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Having played over 2.000 hours since day 1 when EUIV came out, i can attest that If there is one thing that makes a country truly unique in EUIV are it's national ideas and starting position. These two are closely linked, as they provide that unique flavor far more than anything else. Personally these are the two most important factors that make me decide which nation to play, and I believe that I am not alone in this. Seeing as how devs announced changes to the Balkan region, and since map changes and culture wars have already been posted and played out in these forums, i decided to make an in depth analysis of one of the nations in the Balkan region. If this post is met with positive response i will do this for other countries as well. Two key factors that decide suggested changes are their historical accuracy and benefit they provide from gameplay perspective (that is, the bonus itself and the impact it has when unlocked)
Serbian national ideas, if i am correct, were introduced in patch 1.2 and were mostly nerfed as the time went on.
Firstly, let's summarize the starting position:
#1: Serbia is located in the middle of the Balkan peninsula, it borders Bosnia to the west, Hungary to the north, Ottomans to the south/east and and two OPMs to it's south - Albania and Ragusa. Lastly there are three more countries in his immediate surroundings that the player can come in contact with: Byzantium, Wallachia and Venice.
#2 It's development is divided into 17bt/17production/8mp.
#3 The religion is Orthodox Christianity and tech group is Eastern.
Keeping these things in mind let's analyze Serbian NIs from both historical and gameplay perspective point by point:
To summarize:
Out of 10 bonuses these ideas provide, two are good, one is ok, one is mediocre and six don't really do anything. Furthermore, the order in which they are unlocked makes it so that the only good bonus is received long after it is needed, as by this point the player has either dealt with the ottomans or is eaten by them.
This is a list of changes that will make Serbian NIs much more useful, historically accurate and will bring some much needed flavor to the country. In custom nation creator they take up precisely 52.1 points. They are by no means overpowered. Again, these are based on historical accuracy and benefit they would provide gameplay wise. I am also keeping in mind that the dev team has a lot on it's hands so i will attempt to keep the changes to a very minimum in the descriptions department.
Bonus is also an abstraction of the western economic and cultural influence in Serbia of that period.
It is a nice double bonus idea, not overpowered. Historically accurate, Serbian rebel army built large field fortifications to mitigate ottoman artillery and numerical superiority. He was also known as a very strict man that disciplined the army comprised of former brigands, it is said that he personally executed over 150 people for not obeying the rules - including his own brother for raping a village girl. It is also an abstraction of numerous victories achieved by the Serbian rebel army during the 1804-1817 revolutions that resulted in Serbia becoming a state again. Falls withing the time frame of the game.
These bonuses are constructed to portray the Serbian despotate and the Serbian state in the centuries that came. It is a nice set of ideas, not overpowered, somewhat original but with every idea being useful. As a whole they make for a nice little set of tools that add to that feeling of defending your fort and building it up - a playstile that is forced upon Serbia by it's surroundings and circumstances.
Serbian national ideas, if i am correct, were introduced in patch 1.2 and were mostly nerfed as the time went on.
Firstly, let's summarize the starting position:
#1: Serbia is located in the middle of the Balkan peninsula, it borders Bosnia to the west, Hungary to the north, Ottomans to the south/east and and two OPMs to it's south - Albania and Ragusa. Lastly there are three more countries in his immediate surroundings that the player can come in contact with: Byzantium, Wallachia and Venice.
#2 It's development is divided into 17bt/17production/8mp.
#3 The religion is Orthodox Christianity and tech group is Eastern.
Keeping these things in mind let's analyze Serbian NIs from both historical and gameplay perspective point by point:
- 1. Traditions are 15% manpower recovery speed and 15% reinforce speed.
The game depicts situation in 1444 quite accurately when it comes to manpower - during the middle ages Balkans was always scarcely populated, furthermore, exhausted by constant wars by the time the game starts, Serbia doesn't have many men available to take up arms, having traditions that fall in what is essentially army quantity ideas makes very little sense.
Serbia has a very small manpower pool - 13k when full, these traditions ultimately bring no reward in what is arguably the most critical phase of the game in this scenario.
Serbia has a very small manpower pool - 13k when full, these traditions ultimately bring no reward in what is arguably the most critical phase of the game in this scenario.
- First idea: Code of Laws -1 unrest
Description says it's the inspiration for Serbia's very first code of laws, however this is false, since the first code of laws is Zakonopravilo created in 1219 by Rastko Nemanjic aka St. Sava. Since Serbian religion is Orthodox, all provinces are of Serbian culture and Orthodox faith, and since all expansion routes at the start are essentially into other orthodox/catholic territories that have the same culture group, this idea is lackluster at best seeing as how the player is very unlikely to face any revolt.
- Second idea: Bastion of Orthodoxy -10% stability cost.
All of the countries that were the target of the Ottoman conquest considered themselves a bastion of Christianity, this is hardly unique for Serbia.
Again, since Serbia is orthodox, -10% stability cost on top of the additional -10% cost that is a bonus to orthodox faith, as well as orthodox events that grant free stability make this idea pretty underwhelming.
Again, since Serbia is orthodox, -10% stability cost on top of the additional -10% cost that is a bonus to orthodox faith, as well as orthodox events that grant free stability make this idea pretty underwhelming.
- Third idea: Home of the Hussars -10% cavalry cost
A well chosen idea from the historical perspective. However, this is my problem: cavalry is very weak, and in any proper army composition, even in very large armies, a player doesn't need more than 2-4 units of cavalry.
- Fourth idea: Alemmanic Guard +15% cavalry combat ability
Historically, all countries in the Balkans hired mercenaries, Germans were only one of the groups, and only person to my knowledge that kept a Germanic guard was Tsar Dushan the Mighty. Lead by a knight named Palman, the guard is claimed to be consisted of 300 men. Keeping a guard of German knights was not by any means a tradition in medieval Serbia. Also, by the time the player unlocks this idea, the game is in mid to late 16th century, armored knights are a thing of the past. From the gameplay perspective regarding the bonus, everything that was said about Home of the Hussars applies to this idea as well.
- Fifth idea: Gold Mines +10% production efficiency
Historically accurate, first bonus that is fine, nothing to add.
- Sixth idea: Mercenary Armies -15% mercenary maintenance
As stated above, Serbian rulers did hire mercenaries, but this practice had died out by the end of 14th century. This bonus would make much more sense if it was moved to traditions.
- Seventh idea: Balkan Hajduks +10% morale and Ambition +10% inf combat
I grouped these two together because they are unlocked at the same time: Standard army quality bonuses, they would shine if they were able to be unlocked earlier in the game.
Out of 10 bonuses these ideas provide, two are good, one is ok, one is mediocre and six don't really do anything. Furthermore, the order in which they are unlocked makes it so that the only good bonus is received long after it is needed, as by this point the player has either dealt with the ottomans or is eaten by them.
This is a list of changes that will make Serbian NIs much more useful, historically accurate and will bring some much needed flavor to the country. In custom nation creator they take up precisely 52.1 points. They are by no means overpowered. Again, these are based on historical accuracy and benefit they would provide gameplay wise. I am also keeping in mind that the dev team has a lot on it's hands so i will attempt to keep the changes to a very minimum in the descriptions department.
- Traditions: 10% morale and -15% mercenary maintenance.
- First idea: Code of laws: +10% national tax income.
- Second idea: National renaissance: +10% Institution spread
Bonus is also an abstraction of the western economic and cultural influence in Serbia of that period.
- Third idea: Home of the Hussars: +15% cavalry combat ability
- Fourth Idea: Morava architectural school: -10% construction cost
- Fifth idea: Gold mines +10% production efficiency.
- Sixth idea: Balkan Hajduks (should probably be renamed to Serbian Hajduks) +10% infantry combat ability.
- Seventh idea: Army Reforms -5% Fire damage recieved and +3% (or 2.5%) discipline.
It is a nice double bonus idea, not overpowered. Historically accurate, Serbian rebel army built large field fortifications to mitigate ottoman artillery and numerical superiority. He was also known as a very strict man that disciplined the army comprised of former brigands, it is said that he personally executed over 150 people for not obeying the rules - including his own brother for raping a village girl. It is also an abstraction of numerous victories achieved by the Serbian rebel army during the 1804-1817 revolutions that resulted in Serbia becoming a state again. Falls withing the time frame of the game.
- Ambition: -10% Development Cost
These bonuses are constructed to portray the Serbian despotate and the Serbian state in the centuries that came. It is a nice set of ideas, not overpowered, somewhat original but with every idea being useful. As a whole they make for a nice little set of tools that add to that feeling of defending your fort and building it up - a playstile that is forced upon Serbia by it's surroundings and circumstances.
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