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EU4 - Development Diary - 13th of December 2016

Hello everyone and welcome to yet another development diary for Europa Universalis IV. Today we’ll talk about the biggest feature of our next expansion. A system we called “Ages of Europa Universalis”.

The game is now divided into 4 separate ages, where different rules apply in each age. Each age also have objectives you can fulfill, and abilities you can use use.

  • Age of Discovery => 1400 -1530
  • Age of Reformation => 1530 - 1620
  • Age of Absolutism => 1620 - 1710
  • Age of Revolutions => 1710-1821

Each age have seven objectives that can be fulfilled, and if they are fulfilled, you gain +3 power-projection as well as 3 splendor each month.

Now you may ask? What is splendor then? Well.. Splendor is the age specific currency you use to purchase abilities. There are seven abilities in each age that each country can purchase, and there is also four unique abilities in each age, where countries that historically were powerful in that age can unlock a special ability.

Whenever a new Age arrives, you power projection from objectives start decaying, and you now lose all the abilities you purchased in the previous age.

Today we’ll take a look at the Age of Discovery, which is the first Age.

eu4_140.png


Rules
Religious Rules are valid. (Previously before 1650)
Peasants War, Castilian Civil War, War of the Roses can only happen in this Age.

Objectives
  1. Capital in old world, discover Americas
  2. Own Territory on two continents
  3. Embrace Renaissance and keep it in all state provinces.
  4. Own a 30+ development city
  5. Own 5 Centers of Trade
  6. Have at least 2 personal unions.
  7. Humiliate a Rival
Abilities
  • Allow Edict “Feudal De Jure Law”
  • Transfer vassal wargoal
  • Create a claim bordering claims
  • 50% longer lasting claims.
  • Explorers & Conquistadors do not cost maintenance while on missions.
  • Finished colonies gets +1 random development.
  • Gain +1 attack bonus in your capital's terrain type
  • Ottomans : +33% Siege Ability
  • Portugal : +50 colonial growth
  • Denmark : 30 less liberty desire in subjects.
  • Venice : +50% Trade Power from Ships

Another cool concept we have related to the Age mechanics is the Golden Era. A golden era can be started once per game for a country, as soon as you have fulfilled 3 objectives in an Age, and lasts for 50 years.

A golden age gives you 10% cheaper costs for anything you spend monarch power on, your land and naval morale increase by 10%, and you produce 10% more goods.


The free patch keeps track of which age the game is in, and uses it for triggers for disasters and events.
 
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The Ottomans didn't decline, that theory has been rejected by academics for some time. They stopped expanding militarily but that hardly equals a decline.

Did ottoman powerplayers tell you that?
 
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What's this then?

Also, is having unique abilities for certain countries really such a great idea when those countries may very well be eradicated atthat point, or exist in completely different circumstances that make no sense for the bonus?

If they can't achieve a few objectives in that age, they won't get their bonus.

I think it would be nice if more of the game's mechanics really varied between the ages as well.

Oh yes, there will be quite alot of difference there.
 
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Did ottoman powerplayers tell you that?
I'm sure powerplayers will find some cheesey way to rule the world as every nation! :D

I don't really know much about EUIV's balance situation, I'm just disagreeing with what seems to be an argument in favour of having the Ottomans 'decline' on a historical basis.
 
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Looks like a cool feature. Really interested in seeing how it works in the greater scheme of things.
Isn't it "splendour" what a weird typo.
It's probably because they are used to using American English. Even as a Swede, I use American spellings because it is the De Facto standard in programming.
 
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Can we reasonably assume that you'll be detailing the other ages in the next three Dev Diaries, Johan?
 
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I am pretty disappointed. This doesn't look any close to being bigger than any change you ever made for this game in the past. I hope my opinion can change in the future.
 
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I can't understand what do u mean saying "Religious Rules"? Crusades, excommunication, etc?
The Holy war CB might also end when the religious rules change; that at least was the case in the past. (Might not have been so since EU3; not sure, since I don't use religious too often.)

Any word on whether it was a typo that you wrote 1400 to 1530 for the Age of Discovery or whether the startdate will be moved back?
 
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Oh yes, there will be quite alot of difference there.
This is probably IMO the best thing that's been announced in this thread. One of my long-time complaints about EUIV (and Paradox games in general) is about how things don't really change mechanically over time, they just get bigger or more advanced incrementally. Unlike Civ for example where the entire unit balance and playstyle changes as tech moves on. Era-based mechanics will really shift things up!
 
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Any special stuff for teh Ashyunz? Id like to see Qing and Mughals exist more.
 
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