Please continue to point anything missing out and don't forget the man who started project and has collected a mass amount of information condensed in short bullet points for your convenience, Guillaume HJ, whose Thread for the facts got over 55k Views, simple words cannot express our (or at least mine) gratitude, thank you.
The Updates will be integrated without branding, but the added information will be given in Update Spoilers in the post below.
BASIC INFORMATION
Development Status
- The game will be released August 13th and can be pre-ordered
- The Game is playable, rest of development is polishing
Engine, Performance and System Requirements
-The game run on the Clausewitz 2.5 engine, an upgrade of the Clausewitz 2 engine of Crusader Kings II.
-The game is planned to have multi-core support.
-There are no plans to make the game take advantage of 64 bits system at present (it will run on them, in 32 bits mode)
System requirements
On DRM, Steam, DLCs, and DVDs
-The game will only be available in a Steam version
-Paradox doesn't like to have DRM on their own titles when they can avoid it.
-It's doubtftul that there will be a physical release of Paradox games from 2013 onward.
-Every country will always be playable, there won't be DLC locking away countries
-There appears to be from videos an in-game store of some variety
-Cloud Save will be available
Other Versions
-The game will be released for Mac, PC and Linux on Day 1
Achievements
-50 different achievements
-only in Ironman Mode
GENERAL GAMEPLAY STUFF
General Game Philosophy
-While rulers have a much greater importance, you still play as the country, not its ruler nor its dynasty.
-Europa Universalis 4 is based on Europa Universalis 3 with all expansions; most features from Divine Wind 5.2 are still used in some form.
-The designers do not want to dramatically increase the complexity level. The game should be as accessible as possible (while still complex).
-The game span over 300 years, starting on November 11, 1444 (after the battle of Varna) into the late 18th century.
-The ten countries pre-selected for the grand campaign are the eight tier-one countries, Poland and Venice.
The Tiers
-There are four tiers of nations getting differeing level of focus from Paradox designers, from the most critical ones to no-special-attention
-The eight tier one (most critical) nations are France, Ottoman, Spain, Russia, England, Portugal, Austria and Sweden
-Netherland would have are tier 2 because of how relatively unlikely to appear they are.
-There are nine tier 2 and nineteen tier 3 nations, detailed here : http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?636355-The-3-tiers...
-Most of the works on the tier-1/2/3 countries is already done
Colonization
-colonist get sent to a country and 10 people arrive
-as long as he stays he fastens growth, but can’t colonize new provinces
Ironman Mode:
-There will be an Ironman Mode for Steam Achievements
-EU4 itself will save the game at various points
-no reloading, no console
AI Difficulty settings
-Easy: AI plays at reduced skill level, less aggressively towards player
-Normal: Full Skill level, normal aggressively towards player nations
-Hard: Full Skill level, more aggressively towards player nations
Handicap settings
-Player: All player nations get economic, diplomatic and military bonuses
-None: Nobody gets bonuses
-AI: All AI Nations get bonuses
Ledger
-With Index and following buttons: Country, Buildings, Military, Economy, Trade, Relations
Hints and Tutorial
-Hint mode with hints for different concepts and related topics for further information
-Tutorial in three parts, Basic, Advanced and Tutorial Campaign
THE MAP
Map graphics and information
-Winter will have effects, and parts of the ocean may freeze
-Borders will be the colored borders from Crusader King II. The aim will be for them to feel smooth and adapted to the terrain.
-An aim is to have important information directly on the map.
-The number of mapmodes should be about the same
-There will be 23 map modes, a new one will be accepted culture. Six of them can be configured for hotkeys
-Provinces are renamable
Actual Map/Province Design
-The map is now based on the Victoria II projection.
-The province count will be about 10% higher than EU3. Eastern Europe and India especially will gain new provinces. Japan will lose some.
-There have been major map improvement, especially outside Western Europe
Province Interface
Five Segments with informations
-Economy: Base-Tax, Tariff, Production, Total Income, religion, HRE-status
-Demographic: Countries with core, claims, culture
-Queue: Build new regiments, recruit mercenaries
-Military: Manpower, Supply Limit, attrition, garission, fort
-Trade: Trade Power, Trade Value, Produced Goods
-No provincial decisions
Unit Interface
-Basic Information and actions can be done even while having multiple units selected, sieging or fighting
-several abilities now need military power like assault or scorch earth
-new action: Force March, faster movemnt for military points
ON ARMIES AND NAVIES
On the military
-The military system will get somewhat of an overhaul, but will still be very largely the standard Europa Universalis system.
-The game will still only have the three basic unit types, infantry, cavalry, artillery.
-Morale recovers much more slowly than in previous game.
Land Units
-infantry, cavalry and artillery
-each unit represents 1k man
-cavalry cost double infantry cost
-artillery available at land tech 7 (limber)
-more cavalry than infantry loses „combined arms“ bonus
On Navies
-Pirate patrols and naval range still appear to be in.
-Fleets can be assigned to protect trade routes, which improve your trade power in that region.
-Force limits calculations have been changed. Merchants now increase naval force limits
-Two Kind of Fleet basing rights: Use of ports just for stationing or also for controlling trade nodes (costs rent)
Naval Units
-heavy, light, galleys and transports
-Each construction represents one ship, strength is measured in percentage
-each ship type has a certain power, amount of guns and hull size which determines fighting power
-ships aren't upgraded, they need to be rebuild
On Tradition
-Having large portions of your fleet out on trade missions increase naval tradition.
-High tradition gives you bonus, like higher morale and quicker manpower recovery
-Maintaining tradition during peace time is now harder
-Tradition changes occur each month, not only at the end of the year.
On Warfare
General
-Armies can shatter -> retreat more than one province away, 25% faster movement
-Won battles can disorganize your army, when morale drops to low -> unable to move until recovered morale
-new battle interface -> you can see which regiment fights which
-variable combat width (in opposition to EU III) effected by terrain and technology
-range (for flanking) now also depends on troops in the regiment (>75% full, >50% half, >25% at 25% width) , always rounded down (infantry either has 1 or 0 range )
-Increased Supply limit, difference between safe/hostile territories lowered
-attrition now is calculated on the size of your army compared tot he supply limit (10% for double, 20% for triple and so on)
-An empty manpower pool takes about ten years to fully recover
-slower reinforcement and depends in hostile territory more an maneuver skill
-every unit that needs to reinforce during war costs double on top
-Battles grant army tradition and prestige
-AI will attach small armies to allied forces
-Large AI nations will have Hunter-Killer armies only used for Army destruction, hunting and quick aid for allied armies, not sieging itself.
Sieges
-every non-colony province requires a siege
-sieges is divided by siege ticks every ~30 days depending on different factors like defensiveness or difference in military tactics
-at each siege tick a dice is rolled, at maximum the walls are breached, if all dicerolls reach a certain level, the siege is won
-detailed information in the siege screen
Annexation & Integration
-Diplomat gets sent to an vassal to annex it and remains there until called back or vassal is annexed
-a small vassal can take between 5 and 20 years
Mercenaries
-count against land force limit
-faster to recruit
-don’t cost manpower to reinforce
CHARACTERS (Leaders, Advisors, Envoys)
General Characters Information
-Characters are still, in general, randomly generated ("in 99% of cases").
-Historical characters exist for the "start at any date" feature.
On Leaders
-Leaders will work primarily as in EU3, but envoys (Colonists, Diplomats) are no longer used to recruit leaders.
-Generals should live about 7-8 years on average.
-Monarchs and mature heirs can lead
-Recruiting a leader no longer cost military tradition
-Land Leaders (generals and conquistadors) cost 25 military power to recruit
-naval Leaders (Admirals and Explorers) cost 25 diplomatic power to recruit
-Conquistadors and Explorers can venture into unexplored land
-leader skill is partly related to military/naval tradition
-four attributes from 0 to 6, Fire, Shock, Maneuver and Siege
-Leaders cost one military power each month -> soft cap
On Advisors
-Advisors are divided in three groups representing the three monarch stats, which they increase between 1 and 3. You cannot have two advisor of one group.
-Each group has five different advisor, each with a specific bonus. That bonus is the same regardless of advisor skill (which affect the monarch stat bonus).
-They are now far more expansive than they used to be.
-The advisor creation system is drastically different from EU3, and no longer involves cultural tradition (which no longer exists).
On Envoys
-Envoys are now named characters, not an expendabe resource. When you send one on a mission, you won't regain them until the mission is over.
-They are divided in four envoy types: Merchant, Colonist, Missionary, Diplomat. The Spies and Magistrates have been removed.
-Each agent is identical; how many of them you get depend on ideas, tech, government type, etc. Sending them on mission does not cost money.
-Diplomats will take over some spy abilities from EU3. Some of their actions will have instantaneous effects, but not all.
-Missionaries will work largely as in EU3, although the hard limit on how many you can have may make converstion chance increase valuable.
DIPLOMACY
General Diplomacy
-Diplomacy will be more important than in EU3. You will be able to exert diplomatic threats and pressure, and to support rebels.
-Infamy will be removed and replaced by overexpansion
-Aggressive Expansion as a new time
-Naming a country as your rival will improve your relation with their other rivals.
-you can only maintain limited diplomatic relations at the same time i.e. marriages, alliances, vassals, guarantees...
-You declare your rivals (up to three)
Diplomatic Interface
-Key information about diplomatic relation (war score, truce duration) will be displayed in the diplomatic interface.
-Similar diplomatic interactions have been grouped together in the list of interactions, in sub-menus.
-There will be no more randomness in proposals, the AI says Yes or No and gave a detailed breakdown of reasons why and why not
-AI uses all diplomatic Interactions (like selling/buying provinces)
New Treaties
-Military access and the right to base fleets in a country are now separate agreements.
-There will be coalitions, which are targeted alliances against a specific country (offensively or defensively).
On relations
-Relation value will be unilateral: each country will have its individual opinion of other countries, instead of a single value for both countries.
-As in Crusader Kings 2, you will be able to see specific information as to why your relation with a country are as they are (for example, +25 for shared religion).<
-Some relations values modifiers are fixed, others decay over time.
-Your in-game opinion of a country will influence your actions against that country, for example your ability to declare war.
-Improve relations: A diplomat is sent to a country and slowly increases relations until called back
-Insults: Reduces relations by -25 for ten years and gives casus belli
-Overextension: Directly related to the amount of basetax you earn from non-core provinces (independent from your size)
Attitudes (like Threatened, hostile, outraged)
-influenced by strategic goals
-dominate the AIs behavior (joining/starting coalitions, alliances, wars)
Coalitions:
-alliance directed against a single country -> only fires in the event of war with that nation
-Only one coalition against a nation at the same time
-Initially only for Catholic Countries by organization through the pope
War Declaration and Peace Offers
-You declare war with a casus belli (like EU) and a war goal (like Victoria) and if you fulfill your wargoal your warscore ticks up (like CK II) up to another 20%
-You can demand provinces for a third country not involved in the war
-You can demand a part of your enemies trade power
-The peace interfaces remembers the last offer
-There's now one Interface for demanding and offering, but you can't do both in one peace offer
-Possibility of Enforcing Peace by threatening to join the war
-No more War Capacity instead War Enthusiasm
-Modifies needed Warscore for a peace treaty
-AI has levels of importance on different wargoals like high for Core provinces and no possibility of accepting for lacklocked isolated provinces.
Espionage
-Spies are replaced with diplomats
-diplomat is unavailable as long as on covert action
-Own Idea group
-Espionage Ideas
-unlock bonus: +50 rebel support efficiency
-Covert actions
On the Emperor/HRE
-two extra free diplomatic agreements
-can declare war on any country at war with a member oft he HRE
-can liberate conquered Imperial States
-can go to war to revoke electoral status
-when fewer than seven electors, can grant electoral status
-Reforms: Emperor can call for vote and sees who votes what and why, higher authority eases vote
-Elections: new formula, dramatical dislike for vassalizing an elector
-War in the Empire: You can revoke more than one reform in war against the emperor
-Authority increases per one for each year without internal war and decreases per one for every year with less than seven electors
ECONOMY
On Trade Routes
-There will be actual trade routes on the map, which will be static. You will send merchants along these trade routes to bring the trade your way.
-As the game progress, trade will shift from being centered on the Mediteranean toward being centered on the Atlantic.
-Controling the estuaries of navigable rivers will have an effect on your income
-Trade nodes are not located in specific provinces, so you can't control them by just controling one province.
-Trade routes will not be of different color and will be subtle outside trade map mode.
On redirecting trade
-Merchants enable you to quickly increase power in a trade node, or to build an office that gives you money from that node.
-Light ships can be sent on a trade mission to redirect trade your way, but only if you have fleet basing rights or a province in that region.
On the Budget
-All income is now monthly. There is no yearly tax.
-All money goes straight to budget; it can no longer be invested in tech or stability. Inflation will now result from loans and gold mines only.
-It will be possible to repay loans before they are due.
-There is no limit in taking loans
On Resources
-Resources distribution for already-settled provinces will not be randomized, but colonizable territory will work like in Divine Wind.
-There will only be one resource per province
RELIGION
-Religions have highly changed effect. No more free colonists for the christians.
-Countries will play differently depending on which religion they are. Some religions have unique features and abilities.
-Religious unity, based on the percentage of your base tax that come from right-religion provinces, affect stability cost and revolt risk.
-The new relation code will avoid nations with different religion becoming arch-enemies within a few years.
-The reformation will look very similar to EU3
-Missionaries: Converting a province is now a process taking time, not working by chance
On Christians
-Christians no longer get free colonists.
-Catholics will use the papacy, vying to get a cardinal they support into the curia (cardinals in the curia are locked on who they support)
-Orthodox will have to cope with patriarch authority, which range from 0 to 100%, and grant bonus to manpower and revolt risk and penalties to tax.
-Protestant and reformed have no final decision as of yet on whether or not they will get a special mechanic
On Muslims
-Muslims will have piety, which is earned by fighting non-muslims, and affect revolt risk, defensiveness, morale, research, manpower and tax income.
-A fully impious Ottoman nation could come close to keeping up with westerners in technology
-Muslim nations will suffer bad things if they have a regency council.
Sunni
Reformation
-New concept Reform Desire: Rises when nations neglect the legitimacy of the Catholic Church for their own gains
-Protestantism can appear when Reform Desire is high
-Defender of Faith has lower conversion risk
-Cardinals in the Curia also lowers conversion risk
RULERS
On Dynasties, Rulers and Heirs
-The game will not be using full-fledged dynastic systems, like Crusader Kings II.
-The information about the heir will still be displayed (if any); it will now be possible to appoint your heir as a military leader.
-There is a mechanism involving random rulers after your starting one, but it's a bit more interesting than that (Johan)
-There are no plans for in-game ruler portraits of any sort.
Ruler Stats and Points
-The three old monarch stats (Adm/Mil/Dip) are still in, but now ranked from 0 to 6. This is how many ability points of that type you gain each month.
-Advisor contribute between 1 and 3 points (dependign on skill) to one specific monarch stat, but you cannot have more than one advisor per stat.
-These monarch points accumulate, allowing you to use different abilities, to a cap of 999 (higher for uncivilized nations). They do not vanish when your ruler dies.
-Getting a bad monarch will thus actually limit your options.
-Monarch Points work the same for republics
-War exhaustion can be decreased and stability risen with Monarch Power
Monarch Abilities
-Monarch points allow you to perform a variety of actions, which are variable in cost.
-Capital Movement, Technological Advance and Idea selection are high-cost monarch abilities.
-Core Creation, Stability Increase and Inflation Reduction are medium-cost monarch abilities.
-Assaulting, Constructing Building and the upkeep cost for diplomatic deals and military leaders are low-cost monarch abilities.
-Other abilities include forced march and creating a leader.
Administrative Abilities
-Stability will be increased by spending administrative points.
-Changing culture of a province is done with monarch power, in a province that doesn't have an accepted culture.
-It costs 50 administrative points to make a province a core.
ON GOVERNMENT AND REBELLIONS
Feudal Monarchy:
Can switch to other monarchies freely.
On changing governments
-A monarchy will only convert to a republic if forced to by a revolution
-Upgrading government will cost 50 administrative points
On Republics
-Republican Tradition is a value that represent how strongly attached to republican ways your country is. You start with 1% and gain 1% per year.
-Reelecting the same person loses you 10% tradition, and if you do it with your tradition too low (or otherwise hit 0%) you become a despotic monarchy.
On Rebellions
-Uncontested rebellions will spread to neighboring provinces
-Rebel factions will exist even when there's no active rebellion, and you will be able to take steps to manage them, including negociation
-Revolt risk will not reduce manpower by an equal amount
-New Rebels can spawn in rebel-controlled territory
-Rebel-armies will be destroyed if defeated, except pretenders-armies
-base morale and technology depend on either home country or the if supported, on the country that supports them.
-different rebeltypes have different morale, i.e. peasants have low morale, noble higher
-No limit on negotiating with rebels
War Exhaustion
-Blockades, casualties, war taxes and attrition cause war exhaustion to increase
-War exhaustion weaken the moral of your troops and your manpower as well as your reinforcement speed in addition to increasing revolt risk
Overextension
-Overextension is a new feature based on having too much tax income coming in from non-core provinces
-Overextension increase revolt risk and stability cost and lower trade income, among other things
-Overextension is directly related to the amount of basetax you earn from non-core provinces (independent from your size, i.e. 6 basetax give 6% overextension)
On Stability
-Stability cost is affected by religious disunity and overextension, but no longer by number and type of provinces.
Coring Provinces
-Provinces get cored through administrative power points
-cost depends on basetax of province
-coring is not instant, but takes three years without modifiers
-each non-overseas province increases coring time by 5%
-overseas provinces core instantly and cost only 10%
ON (NATIONAL) IDEAS (& Domestic policy)
On National Ideas and Domestic Policy
-Domestic policies (the sliders) are gone, replaced by the Ideas. Ideas are divided in sixteen groups of seven ideas.
-There are up to eight idea group slots (so you can have eight at most), unlocked by tech. Ideas are bought with monarch points.
-When buying ideas, you can either get the next idea of a group you have, or if a slot is free, the first of a new group.
-When you have all seven ideas in a group, you gain an additional bonus. In addition, each three idea you purchase unlock a national idea.
On Idea Groups
-The Groups are:
-Quality, Quantity, Offensive, Defensive, Aristocracy, Plutocracy, Innovative, Religion,
-Espionage, Diplomatic, Trade, Economic, Exploration, Naval, Expansion, Administrative.
-Some idea groups are mutually exclusive: you cannot have both plutocracy and aristocracy (but you can have both quality/quantity).
(Not-National) Ideas
Nation-Specific Ideas
-Each nation has a set of seven ideas: for minor nations, a generic set. For major nation, they instead have their own unique set.
-For each three ideas (not idea groups) you implement, you get a bonus idea from this set of seven.
National Tradition and Ambition
-Each nation has a national tradition, which is a bonus unique to them that they have from the start of the game.
-Each nation also has an ambition, which is a special bonus they get upon unlocking their entire set of seven ideas.
-Sweden's Tradition gives -25% Mercenary Cost, +5% Infantry Combat Ability, and its ambition gives +1 leader shock value
ON RESEARCH
Research
-Westernization will be different in EU IV (see below)
-Research is bought with monarch powers, and no longer the result of investing your monthly income.
-Technology is now split in three categories, instead of the old five, matching the three monarch values (administrative, diplomatic, and military)
-Naval and trade are now part of diplomatic tech, and government and production part of administrative technology.
-There are 33 technologies in each of the three groupes, all of them named and all of them with a clear impact.
-There will not be a chance of failure when researching technology
Technology Costs
-The base cost of technology is 400 points. It can be modified by many things, including tech group, but will never be higher than 999 points.
-However, the multiplier for researching a tech ahead of time can increase the cost above 999.
-There will be a tooltip on the cost bar for new technologies informing you of the modifier to each tech's cost, including the expected research date.
Westernization:
-Integrated in the tech-system
-to start Westernization: Western neighbour ahead in tech and +3 stability
-when started, stability drops to -3, monarch power wiped
-Westernization is a progress, every month current stability is added
-New World nations can switch directly to Western, when the Europeans come
HISTORICITY
Countries and History Files
-There are over 250 playable countries in the span of the game. (Announcement)
-There are over 1000 leaders and 4000 monarchs. (Announcement)
Historical Events
-There will be thousand of historical events to guide you and provide flavor. (Announcement)
-the aim is to make each country feel different without railroading them.
-These historical events will pop up when they're supposed to, but you will be free to make your own history.
-There will be many more events unique to countries and years.
-All regular EU3 events are still in, except those that worked with a mechanism that is not in EU4.
-Many new generic events will be added.
-Thirty three nations will receive extra attention: eight primary nations, nine secondary ones, and sixteen tertiary ones.
Dynamic Historical Events
-There are dynamic historical events. These are specific historical events.
-They are tied to specific countries: the War of the Roses has will only happen to England
-They have much more specific conditions than in EU2 : the War of the Roses require you to have no heirs before 1500.
-On average, these events will be focused on European nations.
-The Protestant Reformation is NOT a DHE: it will happen much like in EU3.
Specific Event Chains
-The Protestant Reformation is handled as it was in EU3.
-The War of the Rose is a DHE chain unique to England.
-The old Time of Troubles event has now gotten a new generic name, so that Time of Trouble can now be a Russia-specific event
On history and determinism
-The game is not going back to the determinism of EU II (Captain Gars)
-History will play a larger part (Captain Gars)
-Burgundy continuing to exist after 1477 is not seen as a problem by Paradox. They want plausible, not determined (Johan)
-EU 4 will have the same open outcomes as EU3 (Johan)
Forming Nations
-Formed nations have different sets of national ideas depending on what the forming nation picked before formation.
ON MODDING
Modding in general
-The game will be very moddable (Announcement)
-The modding language is based on EU3, but expanded, more constant and more flexible (Captain Gars)
Adding stuff
-Adding many provinces and tags to the game will always cause lag (Johan)
-The game will be optimised for how many tags they need, expecting about a 10-20% increase in tags. (Johan)
Map Mods
-The map will be very moddable (Besuchov)
-The game will not be compatible with old (EU3) map mods due to a few changes made.
ON OTHER GAMES
Compared to EU3
-There will be some things in EU IV very similar to EU III; these are the parts the developers felt worked and were popular. 4
-Population seems to be removed
Features Removed from EU3
-Features not included in this list are probably still in the game (though they could be modified)
-Spies
-The daimyo/Shogunate system
-Centers of Trades, Trade Rights, Trade Leagues, Trade Agreements, Open Markets
-Magistrates
-Cultural Traditions
-Automated core gains
-Sliders
Features from other games
-There will not be a Victoria-style pop system in EU4. (King)
-There will not be a Rome-style pop system in EU4 (King)
-It's too late to change this (King)
-There will not be multiple settlements inside one province ala CK II (Johan)
Converters
-There will be an Crusader Kings II to Europa Universalis IV Savegame-Converter
-It will be free for pre-order-buyers, otherwise cost 9,99 $/€
-It can convert savegames of any date and also any startdate of Crusader Kings II
-creates a dynamic modification for a converted savegame for created nations/religions and so on
-Pagans get converted to Shamanism or Animism, reformed Pagans become normal religions
Magna Mundi
-The game will not integrate features from Magna Mundi (Strategy Gamer interview)
-The game was well advanced in planning before the MM cancellation decision was made. There is no connection whatsoever between MM and EU4.
MULTIPLAYER
General mutiplayer stuff
-The multiplayer will include hotjoin
-The game should include cooperative multiplayer where multiple players control a country.
-The multiplayer will include support for stand-alone servers
-Improved match-making
-A chat feature, with chat channels and whispering
-Multiplayer only via Steam
-The only (MP) options will be Difficulty, AI Aggressivness, Lucky Nations, Hotjoin, Coop and Ironman (No Re-Loading/Console), all others were scraped
The Updates will be integrated without branding, but the added information will be given in Update Spoilers in the post below.
BASIC INFORMATION
Development Status
- The game will be released August 13th and can be pre-ordered
- The Game is playable, rest of development is polishing
Engine, Performance and System Requirements
-The game run on the Clausewitz 2.5 engine, an upgrade of the Clausewitz 2 engine of Crusader Kings II.
-The game is planned to have multi-core support.
-There are no plans to make the game take advantage of 64 bits system at present (it will run on them, in 32 bits mode)
System requirements
Recommended System requirements:
Operating system: XP/Vista/Windows 7/Windows 8
Processor: Intel® Pentium® IV 2.4 GHz or AMD 3500+
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Hard disk space: 2 GB HD Space
Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce 8800 or ATI Radeon® X1900, 1024mb video memory required
Sound Card: Direct X-compatible soundcard
DirectX: 9. 0 c
Controller support: 3-button mouse, keyboard and speakers
Special multiplayer requirements: Internet Connection or LAN for multiplayer
Multiplayer: Up to 32 other players in multiplayer mode
Minimum System requirements:
Operating system: XP/Vista/Windows 7/Windows 8
Processor: Intel® Pentium® IV 2.4 GHz eller AMD 3500+
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Hard disk space: 2 GB HD Space
Video: NVIDIA® GeForce 8800 or ATI Radeon® X1900, 512mb video memory required
Sound: Direct X- compatible soundcard
DirectX®: 9. 0 c
Controller support: 3-button mouse, keyboard and speakers
Special multiplayer requirements: Internet Connection or LAN for multiplayer
Multiplayer: Up to 32 other players in multiplayer mode
Operating system: XP/Vista/Windows 7/Windows 8
Processor: Intel® Pentium® IV 2.4 GHz or AMD 3500+
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Hard disk space: 2 GB HD Space
Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce 8800 or ATI Radeon® X1900, 1024mb video memory required
Sound Card: Direct X-compatible soundcard
DirectX: 9. 0 c
Controller support: 3-button mouse, keyboard and speakers
Special multiplayer requirements: Internet Connection or LAN for multiplayer
Multiplayer: Up to 32 other players in multiplayer mode
Minimum System requirements:
Operating system: XP/Vista/Windows 7/Windows 8
Processor: Intel® Pentium® IV 2.4 GHz eller AMD 3500+
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Hard disk space: 2 GB HD Space
Video: NVIDIA® GeForce 8800 or ATI Radeon® X1900, 512mb video memory required
Sound: Direct X- compatible soundcard
DirectX®: 9. 0 c
Controller support: 3-button mouse, keyboard and speakers
Special multiplayer requirements: Internet Connection or LAN for multiplayer
Multiplayer: Up to 32 other players in multiplayer mode
On DRM, Steam, DLCs, and DVDs
-The game will only be available in a Steam version
-Paradox doesn't like to have DRM on their own titles when they can avoid it.
-It's doubtftul that there will be a physical release of Paradox games from 2013 onward.
-Every country will always be playable, there won't be DLC locking away countries
-There appears to be from videos an in-game store of some variety
-Cloud Save will be available
Other Versions
-The game will be released for Mac, PC and Linux on Day 1
Achievements
-50 different achievements
-only in Ironman Mode
GENERAL GAMEPLAY STUFF
General Game Philosophy
-While rulers have a much greater importance, you still play as the country, not its ruler nor its dynasty.
-Europa Universalis 4 is based on Europa Universalis 3 with all expansions; most features from Divine Wind 5.2 are still used in some form.
-The designers do not want to dramatically increase the complexity level. The game should be as accessible as possible (while still complex).
-The game span over 300 years, starting on November 11, 1444 (after the battle of Varna) into the late 18th century.
-The ten countries pre-selected for the grand campaign are the eight tier-one countries, Poland and Venice.
The Tiers
-There are four tiers of nations getting differeing level of focus from Paradox designers, from the most critical ones to no-special-attention
-The eight tier one (most critical) nations are France, Ottoman, Spain, Russia, England, Portugal, Austria and Sweden
-Netherland would have are tier 2 because of how relatively unlikely to appear they are.
-There are nine tier 2 and nineteen tier 3 nations, detailed here : http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?636355-The-3-tiers...
-Most of the works on the tier-1/2/3 countries is already done
Colonization
-colonist get sent to a country and 10 people arrive
-as long as he stays he fastens growth, but can’t colonize new provinces
Ironman Mode:
-There will be an Ironman Mode for Steam Achievements
-EU4 itself will save the game at various points
-no reloading, no console
AI Difficulty settings
-Easy: AI plays at reduced skill level, less aggressively towards player
-Normal: Full Skill level, normal aggressively towards player nations
-Hard: Full Skill level, more aggressively towards player nations
Handicap settings
-Player: All player nations get economic, diplomatic and military bonuses
-None: Nobody gets bonuses
-AI: All AI Nations get bonuses
Ledger
-With Index and following buttons: Country, Buildings, Military, Economy, Trade, Relations
Hints and Tutorial
-Hint mode with hints for different concepts and related topics for further information
-Tutorial in three parts, Basic, Advanced and Tutorial Campaign
THE MAP
Map graphics and information
-Winter will have effects, and parts of the ocean may freeze
-Borders will be the colored borders from Crusader King II. The aim will be for them to feel smooth and adapted to the terrain.
-An aim is to have important information directly on the map.
-The number of mapmodes should be about the same
-There will be 23 map modes, a new one will be accepted culture. Six of them can be configured for hotkeys
-Provinces are renamable
Actual Map/Province Design
-The map is now based on the Victoria II projection.
-The province count will be about 10% higher than EU3. Eastern Europe and India especially will gain new provinces. Japan will lose some.
-There have been major map improvement, especially outside Western Europe
Province Interface
Five Segments with informations
-Economy: Base-Tax, Tariff, Production, Total Income, religion, HRE-status
-Demographic: Countries with core, claims, culture
-Queue: Build new regiments, recruit mercenaries
-Military: Manpower, Supply Limit, attrition, garission, fort
-Trade: Trade Power, Trade Value, Produced Goods
-No provincial decisions
Unit Interface
-Basic Information and actions can be done even while having multiple units selected, sieging or fighting
-several abilities now need military power like assault or scorch earth
-new action: Force March, faster movemnt for military points
ON ARMIES AND NAVIES
On the military
-The military system will get somewhat of an overhaul, but will still be very largely the standard Europa Universalis system.
-The game will still only have the three basic unit types, infantry, cavalry, artillery.
-Morale recovers much more slowly than in previous game.
Land Units
-infantry, cavalry and artillery
-each unit represents 1k man
-cavalry cost double infantry cost
-artillery available at land tech 7 (limber)
-more cavalry than infantry loses „combined arms“ bonus
On Navies
-Pirate patrols and naval range still appear to be in.
-Fleets can be assigned to protect trade routes, which improve your trade power in that region.
-Force limits calculations have been changed. Merchants now increase naval force limits
-Two Kind of Fleet basing rights: Use of ports just for stationing or also for controlling trade nodes (costs rent)
Naval Units
-heavy, light, galleys and transports
-Each construction represents one ship, strength is measured in percentage
-each ship type has a certain power, amount of guns and hull size which determines fighting power
-ships aren't upgraded, they need to be rebuild
On Tradition
-Having large portions of your fleet out on trade missions increase naval tradition.
-High tradition gives you bonus, like higher morale and quicker manpower recovery
-Maintaining tradition during peace time is now harder
-Tradition changes occur each month, not only at the end of the year.
On Warfare
General
-Armies can shatter -> retreat more than one province away, 25% faster movement
-Won battles can disorganize your army, when morale drops to low -> unable to move until recovered morale
-new battle interface -> you can see which regiment fights which
-variable combat width (in opposition to EU III) effected by terrain and technology
-range (for flanking) now also depends on troops in the regiment (>75% full, >50% half, >25% at 25% width) , always rounded down (infantry either has 1 or 0 range )
-Increased Supply limit, difference between safe/hostile territories lowered
-attrition now is calculated on the size of your army compared tot he supply limit (10% for double, 20% for triple and so on)
-An empty manpower pool takes about ten years to fully recover
-slower reinforcement and depends in hostile territory more an maneuver skill
-every unit that needs to reinforce during war costs double on top
-Battles grant army tradition and prestige
-AI will attach small armies to allied forces
-Large AI nations will have Hunter-Killer armies only used for Army destruction, hunting and quick aid for allied armies, not sieging itself.
Sieges
-every non-colony province requires a siege
-sieges is divided by siege ticks every ~30 days depending on different factors like defensiveness or difference in military tactics
-at each siege tick a dice is rolled, at maximum the walls are breached, if all dicerolls reach a certain level, the siege is won
-detailed information in the siege screen
Annexation & Integration
-Diplomat gets sent to an vassal to annex it and remains there until called back or vassal is annexed
-a small vassal can take between 5 and 20 years
Mercenaries
-count against land force limit
-faster to recruit
-don’t cost manpower to reinforce
CHARACTERS (Leaders, Advisors, Envoys)
General Characters Information
-Characters are still, in general, randomly generated ("in 99% of cases").
-Historical characters exist for the "start at any date" feature.
On Leaders
-Leaders will work primarily as in EU3, but envoys (Colonists, Diplomats) are no longer used to recruit leaders.
-Generals should live about 7-8 years on average.
-Monarchs and mature heirs can lead
-Recruiting a leader no longer cost military tradition
-Land Leaders (generals and conquistadors) cost 25 military power to recruit
-naval Leaders (Admirals and Explorers) cost 25 diplomatic power to recruit
-Conquistadors and Explorers can venture into unexplored land
-leader skill is partly related to military/naval tradition
-four attributes from 0 to 6, Fire, Shock, Maneuver and Siege
-Leaders cost one military power each month -> soft cap
On Advisors
-Advisors are divided in three groups representing the three monarch stats, which they increase between 1 and 3. You cannot have two advisor of one group.
-Each group has five different advisor, each with a specific bonus. That bonus is the same regardless of advisor skill (which affect the monarch stat bonus).
-They are now far more expansive than they used to be.
-The advisor creation system is drastically different from EU3, and no longer involves cultural tradition (which no longer exists).
On Envoys
-Envoys are now named characters, not an expendabe resource. When you send one on a mission, you won't regain them until the mission is over.
-They are divided in four envoy types: Merchant, Colonist, Missionary, Diplomat. The Spies and Magistrates have been removed.
-Each agent is identical; how many of them you get depend on ideas, tech, government type, etc. Sending them on mission does not cost money.
-Diplomats will take over some spy abilities from EU3. Some of their actions will have instantaneous effects, but not all.
-Missionaries will work largely as in EU3, although the hard limit on how many you can have may make converstion chance increase valuable.
DIPLOMACY
General Diplomacy
-Diplomacy will be more important than in EU3. You will be able to exert diplomatic threats and pressure, and to support rebels.
-Infamy will be removed and replaced by overexpansion
-Aggressive Expansion as a new time
-Naming a country as your rival will improve your relation with their other rivals.
-you can only maintain limited diplomatic relations at the same time i.e. marriages, alliances, vassals, guarantees...
-You declare your rivals (up to three)
Diplomatic Interface
-Key information about diplomatic relation (war score, truce duration) will be displayed in the diplomatic interface.
-Similar diplomatic interactions have been grouped together in the list of interactions, in sub-menus.
-There will be no more randomness in proposals, the AI says Yes or No and gave a detailed breakdown of reasons why and why not
-AI uses all diplomatic Interactions (like selling/buying provinces)
New Treaties
-Military access and the right to base fleets in a country are now separate agreements.
-There will be coalitions, which are targeted alliances against a specific country (offensively or defensively).
On relations
-Relation value will be unilateral: each country will have its individual opinion of other countries, instead of a single value for both countries.
-As in Crusader Kings 2, you will be able to see specific information as to why your relation with a country are as they are (for example, +25 for shared religion).<
-Some relations values modifiers are fixed, others decay over time.
-Your in-game opinion of a country will influence your actions against that country, for example your ability to declare war.
-Improve relations: A diplomat is sent to a country and slowly increases relations until called back
-Insults: Reduces relations by -25 for ten years and gives casus belli
-Overextension: Directly related to the amount of basetax you earn from non-core provinces (independent from your size)
Attitudes (like Threatened, hostile, outraged)
-influenced by strategic goals
-dominate the AIs behavior (joining/starting coalitions, alliances, wars)
Coalitions:
-alliance directed against a single country -> only fires in the event of war with that nation
-Only one coalition against a nation at the same time
War Declaration and Peace Offers
-You declare war with a casus belli (like EU) and a war goal (like Victoria) and if you fulfill your wargoal your warscore ticks up (like CK II) up to another 20%
-You can demand provinces for a third country not involved in the war
-You can demand a part of your enemies trade power
-The peace interfaces remembers the last offer
-There's now one Interface for demanding and offering, but you can't do both in one peace offer
-Possibility of Enforcing Peace by threatening to join the war
-No more War Capacity instead War Enthusiasm
-Modifies needed Warscore for a peace treaty
-AI has levels of importance on different wargoals like high for Core provinces and no possibility of accepting for lacklocked isolated provinces.
Espionage
-Spies are replaced with diplomats
-diplomat is unavailable as long as on covert action
-Own Idea group
-Espionage Ideas
- Privateers: +33% embargo efficiency. You can always embargo your rivals, but this idea adds some extra bite to that policy choice.
- Vetting: +30% defence against enemy covert actions. You can’t have good espionage without good counter espionage.
- Rumourmongering: Allows Sabotage Reputation, a special covert action that will be discussed in more detail below.
- Efficienct Spies: +10% more efficient covert actions. Considering the relative scarcity of diplomats for most countries, you might want to get a little more bang for your buck.
- Shady Recruitment: 33% less relation penalty for being discovered. It’s unfortunate when your spies are found out, but some sorts of characters are just expected to be a little bit unsavory.
- Destabilising Efforts: Allows Sow Discontent, a special covert action that will be discussed in more detail below.
- Espionage: Allows Infiltrade Administration, a special covert action that will be discussed in more detail below.
-Covert actions
- Fabricate Claims
- Infiltrate Administration
- Sow Discontent
- Sabotage Reputation
- Support Rebels
On the Emperor/HRE
-two extra free diplomatic agreements
-can declare war on any country at war with a member oft he HRE
-can liberate conquered Imperial States
-can go to war to revoke electoral status
-when fewer than seven electors, can grant electoral status
-Reforms: Emperor can call for vote and sees who votes what and why, higher authority eases vote
-Elections: new formula, dramatical dislike for vassalizing an elector
-War in the Empire: You can revoke more than one reform in war against the emperor
-Authority increases per one for each year without internal war and decreases per one for every year with less than seven electors
ECONOMY
On Trade Routes
-There will be actual trade routes on the map, which will be static. You will send merchants along these trade routes to bring the trade your way.
-As the game progress, trade will shift from being centered on the Mediteranean toward being centered on the Atlantic.
-Controling the estuaries of navigable rivers will have an effect on your income
-Trade nodes are not located in specific provinces, so you can't control them by just controling one province.
-Trade routes will not be of different color and will be subtle outside trade map mode.
On redirecting trade
-Merchants enable you to quickly increase power in a trade node, or to build an office that gives you money from that node.
-Light ships can be sent on a trade mission to redirect trade your way, but only if you have fleet basing rights or a province in that region.
On the Budget
-All income is now monthly. There is no yearly tax.
-All money goes straight to budget; it can no longer be invested in tech or stability. Inflation will now result from loans and gold mines only.
-It will be possible to repay loans before they are due.
-There is no limit in taking loans
On Resources
-Resources distribution for already-settled provinces will not be randomized, but colonizable territory will work like in Divine Wind.
-There will only be one resource per province
RELIGION
-Religions have highly changed effect. No more free colonists for the christians.
-Countries will play differently depending on which religion they are. Some religions have unique features and abilities.
-Religious unity, based on the percentage of your base tax that come from right-religion provinces, affect stability cost and revolt risk.
-The new relation code will avoid nations with different religion becoming arch-enemies within a few years.
-The reformation will look very similar to EU3
-Missionaries: Converting a province is now a process taking time, not working by chance
On Christians
-Christians no longer get free colonists.
-Catholics will use the papacy, vying to get a cardinal they support into the curia (cardinals in the curia are locked on who they support)
-Orthodox will have to cope with patriarch authority, which range from 0 to 100%, and grant bonus to manpower and revolt risk and penalties to tax.
-Protestant and reformed have no final decision as of yet on whether or not they will get a special mechanic
On Muslims
-Muslims will have piety, which is earned by fighting non-muslims, and affect revolt risk, defensiveness, morale, research, manpower and tax income.
-A fully impious Ottoman nation could come close to keeping up with westerners in technology
-Muslim nations will suffer bad things if they have a regency council.
Sunni
- +1 Tolerance to Own
- +100% Chance of new Heir
- +0.25 Land Morale
- +100% Chance of new Heir
Reformation
-New concept Reform Desire: Rises when nations neglect the legitimacy of the Catholic Church for their own gains
-Protestantism can appear when Reform Desire is high
-Defender of Faith has lower conversion risk
-Cardinals in the Curia also lowers conversion risk
RULERS
On Dynasties, Rulers and Heirs
-The game will not be using full-fledged dynastic systems, like Crusader Kings II.
-The information about the heir will still be displayed (if any); it will now be possible to appoint your heir as a military leader.
-There is a mechanism involving random rulers after your starting one, but it's a bit more interesting than that (Johan)
-There are no plans for in-game ruler portraits of any sort.
Ruler Stats and Points
-The three old monarch stats (Adm/Mil/Dip) are still in, but now ranked from 0 to 6. This is how many ability points of that type you gain each month.
-Advisor contribute between 1 and 3 points (dependign on skill) to one specific monarch stat, but you cannot have more than one advisor per stat.
-These monarch points accumulate, allowing you to use different abilities, to a cap of 999 (higher for uncivilized nations). They do not vanish when your ruler dies.
-Getting a bad monarch will thus actually limit your options.
-Monarch Points work the same for republics
-War exhaustion can be decreased and stability risen with Monarch Power
Monarch Abilities
-Monarch points allow you to perform a variety of actions, which are variable in cost.
-Capital Movement, Technological Advance and Idea selection are high-cost monarch abilities.
-Core Creation, Stability Increase and Inflation Reduction are medium-cost monarch abilities.
-Assaulting, Constructing Building and the upkeep cost for diplomatic deals and military leaders are low-cost monarch abilities.
-Other abilities include forced march and creating a leader.
Administrative Abilities
-Stability will be increased by spending administrative points.
-Changing culture of a province is done with monarch power, in a province that doesn't have an accepted culture.
-It costs 50 administrative points to make a province a core.
ON GOVERNMENT AND REBELLIONS
Feudal Monarchy:
- +10% Manpower
- +10% income from vassals
- +100% Manpower
- +100% Land Force Limit
- -50% Relations Change
- +33% Vassal Income
- +100% Chance of new Heir
- Tolerance to Own +2
- Tolerance to Heretic -2
- +0.1 Papal Influence (if catholic)
Can switch to other monarchies freely.
- 10% Cheaper Core Creation
- 10% Cheaper Unjustified Demands
On changing governments
-A monarchy will only convert to a republic if forced to by a revolution
-Upgrading government will cost 50 administrative points
On Republics
-Republican Tradition is a value that represent how strongly attached to republican ways your country is. You start with 1% and gain 1% per year.
-Reelecting the same person loses you 10% tradition, and if you do it with your tradition too low (or otherwise hit 0%) you become a despotic monarchy.
On Rebellions
-Uncontested rebellions will spread to neighboring provinces
-Rebel factions will exist even when there's no active rebellion, and you will be able to take steps to manage them, including negociation
-Revolt risk will not reduce manpower by an equal amount
-New Rebels can spawn in rebel-controlled territory
-Rebel-armies will be destroyed if defeated, except pretenders-armies
-base morale and technology depend on either home country or the if supported, on the country that supports them.
-different rebeltypes have different morale, i.e. peasants have low morale, noble higher
-No limit on negotiating with rebels
War Exhaustion
-Blockades, casualties, war taxes and attrition cause war exhaustion to increase
-War exhaustion weaken the moral of your troops and your manpower as well as your reinforcement speed in addition to increasing revolt risk
Overextension
-Overextension is a new feature based on having too much tax income coming in from non-core provinces
-Overextension increase revolt risk and stability cost and lower trade income, among other things
-Overextension is directly related to the amount of basetax you earn from non-core provinces (independent from your size, i.e. 6 basetax give 6% overextension)
On Stability
-Stability cost is affected by religious disunity and overextension, but no longer by number and type of provinces.
Coring Provinces
-Provinces get cored through administrative power points
-cost depends on basetax of province
-coring is not instant, but takes three years without modifiers
-each non-overseas province increases coring time by 5%
-overseas provinces core instantly and cost only 10%
ON (NATIONAL) IDEAS (& Domestic policy)
On National Ideas and Domestic Policy
-Domestic policies (the sliders) are gone, replaced by the Ideas. Ideas are divided in sixteen groups of seven ideas.
-There are up to eight idea group slots (so you can have eight at most), unlocked by tech. Ideas are bought with monarch points.
-When buying ideas, you can either get the next idea of a group you have, or if a slot is free, the first of a new group.
-When you have all seven ideas in a group, you gain an additional bonus. In addition, each three idea you purchase unlock a national idea.
On Idea Groups
-The Groups are:
-Quality, Quantity, Offensive, Defensive, Aristocracy, Plutocracy, Innovative, Religion,
-Espionage, Diplomatic, Trade, Economic, Exploration, Naval, Expansion, Administrative.
-Some idea groups are mutually exclusive: you cannot have both plutocracy and aristocracy (but you can have both quality/quantity).
(Not-National) Ideas
Administration Ideas: (Uses Administrative Points)
Innovative Ideas:
Patron of the Arts: Prestige Decay: -2.0%
Pragmatism: Mercenary Cost: -25.0%
Scientific Revolution: Technology Cost: -5.0%
Knowledge Transfer: Yearly Army Tradition Decay -2.00%, Yearly Navy Tradition Decay -2.00%
Organized Recruitment: Regiment Recruitment Time: -10.0%
Optimism: Monthly War Exhaustion: -0.05
Formalized Officer Corps: Leader(s) Without Upkeep: +1
Capstone: Advisor Costs: -25.0%
Religious Ideas:
Unam Sanctam: Permanent Casus Belli against all other religious groups.
Missionary Schools: Missionaries: +1
Church Attendance Duty: Stability Cost Modifier: -25.0%
Devoutness: Tolerance of the True Faith: +1.00
Religious Tradition: Yearly Prestige: +1.00
Ecumenism: Tolerance of Heretics: +2.00
Capstone: Better Relations Over Time: +50.0%
Espionage Ideas:
Privateers: Embargo Efficiency: +33.0%
Vetting: National Spy Defense: +25.0%
Rumormongering: -May Sabotage Relations
Efficient Spies: Spy Offense: +25.0%
Shady Recruitment: Covert Action Relation Impact: -33.0%
Destabilizing Efforts: -May Sow Discontent
Espionage: -May Infiltrate Administration
Capstone: Rebel Support Efficiency: +50.0%
Economic Ideas:
Bureaucracy: National Tax Modifier: +10.0%
Organized Construction: Build Cost: -20.0%
National Bank: Yearly Inflation Reduction: -0.10
Debt and Loans: Interest per annum: -1.00
Centralization: Possible Advisors: +1
Nationalistic Enthusiasm: Land Maintenance Modifier: +10.0%
Smithian Economics: Production Efficiency +20.0%
Capstone: -May reduce inflation with direct action
Administrative Ideas:
Organized Mercenary Payments: Mercenary Cost: -25.0%
Benefits for Mercenaries: Mercenary Maintenance Cost: -33.0%
Mercenary Recruitment: Additional Mercenaries Available: +50.0%
Bookkeeping: Interest per annum: -1.00
Administrative Efficiency: Possible Advisors: +1
Resilient State: National Spy Defense: +25.0%
War Cabinet: Cost of Reducing War Exhaustion: -33.0%
Capstone: Production Efficiency: +20.0%
Diplomatic Ideas: (Uses Diplomatic Points)
Diplomatic Ideas:
Foreign Embassies: Diplomats: +1
Claim Fabrication: Time to fabricate claims: -50.0%
Cabinet: Diplomatic Relations: +3
Adaptability: Core Creation Cost: +33.0%
Revolution and Counter-Revolution: Permanent Casus Belli versus other government types
Quill Skipped (Appears to be a diplomatic reputation increase)
Flexible Negotiation: Unjustified Demands: -33.0%
Capstone: -Lowered impact on stability from diplomatic actions.
Trade Ideas:
Shrewd Commerce Practice: Global Trade Power: +10.0%
Free Trade: Merchants: +1
Merchant Adventures: Trade Range: +25.0%
National Trade Policy: Trade Efficiency: +10.0%
Overseas Merchants: Merchants: +1
Trade Manipulation: Trade Steering: +25.0%
Fast Negotiations: National Trade Income Modifier: +10.0%
Capstone: +1 Merchant
Exploration Ideas:
Colonial Venture: Colonist: +1
Quest for the New World: -Allows recruitment of explorers and conquistadors.
Overseas Expansion: Colonial Trade Range: +50.0%
Land of Opportunity: Global Settler Increase: +33.0%
Viceroys: Global Tariffs: +33.0%
Free Colonies: Colonists: +1
Global Empire: Overseas Income: +10.0%
Capstone: Permanent Casus Belli against Pagans
Naval Ideas:
Superior Seamanship: Morale of Navies: +1.00
Naval Glory: Prestige from Naval battles: +100.0%
Grand Navy: Naval Forcelimits Modifier: +100.0%
Seahawks: Yearly Naval Tradition: +1.00
Excellent Shipwrights: Naval Leader Maneuver: +2.00
Naval Fighting Instruction: Blockade Efficiency: +50.0%
Press Gangs: Ship Costs: -33.0%
Capstone: Ships can repair when in coastal sea zones
Expansion Ideas:
Additional Colonists: Colonists: +1
Additional Merchants: Merchants: +1
Faster Colonists: Colonist Travel Time: -33.0%
Additional Diplomats: Diplomatic Relations: +2
Improved Shipyards: Ship Construction Time: -10.0%
Experienced Diplomats: Diplomatic Reputation: +3
Competitive Merchants: Global Trade Power: +20.0%
Capstone: Permanent Casus Belli against less advanced nations in Asia
Military Ideas: (Uses Military Points)
Aristocratic Ideas:
Noble Knights: Calvary Cost: -25.0%
Local Nobility: Hostile Core Creation Cost: +100.0%
Serfdom: National Manpower Modifier: +25.0%
Noble Officers: Leader Shock: +1.00
International Nobility: Diplomats: +1
Noble Resilience: Cost of Reducing War Exhaustion: -20.0%
Military Traditions: Military Technology Cost: -10.0%
Capstone: Calvary Combat Ability: +10.0%
Offensive Ideas:
Bayonet Leaders: Leader Shock: +1.00
National Conscripts: National Manpower Modifier: +25.0%
Superior Firepower: Leader Fire: +1.00
Glorious Arms: Prestige from Land battles: +100.0%
Improved Maneuver: Land Leader Maneuver: +1.00
Grand Army: Land Forcelimits Modifier: +25.0%
Espirit de Corps: Discipline: +10.0%
Capstone: Forced March (+150% movement speed to troops)
Defensive Ideas:
Battlefield Commission: Yearly Army Tradition: +1.00
Military Drill: Morale of Armies: +0.50
Engineer Corps: Leader Siege: +1.00
Regimental System: Land Maintenance Modifier: -10.0%
Defensive Mentality: Fort Defense: +33.0%
Supply Trains: Reinforce Speed: +33.0%
Improved Foraging: Land Attrition: -50.0%
Capstone: +1.00 Attrition
Quality Ideas:
Private to Marshal: Infantry Combat Ability: +10.0%
Quality Education: Recover army morale speed: +5.0%
Finest of Horses: Calvary Combat Ability: +10.0%
Oak Forests for Ships: Heavy Ship Combat Ability: +10.0%
Naval Drill: Recover navy morale speed: +5.0%
Merchant Marine: Light Ship Combat Ability: +10.0%
Massed Battery: Artillery Combat Ability: +10.0%
Capstone: Discipline: +15.0%
Quantity Ideas:
Benefits for Horse Owners: Calvary Cost: -10.0%
The Young can serve: Manpower Recovery Speed: +20.0%
Enforced Service: Infantry Cost: -10.0%
The Old and Infirm: Land Maintenance Modifier: -10.0%
Ship’s Penny: Ship Costs: -10.0%
Standardized Artillery: Artillery Cost: -10.0%
Levèe en Masse: National Manpower Modifier: +50.0%
Capstone: Land Forcelimits Modifier: +33.0%
Innovative Ideas:
Patron of the Arts: Prestige Decay: -2.0%
Pragmatism: Mercenary Cost: -25.0%
Scientific Revolution: Technology Cost: -5.0%
Knowledge Transfer: Yearly Army Tradition Decay -2.00%, Yearly Navy Tradition Decay -2.00%
Organized Recruitment: Regiment Recruitment Time: -10.0%
Optimism: Monthly War Exhaustion: -0.05
Formalized Officer Corps: Leader(s) Without Upkeep: +1
Capstone: Advisor Costs: -25.0%
Religious Ideas:
Unam Sanctam: Permanent Casus Belli against all other religious groups.
Missionary Schools: Missionaries: +1
Church Attendance Duty: Stability Cost Modifier: -25.0%
Devoutness: Tolerance of the True Faith: +1.00
Religious Tradition: Yearly Prestige: +1.00
Ecumenism: Tolerance of Heretics: +2.00
Capstone: Better Relations Over Time: +50.0%
Espionage Ideas:
Privateers: Embargo Efficiency: +33.0%
Vetting: National Spy Defense: +25.0%
Rumormongering: -May Sabotage Relations
Efficient Spies: Spy Offense: +25.0%
Shady Recruitment: Covert Action Relation Impact: -33.0%
Destabilizing Efforts: -May Sow Discontent
Espionage: -May Infiltrate Administration
Capstone: Rebel Support Efficiency: +50.0%
Economic Ideas:
Bureaucracy: National Tax Modifier: +10.0%
Organized Construction: Build Cost: -20.0%
National Bank: Yearly Inflation Reduction: -0.10
Debt and Loans: Interest per annum: -1.00
Centralization: Possible Advisors: +1
Nationalistic Enthusiasm: Land Maintenance Modifier: +10.0%
Smithian Economics: Production Efficiency +20.0%
Capstone: -May reduce inflation with direct action
Administrative Ideas:
Organized Mercenary Payments: Mercenary Cost: -25.0%
Benefits for Mercenaries: Mercenary Maintenance Cost: -33.0%
Mercenary Recruitment: Additional Mercenaries Available: +50.0%
Bookkeeping: Interest per annum: -1.00
Administrative Efficiency: Possible Advisors: +1
Resilient State: National Spy Defense: +25.0%
War Cabinet: Cost of Reducing War Exhaustion: -33.0%
Capstone: Production Efficiency: +20.0%
Diplomatic Ideas: (Uses Diplomatic Points)
Diplomatic Ideas:
Foreign Embassies: Diplomats: +1
Claim Fabrication: Time to fabricate claims: -50.0%
Cabinet: Diplomatic Relations: +3
Adaptability: Core Creation Cost: +33.0%
Revolution and Counter-Revolution: Permanent Casus Belli versus other government types
Quill Skipped (Appears to be a diplomatic reputation increase)
Flexible Negotiation: Unjustified Demands: -33.0%
Capstone: -Lowered impact on stability from diplomatic actions.
Trade Ideas:
Shrewd Commerce Practice: Global Trade Power: +10.0%
Free Trade: Merchants: +1
Merchant Adventures: Trade Range: +25.0%
National Trade Policy: Trade Efficiency: +10.0%
Overseas Merchants: Merchants: +1
Trade Manipulation: Trade Steering: +25.0%
Fast Negotiations: National Trade Income Modifier: +10.0%
Capstone: +1 Merchant
Exploration Ideas:
Colonial Venture: Colonist: +1
Quest for the New World: -Allows recruitment of explorers and conquistadors.
Overseas Expansion: Colonial Trade Range: +50.0%
Land of Opportunity: Global Settler Increase: +33.0%
Viceroys: Global Tariffs: +33.0%
Free Colonies: Colonists: +1
Global Empire: Overseas Income: +10.0%
Capstone: Permanent Casus Belli against Pagans
Naval Ideas:
Superior Seamanship: Morale of Navies: +1.00
Naval Glory: Prestige from Naval battles: +100.0%
Grand Navy: Naval Forcelimits Modifier: +100.0%
Seahawks: Yearly Naval Tradition: +1.00
Excellent Shipwrights: Naval Leader Maneuver: +2.00
Naval Fighting Instruction: Blockade Efficiency: +50.0%
Press Gangs: Ship Costs: -33.0%
Capstone: Ships can repair when in coastal sea zones
Expansion Ideas:
Additional Colonists: Colonists: +1
Additional Merchants: Merchants: +1
Faster Colonists: Colonist Travel Time: -33.0%
Additional Diplomats: Diplomatic Relations: +2
Improved Shipyards: Ship Construction Time: -10.0%
Experienced Diplomats: Diplomatic Reputation: +3
Competitive Merchants: Global Trade Power: +20.0%
Capstone: Permanent Casus Belli against less advanced nations in Asia
Military Ideas: (Uses Military Points)
Aristocratic Ideas:
Noble Knights: Calvary Cost: -25.0%
Local Nobility: Hostile Core Creation Cost: +100.0%
Serfdom: National Manpower Modifier: +25.0%
Noble Officers: Leader Shock: +1.00
International Nobility: Diplomats: +1
Noble Resilience: Cost of Reducing War Exhaustion: -20.0%
Military Traditions: Military Technology Cost: -10.0%
Capstone: Calvary Combat Ability: +10.0%
Offensive Ideas:
Bayonet Leaders: Leader Shock: +1.00
National Conscripts: National Manpower Modifier: +25.0%
Superior Firepower: Leader Fire: +1.00
Glorious Arms: Prestige from Land battles: +100.0%
Improved Maneuver: Land Leader Maneuver: +1.00
Grand Army: Land Forcelimits Modifier: +25.0%
Espirit de Corps: Discipline: +10.0%
Capstone: Forced March (+150% movement speed to troops)
Defensive Ideas:
Battlefield Commission: Yearly Army Tradition: +1.00
Military Drill: Morale of Armies: +0.50
Engineer Corps: Leader Siege: +1.00
Regimental System: Land Maintenance Modifier: -10.0%
Defensive Mentality: Fort Defense: +33.0%
Supply Trains: Reinforce Speed: +33.0%
Improved Foraging: Land Attrition: -50.0%
Capstone: +1.00 Attrition
Quality Ideas:
Private to Marshal: Infantry Combat Ability: +10.0%
Quality Education: Recover army morale speed: +5.0%
Finest of Horses: Calvary Combat Ability: +10.0%
Oak Forests for Ships: Heavy Ship Combat Ability: +10.0%
Naval Drill: Recover navy morale speed: +5.0%
Merchant Marine: Light Ship Combat Ability: +10.0%
Massed Battery: Artillery Combat Ability: +10.0%
Capstone: Discipline: +15.0%
Quantity Ideas:
Benefits for Horse Owners: Calvary Cost: -10.0%
The Young can serve: Manpower Recovery Speed: +20.0%
Enforced Service: Infantry Cost: -10.0%
The Old and Infirm: Land Maintenance Modifier: -10.0%
Ship’s Penny: Ship Costs: -10.0%
Standardized Artillery: Artillery Cost: -10.0%
Levèe en Masse: National Manpower Modifier: +50.0%
Capstone: Land Forcelimits Modifier: +33.0%
Nation-Specific Ideas
-Each nation has a set of seven ideas: for minor nations, a generic set. For major nation, they instead have their own unique set.
-For each three ideas (not idea groups) you implement, you get a bonus idea from this set of seven.
National Tradition and Ambition
-Each nation has a national tradition, which is a bonus unique to them that they have from the start of the game.
-Each nation also has an ambition, which is a special bonus they get upon unlocking their entire set of seven ideas.
-Sweden's Tradition gives -25% Mercenary Cost, +5% Infantry Combat Ability, and its ambition gives +1 leader shock value
ON RESEARCH
Research
-Westernization will be different in EU IV (see below)
-Research is bought with monarch powers, and no longer the result of investing your monthly income.
-Technology is now split in three categories, instead of the old five, matching the three monarch values (administrative, diplomatic, and military)
-Naval and trade are now part of diplomatic tech, and government and production part of administrative technology.
-There are 33 technologies in each of the three groupes, all of them named and all of them with a clear impact.
-There will not be a chance of failure when researching technology
Technology Costs
-The base cost of technology is 400 points. It can be modified by many things, including tech group, but will never be higher than 999 points.
-However, the multiplier for researching a tech ahead of time can increase the cost above 999.
-There will be a tooltip on the cost bar for new technologies informing you of the modifier to each tech's cost, including the expected research date.
Westernization:
-Integrated in the tech-system
-to start Westernization: Western neighbour ahead in tech and +3 stability
-when started, stability drops to -3, monarch power wiped
-Westernization is a progress, every month current stability is added
-New World nations can switch directly to Western, when the Europeans come
HISTORICITY
Countries and History Files
-There are over 250 playable countries in the span of the game. (Announcement)
-There are over 1000 leaders and 4000 monarchs. (Announcement)
Historical Events
-There will be thousand of historical events to guide you and provide flavor. (Announcement)
-the aim is to make each country feel different without railroading them.
-These historical events will pop up when they're supposed to, but you will be free to make your own history.
-There will be many more events unique to countries and years.
-All regular EU3 events are still in, except those that worked with a mechanism that is not in EU4.
-Many new generic events will be added.
-Thirty three nations will receive extra attention: eight primary nations, nine secondary ones, and sixteen tertiary ones.
Dynamic Historical Events
-There are dynamic historical events. These are specific historical events.
-They are tied to specific countries: the War of the Roses has will only happen to England
-They have much more specific conditions than in EU2 : the War of the Roses require you to have no heirs before 1500.
-On average, these events will be focused on European nations.
-The Protestant Reformation is NOT a DHE: it will happen much like in EU3.
Specific Event Chains
-The Protestant Reformation is handled as it was in EU3.
-The War of the Rose is a DHE chain unique to England.
-The old Time of Troubles event has now gotten a new generic name, so that Time of Trouble can now be a Russia-specific event
On history and determinism
-The game is not going back to the determinism of EU II (Captain Gars)
-History will play a larger part (Captain Gars)
-Burgundy continuing to exist after 1477 is not seen as a problem by Paradox. They want plausible, not determined (Johan)
-EU 4 will have the same open outcomes as EU3 (Johan)
Forming Nations
-Formed nations have different sets of national ideas depending on what the forming nation picked before formation.
ON MODDING
Modding in general
-The game will be very moddable (Announcement)
-The modding language is based on EU3, but expanded, more constant and more flexible (Captain Gars)
Adding stuff
-Adding many provinces and tags to the game will always cause lag (Johan)
-The game will be optimised for how many tags they need, expecting about a 10-20% increase in tags. (Johan)
Map Mods
-The map will be very moddable (Besuchov)
-The game will not be compatible with old (EU3) map mods due to a few changes made.
ON OTHER GAMES
Compared to EU3
-There will be some things in EU IV very similar to EU III; these are the parts the developers felt worked and were popular. 4
-Population seems to be removed
Features Removed from EU3
-Features not included in this list are probably still in the game (though they could be modified)
-Spies
-The daimyo/Shogunate system
-Centers of Trades, Trade Rights, Trade Leagues, Trade Agreements, Open Markets
-Magistrates
-Cultural Traditions
-Automated core gains
-Sliders
Features from other games
-There will not be a Victoria-style pop system in EU4. (King)
-There will not be a Rome-style pop system in EU4 (King)
-It's too late to change this (King)
-There will not be multiple settlements inside one province ala CK II (Johan)
Converters
-There will be an Crusader Kings II to Europa Universalis IV Savegame-Converter
-It will be free for pre-order-buyers, otherwise cost 9,99 $/€
-It can convert savegames of any date and also any startdate of Crusader Kings II
-creates a dynamic modification for a converted savegame for created nations/religions and so on
-Pagans get converted to Shamanism or Animism, reformed Pagans become normal religions
Magna Mundi
-The game will not integrate features from Magna Mundi (Strategy Gamer interview)
-The game was well advanced in planning before the MM cancellation decision was made. There is no connection whatsoever between MM and EU4.
MULTIPLAYER
General mutiplayer stuff
-The multiplayer will include hotjoin
-The game should include cooperative multiplayer where multiple players control a country.
-The multiplayer will include support for stand-alone servers
-Improved match-making
-A chat feature, with chat channels and whispering
-Multiplayer only via Steam
-The only (MP) options will be Difficulty, AI Aggressivness, Lucky Nations, Hotjoin, Coop and Ironman (No Re-Loading/Console), all others were scraped
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