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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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We Civ now

More flavour for Europe! That Ottoman buff was desperately needed. I'm glad that the developers are really fleshing out the European majors, they really were lacking in DHE's and flavour. Can we get some more European unit packs too? The game is Europa Universalis after all, it would be senseless to put any effort into the rest of the world (unless it is colonisable by Europeans of course).
Six out of seven objectives being possible for ROTW isn't enough for you?
 
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Wait, are they expanding back to 1400? Why say "1400-1550" instead of "1444-1550", while also saying "1710-1821"?
No they aren´t, is just because without any reason behind it.

1710-1821 for age of revolution is IMO out of place, the era of absolutism didn´t end at this point, I would say 1750-1850 would make more sense.
 
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Can we reasonably assume that you'll be detailing the other ages in the next three Dev Diaries, Johan?

each will get their own diary.
 
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I'm really torn on this.

First impression is that it's really cool and will create a game within the game like institutions did.

But then I have this nagging doubt that it's more money making bloat.

I could get more on board with it if we got a patch dedicated to bug fixes, wonky mechanics and game balance.
 
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Abilities
  • Create a claim bordering claims

Does this mean we wont be able to create claims at the beginning of the game? One of the ways of getting a CB against a country. If this is true didn't the community overwhelmingly reject the removal of this a while back?

no, its just a way to fabricate claims bordering other claims, so you can claim all of a country if you so desire.
 
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THIS LOOKS AWESOME GUYS ;)
Btw there's no bonus for Castile/Spain in the Age of Discovery?

They get in the next age.
 
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Ottomans needed Golden Age buffs badly:
they needed that overtech desperately (and completed quality ideas) because of hostile environment they live in (you know, Mamluks, Austria, Hungary and that monstrous Byzantium on top). Also Ottomans needed that Morale, because they had discipline, infantry CA, and had no morale (well, 10% from Muslim Piety doesn't count). But wait! Ottomans have to struggle to get that precious Golden Age! :eek:

*sarcasm*
 
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Ok I'm gonna be the towns idiot who asks if this is gonna be a paid or free feature
and if its paid can you tell us how much is gonna cost

Paid.
 
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It's not THAT euro centric
ROTW countries can get all the objectives except the PU one (and there are maybe 2 or 3 countries even in Europe which are able to do that)
But some unique bonuses are quite unlogical (Denmark SHOULD lose its PUs, Ottomans dont need another bonus, their blobbing is quite historically relevant)

Six out of seven objectives being possible for ROTW isn't enough for you?

My point is that from the last dev diary we were promised 'probably be the biggest feature added to the game since we started EU4'. I was expecting something to do with pops or development based off the previous dev diary, some people were expecting a trade rework (lol) and others wanted more content for Asia. It looks like we were just baited by Johan and given more arbitrary modifiers, not innovative new mechanics like institutions. It's my fault for believing the hype.
 
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I like it, more distinction between the centuries/ages has been a long awaited hope of mine, playing from the first to last century doesn't feel different enough.
 
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I like this concept in theory, but it will be very depending on the actual modifiers. It is a nice tool to buff and nerf certain countries according to historical circumstances, and some people (such as me) like that while others will condemn it as silly railroading.

I would really like if it isn't something largely exclusive to Europe and Christians though. If you tie this concept to religious groups and give Muslims other objectives than Christians than Hindus etc., it will be a lot more work, but in the end it would give every country in the world a lot of nice, achievable objectives that make more sense.
 
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