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Alfray Stryke

Stellaris Game Designer
Paradox Staff
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Feb 21, 2014
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An idea partially inspired by a conversation on Twitter a number of weeks ago, that I finally decided to write up having formed a revolutionary republic in my latest EU4 campaign. In essence, switching to state sponsored secularism should be something that comes about in the late game.

(Apologies for formatting errors, this was typed up in Notes on my iPad and copied across)

Secularism
  • Spawns by event for countries that have embraced the Enlightenment.
  • Borrows the Harmonisation mechanics of Confucian.
  • Scale of Religious Acceptance (Unaccepted - Tolerated - Accepted - “Dominant”)
  • Unaccepted religion = treated as heathen tolerance.
  • Tolerated religion = treated as heretic tolerance.
  • Accepted religion = treated as true faith tolerance.
  • As accepted religions are treated as true faith, they can be culture converted.
  • Cannot be defender of the faith.
  • Belongs outside all Religious Groups.
  • American National Ideas would gain bonuses to acceptance rate.

“Dominant” Faith Disaster

Having a single accepted faith occupying more than 75% of your state development will start a ticking disaster of <X Faith> is Dominant in <Country Name>. This will spawn zealot rebels of the dominant faith with the goal of converting the country to their faith.


Religion Bonuses
  • +2 Tolerance of Heretics
  • +2 Accepted Cultures
  • -100% Missionary Strength

Upon adopting Secularism your previous True Faith becomes Accepted and all previously Heretic Faiths become Tolerated, all previously Heathen Faiths are represented by their Religious Groups and are initially Unaccepted.

Thus a Catholic nation that adopts Secularism will gain the Accepted Faith bonus from Catholic initially, any branches of Christianity that they accept and only the other religious groups (e.g. they will accept Muslim instead of Sunni, Shia and Ibadi separately)


Suggested Accepted Faith Bonuses

  • Christian: -5% Stability Cost
  • Catholic: +0.5 Yearly Prestige
  • Protestant: +10% Improve Relations
  • Reformed: +1 Possible Advisors
  • Anglican: +25% Innovativeness Gain
  • Orthodox: +15% Manpower
  • Coptic: +5% Fort Defence
  • Muslim: +5% Trade Efficiency
  • Sunni: +10% Cavalry Ratio
  • Shia: +5% Army Morale
  • Ibadi: -10% Ship Cost
  • Eastern: +1 Accepted Cultures
  • Theravada: -5% Advisor Cost
  • Vajrayana: +5% Production Efficiency
  • Mahayana: -5% Idea Cost
  • Confucian: -5% Admin Tech Cost
  • Shinto: +5% Infantry Combat Ability
  • Dharmic: +1 Tolerance of the True Faith
  • Hindu: +1 Tolerance of Heathens (Tolerated Faiths)
  • Sikh: -5% Military Tech Cost
  • Pagan: -0.5 National Unrest
  • Animist: +0.5 Tolerance of the True Faith (Accepted Faiths)
  • Fetishist: +1 Diplomatic Reputation
  • Totemist: +0.5 Tolerance of the True Faith (Accepted Faiths)
  • Tengri: +10% Religious Acceptance Rate
  • Inti: -0.05 Monthly Autonomy
  • Nahuatl: +5% Discipline
  • Mayan: -10% Core Creation Cost
  • Norse: +15% Galley Combat Ability
  • Jewish: +15% Institution Spread
  • Zoroastrian: +10% Trade Efficiency
 
Upvote 0
Ticking disaster for having a religion take over 75% of your territory makes no sense whatsoever. Secularism isn't about forcefully spreading different religions through your lands, it's about splitting religion and government from one another (and from gameplay perspective, it would be a massive nerf to religious homogenic countries). What it should do would be to make Religious Unity and Tolerances not matter and turn off any religious mechanics you may have.

Not to mention that making a feature with complex mechanics only for last small few decades is not something developers generally like to do.
 
This sounds like a bad idea. Secularism in the sense that you explain it didn't exist back then. For example, US, as you say should get a bonus to acceptance rate, isn't even fully secular today, let alone back then (Surveys shows that a person can't be elected president in US without stating that he is a christian.). And progressive forces in Europe like France, since you mentioned revolutionary, wasn't anywhere near secular. The progressive and accepting thinking you are describing is already in game through the Humanist Idea Group and various National Ideas. That didn't make state religion less of a thing, official or as in the case of US unofficial.
 
Since it will be late game anyway, the harmonizing mechanism should be much faster than it is for confucian

Of course, I figured that'd make sense and maybe not need saying :p

Ticking disaster for having a religion take over 75% of your territory makes no sense whatsoever. Secularism isn't about forcefully spreading different religions through your lands, it's about splitting religion and government from one another (and from gameplay perspective, it would be a massive nerf to religious homogenic countries). What it should do would be to make Religious Unity and Tolerances not matter and turn off any religious mechanics you may have.

Not to mention that making a feature with complex mechanics only for last small few decades is not something developers generally like to do.

Something worth thinking about, cheers! Although a disaster to represent the population not agreeing with the government's policies might be interesting

Cough: revolutionaire empire: Cough
Damm too much coal burning I guess.

Got there before I did!

I would suggest you to change this since it is dependent on having embraced the last institution already.

Good point! That'd be from me cribbing the modifiers from Confucian. Hmm... -10% Accepted culture advisor cost might be a good one.