• 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 - 11th of April 2017

Hello everyone and welcome to another Europa Universalis development diary. Last week we released the 1.20 ‘Ming’ Update and the Mandate of Heaven expansion. It is almost four years since we originally released the game, and it is still growing in popularity!

We just released a hotfix to address some urgent issues, but we’re also working on a new patch called 1.21 ‘Hungary’, which will be released in late April, if all goes well.

In 1.21 we’ve worked a lot on further improving the AI, fixing bugs and balanced the game as we usually do.

You may remember the talks we had in the winter, about how we were not satisfied with Sailors. Now in 1.21, we’re solving this problem, by doing the following things. First of all, ships out on the sea, will drain 2% of their Sailor build cost each month. Now with current values and playstyles, that would not be ideal, as your sailor pool would quickly be drained.

  • Each development now provides 30 instead of 25 sailors.
  • Naval Tradition provides 20% faster sailor recovery instead of +10%.
  • Docks and Shipyards (both versions) have swapped placed in the technology tree.
  • Autonomy from Burghers Estate no longer impact sailors from development.
  • Sheltered Ports in Maritime Ideas group reduces Sailor Maintenance by 10%.

We are rather happy with the end result, a better naval game, where all buildings are viable choices, and you need to invest in having the support for a naval force.

We also strengthened the naval ideagroup, by making Naval Cadets also reduce morale damage from sunk ships by 33%, increase Press Gangs from 20 to 25% Sailor Recovery Speed, and changing Superior Seamanship from 15% Naval Morale to 10% Naval Morale and adding +10% Naval Engangement modifier (ie, lets 10% more ships fire each round).

sailors.png



A cool thing we are adding in 1.21, is a new decision to form Yuan!

In 1444, the Ming dynasty is still in its relative infancy, having taken over China from the Yuan Empire in in the late 14th century. The remnants of the Yuan still remain in our start date in the form of the Mongolia tag (something you can already see in the tooltip for previous Emperors in the Empire of China interface).

For patch 1.21 we have expanded a bit on this and added a decision for Altaic countries to restore the Great Yuan Empire and reclaim the heritage of Kublai Khan. It will require you to unite the Eastern Altaic cultures and be the Empire of China (or at least Empire rank if you lack the Mandate of Heaven DLC) and will grant claims and ideas based on the Yuan Dynasty.

yuan.jpg



Speaking of forming nations, any manchu culture nation can form Manchu in 1.21


Next week, Trin Tragula will tell you all why the patch is called Hungary...
 
I'm sure you'll be doing this already, but please make some nice tooltips for our fleets in regards to sailor loss. Don't think anyone wants to do too much maths while they play to figure out if their fleets and about to be built fleets can sustain certain actions.

Otherwise, look forward to trying the sailors change and most importantly optimising my building slots. And more formables is always appreciated. Thanks.
 
I hope Janos Hunyadi will finally be able to declare war in the Hungary patch..
Honestly he should be treated as a consort in regards to his regency

I would like it if it were added so that viewing the state window would put the glowing border around that state rather than the province you have selected.
 
Looking forward to the Hungary patch , you might want to make Croatia in personal Union under Hungary.
Make Croatia in Personal Union (Boost Hungary as well) + add better resource for some provinces) , it was never out-right annexed by Hungary. Even had its own Ban (rulers). What good is having the function of personal union when it is not applied in such a case as with Croatia - it clearly was a Personal Union.
Oh, I didn't know this. That sounds like a cool idea.
 
I'm going to be that spoiled kid and hope that the map is still a work in progress, thus more provinces will be added.

Really hoping for that Silistre/Dobruja 'fix' any time soon.
 
I just happened to notice that the new province in Serbia might be Belgrade!
 
Speaking of forming nations, any manchu culture nation can form Manchu in 1.21

This is a horrible decision for multiple reasons:

1: Manchu is one of; if not the; largest culture in the game in terms of development. This makes it very easy to convert to Manchu by conquering the Manchurians.

2: Forming Manchu is the stepping stone to forming Qing; and forming Qing gives you permament claims on the ENTIRIETY OF CHINA.

3: Unlike the provinces needed to form things like Mughals; you can quite easily get a foothold in Manchuria given it's rather large coastline and ability to colonize in SEA or Siberia. This lets you conquer the oft-backwards and weak from infighting tribes with ease.

Then you form Manchu; take Manchruian ideas which are among the best in the game; form Qing and get free claims on all of China. As any nation.

Yep. Nothing wrong there. Nothing wrong there at all.

I mean Portugal could quite easily form Manchu by 1500. And while it might be absolutely hilarious suddenly having a Portugal with Manchu ideas in Europe, I don't think it's a GOOD idea.

Could also see Muscovy snake-rushing to Manchruia; culture-converting and going Muscovy -> Manchu -> Qing; although this would take longer than Portugal.

Also Korea-> Manchu will be standard play.

  • Increased shock damage (First ever nation)
One of the Daimiyo [Nanbu] has +shock damage actually.
 
Last edited:
Sounds great! One question though, will you guys address how powerful Ming is from the start and the relatively light penalties of losing the MOH?
 
Cool, I'm glad you decided to try to make sailors work instead of getting rid of them completely. I'm all for trying to improve the naval game.
Making them painful and hence noticeable is clearly not the best try.
First moneysinks with corruption, then unaffordable mercs, then this.
Why are they trying to make "normal" difficulty ultrahard? Or, rather, ultra-annoying?