Religion is perhaps the most frustrating, aspect of Europa Universalis at present. Not much has changed since the year 2000 release of the original Europa Universalis. Perhaps what's made this most notable is the fact that we have Crusader Kings 2 to compare it with. Surely, especially comparing to Crusader Kings II, we've had enough time to add much more detail to the current aspects?
Miaphysitism and Ibadiism are literally nonexistant, despite being seperate religions in Crusader Kings. As the schism between Western and Eastern Orthodoxy occured in 451, 603 years before the Schism between Catholic and Western Orthodox 1054, Eastern Orthodoxy is considered to be more distinct from Western Orthodoxy than Catholicism is, and yet the Kingdom of Ethiopia still remains religiously identical to Byzantium and Novgorod. Oman is even given a powerful unique National Idea set (especially for a non-western nation,) and yet it seems that its religion is instead just given as "Shi'ite," to further highlight the vast lack in the aspect of religion.
Heresies, upon conversion from Crusader Kings II to Europa Universalis, will simply join the parent religion, and suddenly your Cathar France is Catholic again. Interesting to note is that becoming the dominant religion (thereby making the other religion a heresey) will simply mean that they convert to your religion upon conversion to EUIV. This also means that heretic rebels won't be able to convert your country despite conquering it and collapsing it. Speaking of which, why aren't heretic rebels, having conquered your entire nation, able to thus rule it, instead only converting your nation if they control more provinces and you are not a Shogun or Japan? It seems strange that after Sunni rebels take over your Animist Oyo nation, they instead decide to call it quits and go back home.
Which leads to another problem. Pagan exists as a single, unified group, spread all over the map, the religion Ryukyu being identical to Mutapa and even the Aztecs, despite its religion being part of the same group as Shinto in reality. They also feel flavourless. Despite being the mighty Empire of Mexica (Aztec,) your religion is still listed as "animist." Interesting to note is that a reformed Aztec religion in CK2 upon conversion to EU4 will actually be granted its own religion, highlighting the problem with the religion in the base game. In addition, your relations with other nations will be high despite having never met, and having radically different religions.
Another notorious aspect is that all the Eastern and Southern Asian religions from Hinduism to Taoism and Shintoism are all grouped together, purely for the mechanical aspect to prevent them from holy warring each other. Surely a better idea would be to prevent these religions from Holy Warring non-Abrahamic religions rather than grouping them together? Perhaps some, such as Buddhism and Hinduism could be divided up into their different sects. Sikhism, as well, despite having a state which was historically Sikh (Punjab) only exists as a heresey for Sunnis and Hinduists, which also has the effect of Punjab (which is instead given Hindu in-game) having Sikhs only appear as heretical rebels! Even if Punjab only appeared late in the game's timeline, the fact that Sikhism was a major religion which formed during the game's period should surely lend itself to some interesting events for its formation.
Anyway, just some things to think about. While perhaps not all the problems would be addressed in such a DLC, it is a certainty that it's about time that religion in Europa Universalis needs a looking-at.
Miaphysitism and Ibadiism are literally nonexistant, despite being seperate religions in Crusader Kings. As the schism between Western and Eastern Orthodoxy occured in 451, 603 years before the Schism between Catholic and Western Orthodox 1054, Eastern Orthodoxy is considered to be more distinct from Western Orthodoxy than Catholicism is, and yet the Kingdom of Ethiopia still remains religiously identical to Byzantium and Novgorod. Oman is even given a powerful unique National Idea set (especially for a non-western nation,) and yet it seems that its religion is instead just given as "Shi'ite," to further highlight the vast lack in the aspect of religion.
Heresies, upon conversion from Crusader Kings II to Europa Universalis, will simply join the parent religion, and suddenly your Cathar France is Catholic again. Interesting to note is that becoming the dominant religion (thereby making the other religion a heresey) will simply mean that they convert to your religion upon conversion to EUIV. This also means that heretic rebels won't be able to convert your country despite conquering it and collapsing it. Speaking of which, why aren't heretic rebels, having conquered your entire nation, able to thus rule it, instead only converting your nation if they control more provinces and you are not a Shogun or Japan? It seems strange that after Sunni rebels take over your Animist Oyo nation, they instead decide to call it quits and go back home.
Which leads to another problem. Pagan exists as a single, unified group, spread all over the map, the religion Ryukyu being identical to Mutapa and even the Aztecs, despite its religion being part of the same group as Shinto in reality. They also feel flavourless. Despite being the mighty Empire of Mexica (Aztec,) your religion is still listed as "animist." Interesting to note is that a reformed Aztec religion in CK2 upon conversion to EU4 will actually be granted its own religion, highlighting the problem with the religion in the base game. In addition, your relations with other nations will be high despite having never met, and having radically different religions.
Another notorious aspect is that all the Eastern and Southern Asian religions from Hinduism to Taoism and Shintoism are all grouped together, purely for the mechanical aspect to prevent them from holy warring each other. Surely a better idea would be to prevent these religions from Holy Warring non-Abrahamic religions rather than grouping them together? Perhaps some, such as Buddhism and Hinduism could be divided up into their different sects. Sikhism, as well, despite having a state which was historically Sikh (Punjab) only exists as a heresey for Sunnis and Hinduists, which also has the effect of Punjab (which is instead given Hindu in-game) having Sikhs only appear as heretical rebels! Even if Punjab only appeared late in the game's timeline, the fact that Sikhism was a major religion which formed during the game's period should surely lend itself to some interesting events for its formation.
Anyway, just some things to think about. While perhaps not all the problems would be addressed in such a DLC, it is a certainty that it's about time that religion in Europa Universalis needs a looking-at.
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