conflict sooner than might have otherwise happened. Tenochtitlan also supposedly sent pochteca as far as Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
  4. Can my expansionism cause waves of refugees to hostile surrounding states? Historically this comprised both conquered peoples (some Matlatzincas went to Michoacan, where the Purepecha accepted them as vassals, being known as Pirindas) and dissident nobles (some of whom fled to Metztitlan) (source: Aztec Imperial Strategies pg. 222). Earlier, when Xaltocan was defeated, some of its Otomi population settled in Tlaxcala. Tlaxcala also welcomed refugees of Mexica wars in general.
AD_4nXfMWZK7MEjwWl9XBFztWXxqgJswG7Yf9gHbWVZ6ZTYuOfCRmR_PEBw7J4oSR09SgjCaQ-A-Z8njdn1pKvAaX9wkMcZIbAV6rM_Fmn4J0d6-pZ2XD-oeCAY3TEH82U0xcKGWktxi
Click to expand...
Gurtannon said:
Is there any flavour for Tlaxcala and Purepecha?
Click to expand...
1. No, we have centered most of the Mesoamerican flavour around the different Tonal religions for a reason, which is to make it possible for most of the countries to have some mechanics/features/content to interact with. And as we had a limitation of around 60 countries to add unique content for, the only one that we focused about was the Aztecs.
2. There's an event or two, yes.
3. I think not, making a note about it.
4.
Advance Pochtecayotl.png

5. Hmm, not as of now.
 
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Pavía said:
Ok, there's a slight difference that can be seen in the screenshots: Jaguar Warriors take less Morale Damage, and Eagle Warriors take less Strength (pure) Damage. We might think on adding something more, to make them a bit more different.
Click to expand...
Can we get the 2D artworks of the units if they are finished?
 
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Is there a way to quickly differentiate in the building UI between a building that is unique per location (/province/country) and one that is not? Because I can't seem to identify anything like that and in my opinion, that would be helpful.
 
Pavía said:
1. We still have to implement the IO.
Click to expand...
Will the actual Triple Alliance be a single state, or the alliance of Two cities? As the territory of the core cities of the Triple Alliance is devided between two small locations.

Pavía said:
2. Yeah, we might need to adjust the ruler titles, as well.
Click to expand...
Please do, as most of the map seems to be controlled by various counts, and almost all of them are weird/jarring outside Europe
 
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