Europa Universalis IV: The Special Christmas Bonus Development Diary

**Johan** · 21-12-2012 12:25

Most of the team is now off for the holidays, and the final remaining of us leaves today for up to two weeks of relaxations with friends and family.

The Europa Universalis IV team have worked very hard this year in making the foundations of a rather awesome game which has now reached the alpha stage, which means that the game is feature complete. When we get back from the holidays, the team will work towards the beta, where the remaining content gets into the game, including final events, tutorial and AI.

In the last two weeks, we've done quite a lot of multiplayer testing with QA Team and the Design Team.
It sounds a bit pretentious to say team when QA is 3 people and design team is me and King, but well

We have run multiple campaigns as the 5 western powers for the first 100-150 years to tweak the start of colonisation and expansion.
Constantly rotating players between countries and tweaking mechanics and balance to improve playability.

What we discovered was that the game, in this early stage, it is damn fun!
And sometimes you have to admit that you lost a war, and cut your losses.
Sometimes you become really proud of your accomplishments, and sometimes you go, why the hell did I just do that??

So what has worked out the best?
- Trade, where navies are vital.
- Monarch Power, the strategies are endless.
- Combat, the changes make warfare so much more fun and battles interesting.

OTOH, there are some interfaces that needs to be reworked to be easier to handle and give better interfaces, especially the diplomatic and province interfaces..

Here's a screenshot of my France in one of the sessions, a few months after the peace where I had finally defeated Burgundy and their perfidious allies..

Click image for larger version

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We're back after January 6th to conquer the world and enslave humanity!

**Seelmeister** · 21-12-2012 12:29

All sounds great, congratulations on reaching alpha!

I hope all the team at Paradox have a great Christmas, and all the best for 2013 (particularly in terms of the EU4 development!)

**Arokel** · 21-12-2012 12:33

Merry Christmas Paradox.

Looking forward to seeing what you have in store for us in 2013.

**Tufto** · 21-12-2012 12:33

Merry Christmas y'all

.

But what are these combat changes? Might we be seeing a less numbers-based form of deciding battles?

**RedRalphWiggum** · 21-12-2012 12:34

Vassals @167%? Something to do with how many admin points you are using?

**No idea** · 21-12-2012 12:39

Originally Posted by RedRalphWiggum

Vassals @167%? Something to do with how many admin points you are using?

I guess they take the same percentage as the one you get on your own taxes.

What´s that about advisors being HALF of the expenses. It seems advisors are going to be freakingly expensive, at least in the early game.

I noticed a button "let´s combat inflation". I wonder how that will work.

I also wonder what those combat ahcnges might be. Perhaps they are aiming for what CK 2 is?

PS. Merry Christams¡

**Johan** · 21-12-2012 12:39

Originally Posted by RedRalphWiggum

Vassals @167%? Something to do with how many admin points you are using?

bug

it shows tax bonus percentage added.

**Narvi** · 21-12-2012 12:43

Advisors costing more than army... interesting. If this is common situation it will really change the budget structure.

And GB in mid XVI century?

**RedRalphWiggum** · 21-12-2012 12:46

Originally Posted by No idea

What´s that about advisors being HALF of the expenses. It seems advisors are going to be freakingly expensive, at least in the early game.

Well, they practically represent the entire government, so it makes sense they should be expensive. I try and think of it as not just their personal salaries, but all the costs associated with the non-military part of the state.

Originally Posted by Johan

bug

it shows tax bonus percentage added.

What affects it?

**Gball** · 21-12-2012 12:46

Heh, I am super excited.

I was thinking Johan (and I understand why you might say no): how about when the game enters beta or so you toss the players a playable build for the first, say, 100 years or so (or, if not everything is complete yet, restrict country selection). Players will help with the balance and bug fixes, we get to test drive a game and you also get some extra publicity buzz. It is a win-win situation!

I understand that devs in general kinda avoid beta, or at least open ones, mainly because some people think beta = demo, which is not true of course, however I believe the PC market, and especially this place, is mature beyond that point.

**Marquis d Blois** · 21-12-2012 12:53

The combat changes sound interesting! It really a pity there will not be another diary for multiple weeks. (I know, I'm selfish.)

Also, the screenshot is great! Great Britain formed (a bit early, but never mind), Burgundy's on its way to collapse (or not, just a few months might not be enough to judge this), that's one mighty army there, and look at the top of the screenshot!
1) France (+allies?) have 21 ships

(Edit: in DD#8 England has 45, that puts it in quite a different perspective, I guess)
2) The Papal States are intruding to the Netherlands once more.

And we still haven't heard what that medal resource (+98 in the screenie) in the top bar is!

**Johan** · 21-12-2012 12:59

Originally Posted by Marquis d Blois

The combat changes sound interesting! It really a pity there will not be another diary for multiple weeks. (I know, I'm selfish.)

Also, the screenshot is great! Great Britain formed (a bit early, but never mind), Burgundy's on its way to collapse (or not, just a few months might not be enough to judge this), that's one mighty army there, and look at the top of the screenshot!
1) France (+allies?) have 21 ships

2) The Papal States are intruding to the Netherlands once more.

And we still haven't heard what that medal resource (+98 in the screenie) in the top bar is!

For the record, there were players in Burgundy, England, France, Castille & Portugal.

The reason for Papacy in Holland is due to Utrecht being the last bastion of catholic theocracies..

**murlocmancer** · 21-12-2012 13:09

Originally Posted by Johan

For the record, there were players in Burgundy, England, France, Castille & Portugal.

The reason for Papacy in Holland is due to Utrecht being the last bastion of catholic theocracies..

Question, is papal states getting any attention at all? They did quite abit more then majority of the tier 3.

**thrashing mad** · 21-12-2012 13:10

Great to hear that - it seems that game would require more strategic choices. I thought that combat remained unchanged - nice surprise there.

**Sathariel** · 21-12-2012 13:11

If I was to find a bug in a MP session game like that, I`d delay reporting it, so I can shamelessly exploit it against my enemies first.

**DarkieBabZ** · 21-12-2012 13:11

Merry Christmas Paradox! you deserve some time off!

I look forward to hear more about the game next year.
Thank you for letting us know what features etc. are working the best

I am really exited about the new trade system

**Gedierond** · 21-12-2012 13:11

Maybe it´s just a coincidence, but I find interesting that inflation is 6.71% and the tax bonus is 67%... any relation there?

**Marquis d Blois** · 21-12-2012 13:12

Originally Posted by Johan

For the record, there were players in Burgundy, England, France, Castille & Portugal.

The reason for Papacy in Holland is due to Utrecht being the last bastion of catholic theocracies..

I know balancing and AI refinement are only a thing of the future, but could we get a political map of Europe? (Also, no Sweden?)

And yes, in EU3 if the Papacy's annexed, it asks Archbishoprics for their land.
(Sometimes taking over a lucky/aggressively militaristic Trier, and eventually blobbing to about a dozen provinces, riding on the chaos inherent to the region after both Burgundy and France collapse

)