Omnium Contra Omnes — a Multiplayer Modification

[rayzee]

It may perhaps be me but I find magistrates in early game to have very limited use, buildings are expensive at this time and Commission Painting is now changed to a modifier for a certain amount of time.

[silktrader]

You'll have to decide whether to mint, borrow ducats and build, to later have an infrastructural advantage over others — or whether to save ducats and possibly waste magistrates. You might agree that decentralisation is actually a viable slider in the beginning: while it provides fewer magistrates and taxes it noticeably decreases build costs. "Commission Tapestry" and other magistrates options aside, there will be a provincial decision to relieve the population from plagues at the cost of one magistrate (that's yet another use for magistrates), so to avoid plagues spread and having to cough up the 90 ducats to intervene. The general idea is to a) invite a certain amount of inflation during the whole campaign, so that technology and stability costs in 1700 don't remain the same as in 1400 and b) press players into subscribing favourable loans with other players or banks.

The old "Commission Painting" was a repetitive action, which bore immediate effects (rendering long term alternatives not as desirable). The old decision would be incompatible with the new westernisation requirements (which assume a lengthy and planned cultural investment). It irremediably led to having many five stars advisors as it negates the effects of decay.

Let's say you had 60 cultural tradition and lost 5% every year to decay, during a year you'd lose 3 cultural tradition. Firing four "Commission Paintings" in the same month would have boosted your tradition standing to 80 — enabling you to hire a five star advisor. Those twenty cultural tradition you immediately gained weren't subject to the decay "tax": had the 20 cultural tradition been gained over two years, for instance, you wouldn't have reached 80 cultural tradition but, more or less, 72.

The other problem with the old "Commission Painting" is that it allowed rather exotic combinations. A scenario: when attacked by another player, you could immediately consume two magistrates you had, to go past the four stars or five stars ceiling and get yourself a decent quartermaster or commandant. Two paintings, one more star to your commandant.

What kind of additional use would you assign magistrates to, Ray.

[rayzee]

My line of thought with the magistrates is to implement them into existing options. As a suggestion for increasing the usage of magistrates, perhaps adjusting national decisions and religious decisions that cost magistrates if it is embeddable, or alternatively adding a few more general provincial decisions.

For the defensive slider, the +1 siege modifier is questionable for me as it is more of an offensive move, a +1 maneuver would perhaps serve better in a defensive doctrine.

The Land force limit and Naval force limit advisers may be deserving of an tweak to stay in line the rest of the military advisers, +30% at 6 stars is quite significant.

With the balance of several Military National Idea's, I think it should be done towards Land foraging as well. 50% is a too great in my opinion and I would suggest 30-35%, this would also discourage huge army stacks.

[Checco]

Very nice mod, I'm testing it right now and most of the changes looks very useful to me.

-Trade system overhauled, removing the uncanny benefits from Free Trade and various sound tolls net gains
-Spies being useful right now, and nice new mission and chance of the spies to return
-Qftnw FINALLY at Trade 13, and colonists better distributed according to one's religion
-Sliders no more giving very high bonuses on military and income
-Nice improvements of some NIs

I think that the following need testing:

-Magistrates rather useless right now, rayzee is right to say more decisions should be available
-The number of Diplomats you have (luckily never less than 1/year) make a lot of mundane tasks almost impossible, no matter the nation you play with; you are almost tempted to dow to gain more diplomats
-The huge increase in recruitment time, that could turn most wars into blitzkriegs (the pro is that you have to keep your army existant always)

Bugs found:
-Papal influence is -5% because I'm 'catholic'; is this WAD?

[silktrader]

About magistrates:

I am not certain you've noticed it: there is a new provincial decision to "Contain Plague", it costs one magistrate and clears the "plague" modifier which significantly decreases population, taxes and increases the chance of spread to neighbouring provinces. The event is far more frequent during the first century than it is later on, it's not particularly frequent in absolute terms.

It's unlikely one will even run out of provinces where to build something, more likely one will be limited by ducats — at least, that's the intention. You have 100 ducats of census taxes a year: while you can spend 50 on buildings without raising inflation, you're also gaining two magistrates. The extra magistrate will be put to waste, unless you borrow or mint to use it. If you don't want to use it, it'll be like wasted diplomats, missionaries, etc.

Compared to vanilla, the difference, using magistrates, lays with "Commission Painting": it could be fired as often as one wanted, it's now available every seven years and provides more cultural tradition, depending on the artist's stars. I've tried to explain, above, why that was needed. If we are to decrease the "timeout" (thus increasing the number of magistrates one can use), it'd be possible to "pump" cultural tradition when reaching the 80 mark: you already gain, on average, 30 CT per five star artist you create, during his lifespan.

As for additional decisions, I feel there already are several at the start costing magistrates (like "Cultural Unity", which is often overlooked). Specific suggestions are obviously welcome though (decisions need to be consequential in game terms, not ubiquitous and not increasing income without an alternative cost).

In short, I genuinely don't see the current magistrate setup as a problem, but perhaps I am wrong — can you elaborate more on the issue (a save game would be nice).

***

About the defensive slider:

I fully agree with you, Rayzee — the siege bonus is inadequate on the defensive slider. I don't think it's an offensive attribute though.

I had commented, in the policies file, the need to revise the slider. There are other such remarks, they all contain the letters "TK" for a quick search.

Leaders can boast, at best, two siege pips. Land tradition will be thus irrelevant in that regard when a full defensive nation picks "Engineer Corps". On the other hand, unless you have extremely low military tradition you have good chances of creating leaders with a base siege value over one, so either "defensive" or "Engineer Corps" would be enough to reach the maximum number of siege pips.

You suggest that leaders' manoeuvre value be tied to defensiveness: one could argue the same for offensive nations (as they are meant to spend more time in foreign soil). Regardless, believe it or not, that's not an aspect that can be modded: only naval leaders can benefit from manoeuvre bonus.

Here's what was done today:

"Engineer Corps" doesn't provide defensiveness anymore, the previous +25% was spread on the offensive, defensive slider. Now maximum defensiveness increases fort defenses by a third (35%), whereas offensiveness decreases it by the same amount. There's a 70% difference between the two ends (it used to be 50%), it's quite tangible with high level forts and the mod's overall manpower levels. The slider doesn't affect leaders siege value anymore, "Engineer Corps" thus becomes the only provider: military tradition will determine whether there's a second pip.

There now is a local decision which allows forts to be built in provinces that already feature a level one fort (but below five) — without requiring a magistrate. It is enabled by "Engineer Corps", consumes ducats and land tradition (20), to begin the erection of fortifications. After a (rather long) period of three years the fort will be built — during that spell it will draw 3000 manpower from the pool.

***

To Checco and Ray:

The idea is to make diplomats a limiting factor, in several cases — like merchants, magistrates, etc. That isn't the case in vanilla, where their presence as agents isn't justified. Declaring war to gain diplomats is viable, but will increase cultural decay and bring along other consequences. Move towards aristocracy, build an embassy, elect diplomatic candidates, become HRE or Curia controller, etc.

"Land Foraging" will be reviewed, that's a complicated topic. The test campaign starts in 1400, it seemed best to consider starting aspects first.

The force limit advisers are within the "six stars advisors provide 10% less than comparable national ideas" rule. "Grand Navy" will be reviewed, on the other hand. Bear in mind that these advisors also require land and naval tradition, not simply cultural tradition.

The -5% "Papal influence" for being Catholic is an inelegant but necessary solution. You see, you can gain 10% a year for having 200 relations with the Papal States: that's incredibly inexpensive (in gifts terms), considering their size. To reduce the overall influence growth (many nations, AI and otherwise reached 100%), a few steps were undertaken: a) events which decrease papal influence (explained in the initial posts) and b) a stock -5% decrease for all (I assigned it to "Catholics" rather than including it in the "base" modifiers). The optimal solution would be to curtail Papal influence increases from relations to 6% (considering Popes life and other gains) — I can't do that by modding.

The variable increases in recruit time are determined by three wants: a) increasing the relevance of "Training Fields", b) that of mercenaries (recruited within two months) and c) severely hindering troop buildup in colonies (thus forcing players to take care of logistics).

"Training Fields" don't provide manpower or force limits boosts, nor do they lower troops cost — so their usefulness might seem trivial. They are though essential, in high numbers, when one needs to respond swiftly to enemy buildups or invasions.

War exhaustion and being overseas are the main agents slowing recruit time. In plain terms that translates to: the higher exhaustion is the less likely your people are to join the army. Mercenaries, on the other hand, will remain as ready as ever to be employed.

[MonMarty]

Bug:

Noticed while playing as England reloading the save several times, this triggered modifier is never present when I save, but when I reload the save, I have it and then immediately lose it on the next month.

pluralism = {
	potential = {
		or = {
			europe = {
				has_discovered = this
			}
			asia = {
				has_discovered = this
			}
		}
	}
	trigger = {
		or = {
			and = {
				religion_group = christian
				protestant = 0
				catholic = 0
				sunni = 0
			}
			and = {
				religion_group = muslim
				catholic = 0
				sunni = 0
				shiite = 0
			}
			and = {
				religion_group = eastern
				catholic = 0
				buddhism = 0
				hinduism = 0
			}
			and = {
				religion_group = pagan
				catholic = 0
				animism = 0
				shamanism = 0
			}
		}
	}
	cultural_tradition = 0.01
	icon = 9
}

From reading this event, I honestly have no clue what you are trying to reach as I have never seen a construct of for example catholic = 0. From the text in the event however, I am assuming you want to create a triggered modifier that triggers when you own at least 3 diffrent religions in your realm, giving +1 cultural tradition as long as these 3 provinces have unique diffrent religions.

If that is the target you should use this code (I have not tested it but I think it works)

pluralism = {
	potential = {
		or = {
			europe = {
				has_discovered = this
			}
			asia = {
				has_discovered = this
			}
		}
	}
	trigger = {
		or = {
			and = {
				religion_group = christian
				any_owned_province = {
					religion = catholic
				}
				any_owned_province = {
					or = {
						religion = protestant
						religion = reformed
					}
				}
				any_owned_province = {
					religion = sunni
				}

			}
			and = {
				religion_group = muslim
				any_owned_province = {
					religion = catholic
				}
				any_owned_province = {
					religion = sunni
				}
				any_owned_province = {
					religion = shiite
				}

			}
			and = {
				religion_group = eastern
				any_owned_province = {
					religion = catholic
				}
				any_owned_province = {
					religion = buddism
				}
				any_owned_province = {
					religion = hinduism
				}

			}
			and = {
				religion_group = pagan
				any_owned_province = {
					religion = catholic
				}
				any_owned_province = {
					religion = animism
				}
				any_owned_province = {
					religion = shamanism
				}
			}
		}
	}
	cultural_tradition = 0.01
	icon = 9
}

Note I added an or between the reformed and protestant faith. I personally think all catholic entries should have an or reformed protestant catholic orthodox and all muslim entires should have an or sunni shiite. The trigger is a bit of a luck shot for Eastern nations since most countries that start colonizing and reach asia have protestant religion, and this trigger only triggers on catholic. Alternatively speaking for Christians, it should mean no difference to the cultural exchange when you are shiite or sunnite in a catholic country, in fact from personal belief shiite's are better at expressing their culture outwards and contribute to plurality then sunni's yet they are completely omitted in the catholic clause.

The only thing I have noticed as of yet about the mod is that gaining cultural tradition is hard - a bit too hard for my taste. By 1420 I only managed to get to 40% with avoiding wars nearly the entire game, picking all cultural decisions when they came (even the painting one that requires an artist). Mathematically speaking I would spend a whole MP session gathering cultural tradition and not go over 50%. In particular the "No art to patronize" would throw you back 10% cultural tadition, which is a backset of multiple years, perhaps even a decade.

Making cultural tradition gain harder is good, I agree, but the malusses haven't been scaled down proportionately, it's very hard to get cultural tradition fast, and it's too easy to lose it quickly.

[Walshy_24]

That event you are taljin about isnt for having three religeons its the level of acceptance in the religous screen for heathens an heretics if u have all above zero an not negative it triggers cultural tradition its meant for the revamped humanist tolerance decision

[MonMarty]

oh.. well regardless it's broken :d

[silktrader]

As Walshy states, the triggered modifier considers your tolerance for both heretics and heathens. Sadly the tooltip is confusing and I can't change its localisation without affecting other entries — should you come up with a more elegant set of conditions to achieve the same effect, we should include it.

Gaining cultural tradition is certainly harder than before, have a look at post #17.

Just by picking "Patron of the Arts" (+3%) and not being at war (-3% decay) you can go past the 50 cultural tradition mark after the 16th year (starting from a common 20 CT). MonMarty: the "No Art worth Patronising" event isn't there anymore, you're still looking at vanilla events. It was removed in earlier versions, but if it was present … the mean time to happen would be ridiculous to make the event an important factor, considering its counterpart. This is a list of events that were removed:

Event #4042 — bank loans size event, replaced by two decisions Event #865 — +5 prestige or +3 influence for Catholic countries, no factors, random Event #871 — free move towards either pluto or aristo, free ducats, free stability, free beer Event #2013 — removal of "Popery Act" Event #5098 — (theocracies with negative stab) wrong syntax in the trigger, either provides +1 stab or +40 ducats and not a particularly long description Event #6132 and #6133 — +/- 5 prestige every century or so Event #6111 — 50 ducats or 10 prestige every century Event #6333 — free move towards innovativeness when +1 narrowmindedness or a rebel stack Event #6301 — free move towards free subbjects when +1 serfdom or a rebel stack Event #6305 — free move towards quality when +1 quantity Event #6306 — free prestige when not +1 quantity Event #6307 — move towards quantity when lacking manpower and having +1 quantity Event #6309 — free move towards naval Event #6311 — free move towards land for naval nations Event #9565 — for republics, go land or naval (duplicate of military reforms) Event #6193 and #6194 — +/- 10 prestige when one has patron of the arts: effects aren't significant, they balance themselves out, events are rare Event #6100 and #6101 — insignificant effects, cancel each others out Event #6109 and #6108 — insignificant effects, cancel each others out Event #6110 — 10 prestige every century with "Naval Glory", irrelevant Event #6112 and #6113 — balanced out effects, insignificant given the MTTH, syntax error in "manpower" Event #6114 and #6115 — balanced out effects, insignificant Event #6116 and #6117 — balanced out effects, insignificant

Before cultural tradition came into play in previous expansions, owning rich provinces would determine chances of obtaining highly sought after advisers: that's obviously still the case and yet another source of advisers.

[Sihulm]

What you're looking for is this:

pluralism = {
	potential = {
		or = {
			europe = {
				has_discovered = this
			}
			asia = {
				has_discovered = this
			}
		}
	}
	trigger = {
			tolerance_own = 0
			tolerance_heathen = 0
			tolerance_heretic = 0
	}
	cultural_tradition = 0.01
	icon = 9
}

[silktrader]

What you're looking for is this:

pluralism = {
	potential = {
		or = {
			europe = {
				has_discovered = this
			}
			asia = {
				has_discovered = this
			}
		}
	}
	trigger = {
			tolerance_own = 0
			tolerance_heathen = 0
			tolerance_heretic = 0
	}
	cultural_tradition = 0.01
	icon = 9
}

No, "tolerance_heathen" and "tolerance_heretic" aren't valid triggers — if they existed they would be optimal though.

[silktrader]

(A substitute for those odd looking requirements would be having both "humanist tolerance" and "ecumenism", but it wouldn't take into consideration legitimacy and some decisions.)

[Walshy_24]

is the mod ive been playing last week the one we will use ingame or is there going to be a late update before the session.
die infidels

[Checco]

Silk give a look to vassals and SoI, as vassalizing someone makes him enter yours (as written in the vassal's description), but you get no magistrate bonus and can still use 'Expand Influence' on him -after that, the magistrates take account of that-.

[Lord Austere]

In lasts nights aftergame discussion I proposed a means of balancing centralisation vs decentralisation. Currently centralisation is desired by everyone, but perhaps we can make decentralisation a flavour which is attractive for larger empire. The way I propose we do this is by adding/changing a series of events and effects which get more and more likely as decentralisation increases. (rather than the current sleightly more likely events...)

1) More frequent Building events: MTTH 900 months (75 years)
+ 20% for every step towards centralisation (up to 150 years)
- 10% for every step towards decentralisation (down to around 37 years)

The effect would be checked for every province (making this attractive to large empires) and would cause a building to constructed in that province. One such event would exist for every building type, so effectively a decentralised huge empire would randomly devellop buildings. Magistrates are not used up and no costs are involved.

The exact MTTH needs to be discussed however.

2) More Frequent Occupation events

When provinces of decentralised states are occupied the likelyhood of patriotic/nationalist rebels should increase. Effectively the local burghers or nobles rise up more frequently as they have more local controll and want to keep it that way. In this way large empires somewhat defend themselves, but not in a way the player can controll.

3) Direct benefits

Decreased revoltrisk (-0.5% per slider move) and increased tolerance (+0.2 per slider move) for reliqious minorities. More local governance means less frequent revolts and means the state cannot oversee religious policies quite as effectively making minorities feel as if they are less oppressed.

[Walshy_24]

Been serfdom/quantity/aristo/decentral could make for a good alternative strategy than the norm if it wasnt for the peasants war

[Falahk]

Been serfdom/quantity/aristo/decentral could make for a good alternative strategy than the norm if it wasnt for the peasants war

just go with despotic monarchy and you will not get peasent war's

[Checco]

Been serfdom/quantity/aristo/decentral could make for a good alternative strategy than the norm if it wasnt for the peasants war

Also Time of Troubles.

[Falahk]

been thinking a bit about the kinda funky situation Ottomans was in for the gh war, what about introducing a trigger modifier that gives anyone fight a horde between 0,5-1 colonists each year?

[silktrader]

Information within this post is obsolete, there will be updates.

During the past week the mod's focus has shifted to tackle "steppe hordes". The current result is unsatisfactory, chiefly because there are underlying problems with the stock game and I am not capable of a better effort to improve things:

a) "Nomad" players will invariably cause "out of synchronisation" errors, regardless of their connection setup (LAN tests show). The problem shows in vanilla and consequently in the mod. While the issue is blatant, I couldn't pinpoint the actual source of the problem: it might be either or both the "nomad" and "colonize_prov" features ("steppe hordes" have both).

b) It's possible to shield against steppe hordes by creating neighbouring vassals. Specifically, when a horde automatically gets in a war with another nation's vassal an immediate truce will be triggered, between the vassal, the master and the horde. While one could introduce a house rule to prevent such circumstances (vassal cushions), or event an event that creates two successive states of war (the second will prevent the master from leading the alliance), these solutions aren't optimal nor elegant.

c) Hordes' diplomatic options were voluntarily curtailed. Such a lack is sometimes anticlimactic in a multiplayer context (where the whole idea is to interact with others).

d) Occasionally foreign settlements won't be cleared when a peace is enacted: the option to burn them remains, assuming one stations armies in the province — it will though increase badboy in relation to the city size (rather than settlement size), which tends to be an awful lot. Again, that's an occasional problem.

The following paragraphs describe (very poorly, in fact) what's been changed concerning steppe hordes. It will be appended to the thread's third post.

Nomads, Steppe Hordes and Their Neighbours

"Me against my brothers,
My brothers and me against our cousins,
My brothers, cousins, and me against the world."

Steppe hordes are characterised by a perennial state of war, from this design they inherit their unique options and limitations.

a. Government and Legitimacy

Steppe hordes' government form provides:

+30% manpower
+30% force limits
+50% tech costs
-5 legitimacy per year

In vanilla, it used to be:

+10 badboy limit
-1 badboy per year
+100% force limits
+100% manpower
-25% regiments costs and maintenance
+5 global revolt risk

The infamy bonuses appear as irrelevant since hordes conquests prescind badboy dynamics. The force limits and manpower bonus were gargantuan, considering the two largest horde nations' manpower base (Golden Horde, Timurid Empire). Their reduction mirrors manpower and force limits decreases for buildings and other modifiers.

The decreased regiment costs were discarded: the player has to plunder his neighbours to fund his survival. While a horde war is in place, one will gain "Loot" missions, targeting rich provinces — 50 ducats are provided. These missions are sporadic, they will fire when rich provinces do not neighbour one's own provinces (because that's a requirement for looting). Therefore, a policy that aims at conquering territory might reduce the possibilities to gain inflation free ducats.

loot_treasure_province = { # loot non nomad rich provinces to gain ducats type = enemy_provinces allow = { this = { nomad = yes # nomads only manpower_percentage = 0.3 # stand a chance to make a run for it behind supply lines } not = { last_mission = loot_treasure_province } has_discovered = this base_tax = 8 looted = no not = { any_neighbor_province = { or = { controlled_by = this # can't be looted owner = { vassal_of = this } # can't be looted } } } port = no # can't be looted (in most cases) owner = { nomad = no } controlled_by = owner } abort = { owner = { not = { war_with = this } } } success = { units_in_province = this # own army in the province has_siege = yes looted = yes } chance = { factor = 5 # generic missions have a starting factor of one usually modifier = { factor = 0.5 this = { treasury = 300 } # no need for ducats at this stage } modifier = { factor = 3 this = { number_of_loans = 1 # we need to repay loans not = { treasury = 500 } } } modifier = { factor = 2 this = { manpower_percentage = 0.9 } # high manpower allows out of supply runs (required to loot) } modifier = { factor = 2 not = { units_in_province = 1 } # nobody's there, including defenders } modifier = { factor = 2 base_tax = 12 # nice loot } } effect = { treasury = 50 } # country receiving mission gains ducats }

The newly introduced constant legitimacy decrease is tied to a few new elements:

There's a triggered modifier, called "Succession Challenged". It increases revolt risk by six, whenever a) legitimacy is lower than 75 or b) the heir's claim is not "strong" or, even, c) there's no heir.

tribal_succession_challenged = { potential = { num_of_cities = 10 # spares relatively small hordes (OIR, KHA, CHG, etc.) or = { government = steppe_horde # note that tribal_democracy isn't subject to the modifier government = tribal_federation government = tribal_despotism } } trigger = { or = { not = { legitimacy = 0.75 } not = { heir_claim = 70 } # what is termed as 'strong claim' has_heir = no } } global_revolt_risk = 6 icon = 4 }

Moderately sized hordes thus need to gain control over enemy provinces, to offset the constant legitimacy loss. Failure to do so results in the harsh modifier being triggered. Should the monarch die when the succession is challenged a plethora of pretender and nationalist rebels will pop — that's an actual disaster when a war is ongoing.

country_event = { id = 600 is_triggered_only = yes trigger = { has_country_modifier = tribal_succession_challenged } title = "EVTNAME600" desc = "EVTDESC600" immediate = { random_owned = { limit = { likely_rebels = pretender_rebels } # as rebels fight against each others it is necessary to prevent overlap pretender_rebels = 2 } random_owned = { limit = { likely_rebels = pretender_rebels } pretender_rebels = 2 } any_owned = { limit = { likely_rebels = nationalist_rebels } nationalist_rebels = 1 } } option = { name = "EVTOPTB600A" } }

The idea was to limit the constant need to chase small stacks of rebels, but allow for extremely adverse circumstances to be triggered — thus rarer but stronger rebels.

The event that used to provide a war exhaustion decrease on successful sieges only provides +2 legitimacy now. While they are blessed with a peace time decrease, as hordes need to venture in hostile territory to loot (out of supply) and siege or assault, war exhaustion will actually become relevant (due to attrition) — they are susceptible to scorched earth and sabotages supply routes.

This is a list of what affects hordes legitimacy:

- steppe horde government (-5 LE)
- war exhaustion (5 WE equals -1 LE)
- province with foreign "Guarded Settlement" (-2 LE per province)
- losing any war (-20 LE whenever one concedes defeat or pays tribute)
- regency council (-4 LE)
- negative stability (-1 LE per point, the GH starts with -1)
- spy mission to "question legitimacy" (-10 LE under specific circumstances)

+ winning control of a province (+2 LE)
+ clearing a "Guarded Settlement", when the mission's triggered (+2 LE)
+ "A Beautiful Tapestry" (+1 LE) provided magistrates, before 1450
+ prestige (10 prestige provides +0.1 LE)
+ royal marriage (few targets available, each +0.25 LE)

b. Prospects

At the beginning of a campaign, the two largest horde nations are faced with three options:

• "Renounce Nomadism"
• "Westernise"
• Fire and brimstone

There's no need to discuss the third option, that is conquest of every neighbouring threat before they can develop a technological advantage. There were few (three players) multiplayer tests and the steppe horde couldn't manage to wipe out the pairs: Lithuania-Muscowy and Poland-Muscowy.

The "Renounce Nomadism" decision changes government form to "Despotic Monarchy", thus enabling the full array of diplomatic options and common dynamics. Requirements are: three moves away from decentralisation (45 years), 85 cultural tradition, few ongoing revolts and a capital with more than 30,000 people.

The revolt requirement assumes high legitimacy and low war exhaustion. The "Golden Horde" and the "Timurid Empire" capitals populations were increased: "Chagatai", the break away hordes and the far eastern ones need to get a hold of a densely populated area to settle down (invasion of China).

Hordes have few options to increase their cultural tradition: "Patron of the Arts" remains an option, but all typically western and monarchy cultural decisions were put off limits. There are basically two ways to meet the most stringent "Renounce Nomadism" requirement:

a) Use the "Commence a Tuuli" decision, which remodels army tradition as cultural tradition. It grants +3 cultural tradition every year, for twelve years and costs 30 army tradition — provided one has more than 90 (which implies a high decay rate).

nomads_oral_tradition = { potential = { government = steppe_horde not = { has_country_modifier = nomad_epic } } allow = { prestige = 0.25 # a symptom of victories in battle and peace settlements as nomads have few other sources of prestige army_tradition = 0.9 # once the decision is triggered there will be an implicit timeout: as twenty army tradition need to be gathered for the next # a higher value would likely cause wasted tradition in an attempt to wait for the requirement } effect = { army_tradition = -0.3 # more than the cost of a general, at maximum tradition — acquired through fighting, siegieing and looting add_country_modifier = { name = "nomad_epic" duration = 4300 # twelve years } } }

b) Follow "Plunder Shrines" missions. During horde wars, a player will get missions that invite him to gain control over a province which features a temple, occupy it until the temple is destroyed (a standard horde mechanic) and ultimately gain +6 cultural tradition. That's their version of "Commission Work of Art". Temples were added to the starting scenario: in Moscow and Kiev (documented in the respective files).

sack_religious_shrine = { # loot non nomad rich provinces to gain ducats type = enemy_provinces allow = { this = { nomad = yes } not = { last_mission = sack_religious_shrine religion = this # we don't pillage our own units_in_province = this # we aren't already there, avoids first receiving a loot mission and then a sack one in the same province } has_discovered = this has_building = temple owner = { nomad = no } } abort = { owner = { not = { war_with = this } } } success = { not = { has_building = temple } # hordes will destroy buildings the longer they occupy a province, this one will be pillaged } chance = { factor = 5 # generic missions have a starting factor of one usually modifier = { factor = 2 this = { # still need to reform the government, so needs cultural tradition not = { has_country_modifier = settling_nomads } } } modifier = { factor = 3 this = { not = { cultural_tradition = 0.35 # need cultural tradition } } } modifier = { factor = 5 owner = { not = { war_score = -25 } } } } effect = { cultural_tradition = 0.06 # hordes can't commission painting, but can rob them } }

Likewise, "westernisation" will require a lasting cultural tradition investment — but that will be the target of another section. For the moment it suffices to say its chief requirement is innovativeness — which means that "westernisation" is a concurrent option of "Renouncing Nomadism", at least in the beginning.

c. Settlement

Among other changes, the time for hordes to acquire ownership over controlled provinces increased to seven years (was three years, in vanilla). Please note that the timer will only start once every building is razed.

Those who wish to conquer from hordes, on the other hand, will have to resort to "settling" in their provinces. Players don't gain colonists from merely bordering nomad provinces (as the mechanic could be exploited to colonise the new world or unclaimed areas, far too easily). A triggered modifier, named "Frontier Settlers", was introduced — it nets +0.3 colonists under specific circumstances (war with hordes, occupied horde province, full maintenance, among others). It's relevant to remark that those who gain colonists and put them to use in unclaimed provinces won't benefit from the triggered modifier.

frontier_settlers = { potential = { not = { government = steppe_horde any_owned_province = { is_colony = yes } # can't milk nomads to colonise elsewhere } any_neighbor_country = { government = steppe_horde war_with = this } } trigger = { not = { colonists = 2 # capped at two war_exhaustion = 10 } land_maintenance = 1 # colonists reassured any_owned_province = { any_neighbor_province = { owner = { government = steppe_horde # 'nomad = yes' won't work within this scope war_with = this } controlled_by = this # is there a supply line to a colonisable nomad province } } } colonists = 0.3 icon = 1 }

Each successful colonist, including the first, would increase the settlement population by 200 people, but the next 800 don't need to originate from additional colonists. An event, which checks whether an area is safely held and protected against nomadic incursions, assigns an occupied province a modifier called "Guarded Settlement". The modifier provides +80% colonial growth and +15% colonist chance — the percentage is in fact misleading, it simply represents +80 people per year.

province_event = { # assigns the "colonising_nomads" modifier in provinces which aren't threatened id = 9211 title = "EVTNAME9211" desc = "EVTDESC9211" trigger = { owner = { government = steppe_horde or = { war_exhaustion = 5 not = { is_core = this } } } or = { # fully garrisoned city, according to fort level and = { garrison = 1000 not = { has_building = fort2 } } and = { garrison = 2000 not = { has_building = fort3 } } } has_siege = no not = { has_province_modifier = colonising_nomads controlled_by = owner any_neighbor_province = { # checks whether neighbouring nomad provinces feature nomad troops, threatening the current province has_siege = no # since nomads don't provide access to non nomads, regiments here must belong to nomads else there would be a siege owner = { government = steppe_horde } controlled_by = owner units_in_province = 1 } } any_neighbor_province = { # trigger must be improved, potential issue with scope and not narrowing targets owner = { war_with = this not = { government = steppe_horde } } } controller = { not = { war_exhaustion = 8 # half maximum under best circumstances (without counting patr.) tag = REB # rebels won't colonise government = steppe_horde # nomads don't colonise each others } land_maintenance = 1 } } mean_time_to_happen = { months = 5 modifier = { factor = 0.5 controller = { war_score = 25 } # 25 derives from battles } } immediate = { controller = { country_event = 9212 } } # can't delay option = { name = "EVTOPTA9211" owner = { legitimacy = -0.02 } # matches the gain from sieges } }

The initial colonist will increase population by 200 and "tag" the province, then, for every year the province is held and the "Guarded Settlement" is in place, population will increase by about 110 people (30 base, plus 80 from colonial growth) every year — that's about seven years to settle a nomad province, as much as as nomads need. Overall costs will be: the initial colonist (30 to 40 ducats) and military maintenance.

Hordes obviously have the possibility to regain control over the province, clearing the modifier.

d. Other missions and decisions

It'd be incredibly time consuming to list and explain every change that has been implemented, on top of the previous ones. Weather's lovely, the tide's high and I want to surf. I am listing, very concisely, a couple missions and decisions:

Nadaam Festival Celebrations

Decreases army decay by 1%, lasts five years, costs about a tenth yearly income and requires high army tradition.

Yam Relay Stations

A series of supply points which increases army movement speed in owned provinces, each post requires a neighbouring relay station or national focus, a magistrate and adequate decentralisation.

The Aral Salt Trade

A mission providing cores and tax increases in every salt province acquired forcefully from an enemy, in the region. It's meant to stir up relations between the Timurid Empire and the Golden Horde, who can contend the salt production leader modifier.

Golden Horde's provinces tax base

Perm, Ufa and other provinces saw their incredibly high tax base reduced (9 tax base in Perm). Sarai, the Golden Horde's capital, otherwise featured an increase: its previous one tax base allowed incredibly cheap and easy spy missions. The guideline is to avoid major capitals with less than six tax base.

Edigu and Tokthamysh

While in vanilla Tokhtamysh was present as a Golden Horde leader, the circumstance conflicts with actual history. Tokhtamysh is now a pretender rebel leader, placed in Tyumen where he died — his presence (any rebel presence) instructs the game engine to decrease the Golden Horde's starting stability by one. The provinces which neighbour the one he starts in are void of fortresses: the situation thus requires immediate attention and is meant to detract forces from the initial attacks. The historical general by the name of "Edigu" was added.