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EU4 Development Diary - 18th February 2016

Hello and Welcome to another development diary for EU4. This time we take a look at Africa, and the changes there. This one of those times when pictures are worth more than 1000 words.

First of all, we have added the entirety of the Kongo region, reaching up to the Great Lakes area. Not just home to the countries of Kongo, Loango and Ndongo, this area now have multiple nations, and could be the basis of a powerful empire.

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While we have added over 20 new nations to Central Africa, we have also added new idea groups and unique ideas for these mighty states, including the Great Lakes ideas for our states near the Lake Victoria. These Central Africans also have their own unique technology group, with technology costing 65% more than Westerners.

North we find the Great Lakes Area, with lots of minor nations, some that still exist today, after a brief period of colonialism.

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Southeast of Kongo, is Zambia and Mozambique is now filled with provinces and several new nations as well. Magagascar has also seen a rework, with 5 nations struggling for supremacy of the island, complete with their own national ideas and Pagan/Islamic friction

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The tradesetup for Africa have changed as well, Zanzibar is now the coast tradenode, with three inland nodes of Kongo, Great Lakes and Zambezi leading to the coasts either west and east. This makes the Zanzibar node a hugely important tradenode for everyone along the Indian Ocean.

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No diary on our Africa changes would be complete without giving some attention to religion in the region. Previously we had carpeted non-specific pagan areas with Shamanism or Animism. Now many of our African provinces which have not converted to Islam are portrayed with the Fetishist Pagan religion which grants greater tolerance to heathens and a diplomatic reputation bonus along with the usual pagan decision.

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Next week, we’ll talk about two different and new concepts, one which has its own icon in the top bar.
 
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@Trin Tragula Well since people are talking a lot about how the Africans should be more difficult to conquer, what if you guys changed the diplomatic rep bonus from Fetishist to an attrition for enemies bonus, like the zunists in the converter? It would make more sense (I think) and help address some concerns that people are having - and it would make it harder for the europeans to eat all of Africa without a higher tech level. I know you guys have a game plan probably for it, but I think it could work. Just a thought.


Edit: Also, this is something I read (that is probably more of a change that wouldn't happen), but you could make Fetishist syncretic, since that's what one of the kings of Kongo did - he mixed Catholicism with the native beliefs. Europeans tried to stamp out that thinking for awhile but never did.

Anyways, I think the change to attrition for enemies from diplo rep is a good idea, but that's me :p
 
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Great changes! PDS - revolutioning the game in every EU4 extension since the Art of War!
The start date is 1444 because people were complaining they couldn't play the byzzies if it was later like EU3.
No, EU3 had an earlier startdate in 1399, otherwise I believe it was 1444.
 
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I would like to propose that given how many people have responded to the "fetishist" religion, there should be an achievement called "the gods must be kinky". I personally don't ever go for achievements but it would be funny.
Fetish for Fetish Gods!
 
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Great changes! PDS - revolutioning the game in every EU4 extension since the Art of War!

No, EU3 had an earlier startdate in 1399, otherwise I believe it was 1444.
The original (and best) start date in EU3 was 1453. One of the expansions (In Nomine I believe) moved it to 1399.

Yeah what he said.
 
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Good to see more EU4, maybe I'll get back to playing that now that recent CK2 updates have been a bit disappointing. And hey, now I have a reason to do a proper African game for the first time in any game!
 
Can't say I like all of these changes, some wastelands should really stay, unless there is an accompanying change to the way they work. Central Africa just was so unforgiving to foreign powers and hardly passable that it's very ahistorical.
 
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Africa Universalis calling. Will we see improvements to Europe, too? I hope these changes in Africa don't have an negative impact on performance. That would be most annoying.
 
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Africa Universalis calling. Will we see improvements to Europe, too? I hope these changes in Africa don't have an negative impact on performance. That would be most annoying.
Since when does EU4 suffer performance issues?
 
It's a big mistake to create another stupid land connection between West and East Africa, and a lesser but still sizable mistake to even put the inner Kongo and Great Lakes into the game at all (they were their own completely isolated world at this time). Zambia and madagascar changes are cool, though.
 
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It doesn't but adding all these unimportant TAGs and province could create some so I asked if this was the case?

The devs have been quite parsimonious so far with the addition of tags and the huge improvements for the ROTW in AoW did not result in a significant performance drop due to the optimisation the made. There is also the fact that unlike in CkII, Eu4 get less tags and less nations as the game goes on reducing the performances impact.
 
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Can't say I like all of these changes, some wastelands should really stay, unless there is an accompanying change to the way they work. Central Africa just was so unforgiving to foreign powers and hardly passable that it's very ahistorical.
If they implemented exotic diseases mechanic it would be fine I guess. You'd get destroyed upon attempting to colonize those lands. In my opinion they shouldn't add them. It just doesn't fit the peroid.
 
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