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Hello everyone and welcome to another development diary for Europa Universalis IV. I’m not sure how many times I’ve written these exact words in the last 8 years, but this time it is a special one. It may not be to announce an unprecedented new feature, or to tell you guys that having two consuls in rome is a stupid idea, or anything like that..

Today I’m here to introduce the new team for Europa Universalis IV. This summer we started up and recruited for a new studio based in Barcelona to take care of the game. While Starnan and Neondt having left the team this summer, Groogy is still part of the EU team, working as game designer and programmer with us.

So Paradox Tinto, who are we?

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Johan Andersson
I suspect most of you know me by now, but for those who don’t. I’ve been here since 1998 and was one of the founders of Paradox, and ran PDS as Studio Manager for 15 years, and have spent the last 5 years as a creative director there. Now I am here starting up a new studio in a new country, and this is something I’m super-excited about.


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Sonia Linares

Hola! I am Sonia Linares, Studio Operations Manager at Paradox Tinto.
I started my career within the Video Games Industry over 11 years ago in Madrid. During all these years, I have worked with a multitude of AAA games and a wide range of development Studios across the globe. I also have been lucky enough to be part of different departments & functions like Publishing Operations, Product Launch, Central Development Services -Age Ratings, Localization, Certification and First Party Submissions- .
I am sure that running Paradox Tinto (Barcelona) with Johan Andersson will be one of the most challenging, enlightening and fun jobs I have ever had!
Other than that I like sports, traveling and I love sweets.

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Alexander Ivannikov

Hi, I'm Alexivan. I've been working at PDS for the last 7 years on pretty much all of our projects and my current favourite PDS game is EU4. I feel very lucky and happy to be joining the Tinto team as the new Tech Lead and once again work on EU4.
In my spare time I play a lot of games and watch tons of anime, tv series, and movies. Some of my favourite games outside PDS are factorio, GTA5 MP, Terraria. When it comes to TV I would definitely recommend Watchmen, I love both the movie and the tv series. My anime recommendation for you guys would be Gintama. Leave a comment if you have suggestions on new things for me to check out.

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David Horler
Hello, my name is David Horler, and I am the Art Lead at Tinto.
I began at Paradox South way back in 2013, where I worked on 3D art for Crusader Kings II and Europa Universalis IV.
For the last 3 years I've been at Paradox Development Studio, where I started off painting the Imperator: Rome world map. Most recently I was the technical artist on Crusader Kings III, where I got to work a little bit on almost everything artsy, like the environments, to the coats of arms, and the portraits, as well as lots of slightly less artsy behind-the-scenes stuff with our excellent Engine and Tools teams.
I'm a strategy gamer and really into history, so I'm very excited to help set up a new team of GSG-focused artists where we can put into practice everything we've learnt over the last few years.


Verónica Pazos
Hey! I'm Verónica, content designer at Paradox Tinto. I joined the team just a month ago, so my work has mainly consisted of getting to know the workflow and writing lots of flavor text. From now on, I'll be taking part in the design team and I'm really excited about creating a new heresy (and hopefully more content for your favorite countries). I like writing, History and games, so I kind of run out of hobbies coming here.

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Jordi Santiago
Hi, I'm Jordi Santiago, gameplay programmer at Paradox Tinto. Me and some of my fellow workers here in Tinto have just joined Paradox, so I'm still getting familiar with code and stuff. Hopefully, I will be soon making your favorite games just a little better.

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Adrián González
Hi! I'm Adrián and I've just arrived at Paradox Tinto. I'm a software engineer who will be working as a Gameplay programmer (or whatever is related to code!). Our team has just started and I'm very excited to see what we can build together. If I'm not playing and learning about EUIV, you can find me at Hallownest, Toussaint, or Caed Nua :)


Next week we are getting another content designer, and by the end of October another programmer. We are also recruiting UI & Concept Artists, and an UX Designer!

Building a new team is something that takes time. A programmer, even if he is very skilled with a lot of experience, takes a fair bit of time to learn a codebase, until that person is able to create new features. The same is for designers or artists, as it takes time to understand philosophies and processes. However, we have already working on new things together, and today we’ll show you the first things!


For a long time we have had one of the idea groups you can pick from switch depending on if you are a republic or not. Republics would get plutocracy and the others Aristocracy. Now in the next big update, we’ll have 3 new idea groups that can become available depending on what type of country you play.

Horde Government Ideas

Code:
horde_gov_ideas = {
    category = MIL
  
    bonus = {
        cavalry_power = 0.25
    }
  
    trigger = {
        has_reform = steppe_horde
    }
  
    horse_lords = {
        cavalry_cost = -0.33
    }
    beyond_the_sun = {
        ae_impact = -0.1
    }
    mandate_of_the_khan = {
        religious_unity = 0.25
    }
    there_shall_be_no_grass = {
        land_attrition = -0.2
    }
    horde_loyalty = {
        global_unrest = -1
    }
    watchers_of_the_silk_road = {  
        caravan_power = 0.20
    }
    a_magnanimous_empire = {
        num_accepted_cultures = 2
    }
  
    ai_will_do = {
        factor = 20
    }
}


Divine Ideas
Code:
theocracy_gov_ideas = {
    category = MIL
  
    bonus = {
        global_heretic_missionary_strength = 0.01
        church_loyalty_modifier = 0.1
        brahmins_hindu_loyalty_modifier = 0.1
        brahmins_muslim_loyalty_modifier = 0.1
    }
  
    trigger = {
        government = theocracy
    }
    servants_of_god = {
        devotion = 1
    }
    by_the_grace_of_god = {
        fire_damage_received = -0.1
    }
    friends_in_high_places = {
        leader_cost = -0.2
    }
    flesh_is_weak = {
        land_morale = 0.1
    }
    alpha_and_omega = {
        enforce_religion_cost = -0.1
        culture_conversion_cost = -0.1
    }
    conviction_of_sin = {
        global_unrest = -2
    }
    martyrs = {
        global_manpower_modifier = 0.15
    }
    ai_will_do = {
        factor = 0.9
        modifier = {
            factor = 0
            has_idea_group = humanist_ideas
        }
    }
}


Indigenous Ideas
Code:
indigenous_ideas = {
    category = MIL

    bonus = {
        global_institution_spread = 0.25
    }

    trigger = {
        has_government_attribute = enables_natives_idea_group
    }

    indigenous_bountiful_land = {
        tribal_development_growth = 0.05
        development_cost = -0.05
    }
    indigenous_irregular_warfare = {
        hostile_attrition = 1
    }
    indigenous_constitution = {
        reform_progress_growth = 0.25
    }
    indigenous_braves = {
        land_morale = 0.10
    }
    indigenous_controlled_burns = {
        global_manpower_modifier = 0.2
    }
    indigenous_trade_with_foreigners = {
        idea_cost = -0.1
    }
    indigenous_treaties = {
        province_warscore_cost = -0.2
    }

    ai_will_do = {
        factor = 1.0
    }
}



When it comes to policies, these idea groups will be considered as aristocracy. Next week I’m back to talk a lot about some important balance changes we have been doing, with galleys, marines and other important things.
 
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Idk it's stupid guys, Me and ****** have told Johan on twitter how to make horde ideas properly. I don't know, you make gov cap to fight brainless blobbing, and now horde ideas to support brainless blobbing? It's weird, it's like you are randomly making content, without any real goal, what is your aim, what do u want to improve in this game? You made almost an exact copy of humanist but worse than humanist, it will be used only to stack these two and make easier WC, and people in this forum will randomly say it's good cause it has 20% cavalry combat ability, despite cavalry is still terribly bad for several reasons(like pips and stuff I'll say here) and players don't even know how it works, I think even dev's don't. I'll remind again what horde ideas needs
-100% cavalry cap on the finisher, now only tengri horde can have it for an unknown reason, it's impossible to make cavalry build while you still must use weak infantry.
-it should be more military(probably utility like movement speed or maybe at least one hard military bonus) and have more non-military bonuses focused on horde stuff (like razing eff, horde unity, loot speed), some people already mentioned what I said on twitter here.
-you guys must fix the cavalry deployment bug that makes cavalry fill the second row instead of artillery(ofc not in horde ideas but generally)
...
Actually, why I am even trying, I and my group will fix it in our balance mod, only deployment can't be fixed, it just sad we can't rely on you but we must all do by ourselves.
Or maybe it's next trying like with hegemons, when u gave totally random numbers and changed it after forum shitstorm only to show how u listen to your community (that was confirmed by paradox employee) but I don't think so. I'm sorry I criticize you but you REALLY need it, otherwise it'll be as random as it is now.
Theocracy is ok.
 
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And do not forget Tengri syncretic faith while we're at it.

Well for Tengri I'm a bit confused. Tengri can easily chose secondary faith, which means once you culture converted, let's say, Buddhist provinces you can choose Muslim as syncretic faith and do the same thing. I think that Tengri should remain as it is. My opinion though.
 
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Same question again, what is the scope of this update? Is it a focused regional update of SEA, with a side of American Natives as a passion project, or a checklist of things you want to get done?
 
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Plutocratic is very weak??
You noticed that there is also +10% morale in there? And you really want to give it +10% discipline too?

Not 10% discipline, 10% discipline *only for mercenaries*, which are significantly more expensive.

You can already get 10% discipline in the first 50 years as most nations, for example Ottomans: +5% in traditions + full offensive or quality. Slap on that Economic + Quality then you get +15% for every single unit, not only mercenaries.

So no, +10% discipline for mercenaries is not OP, if balanced by removing + Discipline from affecting mercenaries.

Before such a strong disagree tell me: Did you ever pick Plutocratic? AFAIK no one sane would ever pick it. What I am saying is that ideas should be balanced instead of some being OP and the rest being underwhelming.

In addition to unrest reduction and goods produced? Who would ever take defensive over plutocratic with your changes? If that is very weak then what is aristocratic?

Aristocratic could also use a buffing, it was not an exhaustive list of weak idea groups.

Also, Ideally some ideas would be mutually exclusive (like if you have Quality you shouldn't be able to have Quantity), or Humanist/Religious or Offensive/Defensive, like it was in eu2.

But yeah, in this case Defensive could use a slight buff, because to make best use of it you need Religious+Defensive, but then you are missing out on Economic+Quality which with +10% discipline is just amazingly more useful.
 
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What happened to government reforms that enabled/required aristocratic/plutocratic? Does a dynastic order now enable aristocratic ideas instead of requiring it? Can Muslims feudal Theocracies get divine ideas instead of aristocratic ones?
 
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I hope you won't become lazy with policies and balance around them - they are probably going to be even more important than idea groups themselves. 36 new policies awaits us!
He specifically said at the end that these new idea groups will be treated as aristocratic for the purpose of policies.
 
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So are you permanently in Tinto or is this just until the studio is stable or doesn't do well?

To the guy who said Lollards a bunch of times: I think a heretic patch could be fun. A patch where heretics give unique modifiers and events but still have the base religion.

I suppose lollards would destroy papal influence but give something else of equal value.
 
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Idk it's stupid guys, Me and Gasior have told Johan on twitter how to make horde ideas properly. I don't know, you make gov cap to fight brainless blobbing, and now horde ideas to support brainless blobbing? It's weird, it's like you are randomly making content, without any real goal, what is your aim, what do u want to improve in this game? You made almost an exact copy of humanist but worse than humanist, it will be used only to stack these two and make easier WC, and people in this forum will randomly say it's good cause it has 20% cavalry combat ability, despite cavalry is still terribly bad for several reasons(like pips and stuff I'll say here) and players don't even know how it works, I think even dev's don't. I'll remind again what horde ideas needs
-100% cavalry cap on the finisher, now only tengri horde can have it for an unknown reason, it's impossible to make cavalry build while you still must use weak infantry.
-it should be more military(probably utility like movement speed or maybe at least one hard military bonus) and have more non-military bonuses focused on horde stuff (like razing eff, horde unity, loot speed), some people already mentioned what I said on twitter here.
-you guys must fix the cavalry deployment bug that makes cavalry fill the second row instead of artillery(ofc not in horde ideas but generally)
...
Actually, why I am even trying, I and my group will fix it in our balance mod, only deployment can't be fixed, it just sad we can't rely on you but we must all do by ourselves.
Or maybe it's next trying like with hegemons, when u gave totally random numbers and changed it after forum shitstorm only to show how u listen to your community (that was confirmed by paradox employee) but I don't think so. I'm sorry I criticize you but you REALLY need it, otherwise it'll be as random as it is now.
Theocracy is ok.

And we wonder why Pdx doesn't listen to their fans.... also it's funny to accuse others of incoherency in content with such an incoherent rant ending with "well I can do better so I'm making a mod based on my own opinion of balance because u suck and I can make a better game myself." Honestly I think feedback would be much more effective in balancing the vanilla game if it wasn't polluted with this kind of thing.

You remind me of someone who says that Prussian monarchy is a bad government type because it doesn't allow you to convert to Orthodox and keep it... cavalry is bad for hordes? Really? And what hordes are really missing is even more razing efficiency and loot speed? Movement speed is a hard military bonus? For someone who claims to know more about balance than the devs you say some really odd things...
 
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I have a question: the team has so far not a person who will focus on AI, right? There are programmers, but I assume they'll mostly work on implementing new stuff. So far, it has been difficult to make the AI use new features decently at launch.

Regarding the new idea groups: cool, but expect to do some more tweaking. Most military-government idea groups are already on the weak. Also, maybe keep a unifying theme in all of them. For example, Aristocratic ideas gives the lower mil tech cost, but this modifier isn't always attainable as it depends on your government, while for the other two (dip tech cost and adm tech cost), you have always access to them. Most of the mil-gov idea groups also feature morale; maybe consider making this modifier shared over all of them?
 
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He specifically said at the end that these new idea groups will be treated as aristocratic for the purpose of policies.

It was my try in order to encourage Johan to revisit this statement.
 
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The indigenous slot is just... why? Why would I ever want to keep it after reforming? The only good thing there os -20% WS, but diplo gives you the same mod and is a top tier idea group.

The newly proposed NA reforms can instantly switch over idea group if the government reaches its fifth level to shape your government as you would like it, or speed closest to a european government settled nearby after becoming landed through the fourth level reforms. If Horde, Indigenous & Divine are all different sides of the same ideagroup, that only means you have to fill in plutocratic/monarchy seperately if you're driving towards those.

Totemist with full, divine ideagroup (presumably flipped from indigenous), and religious ideas both overcomes the natural +2 missionary strength but lets you counter-push colonization efforts & maintains a high level of internal stability you'd only normally get with NI's from specific pre-made theorcratic states would be a deceptively strong start from the under-dog position or converting to christianity to have more clout in European courts & diplomacy.

Still, the religion would be better as a whole if there was more to work with.
________________________________________________________________

Out a list of other 'Pagan' religions, Totemism (Mirrored with Animism) is really lack. Though i would say as a personal idea if each state within Tribal or settled land of Totemist religion had a totem pole modifier associated with it, it could facilitate a soft form of united 'state edict' by a religious buff to holding territory, and the subsequent alienation of local beliefs by tresspassers disabling or hindering benefits.
 
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The newly proposed NA reforms can instantly switch over idea group if the government reaches its fifth level to shape your government as you would like it, or speed closest to a european government settled nearby after becoming landed through the fourth level reforms. If Horde, Indigenous & Divine are all different sides of the same ideagroup, that only means you have to fill in plutocratic/monarchy seperately if you're driving towards those.

Totemist with full, divine ideagroup (presumably flipped from indigenous), and religious ideas both overcomes the natural +2 missionary strength but lets you counter-push colonization efforts & maintains a high level of internal stability you'd only normally get with NI's from specific pre-made theorcratic states would be a deceptively strong start from the under-dog position or converting to christianity to have more clout in European courts & diplomacy.

Still, the religion would be better as a whole if there was more to work with.
________________________________________________________________

Out a list of other 'Pagan' religions, Totemism (Mirrored with Animism) is really lack. Though i would say as a personal idea if each state within Tribal or settled land of Totemist religion had a totem pole modifier associated with it, it could facilitate a soft form of united 'state edict' by a religious buff to holding territory, and the subsequent alienation of local beliefs by tresspassers disabling or hindering benefits.

Yes I read the new NA mechanics but here is my question: Will it be worth taking it only for the monthly reform tick? And then, when you reform, will you really need whatever other group you get?

To your second paragraph, humanisn is far superior than Divine when it comes to nationwide stability and you can get much better military buffs by going with any other mil idea. So, what exactly is the point of Divine and Native ideas? They can't stand on their own and there are far superior support slots. Sure, Divine can be worth late game but how many games go to late game and is it really worth to have new ideas that aren't really that great to begin with?
 
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Amazing team, guys! Good to see that Paradox Tinto is so well prepared :)
 
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And we wonder why Pdx doesn't listen to their fans.... also it's funny to accuse others of incoherency in content with such an incoherent rant ending with "well I can do better so I'm making a mod based on my own opinion of balance because u suck and I can make a better game myself." Honestly I think feedback would be much more effective in balancing the vanilla game if it wasn't polluted with this kind of thing.

You remind me of someone who says that Prussian monarchy is a bad government type because it doesn't allow you to convert to Orthodox and keep it... cavalry is bad for hordes? Really? And what hordes are really missing is even more razing efficiency and loot speed? Movement speed is a hard military bonus? For someone who claims to know more about balance than the devs you say some really odd things...
Jesus christ, I said about utility bonuses (like movement) to differ it from other military ideas OR at least one hard because it's hardly military idea with one combat ability military bonus and attrition, what the heck is wrong with u here? Cavalry of hordes become bad in midgame, because of simple and easy to fix reasons I marked. I admit it may be unclear and not nice because I have no strength to say it again and again, main point with stuff u threw shit at was to make this idea MILITARY idea instead of humanist copy, for me it can even not have any economic ideas, but if they must be there then horde unity, raze eff are much more unique than humanist copy stuff.
Prussian monarchy is pretty okay. It's not about opinion, it's meta, used by not only me, my friends or my entire community or even dozens of other competitive groups, meta can change but it's never subjective, especially we all agree this is unbalanced and completely random. It's also not like i expect them to balance it for multiplayer because after 1.28 and bonuses like 50% manpower advantage for PLC it's impossible to play competitive without mods(even though we all play or played single too and it's universal, just harder to see against AI), I asked for fundamental stuff like 100% cav ratio for hordes in this idea group to make these horses playable and deleting effing bug which we cannot repair with mod (and that's why i even mentioned it). When i got attention i wasted a lot of time to consult with my community and sent feedback via twitter, and nothing changed, this is exactly the same as before.
 
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