An Open Letter to Paradox and the Community
I’m not an active poster on the forums nor am I active in the moding community. But, I am a very active player. With the most recent dlc (common sense), I think it is time we take a step back and assess the game in its entirety. Common sense vastly improved numerous aspects of the game, but it also added some imbalances (as always happens with the addition of new features). Below are a few of my (unsolicited) suggestions. While Arumba may post videos about game tweaks, many of my adjustments have to do with gameplay and balance. Some may be controversial. Don’t think I am taking a hardline stance on these issues, my suggestions are just suggestions. What I hope is that it will start a discussion between the community and paradox that will lead to a better game.
I’m not an active poster on the forums nor am I active in the moding community. But, I am a very active player. With the most recent dlc (common sense), I think it is time we take a step back and assess the game in its entirety. Common sense vastly improved numerous aspects of the game, but it also added some imbalances (as always happens with the addition of new features). Below are a few of my (unsolicited) suggestions. While Arumba may post videos about game tweaks, many of my adjustments have to do with gameplay and balance. Some may be controversial. Don’t think I am taking a hardline stance on these issues, my suggestions are just suggestions. What I hope is that it will start a discussion between the community and paradox that will lead to a better game.
- Monarch points. I’ll start with the big one, we could use a monarch point overhaul. We have too many things to spend them on and too few ways to get them. Don’t get me wrong, I think monarch points (though something of an abstraction) are a great improvement over the systems in eu3. However, they aren’t functioning optimally. With the implementation of the development system the game has now switched from favoring expansion to development (I’ve seen opm with 160 development by 1750, more on that later) and requiring monarch points for both ideas and technology is unrealistic. You will have to make the choice between getting better tech or getting better ideas. I do not claim to know hot fix it in its entirety, but I do have suggestions. Expand the advisor system and or let the player develop a bureaucracy. Second reduce the number of things we need to spend monarch points on.
- Which leads us cleanly into development and integration. First, I love the idea of dynamic development, with provinces growing richer overtime especially if they have favorable geographical positions and with the process accelerating with the advancement of technology. I don’t like the player having to spend monarch points to make it happen, for two reasons. First, it adds unnecessary micromanagement. Its good building have become less micro, but we have just replaced them with development. Second it isn’t realistic. Kings don’t point and magically make people have more babies, they develop infrastructure (which should cost gold not mana). Oh, and development only goes up and never down. Instead I think we should implement a system in which provinces dynamically develop and decay based on a variety of factors. Good administration, peace, technology, ideas, etc… cause provinces to develop faster. Poor administration and high levels of development slow the process down. And, wars can lower the overall level of development. Specifically, I think we should expand upon the loot bar concept. Provinces should have bars that represent their various levels of development. When it fills the provinces development goes up. During war, looting armies will slowly lower a provinces development bar, when it is depleted development is decreased. Based on terrain, technology, and trade goods provinces could have a resting development that they can rapidly recover to even if completely destroyed by war. Provinces with high development will develop more slowly (no more o.p.m.’s with 169 development). Also I think we need to revisit coring and integration. In eu3 a province was a ‘core’ after 50 years. Until this point it caused overextension and administrative stress. After this point it was viewed by other countries as legitimate territory. In eu4 a province is cored after you core it (usually 36 months and X monarch power. Until that point it causes administrative stress, and after that point it is viewed as legitimately yours. I think we should hybridize the two systems. After conquest a province’s integration should begin immediately and last a certain amount of time depending on it development and your administrative efficiency. I don’t think it should cost monarch points. Until it is integrated it should give the standard reduced tax, increased revolt risk, etc… Once integrated in the administration I don’t think it should be viewed a legitimate territory by the people or other nations. Rather separatism should still exist for a certain amount of time (as it does now) to represent the people not having fully accepted your rulership. I think this should be a dynamic number that can be reduced by a wide variety of factors (right now it is a mostly static 30 years.) Finally I think there should a long period of time before other countries accept your rulership of conquered territories as legitimate (dependent on a variety of factors, prestige, diplo rep, etc…). Until other nations view your rule as legitimate it is easier (read cheaper) for them to force you to give that territory up. Maybe neighboring nations should always have a cassus belli to make you give up land not viewed as fully yours.
- Ideas. I think it is a bit bizarre that we are forced to choose between advancing an idea group or its corresponding tech group. Similarly I think it is bizarre we can have both quality and quantity, offensive and defensive. I think should fix this. My suggestions is to divide idea groups up. Rather than unlock all idea groups through adm tech. We should unlock idea slots through all tech (e.g. 1st military idea group at mil tech 5). Second more idea groups should be mutually exclusive. Third idea groups should not cost monarch points (nor should they give the 2% reduced tech cost, for balance). And finally maybe they should come with both advantages and penalties (this may have balance issues). Or alternatively maybe we should have a limited number of policy slots that don’t cost monarch points, are available based on our idea groups, and have benefits and penalties. As an example, your at military tech five so you have one idea slot and one policy slot. You have quantity ideas. As your policy you pick the young and the infirm which greatly reduces manpower at the cost of morale and discipline. Or maybe get rid of ideas altogether bring back the sliders (for things like quality vs quantity) and expand greatly on the ideas of policies.
- Religion. Please separate all the religions out and let us set our tolerances for them individually. Also please implement a Dei Gratia like system of religious minorities. I think many in the community would love that, correct me if I’m wrong.
- Optimization (put in just for Arumba). Finally the game could use some optimizing (especially if you add more dynamic variables). I understand there is a limit to how far optimization can go and that development choices have to be made based on that. However for everyone with slower computers and further optimizations would be greatly appreciated.
- Oh, and I would strongly be in favor of more provinces even at the expense of having just one starting date. Though I don’t know how the community at large would feel about it.
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