- Dec 14, 1999
- 19.082
- 73.015
Welcome to the newest dev diary for Europa Universalis IV, and again we turn our eyes to one of the major powers in the game – the fan favorite Spain.
This is a region that a lot of players have fun with. It has a rich history, tons of options for the player and has the potential for great wealth. To be clear,*when we talk about Spain here, we’re really focusing on Castile and the giant successor state that followed Ferdinand and Isabella.* It’s not that Aragon isn’t important - it even has its own set of ideas and events – but let’s keep the Catalonians separate for now and focus on the heartlands of Toledo and Madrid.
Spanish Possibilities
Spain is a popular choice for players – new and old – for a number of reasons, but the big one is how many directions it can go in as a developing empire. It can even go in more than one direction if it chooses, because it has the location and wealth to pull off three quite different ambitions simultaneously.
First, once it has eliminated the Moorish Granadan kingdom to its south, Castile and Spain have an open path to the other Muslim kingdoms in North Africa. Conquest will mean adding Muslim territories to the empire, but it could also mean early access to West African ports or securing the southern Mediterranean coast.
Second, Castile/Spain has only one really strong land neighbor – France. Spain has the wealth and geography to make her power known across Europe, and so long as she can maintain a strong navy and keep her weaker neighbors pacified, she will be a force to be reckoned with.
Third, and most attractive to many players, Spain has a long history of exploration and colonization and she is perfectly situated to make use of the colonization game in Europa Universalis IV. The Canary Islands are a handy port for exploring the seas, some of the most westernmost ports in Europe are hers, and Spain has missions that will point its eyes West to the New World.
Spanish Dynamic Historical Events
Spain has two major historical event chains that you might get to explore. If Castile is in a regency before 1500, then there is a chance that a civil war will be generated. You can choose between supporting the advisor Álvaro de Luna, and thereby face a noble rebellion that might be backed by neighboring Aragon or Navarre, or you can accept the demands to end unwanted noble influences and face a loss of stability.
If both Castille/Spain and France own provinces in Italy between 1490 and 1590. they are able to claim each others lands, reflecting the Italian Wars that consumed the attention of these two rivals in this period. This event type will lead to worsened relations between the nations and a greater likelihood of war.
Spain gets other minor events as well. The Expulsion of the Moors was central in the development of the Spanish state and the culmination of the Reconquista, so you will have events that reflect those expulsions. The Spanish State Bankruptcy events have returned, but ONLY as flavor events if you actually go bankrupt. Unlike in Europa Universalis II, you won’t be penalized for doing too well as Spain.
Spanish Missions and Decisions
The big Decision for Castile remains the formation of Spain, and we’ve changed how this is done in order to make it a little easier for the player and less focused on waging war. Castile no longer needs to conquer Aragon to form Spain, so long as a) Aragon is a vassal or in a union with Castile, b) Castile’s legitimacy is at 100, and c) Granada no longer exists. Once this is accomplished, Aragon will still be independent, but Spain gain cores on their territory, which helps with annexing or integrating the Aragonese lands into a new Spanish kingdom.
*
The Spanish Inqusition and the Gold Fleet are no longer decisions for Spain, but are part of their National Ideas, and, just as in EU3, the missions for Spain are focused on finishing the Reconquista and colonising the New World.
Spanish National Ideas.
Castile/Spain starts with the a Land Morale bonus of +0.25, representing its proud Reconquista mentality, and they also get a bonus missionary, since Spain was on the front line of Christianizing whatever heathens or heretics it encountered.
The 7 Spanish National Ideas are.
When Spain has accumulated all of its National Ideas, it gets a +25% bonus to colonial growth, which gives them a nice midgame boost to their colonial empire.
All of these add up to make Spain into a country that has advantages in three key areas, First they are very likely to stay a Catholic country that has strong religious unity (extra missionaries plus greater conversion success means heresy doesn’t get a foothold). Second they have a strong early military with morale and discipline bonuses almost from the start. Finally, they also gain benefits in colonization, with a unique ability to fabricate claims on other nations’ overseas territories.
Bonus details: Cultural Conversion
In EU3, getting a minority province to convert your primary culture was a process of praying to the gods of random number generators and then getting lucky with getting a specific event. You could enact a decision that increased the chance of those events, but you had no direct control over the process
In EU4, however, you now have the option to spend Diplomatic Power to change the culture of any core province that does not have an accepted culture into one with your primary culture. The price of this action depends on the base tax of the province, and will, on average, be more expensive than making it into a core province. Changing cultures shouldn’t be something you do on a whim, but it again shows how EU4 will use Monarch Power Points to give you multiple decision paths to follow.
This is a region that a lot of players have fun with. It has a rich history, tons of options for the player and has the potential for great wealth. To be clear,*when we talk about Spain here, we’re really focusing on Castile and the giant successor state that followed Ferdinand and Isabella.* It’s not that Aragon isn’t important - it even has its own set of ideas and events – but let’s keep the Catalonians separate for now and focus on the heartlands of Toledo and Madrid.
Spanish Possibilities
Spain is a popular choice for players – new and old – for a number of reasons, but the big one is how many directions it can go in as a developing empire. It can even go in more than one direction if it chooses, because it has the location and wealth to pull off three quite different ambitions simultaneously.
First, once it has eliminated the Moorish Granadan kingdom to its south, Castile and Spain have an open path to the other Muslim kingdoms in North Africa. Conquest will mean adding Muslim territories to the empire, but it could also mean early access to West African ports or securing the southern Mediterranean coast.
Second, Castile/Spain has only one really strong land neighbor – France. Spain has the wealth and geography to make her power known across Europe, and so long as she can maintain a strong navy and keep her weaker neighbors pacified, she will be a force to be reckoned with.
Third, and most attractive to many players, Spain has a long history of exploration and colonization and she is perfectly situated to make use of the colonization game in Europa Universalis IV. The Canary Islands are a handy port for exploring the seas, some of the most westernmost ports in Europe are hers, and Spain has missions that will point its eyes West to the New World.
Spanish Dynamic Historical Events
Spain has two major historical event chains that you might get to explore. If Castile is in a regency before 1500, then there is a chance that a civil war will be generated. You can choose between supporting the advisor Álvaro de Luna, and thereby face a noble rebellion that might be backed by neighboring Aragon or Navarre, or you can accept the demands to end unwanted noble influences and face a loss of stability.
If both Castille/Spain and France own provinces in Italy between 1490 and 1590. they are able to claim each others lands, reflecting the Italian Wars that consumed the attention of these two rivals in this period. This event type will lead to worsened relations between the nations and a greater likelihood of war.
Spain gets other minor events as well. The Expulsion of the Moors was central in the development of the Spanish state and the culmination of the Reconquista, so you will have events that reflect those expulsions. The Spanish State Bankruptcy events have returned, but ONLY as flavor events if you actually go bankrupt. Unlike in Europa Universalis II, you won’t be penalized for doing too well as Spain.
Spanish Missions and Decisions
The big Decision for Castile remains the formation of Spain, and we’ve changed how this is done in order to make it a little easier for the player and less focused on waging war. Castile no longer needs to conquer Aragon to form Spain, so long as a) Aragon is a vassal or in a union with Castile, b) Castile’s legitimacy is at 100, and c) Granada no longer exists. Once this is accomplished, Aragon will still be independent, but Spain gain cores on their territory, which helps with annexing or integrating the Aragonese lands into a new Spanish kingdom.
*
The Spanish Inqusition and the Gold Fleet are no longer decisions for Spain, but are part of their National Ideas, and, just as in EU3, the missions for Spain are focused on finishing the Reconquista and colonising the New World.
Spanish National Ideas.
Castile/Spain starts with the a Land Morale bonus of +0.25, representing its proud Reconquista mentality, and they also get a bonus missionary, since Spain was on the front line of Christianizing whatever heathens or heretics it encountered.
The 7 Spanish National Ideas are.
- Reconquista: 5% Discipline
- Spanish Inquisition: +2% missionary chance
- Devout Catholicism: +1 Papal Influence
- Inter Caetera: Allows claiming of colonies
- Gold Fleet: +20% Tariffs
- Spanish Armada: +10% Big Ship Power
- Siglo De Oro: Prestige +1
When Spain has accumulated all of its National Ideas, it gets a +25% bonus to colonial growth, which gives them a nice midgame boost to their colonial empire.
All of these add up to make Spain into a country that has advantages in three key areas, First they are very likely to stay a Catholic country that has strong religious unity (extra missionaries plus greater conversion success means heresy doesn’t get a foothold). Second they have a strong early military with morale and discipline bonuses almost from the start. Finally, they also gain benefits in colonization, with a unique ability to fabricate claims on other nations’ overseas territories.
Bonus details: Cultural Conversion
In EU3, getting a minority province to convert your primary culture was a process of praying to the gods of random number generators and then getting lucky with getting a specific event. You could enact a decision that increased the chance of those events, but you had no direct control over the process
In EU4, however, you now have the option to spend Diplomatic Power to change the culture of any core province that does not have an accepted culture into one with your primary culture. The price of this action depends on the base tax of the province, and will, on average, be more expensive than making it into a core province. Changing cultures shouldn’t be something you do on a whim, but it again shows how EU4 will use Monarch Power Points to give you multiple decision paths to follow.
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