PDXCON Q&A with Tinto - Transcript!

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Hi guys!

PDXCON has come and gone, and I hope you all had a good time. During PDXCON we had a number of EU4 activities - one of which was a live Q&A session on Discord with Paradox Tinto. We had a great time with you guys and we're looking into how we could maybe make this a more regular occurrence. For now I'll post the answers provided to your questions during PDXCON if you didn't have time to take part.

You can also still visit the thread on the Discord if you wish to read it in it's native environment.

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Please note that this thread is not an extension of the Q&A but merely a transcript from the actual event.


— 05/23/2021

Question by Wolf Rulez!
Question
what, in hindsight, would be a development choice you wish you'd done differently?
Answer
I could write a book, but considering EU4 was insanely successful i am not sure it would be a good idea to change it. But well, I wish I had not ever added the monarch power system..
Answered by
Johan (producerjohan)

Question by fcg!
Question
are then any future plans to re look at areas that have already been updated and possibly giving some nations that lack unique missions in either a patch or dlc?
Answer
Unlikely, we would prefer to improve the less developed content.
Answered by
Alexivan

Question by Stiopa!
Question
Would you consider changing instant reward buttons like Slacken Recruitment Standards or Inflation Reduction to buttons that affect your nation overtime? (Alike to the War Taxes Button)
Answer
Interesting idea, but it is quite unlikely since it is hard to change how EU4 in this regards
Answered by
<790229391372058669>

Question by Captain "Captain" Nemo!
Question
For the devs who moved from Sweden to Spain, how are you finding the new setting?
Answer
It's quite different but a lot is the same, Tinto still feels like a Paradox studio and a lot of the people working there previously worked at the Swedish office. Enjoying a beachside chiringuito is something I couldn't have dreamed of in December in Stockholm. Also we are still working from home so I don't get the full experience of working in a Spanish office - speaking of which, our office is a beautiful converted holiday villa near the beach. Moving was a bit of a pain for me personally due to Brexit, but we had some pretty good help from Paradox with relocation :slight_smile:
Answered by
David Horler (SaintDaveUK)

Question by Wolf Rulez!
Question
if practical concerns (time, money, enough talented people,...) weren't a thing, what would you like to do to improve the game?
Answer
at this stage thats a hard question. can i go with fixing all bugs by tomorrow?
Answered by
Johan (producerjohan)

Question by Viking!
Question
will factions ever become estates? (please say yes, as factions compared to estates are pretty much useless)
Answer
Changing stuff like this is likely to introduce a lot of new issues, so we prefer not to do it unless we find good reason to.
Answered by
Alexivan

Question by Lord Asker!
Question
Whats your perfect Sunday?
Answer
My perfect sunday is answering questions on Discord
Answered by
David Horler (SaintDaveUK)

Question by Captain "Captain" Nemo!
Question
I've heard that there is a great pet policy at Tinto. Is there an "office pet" yet, or are you still deciding whose is best?
Answer
Most of Tinto members are still working from home due to COVID so I am pretty much the only one that goes there on a daily basis. I usually bring Nocco, my dog, with me. Which makes her the one and only "office pet" for now :wink:
Answered by
<790229391372058669>

Question by [M&T] Seelöwe!
Question
Do you know of the Jira-integrated Trello that CK3 devs use for modding feature suggestions? Would you be interested in such a system for eu4?
Answer
Yeah, its interesting, but with our ancient codebase, adding more modding support is non-trivial though.
Answered by
Johan (producerjohan)

Question by Stiopa!
Question
Concentrating development, as it stands, currently transfers development to your capital. This currently has little restrictions, and allows you to develop to heights that would otherwise be impossible. Is there a plan on overhauling the mechanic, or will we continue see capitals with development above the hundreds? Those generate a significant amount of overextension before they can be cored.
Answer
We've been reading the feedback and suggestions but haven't decided on when or what to do. Please post suggestions in the forum.
Answered by
Alexivan

Question by Leo (SirJMO)!
Question
is it possible to do combat code changes to: 1 keep cavalry at optimal usage in the frontline 2 have artillery swap with the backline troops 3 have troops retreat to join the reserves when they can't hit anything? just if it's possible to code... the performance impact and fragility (breaking other code) are not in the scope of this question.
Answer
the combat code is very old legacy from eu3, and the changes to it is not something we would do at this stage in eu4's development.
Answered by
Johan (producerjohan)

Question by 2martens!
Question
What would be your most favourite QoL improvement that isn't in the game already?
Answer
I would personally love to see a better tutorial system implemented in EU4 to be honest. However it is not something we can focus on right now :frowning:
Answered by
<790229391372058669>

Question by Arkonos!
Question
Would this be technically possible and do you see something like that ever happen: Seperatist rebels are only hostile to foreign nations that hold their core, catholic rebels are neutral to Christians? While adding an option for non-rebels to attack anyways.
Answer
Should be doable, we would have to consider any side effects from this though. Make a forum post to discuss this and get input from others :slight_smile:
Answered by
Alexivan

Question by AbeisKing!
Question
will the bookmarks ever be updated?
Answer
maybe, but well... i'd love to remove them :slight_smile:
Answered by
Johan (producerjohan)

Question by Khaine!
Question
If you could change the start and end date of the game which years would you choose at this moment?
Answer
2020 to 2020 :stuck_out_tongue:
Answered by
<790229391372058669>

Question by Lord Asker!
Question
Favourite Paradox game excluding EU4?
Answer
I love the Crusader Kings series, everything about it is so engaging for me. But I also I worked on it quite a lot, so I might be biased. Aside from the GSGs (I love them all) Surviving the Aftermath is also something I really love playing.
Answered by
David Horler (SaintDaveUK)

Question by Wolf Rulez!
Question
which country do you most enjoy playing as?
Answer
gotta be ottomans for me I think, I tend to play countries I haven't played before but ottomans games always allow you to try out some crazy stuff
Answered by
Alexivan

Question by Arkonos!
Question
Will pure dev clashes be a thing and have you thought of a way to have diplomacy and post game talk with tinto and Stockholm? I'm a big fan.
Answer
maybe in the future, when people are working in offices again.
Answered by
Johan (producerjohan)

Question by Flying_Viking!
Question
Do you ever play EU4 just "for fun" or do you always play it with a developers eyes?
Answer
Definitely still play it for the enjoyments, but it takes me a couple hours to really get into a "play" mindset
Answered by
Alexivan

Question by AbeisKing!
Question
will we get a monument map mode?
Answer
Yes! We will add it :slight_smile:
Answered by
<790229391372058669>

Question by Lord Asker!
Question
If you found a magic lamp and got three wishes what would you wish for?
Answer
remove covid from the world, a magic refilling beer barrel, and all bugs removed from eu4
Answered by
Johan (producerjohan)

Question by Katten!
Question
*Hello, im curious, what is the best launching option to play multiplayer on steam. Europa Unversalis IV, Steam Multiplayer or Nakama Crossplay Multiplayer. *I recieve this question quite often so thought i should ask here**
Answer
I believe the steam multiplayer is still a bit more stable than Nakama so unless you're playing with friends playing the microsoft store version that might be better
Answered by
Alexivan

Question by Khaine!
Question
Have you considered a leagues mapmode?
Answer
No we haven't, but it is a good idea, we will look into it.
Answered by
<790229391372058669>

Question by Wolf Rulez!
Question
What is the feature you've added to the game you are most proud of?
Answer
MANA! no, just kidding.. from all expansions, I'm probably most proud of my rework of technology, with making the new institutions system.
Answered by
Johan (producerjohan)

Question by Lord Asker!
Question
Whats the meaning of life?
Answer
42
Answered by
<790229391372058669>

Question by Sallymane!
Question
Will you guys re-balance the ideas of Nations at one point or will things stay as they are?
Answer
We're continuously changing stuff so post in the forums on which changes you'd like to see.
Answered by
Alexivan

Question by [M&T] Seelöwe!
Question
Has anyone told you how much we appreciate the QnA yet?
Answer
Actually not, and we were wondering if you were enjoying it. So glad to hear you are liking it! :love_letter:
Answered by
<790229391372058669>

Question by 2martens!
Question
Before Emperor, EUIV took a lot of time to clean up code. In the grand scheme of things, how much tech debt was removed vs what remains?
Answer
there was not really much tech debt removed there. A lot of systems was reworked, but the actual amount of gameplay bugs were not reduced. I personally think that the most important tech debt we can fix, is fixing gameplay bugs for the players. Ironically, 1.31.0 had more legacy bugs fixed than the last 5 expansions put together.
Answered by
Johan (producerjohan)

Question by Stiopa!
Question
How often do you folks play with mods? Do you take inspiration from some of the features some mods offer?
Answer
Not enough to be honest, I've tried a couple though and people have done a great job.
Answered by
Alexivan

Question by Katten!
Question
Who is the true Viking of the north on the dev team? :theking~1:
Answer
Johan (producerjohan) is our true Viking leader!
Answered by
<790229391372058669>

Question by Wolf Rulez!
Question
would it be possible to add the requirements for the monuments when hovering over them, even when you don't own the province (yet). So one can see if it is something one should aim for. (for example so you know as a christian nation you can't use the Buddha statues, even though the current owner can.
Answer
Yes, this should be doable. We'll look into it.
Answered by
Alexivan

Question by Arkonos!
Question
How much are different startdates used and would removing them now help? Stellaris was very daring and successful in removing hindering features, so I'd say go for it. This QA format is fantastic, thank you.
Answer
I dont have the exact numbers but I know something like 98% games start in 1444
Answered by
David Horler (SaintDaveUK)

Question by Lord Asker!
Question
Whats the first video game you can ever remember playing?
Answer
Ice Breaker (NES)
Answered by
<790229391372058669>

Question by Arkonos!
Question
How does the code of EUIV look like? How does it compare to new games? Like python 2 vs 3?
Answer
the code for eu4 is rather ancient, and uses the coding style from 2005-2008.. newer games like Imperator and CK3 is based from over a decade newer styles and stuff
Answered by
Johan (producerjohan)

Question by AbeisKing!
Question
When can we expect 1.31.4
Answer
There's an open beta for 1.31.4 you can find on the forums
Answered by
Alexivan

Question by pockyball!
Question
Are you satisfied with the state of EU4's AI? In what ways could it be improved?
Answer
no, we want it to be better.
Answered by
Johan (producerjohan)

Question by Khaine!
Question
Is it an idea to allow other religions to form Prussia? For example Hussite or Orthodox. With it currently being limited to protestant.
Answer
no, protestant prussia with grey color must be a meme to survive all of eu4.
Answered by
Johan (producerjohan)

Question by fcg!
Question
have you thought about adding more dynamic name changes (like the kingdom of god) for a more historical approach or just overall flavor?
Answer
Unsure about this now, but please put this suggestion on the forums so the whole team can consider this
Answered by
<790229391372058669>

Question by Katten!
Question
In all my glory i have completed all the Sweden achievements, when could i expect another gloriously hard achievement?
Answer
We will look into it for sure. Also, congratulations!
Answered by
<790229391372058669>

Question by Wolf Rulez!
Question
Johan (producerjohan) with the negative feedback Leviathan received, and the less then stellar opinions from a part of the player base at the forums. How do you make sure you stay motivated? I for one liked the ideas in the latest expansion by the way...
Answer
thats a hard question. but i try to disconnect when i leave work to not go insane. when people hate something, my reaction though is to try to change their minds, by fixing the bugs or tweaking the design to make people like it.
Answered by
Johan (producerjohan)

Question by Spartacus!
Question
what is the most enjoyable aspect of EU4 for you?
Answer
I love that you can kind of plan out how you want the world to look in X amount of years and use the variety of systems to accomplish that.
Answered by
Alexivan

Question by Dimwit /AlJabberwock!
Question
If you could change one thing about the way Dev Challenges work, what would it be? :slight_smile:
Answer
From the dev clashes I would love to see more people joining
Answered by
Alexivan

Question by correctamundo!
Question
What would you say are the pros and cons on instant versus gradual reward, like culture conversion, religious conversion, buildings vs development increase, strengthening gov etc?
Answer
I think gradual rewards feels more like believable world, the design I prefer. Eu4 is oriented around immediate though.
Answered by
Johan (producerjohan)

Question by Arkonos!
Question
How many hours have been played in total? I failed quite a few exams because of you :cometstill: #worth
Answer
I currently have around 2000 hours for EU4 and 44% of the achievements
Answered by
Alexivan

Question by Lord!
Question
we realy appreciate you guys beeing here and answering questions. But how do you intend to restore the destroyed trust, if you keep tiptoing around the heavy questions and only answering the light ones?
Answer
well, i think actions speaks louder than words.. fixing bugs is more important than saying "we will fix stuff"
Answered by
Johan (producerjohan)

Question by Punicolas!
Question
Do you plan to have tech group specific artillery and/or ships in the future?
Answer
no such plans atm
Answered by
Johan (producerjohan)

Question by Captain "Captain" Nemo!
Question
How did the name "Tinto" get chosen for the studio?
Answer
Fred & Johan were having some red wine while discussing potential Studio names and they came up with it :smile: Really on point in my opinion, since it is quite representative from the region were we are based at.
Answered by
<790229391372058669>

Question by Stiopa!
Question
Do you think that with the amount of flavour given to the historically successful nations like France, Lucky Nations could become a thing of the past? After all, flavour events help the nations achieve their historical extent.
Answer
i am not sure. its also about making those nations stronger
Answered by
Johan (producerjohan)

Question by Khaine!
Question
Do you think that in hindsight the game should have had a larger focus on the exploration and colonial aspects of the game?
Answer
Personally I feel the colonial and exploration games serves it's purpose quite decently, Johan might have other thoughts about this though :stuck_out_tongue:
Answered by
Alexivan

Question by Khidunu!
Question
What is the process behind balancing absolute historical accuracy and creating a fun and engaging game, in terms of maps and mechanics?
Answer
Our games are in a historical setting, and we are proud that we make some of the most historically-accurate games on the market, but most importantly they need to be fun to play. We aren't here to reproduce the world exactly as it was but simply the most engaging version of the world that we can. So while designing a map we aim for historical accuracy but have to take into account things like army movement and tactics, historical significance, how the provinces are balanced with the mechanics in other ways etc.
Answered by
David Horler (SaintDaveUK)
 
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"Concentrating development, as it stands, currently transfers development to your capital. This currently has little restrictions, and allows you to develop to heights that would otherwise be impossible. Is there a plan on overhauling the mechanic, or will we continue see capitals with development above the hundreds? Those generate a significant amount of overextension before they can be cored.
Answer
We've been reading the feedback and suggestions but haven't decided on when or what to do. Please post suggestions in the forum.
Answered by
Alexivan"

I think the only workable solution is to put a cap on how much dev you can get from concentrate development. A limit of 50 dev sounds fair and keeping it realistic.
 
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Really hope the province development situation caused by concentrate development and pillage capital gets a thorough re-evaluation. It is the main reason why I'm not playing the game right now.
 
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"Concentrating development, as it stands, currently transfers development to your capital. This currently has little restrictions, and allows you to develop to heights that would otherwise be impossible. Is there a plan on overhauling the mechanic, or will we continue see capitals with development above the hundreds? Those generate a significant amount of overextension before they can be cored.
Answer
We've been reading the feedback and suggestions but haven't decided on when or what to do. Please post suggestions in the forum.
Answered by
Alexivan"

I think the only workable solution is to put a cap on how much dev you can get from concentrate development. A limit of 50 dev sounds fair and keeping it realistic.

You can just change capital after. And rise another 50 dev province. Capital state with like 5 50 dev provinces. Still better then newly conquered land with wrong religion and culture.
 
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You can just change capital after. And rise another 50 dev province. Capital state with like 5 50 dev provinces. Still better then newly conquered land with wrong religion and culture.


If people want to spend the admin power to do that more power to them. At least it's a cost and it reduces the crazy dev.
 
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If people want to spend the admin power to do that more power to them. At least it's a cost and it reduces the crazy dev.

It will pay itself because you will snowballing faster. Get better advisors, more armies etc. If you don't trust me try that strategy in game. It work.

Also you can get dev from farest provinces what way, like pilage Lubec as Mantua. And that dev will work immediately for tiny amount of AE. Without spending adm for coring. In average HRE war you can get even more dev what way then usual conquering. Just simple 200 adm for 50 dev province? Without coring and reducing autonomy? And crazy dev will just be spreading a little in your core provinces. Like whole Italy as metropolis.
 
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Question
are then any future plans to re look at areas that have already been updated and possibly giving some nations that lack unique missions in either a patch or dlc?
Answer
Unlikely, we would prefer to improve the less developed content.
Answered by
Alexivan

This worries me a little bit.

I do not consider (and quite a few people in the community) that Golden Century covered Portugal and their colonial areas properly.

I wonder if they will just continue to ignore some of the issues that the community raised, as they might consider that Golden Century "covered" Portugal.
 
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First of all, thank you for doing this Q&A and for posting a transcript here! Some commentary if you're interested:

Question
will the bookmarks ever be updated?
Answer
maybe, but well... i'd love to remove them :slight_smile:
The bookmarks were certainly ambitious, and must be a nightmare to keep up to date. I would prefer that they got deleted, to free work time on other things. They have never been a paid feature so there is no real issue removing them, right? Beware to not remove the bookmark system, as some large mods do make use of it.

Question
What is the feature you've added to the game you are most proud of?
Answer
MANA! no, just kidding.. from all expansions, I'm probably most proud of my rework of technology, with making the new institutions system.
You should be proud of the institution system. Sure, it has its own problems, but the system is interesting and feels historical.

Question
Do you think that with the amount of flavour given to the historically successful nations like France, Lucky Nations could become a thing of the past? After all, flavour events help the nations achieve their historical extent.
Answer
i am not sure. its also about making those nations stronger
I have been playing years without lucky nations. IMO this is really a relict from the past, an unneeded buff since they get extra buffs everywhere: scripted god rulers/generals, national ideas, unique events, unique decisions, mission trees, unique governments, stronger provinces,...
 
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Don't remove the later start dates!!!!!
It is very clear that EU (EU4 + EU5) development needs focus. Variable start dates conflict with Mission Trees, which one of the few recent features that people actually like.

'Start at any date you want' made sense for like EU1-EU3, which were much less intricate. Its just not true anymore.
 
It is very clear that EU (EU4 + EU5) development needs focus. Variable start dates conflict with Mission Trees, which one of the few recent features that people actually like.

'Start at any date you want' made sense for like EU1-EU3, which were much less intricate. Its just not true anymore.
And what will you gain from removing them?
 
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And what will you gain from removing them?
Its buggy and no longer supported (from what i heard at least), so if u remove the possibillity to use this feature u would prevent players without this knowlegde from using it and potentially loosing an entire campaign with several hours invested into it. If i would report a bug like this here and got as answer that its not supported and u shouldnt use it i would be kinda angry and ask myself 'why is this even in the game then?'. At least they should add a warning before switching the start dates.
 
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Its buggy and no longer supported (from what i heard at least), so if u remove the possibillity to use this feature u would prevent players without this knowlegde from using it and potentially loosing an entire campaign with several hours invested into it. If i would report a bug like this here and got as answer that its not supported and u shouldnt use it i would be kinda angry and ask myself 'why is this even in the game then?'. At least they should add a warning before switching the start dates.
Sure, add a warning, but removing it is just stupid.
 
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