One common complaint in EU2 is that once you get really big and powerful, nothing can stop you. Interregnum is especially prone to this, as the majors are small so it's easier for the player to surpass them. I think a big part of this problem is that huge empires in EU2, at least when player-built, are not generally afflicted by the problems which beset real empires at the time.
But we can remedy this with random events which only affect very large countries. Most of the 'hegemon-only' events would be bad, but it's not about punishing players for their success, it's to show that such power can't come for free. Generally the AI should get these as well, to rein in the crazy blobs it sometimes makes.
Examples:
Imperial Hubris (if at peace): your country is so confident of its supremacy that its nobles and officials have become complacent and corrupt. Lose tax value and infra investment, and get an ADM penalty.
Foreign powers conspire against you (if you have highish BB): DIP penalty; -relations with random countries (this might interfere somewhat with a DAing rampage).
Too much strain on the central bureaucracy (if you are quite centralised): lose centralisation.
Conversely, sometimes 'major' countries end up getting weak and being unable to recover. This is particularly true of AIs but also for novice players and players who get 'gangbanged' in multiplayer. While this is sometimes realistic, it doesn't generally make for a good game. So for 'crippled majors' we could have positive random events to help them back on their feet, eg:
The benefits of a small country (needs high stab, low cent): get the option of raising centralisation; ADM bonus.
Detente (if the country is at peace, and has very high BB but few provinces to show for it - the AI particularly needs this): get the option of spending money and diplomats to reduce BB
Economic reconstruction (high inflation): get the option of a large reduction in inflation at the cost of a small reduction in tax value, trade and infra (the government 'tightens its belt')
For convenience these events would be available for small minors too - as long as we're careful, it shouldn't turn them into 'tiny tigers'.
These events could have exciting choices and such, but you get the idea.
Specific majors could have particular positive and negative events as well - eg Eire has problems if it colonises too massive an area, or Byzantium reforms itself and gets support from other Christian countries if it gets badly pounded by the Caliphate. Also there could be special tensions if a bloated empire completely annexes a major, with a high risk of the ex-major declaring independence and re-establishing its old heartland, especially if the blob doesn't have appropriate culture, cores, religion and/or historical justification. For example if the Caliphate has for some reason conquered Brittany, its rule there is likely to be difficult and violently opposed.
But we can remedy this with random events which only affect very large countries. Most of the 'hegemon-only' events would be bad, but it's not about punishing players for their success, it's to show that such power can't come for free. Generally the AI should get these as well, to rein in the crazy blobs it sometimes makes.
Examples:
Imperial Hubris (if at peace): your country is so confident of its supremacy that its nobles and officials have become complacent and corrupt. Lose tax value and infra investment, and get an ADM penalty.
Foreign powers conspire against you (if you have highish BB): DIP penalty; -relations with random countries (this might interfere somewhat with a DAing rampage).
Too much strain on the central bureaucracy (if you are quite centralised): lose centralisation.
Conversely, sometimes 'major' countries end up getting weak and being unable to recover. This is particularly true of AIs but also for novice players and players who get 'gangbanged' in multiplayer. While this is sometimes realistic, it doesn't generally make for a good game. So for 'crippled majors' we could have positive random events to help them back on their feet, eg:
The benefits of a small country (needs high stab, low cent): get the option of raising centralisation; ADM bonus.
Detente (if the country is at peace, and has very high BB but few provinces to show for it - the AI particularly needs this): get the option of spending money and diplomats to reduce BB
Economic reconstruction (high inflation): get the option of a large reduction in inflation at the cost of a small reduction in tax value, trade and infra (the government 'tightens its belt')
For convenience these events would be available for small minors too - as long as we're careful, it shouldn't turn them into 'tiny tigers'.
These events could have exciting choices and such, but you get the idea.
Specific majors could have particular positive and negative events as well - eg Eire has problems if it colonises too massive an area, or Byzantium reforms itself and gets support from other Christian countries if it gets badly pounded by the Caliphate. Also there could be special tensions if a bloated empire completely annexes a major, with a high risk of the ex-major declaring independence and re-establishing its old heartland, especially if the blob doesn't have appropriate culture, cores, religion and/or historical justification. For example if the Caliphate has for some reason conquered Brittany, its rule there is likely to be difficult and violently opposed.
