Divine Wind - Developer Diary #1

[Besuchov]

A game too good to die

So, here we are again, almost 2 years have passed since we released Europa Universalis III Complete and here is yet another expansion. I'm Besuchov, and together with programmer Birken and the Paradox Dev Team I've been tasked with making this expansion.

But why? Well, if you're asking that then maybe you are not a true Europa Universalis III fan Seriously though, in my opinion Europa Universalis III is simply one of the best strategy games ever made, and according to the polls we made on which expansion you guys want, a lot of you agree.
For every 'last Europa Universalis III expansion' we make, the interest in the game is reawakened, both in the office and, apparently, among our fans, and as the pints keep getting emptied the ideas keep piling up. “What if EU3 could do this?", "Wouldn't it be awesome if this feature from our other games were also in EU3?”, “Why does that guy always win as France?”. So, as we realize after every expansion, Europa Universalis III is simply too good to die.

So, what about content then, what is it that we are going to put into this expansion? Well, the answer is: a lot of things Over the coming weeks I will tell you about some of them. First up is a new map. Since we first released EU3 we have released three other new games; Rome, Hearts of Iron III and Victoria 2. Every new title has looked a little better than the previous, and now old EU3 is starting to look a bit dated... so we decided to give it a good makeover. Over the last weeks programmer Birken and artists Yonaz and Aerie have been busy bringing the quality of the EU3 map up to the level of quality of the newer Paradox titles. This includes, among other things, better looking map textures, more detailed coastlines and even a few new provinces. I think you will agree that this is quite a leap forward for the game.

Now, I will just let the screen shots speak for themselves, and before you make your all caps post, yes we know the Swiss guards looks like samurais. Don't worry, Aerie is hard at work making new units for everyone.

[RedRalphWiggum]

Looks great.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

Well, good luck to all of you.
there's some big shoes to fill

But the map is looking good Hopefully it won't be too much of resource hog now.

[Cybvep]

I love it. Victoria 2 map is beautiful and it will be great if EUIII map achieves the same quality.

[Vordus]

cool thanks

By the way, it looks like you added a few more provinces, I just saw it in Schweiz and in Japan. Anywhere else?

[SapientHomo]

With their new provinces I'm looking forward to playing Switzerland already! Looking good!

[Galaahd]

Wow, new provinces
EDIT: and new sprites!

[Junuxx]

"A few new provinces" looks more like plenty of them if that Savoy area is any measure of the treatment of all of the world
I think the farmland texture could be a bit crisper/higher contrast though. Looks nice but, you know, a little too blurry?

The India picture is tougher to judge. Apparently it's getting some attention which is great, but because of the political view I can't really see whether it's been improved much (since the Himalayas being way off is a big part of the sloppiness of the current situation)

Thanks for this first peek Besuchov, and I hope you will enjoy the time working to improve upon an already rather good game!

Oh, and before I forget the obliged desperate plea: please, please fix the province decisions!

[Galaahd]

cool thanks

By the way, it looks like you added a few more provinces, I just saw it in Schweiz and in Japan. Anywhere else?

In Italy too.

Piedmont is now a separate province from Turin and Cremona is new as well.

[Romtos]

The first screen seems to indicate that EU3 might get its announcements in the form Vicky 2 has a well. Look at those 5 blue circles at the lower right.

I like Vicky 2 level graphics on EU3. It'll give a good feeling.

Edit, now I also notice them in the second screen. I missed them at first glance.

[Galaahd]

The first screen seems to indicate that EU3 might get its announcements in the form Vicky 2 has a well. Look at those 5 blue circles at the lower right.

What are those things? (I don't have Vicky 2)

[SchwarzKatze]

Hurray! It's the Dev!
---------
So the map is flat now?

[Johan]

Besuchov is one of our most senior developers, and was the project lead/lead programmer for Victoria 2 & also lead programmer for HoI3 & EU: Rome, and was a programmer on EU3, Diplomacy & HoI2 amongst other things.

[Romtos]

What are those things? (I don't have Vicky 2)

Instead of announcements at the bottom of the screen little flags will appear next to those circles, where each circle is a different category of announcement. If you hover over the flags it'll show a line what exactly the announcement is.

In vicky 2 the first line are military announcement (battle engagements, province sieges, rebels), second line are diplomatic announcement (country x influences y) and so on.

[Johan]

cool thanks

By the way, it looks like you added a few more provinces, I just saw it in Schweiz and in Japan. Anywhere else?

There's a few more scattered where its been needed, but in total we haven't added less than 100 provinces.

[Romtos]

There's a few more scattered where its been needed, but in total we haven't added less than 100 provinces.

You mean have? Or do you indeed mean over a hundred?

Also, is Japan the only area which has gotten such a major overhaul in the sense of provinces?

[pjcrowe]

Does the second screenie mean that province boundaries are no longer visible in the political mapmode?

-Pat

[Junuxx]

Also, is Japan the only area which has gotten such a major overhaul in the sense of provinces?

I'd call tripling the number of provinces in Switzerland a major overhaul

Does the second screenie mean that province boundaries are no longer visible in the political mapmode?

-Pat

Not in the zoomed out political mapmode I'm sure

[Crazy_Ivan80]

There's a few more scattered where its been needed, but in total we haven't added less than 100 provinces.

hehe, technically what you said here was that you've added 100 or more provinces
double negatives and all that
's gonna be a nice X-mas thingy in any case.

[Romtos]

Does the second screenie mean that province boundaries are no longer visible in the political mapmode?

-Pat

Or it's like HOI3 and Vicky 2 where if you zoom out the boundaries disappear.