[Mod] New Era - Old World

[Rufy_King]

A new update for NEOW version 0.3 is out: 0.3.6 This is not the Asia Expanded update, but it's a major graphical update that also fixes the final major issues with the mod already out (namely, making the Yugoslavism crisis more punishing if it fails to lead to a strengthened faith and making the American Invasion completely working) and introduces some quality of life updates. It also makes firearms units available to more cultures than the starting ones with enough advancement in military tech.

Drive: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i1Tn3L-KMQehMvoaQnGPcDGiKvgQvHOC/view?usp=sharing

MEGA: https://mega.nz/file/HjxGnLoK#l2sPwJP4JumdOLpp4b3aLh-o1TJcSP5FOU56o7xIJAU

Steam: https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/?id=2023598805

Changelog:

Spoiler

General
· Many fixes

· More tolerations

· Generic gun retinues available to all at infantry tech 6, 7 and 8 each better than last

· Made the Nigerians more discerning of gifts

· Fix to Iranian warrior lodge

· Pakistan rebalanced

· More punishing Yugoslav crisis

· American Invasion finally 100% certain works (at last, It can no longer break)

· Fix to independence revolts

Religions and religious features

· Liehuo Beautification

· Fixes to Mesopotamian lore

· Tatik holy sites moved

· Secret Polish Neo-Fraticelli

· Muwahidunna Warrior society

· Tarot religious feature (available for Thelema and Reformations)

· Religion flexibility for many religions

· Trotskyites don’t suffer raised levy opinions.

· Thelemite features documented in religion

· Thelemites get extra piety for having more lovers

Cultures and Cultural features

· Caste system update for india

· Romani diversity event

· Baths for many more cultures

· Culture loc for more titles

· Lots of updates to culture namelists

· Added Sarikoli culture in Xinjiang

Decisions and CBs

· Imperial reconquest CB for many empires

· Decision to expand k_assyria

· Added yellow Ukraine Formable

· Added Grey Ukraine Formable

· Added Sami kingdom Formable

· Added Macaronesia formable

· Added Nubia Formable

History

· Extra history for Italy

Artifacts and bloodlines

· Bloodline in Siberia

· Limit to number of salvage artifacts

Graphics

· Models for Chinese Castles, temples and Palaces added

· Model for Al Sunta Kum ruins

· Models for Chinese houses

· Extra Unique coas

· Fixed map positions

· New portraits for many cultures

· New shields for COAs (<3 Lux Ultima)

· Lots of New Generic COAs for many religions (<3 Lux Ultima)

· Better Nigerian spear graphic

· Moved all of Czechia south slightly

· Much better terrain map

· Updated water colour map

Music

· More songs

 

[Rufy_King]

Quick-release of a hotfix that solves a few problems with Monastic Orders that cropped up without our notice and other minor bugs. Steam version will be updated in the coming days (none of the bugs kill the game, so the Steam version is still regularly playable).

Drive: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LKqaQH2jZGsT1QRTR1Q-3Ruw2sqYMqzF/view?usp=sharing
MEGA: https://mega.nz/file/qjhBmRDa#EHWxL6tGsAQTuikSUAa_CCFfin3XPLDNQzqdXquY6ZE

 

[Rufy_King]

Hello hello! It’s finally time to start looking in the exciting update 0.4 of NEOW, the East Asia expansion. Today, we will take you to the South-East, to the lands of Indochina and modern Indonesia (with the exception of Borneo). The Siamese Empire and the lands of Vietnam vie for control over the lands of Indochina, and mercantile war rages around the Strait of Malacca.


LORDS OF SIAM

The Empire of Siam came to be in 2340, with the enthronement of Sanphet VII the Atoner. Since then, the Sunthorn dynasty, renowned for their descent not from a Warrior but from a Poet, has ruled Siam. However, many wonder if that is bound to continue, now that on the throne sits a child not yet of age, Sanphet XI.

Siam, and in truth most of South-East Asia, uses a system of government known as the Mandala government. The Mandala system is organized around a single central point of power, spreading around like a circle (hence the name).

This ancient system of government, in use in Thailand since before the event, is today seen across many SEA domains, with few exceptions.


Religiously, the Siamese Empire is by vast majority ruled by the Thammayut sect of Buddhism (which players from older versions of NEOW will recognize as the Siyamopali faith). The Thammayut faith originates post-Event and is seen by many other strains of Buddhism as a sect that deviates too far from the teachings of Buddha. With this in mind, in recent years many temples in the Indian Subcontinent have banned Thammayut practitioners from pilgrimage, a great offense that might lead to war.


The Empire does not only host Thammayut followers however, and in the north, the Kingdom of Lanna still holds to the Theravada faith, and many wonder if this situation might be untenable with a child on the throne.


Of course, another great risk for the Empire are its tributaries. Many kingdoms and duchies pay tribute to the Emperor, and now they see a chance to be freed. None of them more than the King of Cambodia, Norodom Shimani. The Theravada Kingdom has long been under the heel of the Siamese rulers, and now, perhaps, they see a chance to be freed of their yoke.


VIETNAM, THE MAHAYANA EMPIRE

To the north-east of Siam stands the only domain powerful enough to be considered its equal in South-East Asia. The Empire of Vietnam, ruled by the Nguyen dynasty, and currently by the old emperor Nguyen Tao, heavily distinguishes itself from Siam, practicing both a different faith, the Mahayana Buddhist faith, and a different form of Government, using a form of Chinese Bureaucracy influenced by many of the bordering realms to the north.


Not all is good in Vietnam, however. While the Empire still maintains control of the merchant city of Saigon, the lands between it and Quang Nam are currently lost to the Emperor. The Queen of Kudanyagar, wife of the previous Emperor, claims her sons have the right to rule over Vietnam, and while she currently still pays tribute to the Empire, it might not be long before she finds powerful allies and leads them into war.

Her Kingdom practices an ancient faith known as Thouy Hoa, a shamanistic tradition predating the Event.


Meanwhile, on the coast, the Kingdom of Champapura maintains its independence. Maharajadiraja Jaya Darma rules a vast domain, but his army is currently far too weak to defend from the onslaught of the Vietnamese empire, if they decide to conquer him for good. His only hope is to find allies, but his Ramadiyya Faith, an offshoot of the more widespread Syafi'i Muslim faith, does not provide many.


Vietnam also faces two peculiar movements from the inside. The first and most established, the Cao Dai religious movement, controls the territory south of the capital. While the Cao Dai movement shows loyalty to the Empire, it is hardly assured that it will stay loyal forever.


Meanwhile, in Saigon, rumors of a Cult are said to have spread around the port town. This mysterious Cult of Ho is treated by the authorities with surprising lax, and some say the ruler of Saigon himself has recently joined this new faith...


THE LAND IN-BETWEEN

Between the two Empires stand a number of powerful and less powerful rulers. Some of them, like Vientian, Cambodia or Kudayanagar, pay tribute to one of the two powers. Others are seen as less powerful, left to their own devices in the north. However, an exception to this is the Kingdom of Chamapasak, ruled by Prachao Kaysone Champassak. Controlling territory once belonging to Laos, the King of Champasak stands without bending the knee to one of the two great powers, protected, for now, by the mountains and rivers that divide his land from theirs.

Champasak practices the Mitrayist faith, a Buddhist faith that believes in the future coming of Maitreya, a messianic incarnation of the Buddha. Awaiting, the faith holds, despite having lost much of its power and influence in the region.


LAND OF MYANMAR

The ancient land of Myanmar, or Burma, today is an heavily divided region. One of the major surviving heartlands of the Theravada faith, the region is heavily contested by many rulers. Among them, the most notable include the Kawthooley Confederation, a small region controlling a vast portion of the passes for Siam, and therefore strongly tied to the Empire, to the point of following their same faith, the Rakhine Kingdom, a Sunni domain with strong ties to Bengal, and the Baptist rulers in the north, who seek to unify Burma under a new Christian kingdom.




The future of Burma is hard to predict, especially with the looming threat of the Siamese Empire everpresent to the east. Will the Empire unify, or will it be devoured by its hungry neighbors?

THE SOUTHERN SEA

The territory of the Strait of Malacca and the Southern China Sea has always been heavily contested. From the Andaman Islands to the South China Sea, in the waters around the strait, a bloody war rages for the rule of the more proficuous lands.

The Andaman Islands, still politically close to the Indian Subcontinent, are ruled by Maharaja Chandavarman. This master of commerce has full control over a vast tract of the sea that grants access to the Malaccan strait, but is still cut off from the main trade routes, that proceed closer to the continent.


On the island of Sumatra rule many squabbling rulers. Of those many wealthy warlords, two are powerful above the others. King Teuku Mudari of Aceh, in the north, follows the Syafi'i faith. Originating in Malaysia but spreading beyond its borders, the Syafi'i faith is an ancient school of Sunni Islam, survived into the modern day.


Further south, closer to the strait, Sultan Victor Padmani of Bengkulu rules following the Pusaka faith. This religion integrates shamanism into Islam, and is gaining many followers in the region around Malacca. The new and the old are bound to face each other on Sumatra, determining who will come out on top.


Meanwhile, on the southern tip of the continent, two very distinct domains hold on the coast of the Strait. One of them is the Confederation of Maha-Redah. This extensive state, that covers much of old Malaysia, is the heartland of Syafi'i faith. Ruled by Maharaja Alauddin Mahawangsa, the confederation faces the treath of Siam to its northern border.


To the south, the Little Red Dot of Singapore is still on the map. This merchant republic wealthy beyond compare is small, but the wise rulership of its lords have kept it from becoming a tributary, or worse, a vassals of the many powers that fight over the Strait. Will they succeed in maintaining their independence?


Finally, to the south, stands the island of Java. Ruled mostly by the Tampubolon dynasty, with minor holdouts in the east, Java practices mostly the Pusaka faith, much like Bengkulu, and might prove a powerful ally in the expansion of this faith.


The island of Java. To the east, Bali is the easternmost practicioner of the Old Hindu faith.

There is much more to talk about in the Eastern Expansion, but for now we will stop here. Due to space limitations, the Island of Borneo and the Philippine Archipelago will be discussed in a separate Dev Diary, though for now you can already take a look at Borneo's heavy political division.

 

[Rufy_King]

Hello everyone, and welcome to the release of version 0.3.8.1. For this version, we bring you a decent amount of changes. First of all, as usual, we have improvements to the map, so make sure to finish any ongoing game before updating. There are a significant amount of features added and you can find them in the changelog. Besides adding new songs, this update introduces big changes to the combat system, that has greatly improved the combat balance, for example spear units are now more common than heavy infantry. Cadaverists and Canarians now have unique casus belli, the Cadaverist being able to Holy War anyone no matter the religion and the Canarians having a unique anti-Sevillian CB. Powerful rulers can now vassalize the Papacy, Sevillian Papacy or Ecclesiarchy by choice, and culture conversion is now based on the terrain, becoming harder or easier depending to the territory. This and much more, in version 0.3.8.1 of New Era: Old World. Steam should be updated shortly.

Drive: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bpbtelj6bA6RUNA5W_auFLSr7u0Amvzh/view?usp=sharing
MEGA: https://mega.nz/file/O6hXiZjB#hi1xlBG_lhQDim3gfiqneEDPoQe_4XldAVV_V2uyZH8
Steam: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2023598805

Changelog:

Spoiler: 0.3.8.1 Changelog

• Novelist EU added, Middle Earth
• 14 songs for middle east
• 1 Serb song
• 1 Mongol song
• Turkish republic added
• Many new bloodlines
• Better mountain ambush for mountain cultures
• Better desert ambush for desert cultures
• Rivals might now pursue each other in battle if flank retreats
• Siege system reworked
• Terrain impacts rate at which culture converts, mountains slowest farmland fastest
• Vagarna Schism Mending decision fixed
• Petrist reworked
• Papacy now has papal guard as vassal
• Chinese-Druze culture melting pot
• Tech rework in Europe, Spain less of a backwater
• Cadaverist Holy Wars against all other religion
• Berber cultures overhauled
• Mandaeans got Zodiac
• Thelemites got Zodiac
• Jugoslavist Monastic order fixed
• Alexandrian Catholic rite added
• Can create gun artifacts with necessary tech
• Syncretic group can now holy war each other
• Iran provinces improved
• Armenia provinces improved
• Qurani monastic order fixed
• Canarian Anti-Sevillian war added
• Bezpopovtzy can now self-immolate body parts to burn away sin traits.
• Blorg government
• AI less likely to grant estates
• Nigeria now uses African pics for events
• Nicer farmland graphics
• Nicer Marshland graphics
• Better shaped Belarus
• Slavic units for Lithuanians and Estonians
• Fixed Imperial reconquest CBs
• Vassalize papacy decision
• Vassalise Ecclesiarchy decision
• More spears less heavy infantry makes more sense.
• Loc fixes

 

[Rufy_King]

Hello everyone, there was a serious bug discovered with Holy Wars in the previous version hence we are releasing a Hotfix for 0.3.8.1 to remedy that dilemma.
Drive:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a-RLvHoGZ3Qr0hxa-5LCyNYkvF4O930e/view?usp=sharing
MEGA:
https://mega.nz/file/n2IhgCKY#gOjLBGge34WTJECXcTuasoDMN5L3PTJv2nlB5oqBeuo
Steam:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2023598805

Spoiler: Changelog

• Holy wars now possible again.
• Istria Moved.
• Gorizia added.
• Near Eastern group gets camels.

 

[Rufy_King]

Hello everyone! To celebrate the completion of the Asia map (Yup, now all the provinces have been assigned, moving us closer and closer to release) here is a new Dev Diary. Last time, we left our exploration of Asia at the regions of Indochina and Indonesia, but now I want to take us further north, to the islands of Borneo, the Philippines and Taiwan, and a first look into some of our Chinese rulers.

LORDS OF BORNEO

Culturally, religiously and politically fractured, the island of Borneo is a land of mountains, jungles and struggles for power.

On the western and northern coasts of Borneo, stand the great Kingdom that emerged from the Event. The majority of them are Syafi’i Sultanates. Sarawak, Brunei and Sabah are powerful realms, in spite of their relatively small territory, and each of them has a shot at unifying Borneo… provided they can remove their biggest rival.


Miri-Kapit is a powerful Baptist realm. While its King, Nyantau Rocharjanta, has no great skills in rulership, and is surrounded on all sides by enemies that wish to see him destroyed, he has managed to amass a vast wealth and a powerful army, and might soon use it to unite Borneo himself.


Beyond the Sultanates and Kingdoms, Borneo is divided among many tribal rulers. While some practice the faith known as Pusaka, native of Indonesia and spread north by merchants, many more practice native faiths of the island. In the region of Central Kalimantan the Kaharingan faith, an animistic folk religion, is wide spread, following a belief centered around the creation of the world at the hands of the many gods of their faith.


In the mountains of Borneo, the majoritarian tribal faith is the post-Event ideology known as Pancasila. More a philosophy than a religion, Pancasila follows the Five Principles strictly, believing their faith to be the right way to reunite the broken ancient land of Indonesia and govern it once it has been unified. Pancasila is still a fringe faith, but as one of the Five Principles stands for the unity of Indonesia, it’s unlikely it will remain idle in the mountains.


Finally, further east, stands the faith known as Bungan. Once barely surviving among the Kenyah people, after the Event the influence of the Bungan faith grew, extending even past its traditional practitioners to other regional cultures of Borneo. Bungan is a polytheistic faith surrounded by monotheistic religions, and many of its practitioners wonder if they will be once again swept away by the Kingdoms.


THE HEART OF EASTERN CATHOLICISM

The Philippines are the true Christian core of the Pacific. While Christianity also survives elsewhere in Asia, it’s only in the Philippines that, with the sole exception of the Sultanate of Sulu, a small Sultanate on the islands north-east of Borneo, all of its rulers, great and small, practice a Christian faith.

Most rulers of the Philippines follow the Katoliko faith. This faith is unique, in terms of post-Event religions, in that the faith still fully recognizes the Roman Pope as the head of the Catholic church. The Katoliko archbishops, rather than separate from Rome, decided to elect one of their own, the Archbishop of Manila, as the Patriarch of Manila, a representative of Rome that will take decisions on matters of faith in the name of the far-off Roman Papacy, until such a time that the Papacy can re-establish full contact with such a distant region. The Patriarch has sent several envoys to Rome, but so far not many have managed to complete the arduous journey back and forth. The Katoliko faith wasn’t founded solely by the Philippines clergy, of course, and the Patriarchy of Manila is the point of reference for most Catholics across eastern Asia, particularly in China.


There is, however, another Catholic movement in the islands. While seen as a minority, the faith of El Shaddai is a unique combination of traditional folk healing and the word of God. This schismatic movement is observed suspiciously by the Patriarch of Manila, and especially its head, Diego Velarde.


HEIRS OF SAPPHIRE

The island of Taiwan stands at an important crossroad. From the north, the merchants of Korea, Japan and Vladivostok, from the west fellow Chinese, and from the south the Philippines sailors and any merchants sailing north to trade with the Grand Republic sails near it, at one point or another of their journey. And where merchants pass, so do their riches.

The three powerful lords that rule Taiwan split the island evenly along those routes, but it’s undeniable all three see the others as opponents for the control of the riches that sail the seas around. Of the three rulers, one follows the Xinjiao faith, the Protestant Chinese branch of Christianity, but the other two follow the native Tridemist faith. A similar faith to Liehuo, Tridemism also believes in the defeat of the Jade Emperor, but believes the god that did this was the Sapphire Didact and identifies the Ruby Chairman as a traitor.


Tridemism was founded after the Event and has since spread on the merchant routes reaching the Chinese Kingdom of Fujian. Here, it spread enough to reach a man named Shanyuan. Not much is known of this man: we don’t know if he was a soldier or a merchant, a farmer or a sailor. What we know, is that in 2540, he lead a Tridemist uprising against the rulers of Fujian, and managed to dethrone the King of Fujian. Taking over the country, he has now been sitting on the throne for fifteen years. Only time will tell if his Sheng dynasty is destined to survive.


THE COASTS OF CHINA

To the south of China, the Island of Hainan is divided in many ports of trade. A majority Mahayana island, its many rulers wish to expand their power, but so far not one has managed to unify the island… much to the delight of the neighboring powers, that also see the potential in controlling the island’s ports.


To the north of Hainan stands the Kingdom of Cantao. Currently ruled by the Macanese Silva family, the Kingdom of Cantao, also known as the Kingdom of Guangdong, is a rich nation… but the Silva family bought their way to power, and while Rei Fernando is a just ruler, he is also a Katoliko, with several vassals following different faiths, and the powerful Vietnamese Empire eyeing his southern region with interest. Time will tell if Cantao is destined to survive.


To the north of Macao, one finds the rich Republic of Hong Kong. Grand Mayor Tsui Yang, a Taoist currently rules the Republic, a powerful merchant hub that controls trade in all of the South China Sea. Mercenaries from all over China protect the interests of the lords of Hong Kong, and no rulers nearby dare challenge their independence.


The land north of Hong Kong is traditionally Wuist. Once a faith ruling all of Fujian, the revolt of King Sheng Shanyuan left Wuism weakened in the region, but still many of the Fujian vassals and the independent Duke of Qingcheng still follow the faith. A widespread system of rituals and traditions, the Wuist faith is not limited to this area, but extends inland far enough to be considered one of the main faiths of southern China.



With this, we leave behind the southern Pacific. For the next Dev Diary we will go north, toward Japan, Korea and the Russian Grand Republic of Vladivostok, the greatest power north of Siam.

 

[Rufy_King]

Hello everyone, today we have a special DD for you all. Tomorrow, we will release version 0.3.9.5, the last pre-East Asia release. This will mostly serve as a bridge version that will introduce many changes leading to 0.4. And the most notable of these changes, the one we plan to discuss today, is the new Governments System. While Theocracies, Merchant Republics and Oligarchies have not been changed, Feudal and Muslim Governments have been majorly overhauled.



THE TWO FORMS OF FEUDALISM, AND THE HELLENIC KRATOCRACY

Feudalism in 0.3.9.5 has been split in two forms of government: Agrarian Feudal and Urban Feudal. Urban Feudal is used to represent Feudal Governments that is primarily centered on trade. As such, while it still present large swats of cultivated lands, the cities of the regions that adopt Urban Feudalism are more urbanized landscapes, and therefore the improvement of cities is built into the system, costing less time and money.



Agrarian Feudalism, meanwhile, represents a more traditional form of Feudalism, focused largely on isolated castles and vast holdings in the countryside, with cities only being common around castles and temples, interspersed by less populated farmlands. The Agrarian Feudal government, thanks to its less centralized organization, tends to have rulers with larger personal demesnes, and the relative isolation of each holding brings them to have larger levies to guard the castles in which they reside. Taxation is often used as a mechanism to keep the vassals under control, being harsher on those rulers than it would be in other systems.



However, there is also another form of feudal government, this one adopted by the Hellenic faith. As you might remember, the Hellenic faith of New Era: Old World believes that Alexander the Great, returning in the form of Alexandros Anaxorgos, defeated Zeus, along with many of his brothers and sisters, casting him and other old gods into Tartarus. Before passing away the first time, and again before ascending to rule the world as new leader of the Hellenic Gods, Anaxorgos was asked who should rule after him. His response, was ‘to kratisto’, ‘to the best’. As such, Hellenic rulers strive constantly to prove they are the best, rightful heirs of Anaxorgos, in a system of government called Kratocracy that places a great focus on military might. Kratocracies have greater levies, are able to maintain retinues with less resources, can raid their neighbors and often do so… but also suffer from great internal weakness. The Vassals of a Kratocratic ruler all strive to also be ‘the best’, and as such their loyalty is… questionable. Moreover, due to the heavy costs of warfare, Kratocratic states tend to gain less money.

A complicated system of government, truly designed to reward ‘the best’.


By reforming the religion, it will be possible to potentially do away with Kratocracy, replacing it with Agrarian Feudalism

IQTA NO MORE

As for the Muslim Government, 0.3.9.5 does away with Iqta, splitting the Muslim Governments in four separate system.

Asabiyya, the most common, is essentially a replacement for Iqta, just using a more appropriate name. No changes in particular were made and is used by any Muslim region that doesn’t use any of the other three governments-



Neo-Ziamet is used in areas that were once controlled by the Ottoman Empire. Muslims in Anatolia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and the Balkans all have access to this system, that prioritizes control of the region over religious unity. Neo-Ziamet rulers do not care about religious differences, and tend to have smaller, more centralized demesnes. This bureaucratic system is appreciated by the Vassals due to the many liberties it allows in terms of religious freedom, compared to others… unless they are tribals, as this system allows the ruler to freely revoke tribal holdings from other faiths and assign them to new governors to further the region’s development.



Ghazwa, used mostly by Mesopotamian and Salafi rulers, is a system focused on proselytizing and expansion. A more martial system than Asabiyya, Neo-Ziamet and Mahkzen, Ghazwa rulers tend to primarily concern themselves with military expansion and conversion. They have access to the Jizya tax, used as a way to push infidels into converting, and are capable of raiding their neighbors.

Most importantly, Ghazwa rulers are elected based on their military prowess. The heir of the title will always be the most distinguished commander, to further the goal of spreading the faith.


Used in North Africa, Makhzen is a government type focused on the Clans that rule those lands. Original of Morocco, it was spread through all of Northern Africa, and now is used everywhere in the region, with the sole exception of Egypt. Makhzen rulers control less centralized regions, in which cities and particularly tribes enjoy more liberties than in other governments.


Makhzen rulers also have more members in their councils, in account of having to host representatives of the various clans under their control, and use an Open elective system.




This was the main change we wish to present for 0.3.9.5. As an aside, I also want to mention we added new meltingpots. Morisco (Spanish on Maghreb Arabs), Német (Hungarians on Germans), Panonica (Romanians on Hungarians), Makedonsk (Greek on South Slavs) and East Prussian (Northern Germans on Kaliningrad Russians) are some of them.

That is all for this quick DD. See you soon for an Asia DD.

 

[Rufy_King]

Hello everyone we're happy to release version 0.3.9.5 to the public, unfortunately the steam build can no longer be updated due to the mod growing too large and as such the steam page has been updated to include a direct download link and a link to our Github as compensation. We apologise for this inconvenience. Anyway in this update there are 8 new governments, several new meltingpots, the maps of india, the carpathians and Spain were overhauled and dozens of religions received new icons we hope you enjoy and we hope to have Asia ready by New Years!

Drive: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vVPAdCROhKIaXvdZXaVaNIZvZsumMIbe/view?usp=sharing

MEGA: https://mega.nz/file/DzRAjL6B#OwCOJ1aetLTn1ElEDFJaKzH8JOZWAnsDRbmXk3Z5-aE

Steam: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2023598805

Changelog:

Spoiler

Artifacts

• Bladearm added

Titles and map

• Poleshiukiya Formable
• HRE Formable can now absorb France
• Overhauled Spain’s map
• Overhauled Transylvania’s map
• Overhauled India’s map
• Mzab city state added

Religions

• Several Hindu religions improved
• Old World Cultist renamed to Antediluvianist
• Sarna reform feature
• Sarna Overhauled
• Dozens of new icons
• Sevillians can holy War Protestant Sects
• Zealot Catholics and Zealot Sevillians can Holy War each other
• Titoist province added to Jugoslavia
• Ibadi overhauled

Cultures

• Morisco Meltingpot Added
• Német Meltingpot added
• Panonica Meltingpot added
• Makedonsk now a meltingpot
• East Prussian Meltingpot

Governments

• Agrarian Feudal government added
• Kratocracy government added
• Tribals added to Maghreb
• Makhzen government added
• Neo-Ziamet government added
• Ghazwa government added

Other changes

• Cleanslate integrated
• Less Glitterhoof
• More buildings for forts
• Other general Fixes

 

[Rufy_King]

Hello everyone. The development of New Era: Old World’s Asia expansion is continuing at a steady pace. So steady in fact, that we are cautiously optimistic about a release in 2022, sometimes between the 20th and New Year. If that is not doable, a release in January 2023 is even more likely.

Today, we take a look at the oldest Empire on Earth. Divine thanks to the blood of the Goddess Amaterasu, the Japanese Emperor still rules over Japan… At least, he does so formally.

EMPEROR, SHOGUN AND PRETENDERS

The Emperor of Japan traces his lineage back to the first Emperor, Jimmu, a descendant of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu. The title of Emperor, in Japan, cannot be challenged by anyone, save for another descendant of Jimmu himself. As such, there are two important requirements to form the title of Emperor of Japan: Either being not Japanese, as such cultural restrictions would never apply to them, or holding the bloodline of the Emperor.



Of course, the Imperial Family also still owns the Imperial Regalia

The Emperor, however, is currently only such in his palace in Tokyo, from his seat of authority on the Chrysanthemum Throne. Japan has splintered harshly after the Event, the Imperial Bloodline too weak or too divided to concentrate the power back in their own hands, and instead handing it over to powerful commanders known as Shoguns. Originally a military rank, the Shogunate eventually became very much the same as its pre-Event self, the true government of Japan in everything but name.


The title of Shogun is the closest to the Chrysanthemum Throne the powerful warlords that have divided Japan’s territory among themselves can aspire to reach. So far, two families have held the title. The Asakura Clan, once a major power and now a small provincial authority in central Tohoku, and the Sato Clan, a powerful family that, at one point, had pretty much unified Japan in offering tribute to them and the Emperor… before the family started to lose their hold on the country. Today, the Shogunate pretty much only holds control of Kanto and parts of Chubu and Tohoku, the rest only paying formal respect to the Emperor.


The unique Imperial Tributary used for the Emperor, firmly tying him to the Shogun


And the Kashin tributary, the form of allegiance lesser rulers show to the Shogunate

The weakness of the Shogunate has many causes. Still, the most recent and important is definitely the defeat in the Battle of Hakodate, during the Hokkaido War against the Russian Empire of Vladivostok. In the wake of the defeat, the Shogun had to sign off the ports of Hakodate and Sapporo as tributaries of the Grand City of the North-East, and agree to marry his son and successor as Shogun with the daughter of the Grand Mayor. In theory, this is meant to ensure peace between the two nations, but what it truly means is that the Shogun is on its way to becoming a puppet of the Grand City. And in this weakness, many see an opportunity.


The Emperor could always attempt to restore Imperial control over Japan...


... And the Shogun can, in response to this or other threats, try to defend himself.

The more powerful rulers of Japan, the Daimyo, can declare themselves Pretender Shoguns. This act is bound to lead to a bloody war… And the end of one of the houses that wage it. After the Asakura stole Imperial treasures and held it on their own for centuries, no ruler would ever take the risk of letting the enemy survive. Defeat in this war means, very likely, the end of a dynasty.


A possible future that awaits the Mori Clan, if they were to fail in their attempt at seizing power

Right now, only the powerful Mori Clan, the rulers of Kinki, publicly hold the title of Daimyo, but this is bound to change. Already the Chugokujin Hasegawa Wataru has been nicknamed ‘Daimyo of the Red Tide’, after his conquest of part of Shikoku. At the same time, on Shikoku itself, the Soneda clan is only held back by their resources from declaring themselves Daimyo of the island. Soon, many competitors might rise, and the Sato Clan knows they are in a difficult position.




Meanwhile, Hokkaido, while divided and mostly controlled by Vladivostok, is also home to the Powerful Umemura Clan. The current rulers of the Republic of Hakodate are an ancient, famed family, that once was close to rule as Shogun, only defeated by their distance to the seat of power. Still, maybe they have another chance at taking over…

FAITHS OF THE ISLANDS

Just as divided as the nation, Shinto, the ancestral religion of Japan, has splintered into four branches. While each of those is technically its own faith, they all share common elements that reduce the division on the islands. That said, each of those (Amida Shinto, Western Shinto, Shinto and Northern Shinto) has different specific beliefs, that encapsulate well the lack of a true central authority on the islands.





While those four certainly hold a majority of the Islands, it also cannot be denied that there are many minor faiths inhabiting the islands.

The Jodo Bukkyo faith, also known as Pure Land Buddhism, has had most of its teachings absorbed into Amida Shinto, and thus has lost much of its influence on the islands. However, it still survives in some regions of Honshu, particularly in Kinki, and in the north of Kyushu. A weakened faith, but not yet a dead one.


Weaker still is the Kirishitan faith. This branch of Christianity that emerged in Japan after the Event refused to join the Katoliko fold – a common decision for Christians in the Northern Pacific, far from the Katoliko center of authority in Manila – and instead developed in its own unique way.


Among the many ways this development happened, was the rise of a unique heresy, whose origins date to before the Event and whose spread is minimal… yet the Isukirin, as they call themselves, still hold strongly on said beliefs, even as they are shunned by other Christian sects.


RYUKYUAN KINGDOM

Off to the south of Japan, is locate the island chain known as the Rykyu Islands. Those Islands, while part of Japan, had a distinct history, culture and religion for centuries, before the Kingdom of Ryukyu stood here once.

Now, in the world after the Event, one can sail through a disunified chain of islands that, save for the pirates, share a single faith: Shinko. Unlike Shinto, the Ryukyuan traditional religion known as Shinko has a female-only priesthood. The King of the Ryukyu Islands can even reform the currently lost head of faith of the religion, but until then the Shinko priestesses are the chief religious’ authority on the islands.


However, politically, there is only one true power in the Ryukyuan Island: the Seiryujin people of Okinawa. Those men, while culturally close to the other Japanese people, and following the same Shinko faith of the other Ryukyuan rulers, they have unique features in their names and appearance, showing their descendants from warriors born in lands beyond the Pacific. The Seiryujin are led by the Adamasu Clan, and rule over Okinawa and many nearby islands. Some say their rule over all of Ryukyu is assured, but there are still many that would stand in the way.


This is it for Japan. Quite a lot of unique mechanics for the region, and it seems to be a favorite among our testers. Hopefully it will prove to be so for the wider audience too.

But before we leave, here is something a bit more silly you will also be able to play.

Spoiler

Sometimes, we are also free to do some referencing after all.

See you at the next DD!

 

[Rufy_King]

Hello everyone, and welcome to a new DD for the upcoming release of the East Asia expansion. By now we are getting so close that I really have to pick up the pace with those, so, without further ado, let us move to the northern Pacific and Manchuria, to give a look at large Empires and powerful Kingdoms built around – and on – trade.

THE GRAND REPUBLIC OF THE EAST

While the Event shattered the world, it would be unfair to say that the world went back to the way it was long ago without changes, an nowhere is that more noticeable than in Eastern Russia. Where a sparsely populated land stood for century, the advent of a new trade route brought the birth of a large Empire. The Grand Republic of Vladivostok was born around the remnants of the old city.


Despite the freezing temperatures and harsh environment, Vladivostok found its new power in the Trans-Arctic trade, the route that, from the Americas, goes up to the southern coast of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands and then comes down through Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands until it reaches the city. This trade has proven extremely valuable, as it allowed Vladivostok to become the central port for the Trans-Siberian route, which travels through Russia and reaches Saint Petersburg, Moscow and Europe. In turn, the returning trade let Vladivostok expand the trading southward too. Soon enough, the city had become the main trade hub in the northern Pacific.


The connection with Alaska also brought with it the presence, in the Grand Republic, of many Alaskans (called Ulaskuns in the region). Warriors from that frigid region flock to Vladivostok under the promise of good employment, forming the Ulaskun Guard, and recently an enterprising Ulaskun, Lord Griffon Lewis, has even managed to become a patrician in the city.



Vladivostok, of course, due to its size, has a very complex government. The Eastern Duma, the local parliament, is divided in two factions, the Centralists (who desire to expand the borders of Vladivostok directly) and the Federalists (who wish to establish more Marches).



The Federalist governments from the past few elections have led to several Marches being established in the east, ensuring that the borders of Vladivostok are secure and trade won’t be impeded any time soon.

KOREAN LORDS

Korea had been broken in two parts long before the Event. After it, due to the splintering of authority in the region, any hope of reunification vanished, especially as Vladivostok did its best to put itself in the way, to ensure no big trading state would emerge in the region. For this reason, instead, Korea remains divided.

In the North, recently a new power has risen. The ruler of Pyongyang, Kim Chae, a practitioner of Juche like most North Koreans, has declared himself new Supreme Leader of North Korea, declaring himself a descendant of the Kim Dynasty of old. While this claim is shaky – after all, Kim is a common family name in the region – several rulers have flocked under the banner of the Supreme Leader, or have been threatened into subservience. Perhaps, the Juche fight might soon see Korea unified.


Another faith exists in the north, mostly in those duchies closer to the Russian territories. The Shindo faith, also known as Muismo, is the shamanistic faith once practiced throughout all of Korea, though today it only survives in scattered territories in the north and south. However, the faith is also the religion of the island Kingdom of Jeju, off the southern coast. Jeju, the true heart of the faith, is considered its stronghold.



South Korea, meanwhile, is mostly ruled religiously by the Mahayana faith, a Buddhist branch practiced across East Asia, and the Gidoggyo faith, an umbrella term for the various Christian denominations of the region.


However, what truly makes the region unique are the four rich Oligarchies that control a good portion of the country, and economically could be said to be the heart of Korea. Those Oligarchies descend from powerful pre-Event companies, and from them they take their names: Samsung™, Hyundai™, Lucky Goldstar™ and Kia™. The rich products made by those Oligarchies’ craftsmen sell for a great amount of coins on the vast trade network built by Vladivostok, and even southward as far as Singapore. Rarely do they rich India, much less Europe, but when they do their value is unthinkably high. Thanks to this, the Corpo-Princes of Korea can afford to train soldiers that make sure the interests of the Board of Directors and the Shareholders (a title given to those that have stock in the company) are protected at all times. Of course, if their expansion is ever guaranteed to allow for the opening of new Branches, those Corpo-Princes might prove quite the dangerous foe…






The Shareholders in a Corporation are permanent...


And their payout is determined by the law. A wise Corpo-Prince should make sure to keep an eye on who gains the title.

MANCHURIAN KINGS

The territories of what is called Manchuria extend over a vast expense of small regional rulers, often in danger from both Vladivostok to the east and the nomadic Khans to the west. However, two Kingdom have emerged in this shattered land, perhaps finally promising a unification that has been long awaited.

In the south, the Kingdom of Liaoning is ruled by its first and, some fear, last King. Yi Cheng-liang learned the way of Fajia, also known in the west as Legalism, and spent many years teaching them in his homeland, turning most of his subjects into followers of the Fajia philosophy. At the same time, he carefully expanded his territories, and finally, a few years ago, he declared himself King of Liaoning, forging his Seal of Authority as he did so. However, the king is old, unmarried and without heir, and many think this hatching Kingdom will disappear soon.


The main obstacle in Lianoning’s expansion is religious. The main faith in the region is the Dongfang Shan-Tian faith, also known as the Eastern Lightning. A Christian faith with very peculiar beliefs, it claims Jesus reincarnated as a woman during the Event, leading people away from sin. The birth of the Kingdom of God, however, can only come after the Great Red Dragon that oppressed the Eastern Lightning followers is slain. For this reason, the Eastern Lightning don’t take well to the idea of different philosophies and religions spreading through their lands. Soon, Liaoning might pay the price of its isolation.


To the north, meanwhile, stands the tribal Kingdom of Oroqenia. Once one of the many nomadic hordes that rule the steppes between Vladivostok and Perm, King Aisin Gioro Badai completely upturned the way of life of his people, turning them into a settled tribal community, believing it to be the only way to establish themselves as equals to the Grand Republic. Claiming to descend from the rightful rulers of all of China, this tribal lord has his sights set on the south, but knows well that Vladivostok might not take lightly to further expansion. A difficult position for the supposed blood of the Last Emperor.


And so we leave the northern Pacific, as we next head into China. Hope this was an interesting look into the region.

 

[Rufy_King]

One last DD before our release! That’s right, 0.4, the East Asia Expansion, is officially to be released for everyone on December 25th. And of course, our final DD can’t be about anything but China. While we have touched on its southern and northern regions before, and its western regions were already included in the previous map, let us now see what the heartland of China has to show. You will be able to reunify all of it, tracing your history back to one of the many ancient dynasties, if you can overcome the many challenges in your way.

THE PATH TO RULE THE EMPIRE

China presents itself as a rich, but heavily divided land. This, of course, is due to a number of factors. The most important of those, of course, is Vladivostok. Well aware that the reunification of China would likely spell its doom, the Grand City puts a lot of effort into squashing budding powers in the region, hence why most Kingdoms of any real size are located in the south.

The trade routes in China, a treasure throve any ruler would want to control

An important exception to this is the Liehuo Kingdom of Henan. Unified in the last decade or so, the Kingdom of Henan has grand ambitions. The Liehuo faith it practices is one of the more widespread in China, and definitely has great chances of unifying more and more land.


However, besides Vladivostok, Henan has to contend with the rise of the Hongxiejiao faith. This mysterious cult that derives from Liehuo is far more bloodthirsty in its teachings, sacrificing infidels and burning part of their own bodies to cleanse sin. Feared throughout all of China, Hongxiejiao is a threat Henan will likely have to face eventually.


Besides Liehuo, two other doctrines trace their history all the way back to ancient China. Fajia, or Legalism, which we have already met in northern China, is of course present here, particularly in Shandong but also in other parts of China. However, far more powerful, even divided as it is, is Taojiao, brewers of potions and masters of ruling. What used to be more akin to philosophy has deviated increasingly toward including a religious side since the event, incorporating traditional Chinese folk religion into its teachings and following the belief in the Jade Emperor of times long gone. Taojiao currently lacks a true center of power, since the fall of Fujian to the Sanminshuyi (Tridemist) faith has left them without a guiding Kingdom. But this also means that any ambitious ruler can try to unify the followers of Taojiao, if they are strong and wise enough.


TRADITIONS FROM TIMES BEYOND

Of course, not all traditional religions vanished within Liehuo and Taojiao or were swept aside by new faiths rising after the Event. In the south of China, near the border with Indochina, the Zhuang people practice Mojiao. Also called Moism, Mojiao claims to have been born before history. The Kingdom of Gvangjsih, called Guangxi by non-Zhuang people, is the main center of the faith.


Kev Dab Qhuas is meanwhile practiced mostly by the Hmong and Miao people of southeast China. The faith centers around the figure of the great Chiyou. A tolerant faith, its followers are encouraged to pursue study and peace among all people. For this reason, the faith has absorbed many Taojiao and Buddhist teachings, often acting as a mediator between the lands of Tao and those of Buddha.


Finally, Wujiao also dates to long before the Event. This particular faith is small and fragmented compared to most, but this spread through various regions of China is what has guaranteed its survival during the rise and fall of the many Kingdoms that have appeared since. Wujiao is a peaceful faith, and perhaps one set to survive forever.


THE FAITHS BORN FROM THE ASHES

While China has not experienced many upheavals after the Event, most of the faiths that have appeared since the Event are more focused on the right of rulership and the belief in the rule of the Jade Emperor, the Ruby Chairman or the Sapphire Didact over Heaven. However, this is not true for every faith.

In the lands of Sichuan and Chongqing was born the faith commonly known as Wuxia. Those that follow the Code of Xia, a set of rules codified before the Event, believe that the path to Enlightenment is dictated by one’s dedication to the betterment of their own self, physically as well as mentally. Wuxia followers are encouraged to join one of many schools and undergo extensive training to better their mastery of martial arts, all to eventually reach a state of perfection.


The most respected of all Sects, the Shaolin school

While in training, the Regent will rule in your place

From Wuxia’s teachings and Wujiao's believes was born the Xianxia faith. This peculiar faith abandoned the concept of schools and Masters that Wuxia holds dear. Instead, followers of Xianxia believe that it is their own individual training that will show them the path forward. Xianxia followers dedicate their time to better themselves and cultivate their Qi, in order to attain the state of Xian, the legendary immortals that are said to have reached the peak of the human state.


Meanwhile, far from the mountains where those faiths exist, one can find Nihongjiao. The Neon Cult is centered around the city of Shanghai, and believes that when Shen Yi shot down nine of the ten suns to prevent the rebirth of the goddess Xihe, who would have cleansed the world of all evil, those nine suns fell to Earth, leaving behind luminous fragments, known as Neon, that now the followers of Nihongjiao religiously collect. Those luminous fragments will one day be reunited as one, Xihe will be reborn as the Neon Goddess of prophecy, to set the world ablaze and cleanse it once and for all.


And thus, we leave China behind. Splintered and weakened, sure. But what’s united must divide, and what’s divided must unite. And the people willing to attempt this new unification are many.

 

[Rufy_King]

Ho ho ho everyone Merry Christmas to those who celebrate!

Here is the official release of version 0.4, the long-awaited East Asia Expansion.
The expansion extends the map to the Pacific, and includes hundreds of cultures, characters, religions, and mechanics. From the Empire of Vladivostok, to the Japanese Shogunate, to the rising Chinese powers and the Katoliko in the Philippines, to the Empire of Siam and the wars to control the Strait of Malacca, thousands of new playable starts are now available! We will also upload a non-Asia expanded 0.4, that only transfers the changes and mechanics needed for that version, for those players that aren't interested in the Expansion but just wish to play the usual map (here called Original). Because this update is so massive there won't be a changelog unfortunately because the changes are far too immense to catalog. Enjoy 0.4, and tell us on discord, reddit and paradoxplaza what you think of it!

Drive Asia: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1u8CPgsK550G6mH-Q8mywNt6c7HFW-4gS/view?usp=sharing
MEGA Asia: https://mega.nz/file/ejIUiTQR#0Ui55VEjdsfeapTg_fQjd54YAdp-d9DC5CpZI205VSg
Drive Original Map: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14SB3QXKWpZPf-BDfuMQDIPVRFdCrFklf/view?usp=sharing
MEGA Original Map: https://mega.nz/file/P7oBURIK#dWxrMClP7d-kAPtekSEYt4cyQezoCbgmce7ioh2ryoI

 

[Rufy_King]

Hi there folks, I'm going to run a simple poll to gauge the general opinion on the East Asia update. Feel free to voice your opinion on the update, the new content added, and anything else about the mod. It will run for a few days then I will likely post the results for anyone curious.
https://forms.gle/fpXUrLadMzeqpkg7A