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.

 

[Homusubi]

Is that Shiba I see controlling most of Japan in the mid-18th century?

I guess some things never change...

 

[johnleeyx]

Wow! Nice halo effect around the flag!

I spy a new globe mapmode in the menu bar (3d globe perhaps?)

Looks awesome, but there one thing that's really horrible in your Diary: the fact that this will come in autumn

And by the way, isn't there a new icon in the menu between the government and the diplomacy ones?

NEW peactime mechanics??!!!!

 

[DanJonMin]

Is it possible for institutions to have negative effects, or to change the effect of an institution over time, or for swapping out institutions mid game?

I'd imagine that Feudalism is a pretty outdated institution by late game which would if anything limit technological development... It would be interesting if you could replace it later with, say, Constitutionalism or Absolutism.

 

[YuriiH]

- Trade Companies are available to all technology groups.

In this case, it would be logical to influence direction of trade flow.
Westernisation concept implied trading in Europe. With the institutions, Eastern countries are following their own ways rather than Western Way, and it would be weird to bind them to Europe again.

 

[afb]

Sounds like a fantastic change. I assume since Technology Groups are of less importance, so is westernization? Will it be something different now?

As I understand it, what we now call Westernization will be the spreading of institutions to different countries. Since many of the institutions are likely to spawn in Europe, there will be a degree of the rest of the world catching up to the Europeans, but both Manufactories and Enlightenment could easily start elsewhere.

So, if you don't have any (or only few) institutions you will gradually tech up slower and slower during the game. But if you gradually adapt, all should be well.

 

[Galaahd]

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%​

This is absolutely ridiculous from a historical point of view.

The printing press came before the Reform.

In fact the biggest printing center in Europe was Venice, which wasn't exactly a protestant center of reformation...

 

[Anto1]

How does colonialism spread towards non coastal provinces? Is it just slower? Otherwise it seems that there is just a penalty for not having a port?
Could be a problem if you are a HRE minor...

 

[johnleeyx]

What effects do tech groups have now since the penalties have been removed? Do they just provide unit types?

 

[jesias]

How will protectorates work with this?

Probably someone must be behind in tech to become a protectorate.

 

[bbqftw]

This arrives after 1600, in a center of trade in the highest value trade node, and will spread quicker into provinces with trade buildings.

the race to make Bengal / Zanzibar richer than Genoa by 1600 begins ^.^

 

[sildee]

Probably someone must be behind in tech to become a protectorate.

I think tech groups will work the same as before outside from technology, so you can still get protectorates

 

[Darkath]

China had a number of technological inventions that europeans had to get from there, gunpowder was a done deal by game start, but printing was invented in china, also the compass, sealed bulkheads, banknotes, etc.

I think china should have its own institution at game start to represent the fact it was more advanced than europe at that time.

 

[Riekopo]

So none for the last 171 years?

 

[Kapi96]

No westernisation anymore? Poor Ming...

 

[mwyeoh]

My gosh... this is a HUGE change! Probably one big enough to break Stellaris' and HOI4's hold on me!

 

[victimizer]

I like the idea, but the actual institutions themselves are pretty nonsensical. I mean, what is "enlightenment" -- How exactly is "global trade" an institution? How is colonialism a distinct institution when we've been doing it for thousands of years?

Add these:

- municipalities (organized local government, providing services that were normally ignored by sovereigns)
- joint stock company (obviously, it was a huge advantage when companies could pool the capital provided by thousands of shareholders. This would also enable the trade companies)
- checks and balances (promoting accountability in government starting from the grass roots level.)
- the academia

Remove these:

- enlightenment
- global trade
- Renaissance
- colonialism

 

[afb]

So some samples as I understand them:

1444: Everyone has 0% tech penalty. Edit: Actually, those without Feudalism start out with 50% tech penalty - after all Feudalism didn't start in 1444 but much more than 50 years before.
1500: All Italian states and most European will have 0% tech penalty. Some remote parts of Europe as well as Asia, etc. will have 20% penalty from Renaissance. Hordes, New World, Sub-Sahara will have 70% tech penalty unless they have somehow gotten Feudalism.
1600: Most of Europe is probably at 0%, countries that started with Feudalism are at maximum 60% penalty. Hordes, New World, Sub-Sahara could be as high as 110%, but a clever player can probably have taken measures to curb the stagnation.

I really like it.

It makes the penalties much more dynamic, which is cool in itself.
It delays the stagnation, which means that even as a ROTW-country, you get to have some idea groups open early on. Unless you use all your admin for conquering of course - interesting tradeoff. Edit: Even with that 50% penalty at the start, you should be able to get some idea groups pretty fast.

 

[Zwirbaum]

What determines when country can be protectorated or be made as vassal?

 

[blackchoas]

interesting, so what if any is the meaning of the tech groups or are they being disbanded?

Also shouldn't the Mesoamerican and Andean regions start with Feudalism?

 

[Teonod]

How does one get out of the Celestial Empire if westernization isn't a thing.