Welcome to the second development diary for Europa Universalis 4: El Dorado. Today we’ll only be talking about a single feature, but it’s probably the single biggest feature we’ve added to EU4 since launch: The Nation Designer.


As the name implies, the Nation Designer allows players with the El Dorado expansion to create their own, custom-designed nation to play instead of picking one of the historical nations. The Nation Designer is available for both Single-Player and Multi-Player, and can be used at any start date as long as you are starting a new game.

To make a custom nation, you simply click the new ‘Custom Nation’ button during country selection. This will prompt you to pick a capital province for your custom nation: Choose carefully, as the capital province cannot be changed without cancelling your custom nation entirely! You can start anywhere on the map that isn’t water or wasteland.

Once you have chosen your capital, you will be taken to the Nation Designer interface. From here you can freely add or remove provinces from your new nation, though each point of base tax and base manpower deducts from your 200 point allowance. What does 200 points buy you? A country somewhere between Hungary and Austria in strength in 1444 - a low-end major power. You can’t build France with 200 points, but how many big blue blobs do we need?

This allowance can be changed in the settings (more on that later). If you exceed your points allowance, you will be unable to finalize your custom nation (and thus start the game).

But if EU4 has emphasized anything it’s that there is more to a nation than the land it occupies. You can further customize your nation’s Appearance, Government and Ideas. This is done through the menu on the left-hand side of the screen.

Appearance
The appearance tab is where you configure the name, map color and flag of your nation. A variety of patterns and emblems are available, with the colors taken from the flags of historical nations in the game to keep them stylistically similar. The name and flag are purely aesthetic and do not cost any points from your allowance.

Government
The government tab is where you configure your rulers and how your state is governed. Here you can set the name, dynasty, gender, age and skills of your ruler (and heir if you’re a monarchy), with point costs depending on age and skill so that a 20-year old 6/6/6 will be more expensive than a 60-year old with the same skills, but a 20-year old 0/0/0 actually gives you a decent chunk points back to spend on other things. (Then you can send him off to die in a war or something, I guess.)

In addition to tweaking your rulers you can also set your culture, religion, government, graphical style and technology group. These are taken by default from your starting position, so that if you start your custom nation in England you will start English Catholic with Western tech and graphics. Culture, Religion and graphical style are free of points costs, while certain, more advanced Governments will have a cost. The cost for Technology Group depends on your location - picking Western tech in England costs you nothing, while doing the same in North America is very expensive.

Ideas
The ideas tab is where you configure your custom idea set by picking from over 90 different Administrative, Diplomatic and Military modifiers and setting the level of each. Modifier levels range from 1 to 4, with some modifiers being limited to level 1 or 2 - you can’t start with 4 colonists, for example. Your custom ideas set always consists of two tradition modifiers, seven idea modifiers, and one ambitions modifier.

The first level of most modifiers is free, with an exponentially increasing cost for higher levels, and steep penalties for having more than 50% of your total modifier levels come from a single type - you can’t be all Military unless you’re willing to give up the higher level bonuses. Overall, a strong set of ideas will be quite costly and will likely mean you have to start with a small nation.

Finalizing your Custom Nation
When you’re done setting up the nation of your dreams, you simply hit the green checkmark to finalize your nation and exit the Nation Designer interface. At this point you will be back in the lobby and can start the game if you’re ready to play.

If you realize you forgot something, you can also go back and edit your nation, or create another custom nation somewhere else on the map up to a limit of 32 custom nations in the same game. Just because you created a nation doesn’t mean you have to play it - you can set yourself up with a whole bunch of custom AI rivals if you so desire.


Settings
In addition to the nation designer itself, El Dorado also comes with a bunch of new settings for those who want an even more customized start:

Custom Setup Difficulty
This setting allows you to set the number of points available to all players when making a Custom Nation, ranging from 50 (Very Hard) to 800 (Very Easy). The numbers can also be changed through modding.

Custom Setup Nations
This allows you to change the overall setup of the map in the following ways:
Normal Setup: The map is populated by historical nations, and Custom Nations are available.
Historical Setup: The map is populated by historical nations, and Custom Nations are disabled.
Custom Setup: The map is empty asides from player-designed Custom Nations, and all nations start with a colonist.
Random Setup: The map is empty asides from player-designed Custom Nations in the lobby, but once play is started it is populated with randomly generated states that use the historical tags and names.

Custom Setup Provinces
This allows you to change the base tax and manpower of all provinces in the following ways:
Normal Values: All provinces have their historical tax and manpower values.
Random Values: All provinces have randomized tax and manpower values, weighted by factors such as terrain and climate. Total tax and manpower in the entire world will be the same as the historical provinces.
Flat Values: All provinces have the exact same tax and manpower (4 and 3 respectively).

Client States & Revolutions
As a free bonus, we’ve tweaked the Client State interface to use the new flags from the Nation Designer, replacing the single-color single-icon flags from Art of War.

We’ve also made use of this system in the Revolution mechanics by having each nation generate a dynamic tricolor based on their national colors that will be used as their flag if they become the Revolutionary Target. No more French tricolor for everyone!

That's all for today - join us next Thursday for yet another development diary that will be all about the Americas and Liberty.

+ Here are all videos about the Nation Designer:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqRhPbyFDQWjpJjylLqRQFNbC_vxoORU1

Europa Universalis IV: El Dorado expansion - Nation Designer Highlights
[video=youtube;WX3XGI4BFes]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WX3XGI4BFes[/video]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WX3XGI4BFes

EU4: El Dorado - Nation Designer Livestream - Part 1 - Devs play the beta:
[video=youtube;GrwHCojtB8o]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrwHCojtB8o[/video]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrwHCojtB8o

EU4: El Dorado - Nation Designer Livestream - Part 2 - Devs play the beta:
[video=youtube;OMUO1ohXZAY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMUO1ohXZAY[/video]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMUO1ohXZAY

EU4: El Dorado - Nation Designer Livestream - Part 3 - Devs play the beta:
[video=youtube;EIMLSUjzIp8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIMLSUjzIp8[/video]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIMLSUjzIp8

EU4: El Dorado - Nation Designer Livestream - Part 4 - Devs play the beta:
[video=youtube;XgnxapM4WAI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgnxapM4WAI[/video]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgnxapM4WAI

EU4: El Dorado - Nation Designer Livestream - Part 5 - Devs play the beta
[video=youtube;H-xqEjSUrEs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-xqEjSUrEs&index=6&list=PLqRhPbyFDQWjpJjylLqRQFNbC_ vxoORU1[/video]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-xqEjSUrEs

 

[ChildeR]

Split stuff up so people have choice and you're nickle n diming them. Pack stuff together for added value and you're "bundling". Can't win either way.

I'm in the separate > bundling wagon, but here it's especially jarring since there doesn't seem to be a thematic connection between nation designer and El Dorado. (Unlike, say, retinues in Legacy or Rome, which I also didn't especially like.)

 

[Rainbow Mirage]

ZZZZzzzzzzZZZzzZ Boring feature....

 

[LordofWarN02]

This remind me of Ruler Designer of CK II, however good idea but this should be seperated DLC instead part of El Dorado.

 

[grommile]

I forgot to include this in my previous post, but bundling works when the average value is considered fair by the consumer. The problem arises when one product has no or very little value for one consumer. Then the consumer needs to buy the full bundle but only desires part of it, i.e. he is forced to overspent.

And yet, where video game DLC is concerned, publishers are in a perfect Morton's Fork. Look at the Paradox forums, and you will see people screaming at Paradox for "nickel and diming" them by separating out the cosmetic DLCs from the mechanical DLCs, and also people screaming at Paradox for not separating out the individual mechanical elements.

Quite simply, the publisher can't win on this one, so they may as well do as they please.

 

[Brent15]

Do we have to create a new nation or can we customize an already existing nation ?

For the designer, that would be the most useful option IMO.

 

[Mikalos]

No because SI isn't bundled, i.e. consumer choice prevails. Jan Mayan, Byzantium and Babylon were a joke.

I forgot to include this in my previous post, but bundling works when the average value is considered fair by the consumer. The problem arises when one product has no or very little value for one consumer. Then the consumer needs to buy the full bundle but only desires part of it, i.e. he is forced to overspent.

still ahistorical fantasy crap. You cant pick and choose which ahistorical fantasy crap you like and dont lik if your going to complain about it.

Also, i had to buy res publica to get the focus feature, i dont play republics that often, especially dutch ones, but im forced to have a DLC i didnt need just so i could have a useful feature. Same with WON and, iirc, hindu features. and whichever DLC added fervor.

this game already packages unrelated features in with DLC, deal with it

 

[Bijeli Kamen]

For the designer, that would be the most useful option IMO.

For me its the same. But nevertheless, this is an important first step, and if they could implement this additional feature in later patches, I would be absolutely happy. rather step by step than not at all

 

[winddy]

Wiz, Do you have any custom nation only to show us? I wish I can see it to make sure that is would be real or not. Like only 2 custom nations or 32 custom nations (I mean, I WILL go insta-buy if that thing is real. I really wait for something like that a really long time.) Please. :3

 

[hajutze]

This will be fun in MP
First NI ? - 100% core creation cost
2nd NI ? - 100% core creation cost
3rd NI ? - take a wild guess

First idea group ? - aristocracy (troll-mode on)

 

[Mikalos]

Wiz, Do you have any custom nation only to show us? I wish I can see it to make sure that is would be real or not. Like only 2 custom nations or 32 custom nations (I mean, I WILL go insta-buy if that thing is real. I really wait for something like that a really long time.) Please. :3

What?

 

[TheDarkMaster]

IMPORTANT QUESTION

How do AI controlled custom nations decide what idea groups they should take?

Ex, we might make a bunch of nations on the west coast of Europe to make the colonization game much more interesting, but if they never actually take exploration, what's the point? On the other hand, a custom nation in the Black Sea shouldn't take exploration at all, unless it was a fairly late idea since they AI will never be able to actually set up colonists at that range. A nation in a very culturally and religiously homogenous region is not served by taking religious or humanist ideas at all, while being in the opposite situation means you should almost certainly take at least one.

 

[Bijeli Kamen]

This will be fun in MP
First NI ? - 100% core creation cost
2nd NI ? - 100% core creation cost
3rd NI ? - take a wild guess

First idea group ? - aristocracy (troll-mode on)

Its not possible to take one type of idea twice in the NI's. I'd rather prefer that things like missionaries, diplomats, merchants and colonists would be excluded from this rule. Najd i.e. has 2 Missionaries in their NI

 

[Brodacious]

This DLC looks amazing so far. Its gonna be a must buy.

 

[hajutze]

You can still cheat the system - take azores as capital (should work for western tech), the rest - bunch of subsaharan lands. Make yourself shia, first NI - religious convertion against heretics (since it's always a bigger % than the regular one).
Take religious first - free cb on everyone in that region and after you finish religious - super fast conversion.

 

[hashinshin]

This will be fun in MP
First NI ? - 100% core creation cost
2nd NI ? - 100% core creation cost
3rd NI ? - take a wild guess

First idea group ? - aristocracy (troll-mode on)

Judging from their points system 100% core creation cost will take the same amount of points as 10% discipline. So.

 

[Cèsar de Quart]

still ahistorical fantasy crap. You cant pick and choose which ahistorical fantasy crap you like and dont lik if your going to complain about it.

Also, i had to buy res publica to get the focus feature, i dont play republics that often, especially dutch ones, but im forced to have a DLC i didnt need just so i could have a useful feature. Same with WON and, iirc, hindu features. and whichever DLC added fervor.

this game already packages unrelated features in with DLC, deal with it

Again, it's a tool. You can use it to create the United Fart Empire of Poo, or the Awe Kingdom of Some, but you can also use it to create the rebellious Huguenot Parliament of Languedoc in the 1620's, or the Communard pseudo-republican insurrects of Castille in the 1520's, or Murat's Kingdom of Naples.

I think it's a very interesting tool.

Alas, it doesn't seem like we'll be able to edit existing nations. CK Ruler Designer didn't allow this either.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

This will be fun in MP
First NI ? - 100% core creation cost
2nd NI ? - 100% core creation cost
3rd NI ? - take a wild guess

First idea group ? - aristocracy (troll-mode on)

You can't stack types like this I'm pretty sure (it would do funny things to maintenance, attrition, etc).

Also, it's a lot more fun to stack big core creation cost with -culture conversion cost, that way they can't force you to release anything and lose cores either .

Might as well toss in huge defensiveness, attrition, and morale too to make assaults, moving in your territory, and sieging just awful. Maybe some -build cost for forts.

 

[Mikalos]

why did you reply that too me?

 

[crownsteler]

still ahistorical fantasy crap. You cant pick and choose which ahistorical fantasy crap you like and dont lik if your going to complain about it.

Also, i had to buy res publica to get the focus feature, i dont play republics that often, especially dutch ones, but im forced to have a DLC i didnt need just so i could have a useful feature. Same with WON and, iirc, hindu features. and whichever DLC added fervor.

this game already packages unrelated features in with DLC, deal with it

I'm talking about bundling, not about the relative merits of each DLC. That is a discussion which, as mentioned, I feel disinclined to have.
I'm also only commenting on this particular bundle. The other bundles are better thematically linked and therefor more logical to bundle together. This bundle consists of two completely seperate products: a more or less stand alone nation designer and the new world game mechanics.

And yet, where video game DLC is concerned, publishers are in a perfect Morton's Fork. Look at the Paradox forums, and you will see people screaming at Paradox for "nickel and diming" them by separating out the cosmetic DLCs from the mechanical DLCs, and also people screaming at Paradox for not separating out the individual mechanical elements.

Quite simply, the publisher can't win on this one, so they may as well do as they please.

I just want to make clear that my comments aren't aimed at the developers. I fully understand they can't please all, and they need to make what is the best decision for them. I personally feel this should be debundled. That is my opinion, no need to discuss that any further.
My comments are directed at the people saying 'you don't have to use the nation designer if you buy the DLC.'
That is all.

 

[Wagonlitz]

Can you use custom nations to just add or remove a few provinces? Say I want to play an alternate history Denmark game where Denmark and not Sweden gobbled up the Småland principalities (wasn't impossible). Can I then choose Denmark and just add Småland, or do I have to build a custom Denmark?

And don't forget that your roots are historical games. This way of doing it where people have a choise is fine, but I would be sad if the historical part is eventually phased out. Though I will at least once try a game where only custom nations exist. And then have 32 western tech OPMs with godly ideas---just to see what happens. Since that will probably be rather expensive for the custom OPMs in the Americas: Can I mod the points limit above 800?

Yes, but you keep your custom ideas.

Does that go for all country formations? I.e. if I make an event where you can create Denmark (I wouldn't want to continue without Dannebrog; it isn't Denmark without it) and I make sure to mirror everything in the existing country formation events, will my custom ideas then be kept? Or is it hardcoded which countries can keep their custom ideas?