How does Paradox decides which countries are added to the game?

[Tom D.]

As the title says, I am curious how Paradox decides which countries they will add. Especially since I saw Estonia became a new nation in EUIV. Estonia, if I'm right, correct me if I'm wrong, only became for the first time independent around 1918 in real-life. That's 100 years after the game ends, while some other countries became independent or existed much closer to the end of the EUIV time frame and are not included in the game.

Of course I know Paradox can't add all those countries that existed in those 400 years to the game, but I'm just curious how they decide it.

 

[mighij]

Proximity to sweden

 

[Xara]

The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft a message from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that Estonia should be added during the next patch

 

[ConjurerDragon]

As the title says, I am curious how Paradox decides which countries they will add. Especially since I saw Estonia became a new nation in EUIV. Estonia, if I'm right, correct me if I'm wrong, only became for the first time independent around 1918 in real-life. That's 100 years after the game ends, while some other countries became independent or existed much closer to the end of the EUIV time frame and are not included in the game.

Of course I know Paradox can't add all those countries that existed in those 400 years to the game, but I'm just curious how they decide it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_Estonia#Duchy_of_Estonia

 

[Wizzington]

In cases like Estonia it's because we want all cultures present in owned provinces to have revolter tags.

 

[Tom D.]

In cases like Estonia it's because we want all cultures present in owned provinces to have revolter tags.

So it's more for gameplay reasons than history if I'm right?

 

[Wizzington]

So it's more for gameplay reasons than history if I'm right?

In this case yes, but we also add countries for historical reasons. There is no single criteria.

 

[Tom D.]

In this case yes, but we also add countries for historical reasons. There is no single criteria.

Thank you for answering my question, it's much clearer for me now .

 

[Leninade]

Catalonia has a tag and has never been a nation. I've seen no complaints about them. Not that I'm complaining, of course. I like the nationalist rebels.

 

[ecrurudesby]

"Hey Wiz, I think we should add so-and-so."
"Nice idea Johan, we'll get on it."

 

[Krebsig]

In this case yes, but we also add countries for historical reasons. There is no single criteria.

And yet, we wait for Tondo

 

[Xara]

Catalonia has a tag and has never been a nation. I've seen no complaints about them. Not that I'm complaining, of course. I like the nationalist rebels.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principality_of_Catalonia

 

[Edmon]

As long as The States of Jersey (Or the channel islands as an entity) do not exist, it will continue to make absolutely no sense. It is literally more important historically in this time than it is at any other point in history and even now massive sums of the worlds wealth is here. During the time period, it was made into one of the most fortified places on earth and was a key bone of contention during the 100 years war.

And the funnest part? The end trade node now is "The Channel", which ironically had Jersey as a key point of control.

So I guess the cold truth is that things are added because someone feels like it and not through some sort of worth determining process.

 

[Zelius]

As long as The States of Jersey (Or the channel islands as an entity) do not exist, it will continue to make absolutely no sense. It is literally more important historically in this time than it is at any other point in history and even now massive sums of the worlds wealth is here. During the time period, it was made into one of the most fortified places on earth and was a key bone of contention during the 100 years war.

And the funnest part? The end trade node now is "The Channel", which ironically had Jersey as a key point of control.

So I guess the cold truth is that things are added because someone feels like it and not through some sort of worth determining process.

... Or maybe because

1) to be clickable they would have to be hilariously large and thus ugly
2) fortified no-dev islands don't do anything in-game anyway
3) you are joking right?

 

[Subbak]

2) fortified no-dev islands don't do anything in-game anyway

That's not ENTIRELY true: the AI will not let go of a fortified island if it's not occupied. In the case of the Channel islands, they would give England a slightly more southern base for colonization (probably does not matter) and a CB on Britanny even after France takes back their cores.
Of course France almost never takes back their cores nowadays unless played by a human.

Also if Edmon's suggestion were followed I assume Jersey would be a CoT.

But I agree that having forts on islands (barring a strait which would be madness, this is the place with some of the strongest currents in the world) should not be utterly useless. For example it should make blockade harder, and you shouldn't be able to get the benefits of blockade in any province until you've accounted for all the forts around the seazone.

 

[Edmon]

... Or maybe because

1) to be clickable they would have to be hilariously large and thus ugly
2) fortified no-dev islands don't do anything in-game anyway
3) you are joking right?

1) You mean like any of the other islands which are all massively oversized? Like The Maldives? Who were less important than the Channel Islands in every possible measurable way in this time period? Lets not even get into some of the tiny islands in the new world.

2) Jersey was highly developed in the period. With significant dealings between England and France throughout the period. Here is some of the basics:

"Fortifications against the French can be seen all over the Island. Mont Orgueil Castle was constructed on the orders of King John himself to guard the Island's east coast. Elizabeth Castle, named after the Tudor English Queen, was built in the 16th century to defend the growing town of St Helier. And in the 1770s, the coastline was literally littered with a series of 'Martello' towers, designed to protect the Island from the threat of French invasions. These defences were penetrated by the French on several occasions. In 1461 French troops seized Mont Orgueil Castle itself and ruled the Island from it, with great severity, for seven years*. In 1781 a French expedition landed at La Rocque one January night and marched right into St Helier without a shot being fired against them. It was only the bravery of an English officer, Major Pierson, that prevented further French occupation."

*This is a key hundred years war event.

3) You are joking right? The channel islands were more important to European nobility than the entire of the USA for the majority of the period, being a holiday home and point of presitege in the endless "penis measuring" contest that was English-French relations.

Anyone with a background in history could easily justifiy the channel islands as being more important than a sigificant number of Tags in EUIV's timeline, at least as far as European politics were concerned. They aren't there because they would be technically difficult to add. They are the periods only republic to survive the whole timeline.

I mean seriously, there is an american state called "NEW JERSEY". Guess what that is all about?

They don't just name parts of america, or use it's system of 2 elected officials and a (chief minister here, but president in america) after it because it's of no importance.

The system that ran Jersey remotely for the English worked, so they re-used it in America. It's that important.

 

[Zelius]

That's not ENTIRELY true: the AI will not let go of a fortified island if it's not occupied. In the case of the Channel islands, they would give England a slightly more southern base for colonization (probably does not matter) and a CB on Britanny even after France takes back their cores.
Of course France almost never takes back their cores nowadays unless played by a human.

If it's still in Channel seazone(s) then that wouldn't extend colonisation range by much, nor would it allow more CB fabrication than exists now, would it?
Yeah, the AI will refuse to give them in peace, I suppose - doesn't do much to defend GB though, and wouldn't help anybody invade GB if they owned them.

I have still yet to encounter a consistently weak France... have been playing a lot of RotW recently and on average France will retake its cores but Brittany will have the two Provence provinces it borders. Without a mission on Brittany and the latter's +hostile coring cost Brittany usually survives while France stays in the French Region. France seems to have less expansion into Italy than before Shadow Kingdom event was added, surprisingly...

 

[Xara]

Nations and province borders are always going to be a fractal problem

No matter what you add or how you alter the border, 10 more people are going to come up with complaints about why that is wrong or how it discriminates against nation X, Y, and Z not being in game

 

[Subbak]

If it's still in Channel seazone(s) then that wouldn't extend colonisation range by much, nor would it allow more CB fabrication than exists now, would it?

Ooops my bad I thought for some reason that England (sans Caux) didn't share a seazone with Britanny.

 

[Me_]

This topic seems to come up quite a lot recently. I guess it wouldn't be complete without me asking for the inclusion of Regensburg as a Free City (which it was through most of the game's timeline).