Europa Universalis IV: Conquest of Paradise dev diary 6: Colonial nations

[Comradebot]

Do have to ask: will it be moddable to allow colonial nations to exist outside of the Americas?

Would love to do some colonizing with my Nubians in my converted CKII game, it'd be nice to spend the last few decades as a Nubian Australian nation. But I understand, Oceania and Africa just aren't really set up how this will work, and both (Africa in particular) would need a map and mechanics overhaul to work properly and not become an ahistorical mess. Hopefully, we'll get that someday.



Also, can you give us any info on how naming will work in the event these nations become independent? I mean, sure, Castillian La Plata could become La Plata/Argentina, the Thirteen Colonies could become the USA... but all those other potential nation? Guess we'll see, though really the only real concern would be player nations, as the number of even potential colonizers amongst the AI are pretty few.

 

[Chief of Staff]

While I'm loving so far what has been revealed about this upcoming expansion pack, I also want to add my support for the proposed expansion pack to include colonial mechanics for Asia and especially the trading companies as someone here suggested. India was an extremely important part of the British Empire, at least in the late EU era and into Vicky era, so there is no reason why attention shouldn't be given to the colonization and trade in Asia as part of a future expansion pack which can be focused on Asia and even could also have features Paradox might consider for Asian nations like Japan and China.

In other words, you basically have vanilla that's heavily focused on Europe, this announced expansion pack on New World, and next one could be focused on Asia. Basically, each pack would be focused on a particular region. Maybe even have one for Africa, too, though I don't know about that one. Just a thought.

 

[TheBloke]

In other words, you basically have vanilla that's heavily focused on Europe, this announced expansion pack on New World, and next one could be focused on Asia. Basically, each pack would be focused on a particular region. Maybe even have one for Africa, too, though I don't know about that one. Just a thought.

Now that they've done all the work putting in the mechanics, I would be hopeful that expanding it to other areas wouldn't need a whole DLC to do, and certainly not a DLC per area, but could be done bit by bit with successive patches.

So I'm hoping that after this DLC provides New World, future regions come as later patch changes. And then the next DLCs are used for different areas of the game. Like a Dynasties DLC. A Trade DLC. And so on.

 

[Chief of Staff]

Now that they've done all the work putting in the mechanics, I would be hopeful that expanding it to other areas wouldn't need a whole DLC to do, and certainly not a DLC per area, but could be done bit by bit with successive patches.

So I'm hoping that after this DLC provides New World, future regions come as later patch changes. And then the next DLCs are used for different areas of the game. Like a Dynasties DLC. A Trade DLC. And so on.

I don't really see it as DLC worthy but as an expansion in its own right, though I don't know how much work it would really take to extend the mechanics. They could also add stuff like trading companies and some stuff for native Asian states like they did in EU3's Divine Wind though what features they could implement for China and Japan this time I have no idea. Anyway, those latter features are more appropriate for a later expansion.

 

[Darkath]

An asian DLC wouldn't really make sense as it was already fleshed out a bit by divine wind and even more with EUIV.

Trade companies could come as part as a larger DLC focusing on trade, but then again they already fleshed out trade a great deal in EUIV so i don't see them doing a trade DLC anytime soon...

To me the mechanics of a Colonial company don't have to be too different than the ones of colonial nation : ex when you own 5 provinces or more in the India or Indonesia Region, it forms a dynamic East indies company.

It still wouldn't really appliable to Australia/New zealand and Africa because it was not really appropriate for the time period.

 

[TheBloke]

I don't really see it as DLC worthy but as an expansion in its own right, though I don't know how much work it would really take to extend the mechanics. They could also add stuff like trading companies and some stuff for native Asian states like they did in EU3's Divine Wind though what features they could implement for China and Japan this time I have no idea. Anyway, those latter features are more appropriate for a later expansion.

DLCs and expansions are the same now. There's no separate thing called an 'expansion', all larger-scale, paid-for changes to the game are called DLCs. Same model as CK2 is following.

DLCs can be small, like American Dream or Purple Phoenix, or large, like CoP, where they're more on the scale of old-school expansions. And other changes, including new features, can come in free patches.

The biggest difference now is that all DLCs, large and small, are optional, whereas each old-school expansions (e.g. for EU3) relied on all previous expansions. And, worse, after an expansion came out, only that expansion got new patches. So if you didn't buy expansions, you stopped getting any patches at all pretty soon after the first expansion came out.

 

[Tiax]

So if I (or God forbid, the AI) happen to colonize a group of provinces which straddle a region boundary, and even though I have more than 5 contiguous colonies, no one region contains the magic number, nothing happens? That sounds super lame. It would be much better if colonial clusters were identified procedurally, both for the purposes of determining the borders of these new colonial nations, as well as colonial revolters (since it sounds like one of these new nations could span multiple revolter nations' worth of territory). Having hard-coded colonial regions currently leads to ridiculous colonial core patterns when colonization doesn't match historical boundaries, and it seems likely to do the same with this new mechanic.

 

[balmung60]

Can we, if playing a non-western power, still westernize off of colonial states? Like if I'm... let's say Ryukyu, and I colonize the New World, thus forming New Ryukyu (or whatever you call it) and my colony gains a border with Nouvelle Flandre, will I be able to westernize off of this (assuming, of course, that I meet all other conditions)? Or would only the colonial nation be able to westernize? Or something else?

 

[okKarlos]

Sort-of dumb question:
How much can you control these colonial governments?

 

[Korashy]

If the colonial nation wins the independence war does the "mother" country get a special type of cb "restore union for example" to re-vassalize them?

Also what happens when for example America spawns, win their war, and I then win the next war and take some provinces. Will that spawn a new colonial nation?

 

[Orinsul]

Also what happens when for example America spawns, win their war, and I then win the next war and take some provinces. Will that spawn a new colonial nation?

That was answered as yes.
All the dev posts are in the first couple pages if you want to check them out.

 

[ThatJamesguy01]

Sort-of dumb question:
How much can you control these colonial governments?

Time for some guesswork, see that new tab in the nation page. That is I assume for 'Colonial Policy' I'm going to guess either a slider type system or something like the Law's in CKII. Where Enacting further tightening of your colonial vassal Eg More Tax, Trade Power, Manpower, FL so forth from them you increase there Revolt thingy (You can see that at the top of the screen).

That is as far as I can deduce.

 

[Inkshootr]

Any theories as to what the "colonial regions" may be? We've seen the Thirteen Colonies already. Historically, the real-life "colonial nations" included all these at various points in time:

The Thirteen Colonies (Great Britain)
Rupert's Land (Great Britain)
Newfoundland (Great Britain)
Quebec (France)
Acadia (France)
Louisiana (France)
Viceroyalty of New Spain (Spain)
-Mexico
-Peru
-Hispaniola
-Cuba
-California
Alaska (Russia)
Brazil (Portugal)
Suriname (Netherlands)

There were also several minor colonies from other nations that didn't fare so well, like New Sweden and New Netherlands, which were both absorbed into the Thirteen Colonies, and even a small colony from the Baltic state of Courland/Kurland.

 

[Saracha]

There were also several minor colonies from other nations that didn't fare so well, like New Sweden and New Netherlands, which were both absorbed into the Thirteen Colonies, and even a small colony from the Baltic state of Courland/Kurland.

Wow I had no idea about that, looks like I just found my next playthrough idea.

On a separate matter though if our nation in the old world is tiny and our new world possessions outstrip the homeland is there going to be some way to switch what nation is primary?

 

[C.N.]

Wow I had no idea about that, looks like I just found my next playthrough idea.

On a separate matter though if our nation in the old world is tiny and our new world possessions outstrip the homeland is there going to be some way to switch what nation is primary?

Related to that, what effect will a colonial nation have on minor states that otherwise could be annexed in a lost war?
Will it:
- A) Block any annexation
- B) The conqueror will steal the colonial nation
- C) The colonial nation becomes independent
- D) The conqueror can demand provinces belonging to the colonial nation?

 

[Orinsul]

Any theories as to what the "colonial regions" may be? We've seen the Thirteen Colonies already. Historically, the real-life "colonial nations" included all these at various points in time:

I would guess the same as the trade regions

The Centre of Trade in New York covers the historical 12 Colonies/Revolutionary USA, Likewise with Quebec and Canada, Lousiana and Louisiana, Mexico with Mexico, Caribbean Islands, etc theyre already set up along historical colonial and national bounderies more or less and it would mean not needing another map mode just for that.

And it makes sense for a game mechanics angle to have one colonial district per CoT as then it's controlling that trade so all neat and organised.

just a guess though based on how I would have done it not anything from PDS.

 

[StelarCF]

Shut up and take my money already. Where can I preorder?

 

[Captain Gars]

2 questions
1: do you have dynamic naming for any and every country that can colonize the world, such as China, India, and even say the hordes or Swahili?

No. Every region contains a number of flavor names connected to either tags, cultures, etc. And then each region has a list of generic names that anyone can use.

2: can colonial nations with the same mother country war with each other (without making the mother country going to war with the aggressor)?

No, no fighting between colonies of the same overlord.

As much as I love the new colonial mechanics, please please do NOT further butcher Arabic in your games. It's bad enough we have Al Surya Arabic and the like, calling New Granada "Jadida Granada" is like calling New Zealand, "Zealand New". While Jadida does mean new, its placement is not the same as English's. If you do want to call it New Granada but with Arabic "flavour", Granada Al Jadida is much much better and actually correct kinda!

I guess we don't a have a beta who speaks Arabic, but we will look into this on Monday.

So if I (or God forbid, the AI) happen to colonize a group of provinces which straddle a region boundary, and even though I have more than 5 contiguous colonies, no one region contains the magic number, nothing happens? That sounds super lame. It would be much better if colonial clusters were identified procedurally, both for the purposes of determining the borders of these new colonial nations, as well as colonial revolters (since it sounds like one of these new nations could span multiple revolter nations' worth of territory). Having hard-coded colonial regions currently leads to ridiculous colonial core patterns when colonization doesn't match historical boundaries, and it seems likely to do the same with this new mechanic.

Since the regions determine what names to be used and what potential countries they can turn into later we need to stick to predetermined regions. And you have a special map mode for it so there's no reason to "happen to colonize" in the wrong place. However once a colony is formed, that colony can in itself expand beyond the colonial region border.

Any theories as to what the "colonial regions" may be? We've seen the Thirteen Colonies already. Historically, the real-life "colonial nations" included all these at various points in time:

The Thirteen Colonies (Great Britain)
Rupert's Land (Great Britain)
Newfoundland (Great Britain)
Quebec (France)
Acadia (France)
Louisiana (France)
Viceroyalty of New Spain (Spain)
-Mexico
-Peru
-Hispaniola
-Cuba
-California
Alaska (Russia)
Brazil (Portugal)
Suriname (Netherlands)

There were also several minor colonies from other nations that didn't fare so well, like New Sweden and New Netherlands, which were both absorbed into the Thirteen Colonies, and even a small colony from the Baltic state of Courland/Kurland.

• Alaska
• Canada
• Eastern America
• Louisiana
• California
• Mexico
• The Caribbean
• Colombia
• Peru
• La Plata
• Brazil
• Guyana

And all of the names you mentioned in your post are used as potential names

 

[Orinsul]

Thanks for addressing late questions!

Will you be able to interfere in your colony?
Sack it's governor or tell it what to build or etc?
And might they re-namable in-game? [And if not, do the names work the same as with provinces and in CK2 so in editing the save file it'd just changing what's in the quote?]

 

[Silversweeeper]

A few questions:

1. If it is basically impossible to hold land in the Americas, what does this mean for the World Conquest and Three Mountains achievements?

2. Will you get automatic fleet basing rights with your colonies?

3. Will the colonies formed by a colonial nation be restricted to certain areas, or will the Thirteen Colonies put colonies of their own in Brazil or even Australia?

4. If a colony rebels, will we be able to retake the whole thing if we win the war, or will the warscore cost be too high?

And, just for fun:

5. If colonial nations are coloured as a bleached version of their motherland, what happens if Austria or the Papal State colonizes the New World?