I have two suggestions which I think could help improve the nature of wars in-game.
Decrease the tendency of larger AI nations to form alliances with other countries. This can often pose a problem in both singleplayer and multiplayer. In singleplayer many wars have a chance of spiralling into massive conflicts involving (when in Europe) France or Castile or Austria or one of the other major powers in some way. It's difficult for a small nation to go to war with just another small nation. They usually have to ally with some major powers themselves to counter the inevitable enemy alliance. In multiplayer, there is also the problem of players allying with a whole host of these major powers which just blocks any meaningful competition between the players. The major powers should of course still ally, but not necessarily to their diplo relations cap. For example, France may ally with Scotland over their mutual rivalry with England, but they would be very hard pressed to ally with some random German or Italian minor, such as Ferrara, Ulm, or Cologne.
Make it more difficult to obtain casus bellis against other nations, especially through fabricating claims. Fabricating claims is a good step up from EU3, but I think it is often-times too easy to do, and thus aggressive expansion and overextension and HRE unlawful territory and a host of other features are all present to prevent uncontrolled expansion. I think a much easier solution to this would be to make it more difficult to fabricate claims, or to obtain casus bellis. It will do a great job of limiting expansion (thus allowing AE, OE, and other features to be nerfed) and also make a casus belli much more meaningful when obtained, and much more tempting to act on before it expires. I remember in EU3 I was rare to insult threatening enemies because I didn't want to provide them with a casus belli to invade my lands, whereas in EU4 I knew if they wanted to invade me they would fabricate claims anyways. Additionally, if major powers formed less alliances this would probably facilitate more wars of expansion, but if casus bellis were harder to obtain this would be mitigated.
Overall, I think by decreasing the alliances major powers form, and increasing the difficulty of obtaining CB's, declaring war will become more meaningful and strategic.
Decrease the tendency of larger AI nations to form alliances with other countries. This can often pose a problem in both singleplayer and multiplayer. In singleplayer many wars have a chance of spiralling into massive conflicts involving (when in Europe) France or Castile or Austria or one of the other major powers in some way. It's difficult for a small nation to go to war with just another small nation. They usually have to ally with some major powers themselves to counter the inevitable enemy alliance. In multiplayer, there is also the problem of players allying with a whole host of these major powers which just blocks any meaningful competition between the players. The major powers should of course still ally, but not necessarily to their diplo relations cap. For example, France may ally with Scotland over their mutual rivalry with England, but they would be very hard pressed to ally with some random German or Italian minor, such as Ferrara, Ulm, or Cologne.
Make it more difficult to obtain casus bellis against other nations, especially through fabricating claims. Fabricating claims is a good step up from EU3, but I think it is often-times too easy to do, and thus aggressive expansion and overextension and HRE unlawful territory and a host of other features are all present to prevent uncontrolled expansion. I think a much easier solution to this would be to make it more difficult to fabricate claims, or to obtain casus bellis. It will do a great job of limiting expansion (thus allowing AE, OE, and other features to be nerfed) and also make a casus belli much more meaningful when obtained, and much more tempting to act on before it expires. I remember in EU3 I was rare to insult threatening enemies because I didn't want to provide them with a casus belli to invade my lands, whereas in EU4 I knew if they wanted to invade me they would fabricate claims anyways. Additionally, if major powers formed less alliances this would probably facilitate more wars of expansion, but if casus bellis were harder to obtain this would be mitigated.
Overall, I think by decreasing the alliances major powers form, and increasing the difficulty of obtaining CB's, declaring war will become more meaningful and strategic.
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