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Tinto Flavour #16 - 9th of May 2025 - Brandenburg & Prussia

Hello and welcome one more week to Tinto Flavour, the happy Fridays in which we take a look at the content of the super secret Project Caesar Europa Universalis V!

Today we will be talking about Brandenburg, and the main tag that it can form, Prussia. Therefore, today is even more special for two reasons. The first is that this is the first country that we talk about in which the content for the base country and the formable is aligned, as it was the historical result; in this category we have a few more important countries, such as England/Great Britain or Castile/Spain, of which we’ll talk more about in future TFs. The second is because we considered Brandenburg/Prussia one of the relevant tags in the period, and thus, it has more baseline content than the previous one; so far, we’ve only taken a look previously to one tag of that category, the Timurids (and you may have noticed that it was a long and meaty TF).

Let’s start now taking a look at the content, then:

The Electorate of Brandenburg was established as the Northern March in the Slavic Wends' territory. The region features loamy uplands and depressions with rivers and lakes, pine trees and heat, and a soil which is predominantly dry and sandy, but suitable for agriculture, making it to be called 'the sandbox of the Holy Roman Empire'.\n\nIn 1157, after claiming these lands from Jaxa of Köpenick, Elector Albrecht ‘the Bear’ Askanier officially became [GetCountry('BRA').GetGovernment.GetRulerTitle]. Initially limited to Havelland and Zauche, he encouraged the #italic Ostsiedlung#!'s process towards the Neumark east of the Oder, gradually incorporating it into his possessions, and colonists coming from Flanders and the Rhineland were invited to settle, fortifying their towns in the process. After his death in 1170, the Askanier dynasty continued this expansion for over 150 years, acquiring neighboring regions like the Oder Lagoon and the Uckermark, which expanded their influence to the Baltic Sea, but also led to conflicts with Denmark. However, the last Askanier, Elector Heinrich II., died without a direct heir in 1320.

Now, the von Wittelsbach dynasty has arrived, but the lack of interest in ruling over these lands casts a shadow over the future of the Electorate of Brandenburg.

Country Selection.png

As usual, consider all UI, 2D and 3D art WIP.

The starting situation of Brandenburg:
Brandenburg2.png

Brandenburg1.png

Brandenburg3.png

We are not attached to just showing the flatmap mode anymore! Yay!

It starts with a similar content setup to that of Saxony, which we showed some weeks ago:
Margraviate.jpg

Right to Inherit.jpg

Magdeburg Rights.jpg

Bergordnung.jpg

Here are some of the unique advances of both Brandenburg and Prussia:
Expansive Policies.png

Soldiers of Fortune.png

Found the Kammergericht.png

Geheimer Rat.png

Army Professionalism.png

The Goose Step.png

Brandenburg & Prussia might have some military-related advances, yeah… But take into account that this approx. half of the amount available, so there are non-military-related ones.

Let’s now take a look at the narrative content, which is quite meaty. This is one of the first starting events for Brandenburg:
Succession Issues1.png

Succession Issues2.png

Succession Issues3.png

Slightly painful…

As you see, there are around 30 events that may be triggered after this, of varied topics, that impact the governance of Brandenburg in the first decades of the game. One of the most interesting ones are those related to the ‘False Waldemar’ event chain:
False Waldemar.png

I don’t think you should trust a guy that looks that way…

After the year 1500, if certain triggers are met, you might receive an event regarding this Teutonic Order, which may lead to the formation of Prussia:
Teutonic Order.png

Although you can also form it organically, by expanding into the area (although the Emperor may have a say in this, as historically happened):
Form Prussia.png

A Prussian Crown.png

Compromise.png

Electorate of Prussia.png

Preussen Blau.png

This is a lovely color, isn’t it?

You may now figure that Prussia is a country with much more content in the late game, so I’m just going to show you some of it; but take into consideration that of the following events, the first one can trigger after 1530, the second after 1637, and the others in different dates after 1700:
Kreditwerk.png

Kreditwerk2.png


Pietism.png

Pietism2.png


Canton System.png

Canton System2.png


Kant.png


Clausewitz.png

Clausewitz2.png

Did you know that the Engine we use is named after him?

And some other content that you might get in the last two ages, as well:
Soldier King of Prussia1.png

Prussian Monarchy.png


Sanssouci.png

And that’s all for today! It was an intense week! And the next one, even more, since we will start publishing a second Tinto Flavour on Tuesdays! Therefore, the schedule will be the following:
  • Monday -> Tinto Maps Feedback for Great Britain & Ireland
  • Tuesday -> Tinto Flavour about Vijayanagar and other ‘minor’ Indian countries
  • Wednesday -> Tinto Talks about Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism
  • Friday -> Tinto Flavour about Delhi
Cheers!
 
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Aside from talking about England and Spain, I think it's interesting that we learn more about France. I watched a video and it seems literally unbeatable from the very start of the game. I saw that the player was able, during the Hundred Years' War, to annex all of southern England with astonishing ease and intentionally avoided taking the continental territories to keep waging successive wars. Not to mention how easily they took over all of Luxembourg and half of the Netherlands without any real resistance.


Beyond the exploitation of the Hundred Years' War, I find it very concerning that one can annex a large part of the Holy Roman Empire without facing any real consequences. There are far more localized provinces than in EU4, so you should limit the ability to take so many provinces in such a short amount of time. Otherwise, we end up with a French Empire stretching to the Rhine by 1400. This should be true for everyone.
 
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Ah, my bad. Yeah, you have a point.

Would submission really matter? The Teutons continued as Teutons for some 50 years after their subjugation by Poland. It caused a bunch of issues though because they were also nominally HRE vassals. They were actually advised to convert to Lutheranism and secularise the Order State into the Duchy of Prussia by Luther himself. So yeah, any Grandmaster could do that.
It wasn't the Order that converted but Albert himself. Control of the Order, which still held land in the HRE and Livonia, passed to another Grandmaster, and Albert was excommunicated. Maybe submission doesn't matter, but I thought it would tie in with the historic founding of Prussia (technically, you shouldn't have to be Lutheran either).
 
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I mean, the started ruler of brandenburg is the eldest son of the bavarian emperor, so I kinda assumed you get a PU.
Ah, yeah Louis V did become Duke of Bavaria after his father’s death in 1347, and continued to hold Brandenburg until 1351 when he handed it over to his brother. Not sure how this would be represented since the PU existed for 4 years before being consciously broken. Perhaps it should be part of the negligence event chain, where trying to hold onto the title yourself causes the situation to further deteriorate, so you’re encouraged to break the PU in the hope of preserving dynastic control.
 
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Since we don't use the system 'Admin Tech = 10/20/etc' as EU4, the only way to gatelocking this effectively would be to add an 'Is Age of Absolutism' requisite, which we think would feel arbitrary and opposite to dynamic content. But we're open to suggestions on how to improve the immersion about this, as usual.
Not saying this is a good way, but one way of gating less restrictively could be to require X amount of advances in one category?
 
This is it. Violently expanding within the HRE should basically not be possible, only Prussia actually did it historically at an appreciable scale and even then the only major expansion was against Silesia, which they had an actual claim to. Meanwhile violently expanding outside the HRE should require you actually carry your own weight, not let an ally carry you to victory because the AI is too dumb.
I would disagree with this as Austria expanded a lot in Strasburg/Near Switzerland etc... There are more examples I am just not very knowledgeable to showcase them
 
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Now that the game is announced and there have been many many tinto talks, do you read and follow conversations on older tinto talks or do you consider them more or less a done deal?
 
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From the description, shouldn't Magdeburg right move societal value toward free citizen?

Also shouldn't the event to hire Clausewitz say in the tooltip you actually gain Clausewitz? (Yes it should is my thought)
 
I would disagree with this as Austria expanded a lot in Strasburg/Near Switzerland etc... There are more examples I am just not very knowledgeable to showcase them
In what period? Because the Austrian borders in 1337 are pretty much fixed until the German Mediatisation and Congress of Vienna. The main change is that the Swiss holdings would be lost, everything else is the Habsburgs getting a PU. Austria also has the advantage of being Emperor for 90% of the game historically, so if they had a legitimate claim to a Prince they could approve their own inheritance, vs every other state who needed the emperor sign off, something that frequently didn’t happen even if the claim was legitimate.
 
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Aside from talking about England and Spain, I think it's interesting that we learn more about France. I watched a video and it seems literally unbeatable from the very start of the game. I saw that the player was able, during the Hundred Years' War, to annex all of southern England with astonishing ease and intentionally avoided taking the continental territories to keep waging successive wars. Not to mention how easily they took over all of Luxembourg and half of the Netherlands without any real resistance.


Beyond the exploitation of the Hundred Years' War, I find it very concerning that one can annex a large part of the Holy Roman Empire without facing any real consequences. There are far more localized provinces than in EU4, so you should limit the ability to take so many provinces in such a short amount of time. Otherwise, we end up with a French Empire stretching to the Rhine by 1400. This should be true for everyone.

I like this, I think it sends a bold message.
 
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I see the Polabians are still around. I don't recall if culture shifting mechanics have been addressed. At risk of veering into CK3's territory, is there any possibility for me to mount a Polabian restoration?
 
is it possible to get the Hohenzollern on the thrones?
is it finally possible to unify germany earlier, as the crown and kingdom of germany already existed within the HRE and it makes no sense for me to conquer all of germany as Brandenburg/prussia but not be able to crown myself king of germany
 
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Nitpick.. but Is the appearance of historical characters something you're still working on? I'm guessing the fact the the shown characters (Kant and von Clausewitz) are wearing completely anachronistic clothing is something that will be resolved in future, right? Will historical characters also look more like they did irl or will they still appear generic?
 
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This is the approach we're, in general terms, trying to favor, basing as much as possible in the game mechanics, and trying not to gatelock the content harshly because of it not keeping up (although there may always be exceptions, of course).

The first of the issues you mention is something we're already taking a look at, as adding a few more rules about expansion in the HRE, and also trying to balance the pacing a bit more correctly. The second is also tricky, but please consider that the AI is still WIP, and not final.

Unrelated to this specific Prussia issue, but is any country formation locked behind an Advance? Vic3 locks many tag formations behind the Nationalism/Pan-Nationalism advances, and I wonder if something similar wouldn't be applicable in EUV.
 
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dont really see a problem with that, it is a ahistorical game. if the land of prussia gets under a monarchy (so no more clerical state) it makes sense to have it atleast as an option
Just because it's an ahistorical game doesn't mean that forming USA in the XVI century "isn't really a problem". Forming Prussia so early is not a problem with Prussia per se, but with expansion being too easy.
 
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To adress a concern about CB and how to wage war... instead of limiting player freedom - why can't there be a system based on moral. If you attack someone without cause your people/levies/armies should get a natural moral penalty (why would they after all want to die for this cause?). If you get unjustly attacked on the other hand, you should get a moral boost (as you defend your country/people from these foreign invaders). Such a modifier could also be adopted to be based on religious/political organisational/institutional multipliers etc.
 
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Just because it's an ahistorical game doesn't mean that forming USA in the XVI century "isn't really a problem". Forming Prussia so early is not a problem with Prussia per se, but with expansion being too easy.
and where exactly would be a problem with XVI century USA? if a european colony in that area gets somehow independent (revolt, overlord loses all provinces, or whatever) it is technically already a USA, just not the same as irl.
just because something has the same name as something historical doesnt mean it has to behave exactly like that.

Edit: the game should maybe limit those in some aspect, but it should be still possible