Merchant Republics are dead. RIP Venice.

[stavro375]

In the patch, having over 20 provinces as a Merchant Republic reduces Republican Tradition. By a LOT. Having barely 30 (which is, in some places, still grants too little development to upgrade government rank to Kingdom) is enough to prevent a merchant republic from gaining any RT over time at all! (The penalty is 1 per year, the exact same amount a normal republic gains.) You could get around this by granting more land to vassals... but if they get too big they'll gang up and declare independence.

One thing that wasn't changed, is that Merchant Republics are still explicitly forbidden from switching government type. No Oligarchic Republic for you, Venice. So if you like playing republics, have fun playing as a HRE minor or the Netherlands, because all the others are dead, dead, dead.

And if you wanted to play around with the trade league mechanics you paid money for, well, enjoy sitting on your hands after gaining those thirty provinces, watching the world shift without you.

 

[Dutchman251]

Sounds like tall play... Not that bad, actually

 

[PhroX]

Seems like a simple fix is to allow MRs to switch to other republics. That way, if you want the advantages of the former, you stay small, but if you want to grow but not be forced into a monarchy, you can. Actually, why is there the restriction on MRs switching to other governments in the first place?

 

[Dakka]

Sounds like tall play... Not that bad, actually

Exactly this. Merchant republics will play tall, as I feel they should. It's a better way of balancing them since they have no regencies, can pick and choose their MP types, and trade leagues. This will make Lubeck and Venice really fun and different I think.

If you really want to change government, just tank your republican tradition

 

[Daeumler]

Wow, this is just horrible...

 

[Me_]

Exactly this. Merchant republics will play tall, as I feel they should. It's a better way of balancing them since they have no regencies, can pick and choose their MP types, and trade leagues. This will make Lubeck and Venice really fun and different I think.

If you really want to change government, just tank your republican tradition

Why? This forces you to play tall, but without the penalty you could play tall as well. It does not introduce anything new. Now, if having less than 20 provinces increased your RT, that would be a different story, as it would actually open up new strategies.

 

[Korashy]

Sounds like tall play... Not that bad, actually

tall is and has always been a joke in EUIV, it's an illusion that you actually have 400 years of content playing tall. Sure it's possible, and you may even stay competitive against single player AI, but it still leaves you with nothing to do accept press a button to get 1 more development.

 

[stavro375]

Exactly this. Merchant republics will play tall, as I feel they should. It's a better way of balancing them since they have no regencies, can pick and choose their MP types, and trade leagues. This will make Lubeck and Venice really fun and different I think.

Do you know what my idea of a fun Venice is? Forming the Venetian East Indian company. That sounds like the sort of goal a Merchant Republic should have, no? Except to do that, you need *way* more than thirty provinces. And if the goal of this nerf is to counter Republic advantages, why where Oligarchic, Administrative, and Constitutional republics untouched?

 

[aqvamare]

One more goverment you play in multiplayer....use your starting RT so muhc as possible for blobbing and 6/6/6 ruler, become monarchy because of lack of RT....

Playing small do not work in MP....

 

[DDRJake]

If you wish to blob as a merchant republic, open Steam\steamapps\common\europa universalis iv\common

Open defines.lua with a text editor like Notepad++

Locate the line

MERCHANT_REPUBLIC_SIZE_LIMIT = 20,

And change 20 to 30, or 50 or 9999, whatever your heart desires.

This change would not leave you eligible for Ironman though.

 

[Verenti]

I'm more concerned for a colonial nation who, upon indepedence, is given the choice between monarchy, republic or merchant republic. The last option seems to no longer be a viable choice as colonial nations have way more provinces than European counter parts.

 

[Me_]

If you wish to blob as a merchant republic, open Steam\steamapps\common\europa universalis iv\common

Open defines.lua with a text editor like Notepad++

Locate the line

MERCHANT_REPUBLIC_SIZE_LIMIT = 20,

And change 20 to 30, or 50 or 500000, whatever your heart desires.

I still don't get why you chose the way of pain (penalty), rather than the way of fun (reward). Or at least combine the two. An OPM MR with extra +1 RT could be quite an interesting thing to play.

 

[Korashy]

I'd rather you just change the mechanic. Or let people get our of MR to a regular republic. Forming Russia as Novgorod is going to be a PITA now.

 

[Abayonett]

If you wish to blob as a merchant republic, open Steam\steamapps\common\europa universalis iv\common

Open defines.lua with a text editor like Notepad++

Locate the line

MERCHANT_REPUBLIC_SIZE_LIMIT = 20,

And change 20 to 30, or 50 or 500000, whatever your heart desires.

Does this affect ironman saves?

 

[Me_]

Does this affect ironman saves?

Disables ironman.

 

[Korashy]

Does this affect ironman saves?

Yes it will

 

[Gigawot]

wait why dont they just give merchant republics a lower amount of states?!! then they could still have the territories as well and still grow

 

[ThePatriotOfDreumel]

So a republic that is supposed to be tall and trading, while also being one of the strongest in the game with very strong bonuses, cannot conquer all of France without any penalties? The problem is?

 

[Korashy]

So a republic that is supposed to be tall and trading, while also being one of the strongest in the game with very strong bonuses, cannot conquer all of France without any penalties? The problem is?

"Supposed to be tall" is your opinion. Spain and England were good at trading, and they blobbed like all hell.

 

[Sunbro BigBoss]

So a republic that is supposed to be tall and trading, while also being one of the strongest in the game with very strong bonuses, cannot conquer all of France without any penalties? The problem is?

The problem being that mid and late-game trading usually requires taking ports in say, India or Zanzibar.