Nation Traits

[TBM035]

I have been trying to find some material on the countries starting traits. Stuff like +20% production eficiency, +10% core production... but so far without success.

I want to understand which are the best characteristics for specific strategies but, being a total noob myself, I cant figure out what is a great trait and what is a terrible one say, for an economic approach or a military conquest.

Can someone kindly point me out some material on this?

 

[Ketilsen]

You're looking for National Ideas. Check the wiki (eu4wiki.com) for the ideas of specific countries, and the Idea Groups you can pick as you progress through the game (and really everything else too).

Good ideas to look for: Reduced Coring Cost is very good if you want to expand fast. Military bonuses, especially Morale and Discipline, but also (Infantry/Cavalry/Artillery) Combat Ability are good. Extra Diplomatic Relations are good, as are ideas that reduce Unrest. I wouldn't get too excited about economic ideas (Production, Tax etc), they're fine but not worth picking a nation for. Ideas that boost your navy are mostly worthless.

 

[Aepdneds]

Also reduced Aggressive Expansion is a mighty trait.

 

[Ketilsen]

Some more thoughts: discounts to technology or Idea costs aren't as good as you might think, and Manpower recovery is way better than it sounds.

 

[SolSys]

These are good pages to start with:
https://eu4.paradoxwikis.com/National_ideas
https://eu4.paradoxwikis.com/Idea_groups
https://eu4.paradoxwikis.com/Nation_designer

 

[qwertzuiop]

"Years of Separatism - 5" (Hordes have this as a tradition) is also a strong bonus for rapid expansion because it greatly reduces unrest in newly conquered provinces.

Other than that, bonuses to tolerance of heathens can enable a certain country to go all the way up to +3 heathen tolerance in connection with Humanist ideas which means that you will never get any disadvantages for owning wrong religion provinces, ever - this is also great for rapid conquest.
Tolerance of heretics doesn't have the same impact on your strategies, but it is a good bonus for Christians especially if you are playing in the HRE and you want to ignore the reformation.

 

[TenshiN]

+Goods Produced is also a great idea, as it quickly becomes very, very profitable. Thats why the nation of Pskov, which gets +20% Goods Produced as its last idea, is so awesome