Quick questions / Quick answers -- EU3

[Pewt]

Okay, that's kind of abstract, but okay, I can buy into that, sort of. But if I can control how the money is allocated to investments, why can't I control how much is invested in total?

Because the idea is that that money doesn't actually "exist" so much as it is a measure of the economic strength of your nation. The idea is that you, as the invisible guiding hand in the sky, can push the development of your nation in certain directions, but you can't do whatever you want.

For example, consider that tech isn't 100% scientists hard at work; it might be fisherman who accidentally discover something about seamanship which contributes to your naval tech. Maybe encouraging naval tech involves reducing taxes on fishing more so than it involves throwing money at scientists. Hell, you could see research grants as the "Pay 200 to get 100 invested immediately" button.

[Castios]

I placed national focus and converted all bordering provinces into my primary culture in some 15 years, so I think that MTTH is shorter than 300 years?
I did it like 2 times, placed national focus, converted region to primary culture and then I did it again, without any decision, just assimilation event.

edit:

So, I just made HRE from Poland and I got like few cots so I have 1% compete chance everywhere (from 80/90%). What I should do with those cots? I want leave only 1 cot but with so huge territory those cots are too rich.

[safferli]

Next time, register your game for access to the user mods forum, and post your question there.

[Pewt]

I placed national focus and converted all bordering provinces into my primary culture in some 15 years, so I think that MTTH is shorter than 300 years?
I did it like 2 times, placed national focus, converted region to primary culture and then I did it again, without any decision, just assimilation event.

edit:

So, I just made HRE from Poland and I got like few cots so I have 1% compete chance everywhere (from 80/90%). What I should do with those cots? I want leave only 1 cot but with so huge territory those cots are too rich.

Certain cultures flip quicker in certain cases (like the tartar -> slavic 90% MTTH decrease). It's also possible that you just got lucky.

[Castios]

Oh thats why I assimilated tartar culture so fast. Where I can check modifiers?

[Pewt]

Oh thats why I assimilated tartar culture so fast. When I can check modifiers?

http://www.paradoxian.org/eu3wiki/Cultural_Assimilation

[StephenT]

Yeah, I get that, but I still end up being forced to mint more than I want to break even. I just don't get why the game is designed to allow you to control HOW the money is invest, but not how MUCH. Oh well. Hopefully the situation improves with time. It's currently 1477 in my game.

You're getting caught out because you're thinking of it as "investment". It's not. How many mediaeval or renaissance governments had large state-owned research laboratories? None.

Your monthly income isn't research spending, it is your economy. It's the people of your country going about their business, building ships and trading goods and working at their jobs, and gradually over the years coming up with new ideas and techniques. You can't reduce your economy - short of destroying businesses and deliberately making yourself poorer - which is why the sliders always add up to 100%. All you can do is try to redirect the economy into favoured areas (trade, naval, etc) by government incentives, tax breaks and so forth - or skim off profit through harsh extra taxes and forced loans and currency devaluations (minting).

As for 'deficit spending' - again, no. You get annual income because your people pay their taxes once per year, but you have monthly expenses because your soldiers and advisers expect to be paid a salary. So if you get 100 ducats on 1 January and have to pay 5 ducats per month in expenses, total 60 per year (12 x 5), then you're meant to pay the wages out of the tax money and have 40 left over at the end of the year. If you can't resist the lump sum and spend the 100 all in January on shiny ships and an extension to your palace, then you'll be forced to mint each month instead to cover your expenses; but you'll suffer inflation that way, so it's a bad idea.

[bossfrog]

You're getting caught out because you're thinking of it as "investment". It's not. How many mediaeval or renaissance governments had large state-owned research laboratories? None.

Your monthly income isn't research spending, it is your economy. It's the people of your country going about their business, building ships and trading goods and working at their jobs, and gradually over the years coming up with new ideas and techniques. You can't reduce your economy - short of destroying businesses and deliberately making yourself poorer - which is why the sliders always add up to 100%. All you can do is try to redirect the economy into favoured areas (trade, naval, etc) by government incentives, tax breaks and so forth - or skim off profit through harsh extra taxes and forced loans and currency devaluations (minting).

As for 'deficit spending' - again, no. You get annual income because your people pay their taxes once per year, but you have monthly expenses because your soldiers and advisers expect to be paid a salary. So if you get 100 ducats on 1 January and have to pay 5 ducats per month in expenses, total 60 per year (12 x 5), then you're meant to pay the wages out of the tax money and have 40 left over at the end of the year. If you can't resist the lump sum and spend the 100 all in January on shiny ships and an extension to your palace, then you'll be forced to mint each month instead to cover your expenses; but you'll suffer inflation that way, so it's a bad idea.

So to sum it up, the economy tab is not meant to be thought of as a budget sheet, instead it's a means to deal with the results of how your nation's merchants, scientists, and engineers are going about their business. I guess I'll just think of the sliders more as policy adjustments than budget adjustments. Is that the thinking the devs had in mind?

[Swezeru]

I feel completely retarded when it comes to trade, so I´m wondering if anyone could give me a good explanation on how the trade-goods work and how you do to use them to the max?

[Pewt]

I feel completely retarded when it comes to trade, so I´m wondering if anyone could give me a good explanation on how the trade-goods work and how you do to use them to the max?

Not sure what exactly this means, so I'll give some general pointers:

• Trade goods have a price, determined by the supply of the good vs the demand for the good (and based off the base price), and a trade value, which is province-specific affected by province and country modifiers. You can see what affects supply and demand by mousing over the good's price.
  
• Production income of a province is production efficiency * trade value.
  
• Each province contributes its trade value to its CoT.
  
• The value of a CoT is the sum of all the trade values of provinces trading through it.

[gela1212]

Also, trade goods all have a certain bonus if you trade in them enough. If you trade in 33% of the world's supply or trade in a CoT with the most supply, you gain the bonus.

Pretty much all the bonuses slipped my mind, but you've probably seen at least one.

[Pompan]

Also, trade goods all have a certain bonus if you trade in them enough. If you trade in 33% of the world's supply or trade in a CoT with the most supply, you gain the bonus.

Pretty much all the bonuses slipped my mind, but you've probably seen at least one.

Yearly gain of prestige (fur), legitimacy (chinaware). Decreased revolt risk (fish), reduced regiment cost (iron), reduced mercenary maintenance (copper), increased tariffs (slaves) & better fort defense (coffee). Those are some examples of being trade leader bonuses.

[Pewt]

Yearly gain of prestige (fur), legitimacy (chinaware). Decreased revolt risk (fish), reduced regiment cost (iron), reduced mercenary maintenance (copper), increased tariffs (slaves) & better fort defense (coffee). Those are some examples of being trade leader bonuses.

Cloth is mercenary maintenance; copper is regiment recruit time.

[moonsik]

I formed Italy but I don't like the green colour. Can I change it and where?

[Pompan]

Cloth is mercenary maintenance; copper is regiment recruit time.

Hmmmm...

[Simberto]

Can someone give me a list of things that influence through which CoT provinces trade? Preferably an exact one.

[pevergreen]

how do I use mods with steam?

Fourth bullet:


(From the Steam FAQ sticky)

Thank you for using my guide, is nice to know its read.

I formed Italy but I don't like the green colour. Can I change it and where?

\common\countries\Italy.txt

Third line

color = { 125 171 84 }

Change those RGB values.

[Pompan]

...RGB? :O What's that, if I may ask?

[Poppy Appletree]

...RGB? :O What's that, if I may ask?

Red, green and blue, the primary colours of light, which are added and subtracted to create any given colour appear on your screen.

[Rockingluke]

Here's a handy website which will show the colours associated with each RGB value.