I think that GVR is indead for Republican Russia and it represents final stage if republic form Russia. If i'm not mistaken GVR was introduced during 1.34 development. When it comes to Slavic languages it's more complex than it seams. Yes Novgorodians did had their own language but it could also be considered dialect. Because East Slavs are almost identical it could be considered part of the same language (Russian). As for Northern Slavs now you intreged me. I've read small peaces about Baltic Slavs and Slavic peoples inhabiting territory that coresponds to former East Germany.
You cannot, Veche Republic is locked at duchy rank and until LotN, forming Russia would just give you regular Tsardom as if you'd been Muscovy. Now, forming Russia keeps you republican while upgrading you to Great or Grand Veche Republic, thus preserving the Novgorod flavour, but still goes to normal Russian missions, thus losing the Novgorod flavour and sort of defeating the point. The final mission in Novgorod's tree requires you to fulfil the same requirements which give you the Frozen Assets achievement, and rewards you with a really great modifier for your capital province.
With all this in mind, I feel like it's awkward to expect me to the White Sea node the most valuable in the world while being locked at duchy rank, especially when other countries have been given such expansive/dynamic mission trees and formables just to help people make stupid memes. Either remove the duchy lock so we're not incentivised to form Russia, or take another pass at Third Rome to give Novgorod as much ahistorical BS as newer content so they have a different formable/more missions.
That's sad that you're railroaded to become Russia or stay as a duchy forever, maybe I can fix it for myself by modding it for Novgorod, or just wait for Tinto to possibly fix it in the future. Well, at least I have a lot of other ideas of what to play as in near future! Next up, probably in Africa or Korea.
There was no Russian language back then, as Eastern Slavic doesn't equal to Russian. Many more linguists nowadays come to acknowledge that there was no unified East Slavic language, it's a Soviet myth, but that's a topic for another thread, as don't want to derail it, nor go into the politics. 2 Sorbian languages (glad that we have a culture and tag for it in the game) are still spoken in modern times.
Also, I'm wondering if this is the last 1.34 patch and very soon we'll start to hear something about 1.35, be it the next immersion pack or a free patch.
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