Hi everyone, and welcome to another Europa Universalis IV development diary. Today we’ll take a look at five new features which will be in the new Rights of Man expansion.

First of all.. Disinherit!

Now when you have these no good heirs, like a certain prince of Castille, you now have an option to deal with them. At any time, if your prestige is positive, you can chose to disinherit your current heir, for a mere cost of 50 prestige. Now we like to think of it as the heir becoming a happy farmer somewhere, but the people in the iron-mask industry need employment after all. The drawback of disinheriting, besides losing 50 prestige, is the fact that you will be without an heir after it..


The second feature is the Prussian Monarchy, a rather cool special government.

Whenever you form Prussia, you will change into a Prussian Monarchy, a government that was describes as an army with a state, not as a state with an army. So what does the Prussian Monarchy give you. Well, first of all, all Prussian Rulers will have a minimum of 3 in MIL. This alone gives you more military monarch power to spend on policies, ideas & technology on average. The government form in itself reduces unrest by 2 and war exhaustion by 0.02 each month, with autonomy reduction based on the rank.

The coolest part of this government form is the fact that it is a militarised society. This has a rating of 0-100%, where army tradition and legitimacy increases it, while each province you own decrease it. You can also at any time spend 50 military power to gain 10 militarization.

At 100 % militarized society, you gain +10% discipline, 33% cheaper army maintenance and 33% quicker manpower recovery.

Prussia with Rights of Man will be a taller state, that can punch far above its weight, and require a bit of a different playing strategie.


Our third feature is Strengthen Government.

This is basically an ability to have greater control of your government. For a mere 100 military power, you can at any time boost your legitimacy, devotion, horde unity or republican tradition. Republican Tradition is increased by 3%, while all the other is increased by 10.


The fourth feature of today is Abandon Personal Union.

This is a new diplomatic action, which is available for the senior in a personal union. Sometimes a union is not worth keeping, as the risks of a dangerous war may be too high, or you know they will win an independence war anyway. The overlord will lose some prestige, and depending on the subjects liberty desire, they will not even dislike you for giving them freedom.


And the fifth and final feature is Debase Currency.

This is a possibility to quickly get some money, without any interest to pay back, or other immediate drawbacks.. Except … for some minor corruption..

Basically, you get a free loan amount of money for just 2 corruption.


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And as a free feature, as a apart of the 1.18-Prussia patch, we’re adding over 20 new DHE just for Prussia & Brandenburg, putting them on par with other tier 1 nations..

Next week, Jake will talk about the changes to Revolutionary Republics.

 

[WeissRaben]

Ah, the mystic properties of Prussian soil, allowing soldiers to grow cheap and disciplined.

No, but really. Militarization of society should be a universal slider. Special snowflake mechanics is a large slice of why I stopped playing this.

 

[seriousgigi]

Yeah that would be extremely awesome! And some unions could have special names, like Denmarks union could be called Kalmar Union

what will you name the coptomans' union over france? The Union of His Majesty's Imperial March World Beatdown Vengeance Tour?

 

[El_Cid_]

No dev diary today??

 

[CheesySnake]

No dev diary today??

It's only half 2 in the afternoon in Sweden. Patience, friend. It'll come when it comes.

 

[Cymsdale]

The ones that are posted quickly are often better, so I'm already disappointed in the next one.

 

[OldmansHQ]

I've been refreshing the forums since 9. 9! I even went to see a doc, and kept refreshing it on the phone. This is seriously straining my patience.

 

[Drachenfels]

I've been refreshing the forums since 9. 9! I even went to see a doc, and kept refreshing it on the phone. This is seriously straining my patience.

You are not the only one. ;-)

 

[CheesySnake]

Settle, petals. DDRJake delivers.

 

[seriousgigi]

Johan usually release it before 12:00 pm and Jake is vice versa.

 

[Praetorian44]

Not sure how I missed this DD last week. Well there seems to be some good changes here, and some really terrible ones. I like the ability to abandon personal unions. I also like that you guys added the debase currency, but why the hell does it increase corruption instead of inflation? You could have it increase both, but at the minimum it should increase inflation, since that is what debasing currency does . The Prussian Monarchy seems cool, but it seems like another one of those features where it will be easy to keep it at 100%. I also don't like the minimum MIL skill for rulers. Prussia had some absolutely terrible rulers.

So that's the good and the okay of this DD, but the disinherit and strengthen government mechanics are terrible. Disinheriting wasn't something a ruler could just do whenever they wanted. It was actually extremely difficult to do and rarely happened. So the idea that you can do it for the mere cost of 50 prestige is very poor game design IMO. The feature just feels far too gamey, and makes the game a lot easier IMO. And the ability to increase legitimacy with the strengthen government is also bad. Legitimacy was one of the few things that actually mattered because you didn't have much control over it. There wasn't a magic button to just instantly increase it, as there is for most other values in this game. But now legitimacy doesn't matter either.

 

[ross-g]

The fourth feature of today is Abandon Personal Union.
This is a new diplomatic action, which is available for the senior in a personal union. Sometimes a union is not worth keeping, as the risks of a dangerous war may be too high, or you know they will win an independence war anyway. The overlord will lose some prestige, and depending on the subjects liberty desire, they will not even dislike you for giving them freedom.

@Johan Will this action be available while you are at war?

As England I recently ended up with an (unwanted) PU over Austria... But the instant that the PU event fired I had Castile, Aragon & Naples declare a succession war upon me. Some years of fighting later (I was destroyed, Austrian troops did not come to assist for whatever reason) I had to peace out with the option to release the Personal Union. Which resulted in a -100 prestige hit.

So it would have been great if I could have just abandoned my union and offered white peace. I hope this is a scenario you have considered in implementing this feature.

 

[seriousgigi]

@Johan you added prussian eagle to their government screen, so it would be better if you can add some kind of thing (e.g. coat of arms) to ottomans too.

or

 

[Zeratulr]

Strengthen government is super awesome for republics. I hate to not re-elect whenever I have an option to re-elect. Now I can!
Seriously though. Did somebody run the numbers on that? Unless I seriously missed something every normal republic will become more powerful than the Dutch Republic. Is that the goal?

 

[TheDarkMaster]

Strengthen government is super awesome for republics. I hate to not re-elect whenever I have an option to re-elect. Now I can!
Seriously though. Did somebody run the numbers on that? Unless I seriously missed something every normal republic will become more powerful than the Dutch Republic. Is that the goal?

You gain 3% tradition from using the power and it costs 100 military power. Re-election costs 2.5 tradition for each year of the election cycle and your base gain of tradition is 1 per year, so there is a net loss of 1.5 per year if you always re-elect. To overcome that 1.5 loss, you need to spend 100 military power every 2 years to keep your ruler always in power. If you're gaining 6 military power per month, that's 72 power per year and leaves you with a net positive of 44 power every 2 years. You essentially have to commit 4.2 military points per month to keep a ruler perpetually in power, and keep in mind that they can still die at any time and you're back to a ruler with one skill at 4 and the other two at 1. Useful if you have a huge excess of military points or want to dump military while maxing out the other two.

If I didn't always end up with such a glut of military points, I'd say this wasn't a problem. Otherwise it does look extremely powerful once you've got your military tech and basic manpower development.

 

[Zeratulr]

You gain 3% tradition from using the power and it costs 100 military power. Re-election costs 2.5 tradition for each year of the election cycle and your base gain of tradition is 1 per year, so there is a net loss of 1.5 per year if you always re-elect. To overcome that 1.5 loss, you need to spend 100 military power every 2 years to keep your ruler always in power. If you're gaining 6 military power per month, that's 72 power per year and leaves you with a net positive of 44 power every 2 years. You essentially have to commit 4.2 military points per month to keep a ruler perpetually in power, and keep in mind that they can still die at any time and you're back to a ruler with one skill at 4 and the other two at 1. Useful if you have a huge excess of military points or want to dump military while maxing out the other two. If I didn't always end up with such a glut of military points, I'd say this wasn't a problem. Otherwise it does look extremely powerful once you've got your military tech and basic manpower development.

I did a quick calculation and if it's correct (and I'm not 100% sure that it is) the glut of the MPs will be huge. If I elect military candidate every time, re-elect candidate every time I can, I will go through rulers who have 1-1-4, 2-2-5, 3-3-6, 4-4-6, 5-5-6, 6-6-6 and so on until they die. Let's take the first three terms (I'll have even more MPs on subsequent terms) of 12 years. Let's assume I use level 2 advisor, put focus on military and have zero power projection somehow (no additional MPs and no RT increase whatsoever including ideas, events or policies). For the first 12 years it will give me 5 (on average from ruler) + 3 (base) + 2 (focus) +2 (advisor) = 12 military points per month. 12^3=1728 points per 12 years. As you correctly said, I have to spend 100 MPs every 2 years to compensate for the loss of RT if I don't have any RT increase at all. SO in those 12 years I'll have to spend 100*(12/2)=600 to strengthen government enough to stay at 100 RT by the next election. I also have to spent points on technology (12 years is roughly the time to discover the next tech) assuming 15% increase over times and no military ideas (ideas more or less pay for themselves) and no additional bonuses/penalties) let's assume 750 points per tech just to be on the safe side. Finally over those 12 years I'll be paying 50 MPs to collect war taxes every two years (I'm very belligerent but somehow without any power projection) for a total of 50*(12/2)=300. That will come up to 600+750+300=1650. 1728-1650=78 military points left(enough to pay for three generals every 24 years).

Of course this is an absolutely worst case scenario. My ruler won't die every time he reaches 6-6-6, I'll have level 3 advisor, I' get an additional point and RT from power projection and I will have other bonuses to RT. But even in this scenario I'll have enough points to ALWAYS re-elect, stay at 100 RT, pay for all my military needs and, ultimately stay on 6-6-6 rulers limited only by their lifespan. The point is not how much monarch power you get on average. The point is that this option as is puts every single republic (except for the loser Dutch) into an insane military drug-induced overdrive mode.

 

[TheDarkMaster]

I did a quick calculation and if it's correct (and I'm not 100% sure that it is) the glut of the MPs will be huge. If I elect military candidate every time, re-elect candidate every time I can, I will go through rulers who have 1-1-4, 2-2-5, 3-3-6, 4-4-6, 5-5-6, 6-6-6 and so on until they die. Let's take the first three terms (I'll have even more MPs on subsequent terms) of 12 years. Let's assume I use level 2 advisor, put focus on military and have zero power projection somehow (no additional MPs and no RT increase whatsoever including ideas, events or policies). For the first 12 years it will give me 5 (on average from ruler) + 3 (base) + 2 (focus) +2 (advisor) = 12 military points per month. 12^3=1728 points per 12 years. As you correctly said, I have to spend 100 MPs every 2 years to compensate for the loss of RT if I don't have any RT increase at all. SO in those 12 years I'll have to spend 100*(12/2)=600 to strengthen government enough to stay at 100 RT by the next election. I also have to spent points on technology (12 years is roughly the time to discover the next tech) assuming 15% increase over times and no military ideas (ideas more or less pay for themselves) and no additional bonuses/penalties) let's assume 750 points per tech just to be on the safe side. Finally over those 12 years I'll be paying 50 MPs to collect war taxes every two years (I'm very belligerent but somehow without any power projection) for a total of 50*(12/2)=300. That will come up to 600+750+300=1650. 1728-1650=78 military points left(enough to pay for three generals every 24 years).

Of course this is an absolutely worst case scenario. My ruler won't die every time he reaches 6-6-6, I'll have level 3 advisor, I' get an additional point and RT from power projection and I will have other bonuses to RT. But even in this scenario I'll have enough points to ALWAYS re-elect, stay at 100 RT, pay for all my military needs and, ultimately stay on 6-6-6 rulers limited only by their lifespan. The point is not how much monarch power you get on average. The point is that this option as is puts every single republic (except for the loser Dutch) into an insane military drug-induced overdrive mode.

I don't think that's necessarilly a good way of looking at it, since then you're always taking 1/1 in admin and diplo on every election AND have military points focused. That's a lot of lost admin and diplo points you're giving up on to get more admin and diplomacy points So it's probably not a good idea to pick a military candidate every single time just to keep the re-election cycle going as long as possible. You also tend to lose RT from the random republican events, so that will also somewhat offset what you gain from PP and ideas.

I'd probably also assume that you aren't going to get to 6-6-6 every single time, your rulers usually spawn too old to get that far reliably. However, you can probably save up enough mil points between two or three candidates to start pumping up RT and get your god ruler for something like 30-40 years if you wait for one that's young enough, then repeat. I doubt that you'll always have an insane ruler, but you can probably get a really good one for about 50% of the time so long as there isn't anything you desperately need to spend military points on most of the time.

 

[Zeratulr]

I don't think that's necessarilly a good way of looking at it, since then you're always taking 1/1 in admin and diplo on every election AND have military points focused. That's a lot of lost admin and diplo points you're giving up on to get more admin and diplomacy points So it's probably not a good idea to pick a military candidate every single time just to keep the re-election cycle going as long as possible. You also tend to lose RT from the random republican events, so that will also somewhat offset what you gain from PP and ideas.

I used a completely artificial, unrealistically bad scenario (no power projection, no RT bonuses, level 2 military advisor, buying war taxes every 2 years, probably more expensive techs than they really are) just to show that even then it works, that strengthen government pays for itself. In reality you'll be able to pay for all the strengthening you need without military focus and probably even without picking military candidates every time.

I'd probably also assume that you aren't going to get to 6-6-6 every single time, your rulers usually spawn too old to get that far reliably. However, you can probably save up enough mil points between two or three candidates to start pumping up RT and get your god ruler for something like 30-40 years if you wait for one that's young enough, then repeat. I doubt that you'll always have an insane ruler, but you can probably get a really good one for about 50% of the time so long as there isn't anything you desperately need to spend military points on most of the time.

I quickly looked through republics in my current game and here's what I found: 2 re-elections at 45, 1 re-election at 37, 38, 46 and 63. Except for the last 63 guy, everybody will almost certainly be able to get to 6-6-6. 37 and 38 years old guys will probably stay in office as 6-6-6 for 2 or 3 terms at least. At any rate the point is not how much points you'll get in the end (although you'll get a lot), the point is that this whole mechanic is like a steroid for republics which allows to use it at maximum possible capacity every single time.

 

[TheDarkMaster]

I used a completely artificial, unrealistically bad scenario (no power projection, no RT bonuses, level 2 military advisor, buying war taxes every 2 years, probably more expensive techs than they really are) just to show that even then it works, that strengthen government pays for itself. In reality you'll be able to pay for all the strengthening you need without military focus and probably even without picking military candidates every time.

I quickly looked through republics in my current game and here's what I found: 2 re-elections at 45, 1 re-election at 37, 38, 46 and 63. Except for the last 63 guy, everybody will almost certainly be able to get to 6-6-6. 37 and 38 years old guys will probably stay in office as 6-6-6 for 2 or 3 terms at least. At any rate the point is not how much points you'll get in the end (although you'll get a lot), the point is that this whole mechanic is like a steroid for republics which allows to use it at maximum possible capacity every single time.

Yeah, we're in agreement that the mechanic is overpowered for republics. We just disagree on how much, but that's something that needs testing to know for sure. The problem is that you simply don't need as many military points as the other two. Once there are more things you need to spend your military points on this probably won't be as big of a deal.

 

[erneiz_hyde]

Assume 4 year cycle, on the road to bring a ruler to 6/6/6 (and his first year as 6/6/6, so 20 total years) we will have amassed extra 432 MP in primary category and 720 MP in the rest, compared to if we just elect a new candidate each time. This costs 50-20=30% RT assuming no other modifiers. 30 RT means you need to spend 1000 mil MP. It doesn't really pay for itself.

Now let's assume Protestant Venice, you can have an extra 0.4 yearly RT by the late 1600s. This brings the cost down to 50-28=22%RT, which means about 733 mil MP cost. Barely missed that mark. A Protestant Italian minor can have extra 0.6 yearly RT, which brings it down to 50-32=18% RT, which means 600 mil MP cost. Finally you have surplus MP from this. Protestant Venice can have up 0.6 extra yearly RT at the cost of 240 admin MP with that Plutocracy policy, but it now only need to pay 600 military MP to have an all around surplus of MP. A Protestant Italian minor can even try to juggle between Republic and Monarchy so they can have a whopping 1.2 extra yearly RT at the cost of 240 admin and mil MP (Plutocracy AND Aristocracy policy), so they only need to pay 200 mil MP to maintain 100% RT.

 

[Zeratulr]

Assume 4 year cycle, on the road to bring a ruler to 6/6/6 (and his first year as 6/6/6, so 20 total years) we will have amassed extra 432 MP in primary category and 720 MP in the rest, compared to if we just elect a new candidate each time. This costs 50-20=30% RT assuming no other modifiers. 30 RT means you need to spend 1000 mil MP. It doesn't really pay for itself.

Now let's assume Protestant Venice, you can have an extra 0.4 yearly RT by the late 1600s. This brings the cost down to 50-28=22%RT, which means about 733 mil MP cost. Barely missed that mark. A Protestant Italian minor can have extra 0.6 yearly RT, which brings it down to 50-32=18% RT, which means 600 mil MP cost. Finally you have surplus MP from this. Protestant Venice can have up 0.6 extra yearly RT at the cost of 240 admin MP with that Plutocracy policy, but it now only need to pay 600 military MP to have an all around surplus of MP. A Protestant Italian minor can even try to juggle between Republic and Monarchy so they can have a whopping 1.2 extra yearly RT at the cost of 240 admin and mil MP (Plutocracy AND Aristocracy policy), so they only need to pay 200 mil MP to maintain 100% RT.

A calculation of the monarch power net gain doesn't really tell you much, since there are only so many military points you can spend effectively over a given period of time. After you get that amount, you find yourself sitting on military points with nothing to do with them. In that situation all the additional admin and diplo points you get by strengthening and re-electing effectively become a net gain. In other words, in Rights of man any republic without RT bonuses will be guaranteed to reach it's maximum amount of stored military points in the first century of playing unless it spends military points on harsh treatment or rerolling generals 10 times before every war. Venice with high power projection or Novgorod with 3rd national idea unlocked will probably reach it in 30-40 years after getting their respective bonuses.