Welcome to another development diary about Europa Universalis IV. This time we talk about something that will be in the next major patch we do.

One of the parts of the game that has not changed much since eu1 is the concept of technology groups and technological development around the world. We’ve added concepts like westernising, and tweaked that one, but in the end Europe has a huge advantage from day 1, and lots of fun gameplay options are limited the further away you are.

So this is what will happen in 1.18, when it is released this autumn..

A nation’s technology group no longer affect technology research.

There is now a concept called Institutions, which will affect your technology research. There are seven different institutions that appear over the game, and if you don’t get them to spread into your country and then get embraced by your government, your technology costs will slowly rise.

Each institution will appear in a province fullfilling certain factors, and then slowly spread around the world. The nation owning that province will gain prestige and monarch power.

Every year the penalty for not having embraced an institution will grow by 1%, so there is a gradual process.

When an institution has spread to at least 10% of your development, you can embrace it in your government, removing the penalty permanently, and also giving a bonus to your nation. The cost to embrace depends on the amount of development in your nation without the institution.

All institutions spread over borders (including 1 seazone away), if relations are positive, and the spread is based on development in the province getting it. There are also lots of other factors related to the spread.

So which are the the seven institutions then?

Feudalism
This is present from the start in almost all the world, except among the hordes, new world and sub-saharan africa. It will slowly spread into neighboring lands, but it is not quick.
Bonus: Gives 1 extra free leader.
Penalty: 50%


Renaissance
This appears in Italy after 1450, in either a capital or a 20+ development province. It will spread quickly through high development in europe, particularly through italy, but can only spread into provinces that have feudalism already.
Bonus: 5% Cheaper Development & 5% Cheaper Buildings
Penalty: 20%


Colonialism
Appears after 1500 in a port province in Europe, who’s owner has the Quest of the New World idea, and have discovered the new world. And will spread very quickly through any port in countries with colonies.
Bonus: +10% Provincial Trade Power
Penalty: 20%


Printing Press
This arrives after 1550, most likely in germany, but can happen in any protestant or reformed province. It will spread quickly in Protestant and Reformed territory, but also into capitals with dip tech 15.
Bonus: 5& Cheaper Stability
Penalty: 20%


Global Trade
This arrives after 1600, in a center of trade in the highest value trade node, and will spread quicker into provinces with trade buildings.
Bonus: +1 Merchant
Penalty: 20%

Manufactories
This arrives after 1650 in a province with 30 development and a manufactory, and will spread quicker into provinces with manufactories.
Bonus: +10% Goods Produced
Penalty: 20%

Enlightenment
Arrives after 1700 in a province that either is a seat of a parliament, or is a province in europe owned by a monarch with at least 5 in all stats. Universities & Parliament Seats spread this institution.
Bonus: 25% Cheaper Culture Conversion
Penalty: 30%
​

What does this mean?


The progress of Europe is not guaranteed, but most importantly, a nation in Asia or Africa is no longer crippled from day 1, and forced to avoid spending power on ideas and development.

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We’re constantly tweaking the spread factors, but here are some screenshots from mid 18th century in a hands-off game from this morning.

This is the institutions mapmode, where green are provinces that have all the enabled institutions, and yellow are don’t have them all.

And here is the technology mapmode, of the same game.

Some other aspects that has changed include the following
- New World Native Reforming will give you all institutions that the one you reform from has.
- Trade Companies are available to all technology groups.
- Lots and lots of triggers on western techgroups have been changed to check for specific relevant institutions.

 

[Sunspawn]

Well, less advanced metallurgy does lead to less advanced military technology. Which, in turn, leads to getting conquered by countries with more advanced military technology.

In theory.

Don't attack me!

Military technology is by far not the most important part of a civilization and it's level of advancement.

 

[IdiotsOpposite]

There's plenty they didn't have:

- Draft animals

Draft animals aren't really a "technology". I'm honestly not sure how you'd expect the Aztecs to somehow "develop" oxen.

- Extensive writing (including sources from multiple cultures available)

I'm not actually sure what you mean here, could you give a better example? If you mean widespread writing, I would argue that wasn't too common in Europe either, pre-1400 or so.

- Gunpowder

I agree, this is defintely something the Aztecs didn't have! Of course, neither did Europe until, again, about 1450 or so.

- Anything better than the most rudimentary maritime technology

I will grant you this. The Aztecs didn't have much in the way of seagoing vessels. Of course, they didn't need it, but still. Point granted.

- The wheel

Well, let's be realistic here. Obviously the Aztecs had wheel technology - there's circles everywhere in their culture. It's true that they didn't use the wheel for transport, but that's because there wasn't really a point. This link explains it in more detail.

The pre-Columbian societies did very well with what they had, but theyvwere still, ultimately, Neolithic societies. They show just how far a Neolthic society can advance, but also the limitations when you subtract several key technologies that we take for granted.

You're the one who made the claim that Aztec technology was three thousand years behind European technology in 1500. Incidentally, this is before even Mycenae. I find this hard to believe, and most of the examples you give of European technological superiority (such as gunpowder, and naval technology) is, at best, a 500 year gap, and more commonly a 100-200 year gap, hardly a three thousand year gap. And even that's being generous.

 

[DominusNovus]

Draft animals aren't really a "technology". I'm honestly not sure how you'd expect the Aztecs to somehow "develop" oxen.

I'm not actually sure what you mean here, could you give a better example? If you mean widespread writing, I would argue that wasn't too common in Europe either, pre-1400 or so.

I agree, this is defintely something the Aztecs didn't have! Of course, neither did Europe until, again, about 1450 or so.

I will grant you this. The Aztecs didn't have much in the way of seagoing vessels. Of course, they didn't need it, but still. Point granted.

Well, let's be realistic here. Obviously the Aztecs had wheel technology - there's circles everywhere in their culture. It's true that they didn't use the wheel for transport, but that's because there wasn't really a point. This link explains it in more detail.

You're the one who made the claim that Aztec technology was three thousand years behind European technology in 1500. Incidentally, this is before even Mycenae. I find this hard to believe, and most of the examples you give of European technological superiority (such as gunpowder, and naval technology) is, at best, a 500 year gap, and more commonly a 100-200 year gap, hardly a three thousand year gap. And even that's being generous.

- Did I ever say I expected the Aztecs to develop draft animals, or anything, for that matter? No. I said they did not have them. The lack of draft animals is a major technological disadvantage. And it is technological, because you need to both have the knowledge to raise and selectively breed useful species, as well as the various equipment to utilize them.

- Europeans had had gunpowder for about 200 years by the 15th century. Even a perusal of wikipedia will confirm this.

- Your comment regarding Europe indicates that you're thinking of literacy. Thats not what I'm referring to. I'm referring to the fact that, in the right places in Europe (lets use Italy), you could find literature from a variety of civilizations: the modern Europeans, the Romans, the Greeks, the Arabs. All there for the elite to access if need be. The highly educated would be expected to be literate in at least two languages, often more. Translations were being made all the time. There was a strong literary culture in the European and Near Eastern world, and had been for millennia by the time of Columbus. That provides a huge vault of knowledge to rely upon, for anyone with the intelligence and skill to do so. Did the Aztecs have Carib and Missippian histories, Inca treatises on war, Maya alchemical texts?

- The Aztecs were not the entirety of American or even Meso-American culture. To confine thoughts regarding the wheel to the urban area surrounding the valley of Mexico is less than productive.

- Shall we consider what technology was available in the Mediterranean in 1500 BC? The civilizations there had been working Bronze for nearly 2 millennia and had wheel vehicles for just about as long. They'd had various draft animals available to them even before then; multiple large animals. Mesopotamia invented a writing system about 2600 years before Mesoamerica. In 1500 BC, the Phoenician alphabet was only a few hundred years in the future. The Egyptians were already engaging in naval battles by this time, and there was a loose naval trade network connecting India to the Near East.

There's no two ways about it. In terms of material technological culture, the Americas were millennia behind Europe in the 15th century.

 

[Lord_P]

Military technology is by far not the most important part of a civilization and it's level of advancement.

Indeed it isn't, but, unfortunately, it does tend to lead to the fall of civilizations.

 

[Nabrotleon]

Why is their no DD for today?

 

[Martin_Mortyry]

Why is their no DD for today?

It's 12:20 CET, they have 3 more hours to post it. Be patient.

 

[Wagonlitz]

It's 12:20 CET, they have 3 more hours to post it. Be patient.

And today being Midsummer Eve (which is really big here in Scandinavia) meant that I actually expected there not to be any.

 

[FurorGermanicus]

Overhauling the tech groups counts as balancing for me, balancing is part of patches, which are free.

 

[Trin Tragula]

Overhauling the tech groups counts as balancing for me, balancing is part of patches, which are free.

Yes?

 

[FurorGermanicus]

Yes?

Well, it's your decision what you demand for your content. Just take care that you don't become like EA one day .

 

[Trin Tragula]

The tech revamp is free though?

 

[Seth94]

If the tech revamp is free will there be a way to turn it off? I know its a bit early to judge but I'm not overly enthused by the idea.

 

[Trin Tragula]

You can as always play older versions in steam. The revamp of technology groups and addition of institutions is in the 1.18 patch though so any versions beyond that will have it.

 

[marmot01]

Excellent. It's such a mechanic that I've been arguing for since the game's release.

 

[Prince Ire]

You can as always play older versions in steam. The revamp of technology groups and addition of institutions is in the 1.18 patch though so any versions beyond that will have it.

Couldn't you do something like CK2 is going to do and allow turning off certain "features" that people don't like without reverting patches?

 

[marmot01]

I think "Modernity" is a better term than "Renaissance". First, the periodisations of Renaissance usually place its start much earlier than the 15th c. Second, provinces in Central Asia having "Renaissance" just looks silly.

 

[Metz]

No 1750 Industrial Revolution?

 

[Metz]

Better names:

Start - Feudalism
1450 - Renaissance
1500 - Colonialism
1550 - Printing Revolution
1600 - Mercantilism
1650 - Absolutism
1700 - Enlightenment
1750 - Industrial Revolution
1800 - Liberalism

 

[Zubrowka]

I love this concept revamp so much you are winning me back as a customer, my dearest Paradoxian overlords.

If I could beg one thing, do MORE institutions and ground a few of them in all the major developments of the age. These are great goals for the player, and it would be a fair challenge for some to be much harder than others to attain. Good suggestions abound in this thread.

Edit: Excellent list above, Metz! Just need to add/swap in Joint Stock Company. Seriously, take a minute to ponder how revolutionary that innovation has proven to be. IMHO it would nicely beat out Mercantilism.

Hey Paradox, if you want to really be interactive, we could settle this with a bracket tournament of suggested institutions. That can add some hype for this sure to be epic expansion.What say you?!

 

[gendalv]

When an institution has spread to at least 10% of your development, you can embrace it in your government, removing the penalty permanently

blobs suffer