Europa Universalis IV: Wealth of Nations expansion– Developer diary 1

[Johan]

I think we would like to hear something more specific and concrete in these dev diaries. This reads more like a press release with almost no real information in it, just promises of future information.

It hints of quite a lot of new stuff though

Pirates gaining trade power in the trade node? Is that new or have I just missed this up until now?

Yes, its new.

How does this Fervor mechanic work?

It will be explained in detail in a future development diary.

Some better late game units for ever non-Western/non-Eastern nation

You'll be happy

Would love some new sprite packages, especially swedish sprites packs for napoleonic era (björneborgarna). But that's because i'm a swede, but still. I love the uniforms soliders have during the napoleonic era in general.

Pretty sure there will be spritepacks at the same time. I don't think we get swedish spritepacks this time though.

It is possible to add a local save on ironmode just like on CK2 on this next expansion?

Doubt it.

Will modders (i.e. DHarper) be able to use a religious fervor value for all countries?

yes, like all other religious mechanics.

Yeah yeah this is all well and good but What do Trade Companies actually do and how moddable are they?

Details coming soon, but you will have far more direct control over them than over colonial subjects.

New Policies and their implementation is a complete fail. No one used them in stream because no one with the exception of already overpowered western tech group have MP sulprus.

We're just in 1620 in the mp, and its a mechanic for mid/lategame.

 

[spyroware1]

I tend to not have enough monarch points for that...

Exactly. There's already a badly designed MP sink in the game in the form of buildings, we don't need another one :S

 

[Johan]

I like the monthly cost. Even better would be needing a period to enact the reforms - one or two years. It removes the "go to war, enact, remove at the end of the war", and it encourages people to use it if they have the points - if Prussia next door, with 12 MIL points per month and 4-5 military policies enacted, decides to DoW me, they have a superior army on all fronts, and I will not have something comparable for a while even starting immediately. It would be risky.

You can't redact a policy within the first 10 years though.

 

[iShurik]

I think it would be nice, if you would add free Policies, just like it's done with military leaders/ diplomatic relations. You can have one or two for free, but if you want more you have to pay. How does this sound?

Alternatively it would make sense, if policies would be payed with money and not with monarch points, right now there is not much you can do with all the money in mid/lategame.

 

[WeissRaben]

You can't redact a policy within the first 10 years though.

Good enough.

 

[Pyramid_Head]

We're just in 1620 in the mp, and its a mechanic for mid/lategame.

Even for late game MP is too valuable to waste them. The only way I could see them being used is to enact before war\battles to get tmp. benefits or use them in the last years or after reaching max tech. Overall the Policies seem like a definite step back and extremely ineffective MP sink - this mechanic will serve only to empower already overpowered western tech group and be ignored until late game.

 

[Wizzington]

Already in two multiplayer sessions people just ignored Policies due to their inadequate cost. That surely should send devs a message. Hopefully in this early stages of developement this flaw could be changed and reworked.

TBH it's less about mp cost and more about being unused to them and last session being stressful. I realized when watching the stream that I should have activated horse artillery, but I just didn't think to do it.

 

[Veta]

ETA on mobilization policy?

 

[saegoto]

Add the options before starting the game please (like ledger on/off) that players and GM may choose to control the expansion, wars, and peace treaty between players:

edit Maximum of warscore (for example from 50 to 150)
edit Maximum of Claims (for example on/off, if on then from 15 to 1)
edit Time to fabricate claim (for example from 10 years to one year)
edit Possibility to declare the war without Casus Belli (yes/no)

 

[Kljunas]

New Policies and their implementation is a complete fail. No one used them in stream because no one with the exception of already overpowered western tech group have MP sulprus.

Yeah I'm not entirely convinced by all policies costing MP. It's nice to have a way to use excess MP but maybe some of them could cost no MP and be balanced by other downsides? (Just like many decisions are currently)

I still think I'll be enacting policies more often than I currently take decisions though. I'm often very hesitant about decisions because they have an irreversible downside.

 

[oblio-]

Some better late game units for every non-Western/non-Eastern nation

You'll be happy

 

[Dr. Dan]

Perhaps if policies lasted until the death of a monarch, had an upfront cost, and had more significant modifiers than 10% X (depending on what X is, of course), then it might be interesting. Republics could continue a policy for the fraction of the cost after each election cycle.

Similar to muslim decisions, I know, but still a more interesting route to go (and more of a gamble), imo.

 

[Sovieticozasz]

new units for the late techs of non western techs???? you have already a buyer right here sir. ^^

 

[solidprice]

my thoughts as a noob:

1. remember devs, most people play EU4 on SP, not multplayer. its nice to keep buffing MP (keep doing it), but try not leave SP in the dust like almost every other dev and their mother.

2.the MP powered ideas? Im a little unsure i would want to use them unless they gave great bonuses or godly unique like forced march.
or hit max tech anyways (which is doubtful) or in MP.
adm/dip/mil points are not like money, they aren't easy to come by.
gold? you can just rotate multiple theaters with 2-3 small rich tall nations and make them your "investors" to help you conquest. MP? only advisers or overtly hard missions that 75% of the time isn't worth it.

3.i do like that extras to trade. it gave it more depth other than a set and forget. i hope there is more ways of getting more trade power other than conquest.
something like a reverse embargo, like a trade agreement. a win-win way for nations to make more money.

4. new troops for the non-western nations? this is full of win. event if they understandably not as good as the west, they should at least put up a ok fight against them. there needs to be a reason to play outside of europe. badly. this is a step in the right direction. great job!

overall i see a good dlc babout to drop but we will see if time will tell.

 

[DominusNovus]

Speaking of new units for non-western techs...

Anyone ever consider tech-group specific ship types? For example, Chinese junks, Arab/Indian dhows, etc. etc. Hell, even just new sprites would be nice.

 

[DominusNovus]

2.the MP powered ideas? Im a little unsure i would want to use them unless they gave great bonuses or game-changing godly like forced march.or hit max tech anyways(which is doubtful)

Fortunately, policies can be repealed afterward. Granted, the Devs said not before 10 years have passed, so thats 120 points per click, ultimately. But its a useful investment over time so long as you're not forced to stick with it.

 

[saegoto]

Granted, the Devs said not before 10 years have passed, so thats 120 points per click, ultimately.

it will be more fun if it would to the death of the ruler (yes 3/4/5/8 years for the republcs)

 

[Trunting]

I have to say, that I really like the statements in this post. Mechanic expansions are the most worthy expansions, since they don't only allow you to be someone different, they allow you to act different.

 

[Atreides]

I think the policies could work really well if there is some sort of Soft Cap involved - basically the same as your Dip Relations cap.

For example:>
Admin 10 1/1/1
Admin 20 2/2/2
Admin 30 3/3/3

Then take some of the idea groups that need buffing, and add ideas that add to the soft cap.
For example, Aristocracy could provide +1 military
Administration's capstone could be +1/+1/+1

Create an advisor type that adds +1 to the same category as the advisor

I think there are a lot of ways to make the policies worth while, there just needs to be a baseline for usage that is reasonable.

 

[Atreides]

Another concern:>

Please consider looking at buildings. In the Tall vs. Wide thread it was basically established that tall empires are basically useless. Acquiring more territory is vastly superior to improving the homeland. If buildings were both more expensive and more powerful there would be a strategic choice in spending MP's to expand versus spending them at home on infrastructure.

It would be nice if a 20 province heavily upgraded european power could compete with a 50 province no infrastructure power for example. Englands approach to its colonial empire is another good example.