Welcome back to our weekly series of development diaries about Europa Universalis. This time we’ll talk about four new features that will be part of the next expansion.

Free Cities of the Holy Roman Empire
Now the Emperor can designate up to seven free cities in the empire. A free city is a one province minor with a minimum of 10 development.

Free cities provide Imperial Authority to the emperor, as well as manpower and income. A Free City also have some rather nice bonuses to their development.

If a Free City gains another province or leave the HRE. they lose the free city status. And a Free City is always a type of Republic, so countries that aren't a Republic will become one upon accepting Free City status.

A Free City is always protected by the Emperor if attacked, so be careful when expanding in the HRE. A Free City can never be the subject of another nation.

Of course, as the ruler of a OPM, you can always refuse the offer of becoming a free city, and the emperor can spend some Imperial Authority to revoke a cities rights.

Remove Electorate
The next expansion lets you get even more control over your electors. If your religion is now official in the Empire, you can now spend IA to remove the Electorate status of your disloyal Electors.

Pause Westernisation
Sometimes while you are westernising, you end up where you need to use your power for something else, like boosting stability, but currently you can’t. Now we have added the option to pause westernisation. You’ll still get the unrest from westernising, but there will be no events spawning while westernisation is paused. Most importantly though is the fact that your power is accumulating again instead of contributing to the westernisation process.

Retire Advisor
Have you ever sat there with a lot of money, but cursing the options you for advisors. In the next expansion, you can now spend the amount of money it would cost to hire an advisor, and permanently retire him. Within a month, if there is available space in your pool of advisors, you will get a random new one in the same category. Maybe you get the +discipline one you wanted..


Next week we’ll focus on Luther and Buddha.

 

[dskod1]

Because they provide the Emperor with manpower, tax, and imperial authority. And because there are only so many provinces you can have in the HRE before they start to get too small.

Also remember that EU4 only uses history as a guideline, as I have said, historically, imperial cities could not vote for HRE laws, and even when they were given the vote there vote was considered purely advisory. I think the whole HRE needs a revamp to be honest as right now it is extremely linear and gamey, nothing like it was historically.

 

[Delta107]

Balor account has retired with the new forum.

Oh no! Why? This was the best way of confusing new forum members.

 

[Mr. ZAP]

Balor account has retired with the new forum.

Oh no! Why? This was the best way of confusing new forum members.

It said it was his home account right there in the signature (or was it the avatar?... doesn't really matter). If anyone was confused that was their problem.

 

[Golladan]

I'd also think that whatever has to do with changing religious mechanics (next week's diary) will be free. Nahuatl and Inti were free, as were the reformation changes. Otherwise I agree with your list.

Nahuatl, Inti, and the Maya religions are free. But their reform mechanics themselves require El Dorado. Similar to how Reformed's Fervor and Hindu's/Norse's personal deities require Wealth of Nations. So next week's stuff, which is likely Protestant and Buddhism mechanics, will likely require this new DLC.

Did I miss something new about National Focuses? I don't remember that.

National Focus will be available with this expansion even if you don't have Res Publica as it is used with the government ranks system.

 

[Mr. ZAP]

Nahuatl, Inti, and the Maya religions are free. But their reform mechanics themselves require El Dorado. Similar to how Reformed's Fervor and Hindu's/Norse's personal deities require Wealth of Nations. So next week's stuff, which is likely Protestant and Buddhism mechanics, will likely require this new DLC.

National Focus will be available with this expansion even if you don't have Res Publica as it is used with the government ranks system.

Ah. I'll be honest and say that I don't have El Dorado yet, but haven't played there and saw that they were in the game. And I didn't play Reformed before WoN either.

Well, then you're probably right, then.

 

[toroltao]

Sun Tzu didn't write a book known as '(On The) Art of War' in the EU4 era; Machiavelli did. I don't think Machiavelli's treatise is in any way based on Sun Tzu's, but it's possible that 'the Art of War' caught on as a European title for Sun Tzu's work by analogy with European works with a similar name, such as Machiavelli's.

I think most of us know that Machiavelli wrote a book called "The Art of War", but that's not what the name of the DLC alludes to, as there is actually a copy of Sun Tzu's Art of War in EU4's DLC list that came out with it.

 

[Wagonlitz]

Balor account has retired with the new forum.

Any reason for that?

Oh no! Why? This was the best way of confusing new forum members.

Indeed; what a shame it retired.

It said it was his home account right there in the signature (or was it the avatar?... doesn't really matter). If anyone was confused that was their problem.

It did just under his name. But people don't read there just like they don't read sigs. ~10 days after last GamesCon where Art of War and Charlemagne was announced I noticed that it said in Shams' sig that he was playing Rome II; I therefore asked him about it. Turned out that it was another troll attempt, but I had been the first to notice it even though it was set up during GamesCon...

 

[TheBoozehammer]

Any reason for that?

I assume because it was kind of redundant. I honestly never really understood why Johan had a separate home account.

 

[Wagonlitz]

I assume because it was kind of redundant. I honestly never really understood why Johan had a separate home account.

As far as I know the explanation was something on the order of the forum marking everything new as read when you logged back in the day; so to be sure he saw all bug reports while being at work he needed another account. Or something like that at least.

 

[Incompetent]

I think most of us know that Machiavelli wrote a book called "The Art of War", but that's not what the name of the DLC alludes to, as there is actually a copy of Sun Tzu's Art of War in EU4's DLC list that came out with it.

By all accounts, Sun Tzu's book was much better and more influential, whereas 'Dell'arte della guerra' definitely wasn't Machiavelli at his best, but it is a bit of an odd choice to name a DLC after something written a couple of millennia before the game's setting. (Similarly, is 'Res Republica' named after Cicero's work?) I suppose there's no reason in future for DLCs to be named after anything specifically connected to the early modern period.

 

[johnleeyx]

By all accounts, Sun Tzu's book was much better and more influential, whereas 'Dell'arte della guerra' definitely wasn't Machiavelli at his best, but it is a bit of an odd choice to name a DLC after something written a couple of millennia before the game's setting. (Similarly, is 'Res Republica' named after Cicero's work?) I suppose there's no reason in future for DLCs to be named after anything specifically connected to the early modern period.

If the spirit of the book can be applied to the game, does the time when it was written really matter? Besides, I find sun Tzu's piece a TIMELESS writing.

 

[toroltao]

If the spirit of the book can be applied to the game, does the time when it was written really matter? Besides, I find sun Tzu's piece a TIMELESS writing.

The original Chinese version reads like mumbo jumbo. They have these annotations by different generals like Cao cao and others basically trying to make sense of it, and while they usually come to the same conclusions, their interpretations sometimes differ drastically.

 

[spinoza013]

"Luther and Buddha". I'm sure those to would get along just great

There's a sitcom there.

 

[Darkath]

By all accounts, Sun Tzu's book was much better and more influential, whereas 'Dell'arte della guerra' definitely wasn't Machiavelli at his best, but it is a bit of an odd choice to name a DLC after something written a couple of millennia before the game's setting. (Similarly, is 'Res Republica' named after Cicero's work?) I suppose there's no reason in future for DLCs to be named after anything specifically connected to the early modern period.

You forget that part of the Renaissance was about the re-discovery of ancient texts like Cicero etc. Sun Tzu is a bit more of an odd choice, but as other said, it's pretty timeless.

 

[Delta107]

It said it was his home account right there in the signature (or was it the avatar?... doesn't really matter). If anyone was confused that was their problem.

That's the whole point. I've seen some angry folks when ranting about EU4 asking "who the hell is this Balor guy???" Some people don't even bother to read that and well.... ignorance shows itself quite often.

 

[TheDungen]

Back then we were stronger than Sweden. With genius leaders I don't see why we couldn't do the same as the Swedes did. Denmark was the one dominating the North until the mid 1600s. And even after that Sweden never got to dominate us even though she gave us a bloody nose in 1658.
Why would Sweden join the other side if Denmark joins the protestants? In reality both Denmark and Sweden was on the protestant side; as far as I remember the Torstenson war even erupted due to Sweden thinking Denmark didn't do enough for the protestant side...
And Sweden blocking Øresund? That is what is hilarious. Are you Swede by any chance?`Because if there was one thing which was constant over the centuries it was that Denmark dominated the seas. There is no way Sweden could have blocked the Øresund; also remember both sides were Danish back then and mounted with large cannons in Helsingør and Helsingborg. And Sweden couldn't just march through Skåne and take one side, because Skåne actually was the part of Denmark Sweden had the hardest time occupying. As far as I remember Sweden actually didn't really occupy anything of Skåne when the treaty ending the 1658 war was signed.

...yeah, sorry, but your knowledge of history is at most paper thin. Please, read something about the period before defining Denmark in 1600 a small country.

Again I disagree on your historical conclusions, but this isn't the place to discuss it. If you want to discuss this further feel free to PM me.

As for in game, I stand by the point major countries usually dont reform until after every OPM in the empire has been converted. And in game denmark is beyond any doubt weaker than sweden, which often gobbles upp all of scandinavia at a rapid pace. And the blocking öresund is ofcourse also an ingame statement. Whenever there's a war between sweden and denmark sweden blocks öresund and starts taking any part of norway it fancies. Denmark is massivly underpowered in EU4 after they lose sweden.

Not at all. Here's the trick : franconian mainly designate the inhabitants of the duchy of Franconia, wich was called that way during the 10th century because the first dukes of the place were of frankish lineage. People back then had a great imagination, indeed. But there is absolutely no evidence whatsoever of any direct relations between the people of Franconia and the actual frankish people, at least culturally or ethnically speaking. Frankish only ruled the place at the time it was given its name.

Edit : in fact, the same can be said about Francia, France, etc... the frankish did ruled the place for a long time and since the fall of the Western Roman Empire, by right of conquest, but they had to eventually blend in, culturally, religiously etc.... As far as I know, frankish never represented the bulk of the population anywhere they came and conquered, mainly the elites. Voilà.

But where did the frankish tribe of germanics originate?

Luther and Buddha I would like to see a good improved mechanic.

Hope there will be an improved mechanic for Reformed, Confucian and Orthodox.

Reformed is already the most exciting christian denomination with their three focuses. Foloowed by catholic (with the papal mechanic) and ortodox (with the patriarch authority).

I'm wondering whether the Hansa will be changed. Weren't Hamburg, Bremen and Lübeck free cities?

Yeah but they were also part of the Hansa and sicne the hansa is handled like a tag in game the mechanics dont allow them to be free cities.

 

[PhroX]

I think most of us know that Machiavelli wrote a book called "The Art of War", but that's not what the name of the DLC alludes to, as there is actually a copy of Sun Tzu's Art of War in EU4's DLC list that came out with it.

I'm sure I remember one of the press releases or publicity blurbs referring to Machiavelli's book implying it was the reason for the name.

 

[TheDungen]

I'm sure I remember one of the press releases or publicity blurbs referring to Machiavelli's book implying it was the reason for the name.

Well the art of war expansion did increase the number of ROW provinces including china.

 

[Mudcrab]

Looking good, except this hre nonsense is becoming claustrophobic and a bit fetish-y.

Aside from that, the Buddha, the map changes and devotions for Theocracy look intriguing. May play EUIV again after the new stuff, but after 2000+ hours, was utterly burned out by it. Shows how much sheer value for money the game was and is.

I see no reason to believe otherwise with these new extensions. (except the hre stuff, naturally : P )

o7

 

[jrgen3]

Again I disagree on your historical conclusions, but this isn't the place to discuss it. If you want to discuss this further feel free to PM me.

As for in game, I stand by the point major countries usually dont reform until after every OPM in the empire has been converted. And in game denmark is beyond any doubt weaker than sweden, which often gobbles upp all of scandinavia at a rapid pace. And the blocking öresund is ofcourse also an ingame statement. Whenever there's a war between sweden and denmark sweden blocks öresund and starts taking any part of norway it fancies. Denmark is massivly underpowered in EU4 after they lose sweden.

And that's very unplausible. Those Swedish ships would get sunk by Danish forts instantly. Besides, Denmark had one of the largest fleets in Europe until the very end of the game, something which is very untrue for Sweden.