• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.

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.
 
  • 298
  • 155
  • 40
Reactions:
The game is now divided into 4 separate ages, where different rules apply in each age.
Finally! I've been advocating this for years.

So, since France got its first colonies in the 1590s it only entered the Reformation age after the Religious wars? lol
 
  • 8
Reactions:
The 6th objective reminded me of something. Are you going to remove the requirement to form Commonwealth to not have more than 1 personal union? It is pretty dumb, especially if you get additional union via one of the Elective Monarchy events that gives you free claim throne on a nation that has the same dynasty as the current ruling dynasty in Poland.
 
  • 4
Reactions:
Because of the "rules" part. Imagine that one Age of the game is more about expanding directly, another one's designed to reward a playstyle of influencing other nations, then one that heavily rewards "internal" play and vassal managment and Revolutions is trying to keep everybody from rebelling (while making the subjects and rebels of your rivals destroy them).
Going by the Age of Discovery example, I am guessing the "rules" will simply be things which are already in the game, with dates adjusted. So for example "Embrace the Counter-Reformation" and forming of the Religious leagues will be limited to the Age of Reformation while the Revolution disaster will be restricted to the Age of Revolutions.
 
  • 7
Reactions:
I really like the idea of having various ages, and rules associated with them, but this seems really Europe-focused. 3 Unique Abilities for European Nations and 1 for a Middle Eastern nation. Meanwhile Asia is completely ignored, and goals such as two PUs aren't even possible there (they're also still using the stock European advisor portraits for gods sake).
 
  • 11
  • 1
  • 1
Reactions:
The era lasts until 1530... It's not a problem that it is not centered on the new world!! Wait for the description of the other eras before criticize.
After 1530, the goals will change. And i wonder where the age of reformation will be centered. Age of Absolutism? Hmmmm... I wonder if that isn't another eurocentric age. Age of revolutions is the only dark horse. But given that it starts in 1710, having to wait 266 years it's not my idea of fun. It's just a complex, heavy railroading mechanic, that compensates the fact that this game has so few of it.
 
  • 6
  • 4
Reactions:
As many before me, I'm disappointed as well.

The ages and their goals are already somehow represented by missions. The difference is that these age specific missions are much easier to accomplish for already strong nations.

I personally have hoped for an East Asia rework.
 
  • 17
  • 1
  • 1
Reactions:
The era lasts until 1530... It's not a problem that it is not centered on the new world!! Wait for the description of the other eras before criticize.

Age of Reformation.

Why would Yarkhand or Haida care about that?

Going by the Age of Discovery example, I am guessing the "rules" will simply be things which are already in the game, with dates adjusted. So for example "Embrace the Counter-Reformation" and forming of the Religious leagues will be limited to the Age of Reformation while the Revolution disaster will be restricted to the Age of Revolutions.

Maybe. I'm willing to wait and see the other ages, they could have newer stuff.
 
  • 5
Reactions:
The new mechanic seems awesome.

The one problem I have though, is the ottomans. I have been complaining that they are way too overpowered in the last patches, especially when they got the harem. They already blob like hell and now they will even more... You really should adress that at some point, because like I said: It may be historical, but a super blob that unless you play Austria/France or something you have 0 chance against is not fun.
fun+game balance > historical accuracy

PS: there's people here who don't seem to like the new mechanic. If it doesn't mess too much with everything else on the game, you could maybe add an option to turn it off and on without losing IM. I have no idea how doable that is, just a suggestion.
 
  • 6
  • 2
Reactions:
A bit sad the new mechanics appear to miss the rest of the world so badly, but I guess the games name dictates its focus.

In an ideal world I guess the game would start much earlier (maybe 4000BC) and run through the Egypt, Rome, Greece, the Vikings azimuths right up to modern day perhaps... focusing on the relative golden ages of each civilisation and ...

Oh wait... ;) ....Never mind.
 
  • 3
  • 2
Reactions:
mhmpf, I don't really like that you implement yet another "currency" with splendor. Couldn't you refit prestige for this purpose?

Prestige for now mostly gives a bit moral and Better Relations over time. Also you can spend it to sooth your subjects.
 
  • 14
  • 1
Reactions:
Age of Reformation.

Why would Yarkhand or Haida care about that?
I'd personally like if there were a few variations, maybe tied to culture or location. Four ages for the Africans, four different ones for the Americans, four for the Middle East, and four for everything east of Persia. That should cover most of the world and round out to a solid 16, but that's probably asking for too much.
 
  • 14
Reactions:
I really like the idea of having various ages, and rules associated with them, but this seems really Europe-focused. 3 Unique Abilities for European Nations and 1 for a Middle Eastern nation. Meanwhile Asia is completely ignored, and goals such as two PUs aren't even possible there (they're also still using the stock European advisor portraits for gods sake).

Only the PU one is exclusive to ROTW. Well-doing ROTW nations can get other ones

In any case, of course most new features will be Eurocentric. The game is about playing Europe or playing a ROTW nation which tries to survive in the age when Europe was a constantly growing threat. The game was never designed to be equal towards everyone, that's what games like Civ are there for.
With that said, this feature can later be upgraded to be culture-specific so Europe, East Asia, Middle-East, India, etc. have their own sets of Ages.
 
  • 14
  • 4
Reactions:
WARNING: Not a sarcasm!
You know, I commiserate Paradox a bit: @Johan has announced "the biggest feature yet" and created a hype train. People have been waiting for a huge milestone like tech system overhaul in RoM:
  • reworked trading system with dynamic routes and centers, changeable goods prices
  • land and naval combat rework (especially naval) to make war more engaging, skill-based and fun.
  • some tweaks (or even an overhaul) to weird and fantasy-style monarch points aka mana system.
  • serious rebalance of NIs, ideagroups and policies to make meaningful not only combat quality modifiers.
  • Asia flavor and rework.
But it turns out to be an "extensive" feature that wasn't expected so much. I don't say it's bad, but honestly, It didn't fit my expectations.

IMO EU4 needs a break from new features and needs intensive and massive work on existing mechanics and features. You could even release a large skin pack and loyal PDS fans (including me) would buy it just to support the company.
 
Last edited:
  • 58
  • 6
  • 2
Reactions:
This doesn't contradict my point. I agree, that they had superior supply system and were able to field huge armies. This isn't represented in game.
They were good with sieges and were more developed in military science for some time. This is represented by 6-mil ruler at start and good pips of units.
They didn't have huge quality of army. But, for some reason, it is in the game.

most european majors have land moral (+15, 20%) + discipline in their national ideas mostly, ottomans always lacks of land moral. most of european majors are taken defensive idea which gives +15% land moral too. so usually we see let's say; austrian army has 7.2, poland has 7.8 land moral and ottomans have only 6. every war between europeans and ottomans europeans get crusade modifiers (land moral, taxes) ottomans don't get anything.

if you complain about army quality / historical correctness pls look at polish national ideas not ottomans.
 
Last edited:
  • 8
  • 7
Reactions: