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Tinto Talks #70 - 2nd of July 2025

Hello, and welcome to another Tinto Talks, the happy Wednesdays where we talk about Europa Universalis V!

Today, we will talk about another very impactful early-game situation: the Hundred Years’ War!

Historically, the war started when, in May 1337, Philip VI confiscated the Duchy of Aquitaine from Edward III of England, for the reason of breaching his obligations as a vassal, which was responded to by Edward III claiming the throne of France by the rights of his mother, Isabella of France - the situation was way more complicated than this, so let’s leave the historical events here.

In our game, a couple of months after the start of the game (so, in June 1337), this event will trigger to France:
1. Robert de Artois.jpg

2. Robert de Artois.jpg

3. Robert de Artois.jpg

While this is the English point of view:
4. Robert de Artois.jpg

5. Robert de Artois.jpg

6. Robert de Artois.jpg

If the historical options are followed (which is set to always happen to AI countries), this will happen:
The Crown of France.jpg

And it will also trigger the situation:
HYW TT.jpg

HYW Panel.jpg

HYW Map.jpg

The starting situation of the Hundred Years’ War, with the French and English subjects. You can notice the striped vassals, which mean that these are disloyal subjects.

As you see, each contender has its own set of objectives:
English Victory Conditions.png

French Victory Conditions.jpg

You can also see that there’s a Strength comparison:
England Strength.jpg

France Strength.jpg

Note: Numbers are a matter of balance, so please consider them WIP.

With the situation and claims in place, it’s just a matter of time before one of the sides declares war on the other:
The Throne of France.png

CB Defenf the Throne of France.jpg

War Declaration.jpg

Something interesting is that each war is considered a ‘phase’ of the situation, so until it ends, any war between France and England will be considered ‘the 1st Phase’, ‘the 2nd Phase’, and so on:
Phases.jpg

The Situation panel will also refresh when the war starts, so you can quickly check there everything related to it:
War Panel.jpg

Let’s talk now about the actions. There’s a common action that any of the sides can do, if the war has lasted for longer than 4 years, that requests the Pope to enforce a white peace among the contenders:
Request Papal Delegates.jpg

The most important are those related to the French subjects; the objective for France will be to rein them in and have them contribute to the war effort in the conflict phases, while for England, it will be about convincing them to abandon the French king in the peace phases:
Grant Subject Titles.jpg


Influence French Subject.jpg

The French subjects have their own gameplay and actions, related to their relationship with the French sovereign, and if they stay loyal to them, or not:
Subject Actions1.jpg

Subject Actions2.jpg

Subject Actions3.jpg

Subject Actions4.jpg

Subject Actions5.jpg

So, at the end of the day, one of the contenders will probably be strong enough to defeat the other. In the case of France, it’s straightforward: No more independent English presence in the continent. In the case of England, beside pure conquest, the ‘Claim of Throne of France’ peace goal requests:
  • England (or their subjects) must control more than 15% of the ownable locations in the French Region
  • England must control the capital of France
The cost of this treaty also depends on 2 factors:
  • A base cost
  • A fluctuating cost based entirely on the relative strength between the two countries. So, a stronger England would inevitably make this peace treaty option somewhat cheaper.

And that’s it on the mechanical part of the situation; but there are also a bunch of events, both random and historical, that are dependent on it:
Scots King.jpg

Mercenaries.png

Jacquerie.png

Jeanne dArc.png

Jeanne dArc2.png

And that’s all for today! We will come back on Friday, as we will talk in Tinto Flavour about France!

And also remember, you can wishlist Europa Universalis V now! Cheers!
 
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What exactly is the impact of that new "target" in CB ? Does it limit what you can take in the war ? If that is the case, I absolutely LOVE it, but would ask that the war can be "extended" with another CB should one country ask for it (so France CAN ask for middlesex even if they were the one being attacked, or the opposite if France attacked England)
 
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Imagine being 2 years into a conflict and calling it "1st Phase of the Hundred Years War". One might accuse someone of a slight bout of pessimism.

How likely is it these conflicts actually last multiple generations / anywhere near hundred years? Let's say for uninfluenced AI playthroughs?
I think the HYW WERE historically a series of war and truces that lasted for more than hundred years, but it wasn't actually hundred uninterrupted years of war. So using phase (apart from the ahistorical naming) is a great way to stay historical. I DO hope it lasts for a long enough time however, indeed.
 
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Slightly unrelated to this diary but about the new Welsh tags (which I love). Will the Principality of Wales be ruled by the heir of England? Is there a way to give Wales a custom ruler law so whoever England's heir is, is automatically Prince of Wales? And if England has no heir, Wales is led by a regency?
 
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beautiful TT a few questions:
the phase system can also be applied to the 30 years war somehow?
the papal delegation can work as a regular mechanic as its not the only war where the pope intervened to broker a peace deal
is there any content(like events) for Burgundy in this situation?
 
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Will any of the French subjects get specific historical events?
For instance the Flemish burghers are on the pretty unavoidable path of circumventing the French aligned Count of Flanders due to the wool embargo by the English.
 
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Is the request for papal delegates limited to defender only ? Because the tooltip seems to imply it, but you said all sides could.

I'd also ask (as others said) you consider making this kind of action doable or a form of this doable in any intra acatholic conflict that went for long enough, the "Paix de Dieu" wasn't a HYW thing only. And I hope it lets the one being asked to do this refuse, ideally at the cost of angering their clergy, loosing religious fervor, and probably peasant depending of religious societal value. (and win some of this should they accept it)
 
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In test runs, how often does France win the Hundred Years War? And what tends to be the average duration of the war as a whole?
 
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Very excited by this, especially the possibility that Burgundy and Brittany may gain their autonomy organically as happened in history.

Can I ask, how has the HYW been playing out so far between an AI England and AI France? Does England actually make any gains?
 
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