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.

 

[Golladan]

I believe the 6 Free Cities shown are Ravensburg, Memmingen, Nuremberg, Ulm, Frankfurt, and Aachen.

 

[blackchoas]

Can I offer the rights of a Free City to any OPM that qualifies? and does that instantly make them a republic even if they were a Monarchy or Theocracy before?

Do Free Cities have a special government type or are they just Administrative Republics by default?

Great to see more mechanics that make the emperor keep the HRE non unified, although it is another burden on the Emperor if you get too weak you can't protect the Empire from external threats nor can you afford to stop other HRE powers from taking over the Free Cities,

Luther and Buddha next week? EU Great Man mechanics interact with Luther and the Buddha directly Kappa

 

[Targor]

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 Electorate status of your

I think you missed sth here (;

 

[N0body]

Looking good.

 

[Dakilla TM]

Yay! I can't wait for next week though! Buddhism isn't gonna suck anymore

 

[Sredit]

I like how the Electors are now marked among the Princes with their own icon type. Will that and the new Free City icons appear elsewhere, such as on the province screen?

 

[wergy]

Great news. But why 7 hardcoded Free City? Why not more? Why not less?

 

[TheBoozehammer]

Great news. But why 7 hardcoded Free City? Why not more? Why not less?

I don't thin "hardcoded" is the right word, as modders can probably chage it. As for why, there has to be a limit somewhere, maybe it is the most that show up in any bookmarks, at least by Paradox's classification?

 

[Denkt]

Not that interesting DD, this is the real deal.

Next week we’ll focus on Luther and Buddha.

 

[Me_]

I don't thin "hardcoded" is the right word, as modders can probably chage it. As for why, there has to be a limit somewhere, maybe it is the most that show up in any bookmarks, at least by Paradox's classification?

Real-life emperors were not constrained by such petty limitations with 51 imperial cities at most, but I agree that a limit is necessary. One thing I fear is that we'll end up seeing free cities of Pisa, Siena or Lucca (hopefuly added in the next patch).

Also: Breda now part of Brabant, Cleves and Liege got an extra province. Piedmont visibly smaller.

 

[Duke of Britain]

I'm curious about what the Reformation (I assume it's the reformation as a whole, not just protestantism) and Buddhism are getting.

 

[redomer]

When will you make a day 48 h long so we can play a reasonable amount of time a day ? Lets say 24 h.

 

[kerannymi]

So, every one-province-minor in the HRE can ask the emperor for the free city status? and it will guarantee the independence for you from every other HRE member, right?

 

[Me_]

So, every one-province-minor in the HRE can ask the emperor for the free city status? and it will guarantee the independence for you from every other HRE member, right?

No. You cannot ask for it, you have to be a republic and you need to have at least 10 development. Plus there can be only 7. Just read the diary. It's really short.

 

[happymix91]

One thing I fear is that we'll end up seeing free cities of Pisa, Siena or Lucca (hopefuly added in the next patch).

Milan -> Ambrosian republic -> lose provinces and become OPM -> Imperial Free city -> End of the world

 

[Promanco]

Hey thank you for posting this so early Wiz I'll be at the uni all day so this works out.

EDIT:It has been point out that it was Johan that made the post, shame on me for not reading and making assumptions lol.

 

[the cool guy]

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 Electorate status of your

Fix plz.

 

[blackchoas]

Are Free Cities always Republics or do you have to be a Republic to become a Free City?

Based on what was said I took it that you can offer Free City Status to any OPM and if they are not a Republic they will become one when they accept and that they can not cease to be a Republic so long as they are a Free City

 

[FleetingRain]

So, do all these changes to Europe mean it'll be richer BT-wise, or are you guys splitting the riches to increase the province/nation count?

 

[Me_]

It seems like Austria is getting buffed again: extra tax and manpower, extra IA and more bonuses from the number of princes in the HRE.

Hey thank you for posting this so early Wiz I'll be at the uni all day so this works out.

It's Johan actually.