As an avid Portugal player i feel really bad that my favourite country is getting severely nerfed, when it's already in a poor state. I understand the point of these changes isn't to nerf portugal, but to handle other issues (such as spanish dominance over colonization, italy being weak, etc...), but the fact remains that certain of the measures coming in the next patch will severely nerf Portugal, making it even weaker than it already is.
Therefore i'd like to propose the following changes to not only make balancing the iberian peninsula easier, but also make colonizing africa and going to india more desirable than simply spamming the new world. The primary focus of these changes would be to play to each countries strenghts, while incentivising (though not railroading) a more historical gameplay.
So with that, let's get started.
Trade:
Trade is by far the most important thing when balancing Portugal, and something that had a huge influence IRL, therefore it should be the main thing tackled when making changes in the Iberian peninsula. The thing i would suggest is the biggest issue, is the fact that both Spain and Portugal belong to the seville tradenode. This makes them have competition for trade income, and weakens both, in the current state of the game. Other major colonizers, such as france and England have their own end trade node, with little competition in it (the netherlands hardly ever manages to sucessfully form), so the fact that 2 major colonizers must share the same node means they are both being nerfed. his issue is copounded even more due to the fact that seville is now no longer an End node, meaning they will now be competing with the italians as well.
At the same time, keeping sevilla as an end node leaves them both too strong, and is ahistorical since the tradegoods often went into italy and northern europe.
Therefore i would offer the following suggestions:
Create another trade node in Lisbon that would receive trade from Brazil, Safi, Ivory coast, and would send trade into the english channel.
Have the Seville trade node receive trade from Safi, Caribean, Cheasapeak Bay, Tunis, and would send trade into Genoa.
This would have the following benefits, for one it would seperate Portugal and Castile, making both easier to balance individualy in the future. Secondly it allows both Portugal and spain to be nerfed, by having them compete with other wealthy european areas for trade from the colonies. Thirdly, the inputs for the tradenodes means that both portugal and castile have an increased incentive to complete missions that would otherwise be ignored (there is essentially no reason for portugal to ever colonize africa when it can go for the new world). And finally, it makes it so that india and Asia is just as desirable as the new world as a place to colonize early on, this is in line with history.
Not only that, but it gives england an incentive to remain allies with portugal (since they can then get some trade from Lisbon), and removes spanish incentive to go to war with portugal (since they're no longer competing for trade power in sevilla), allowing a more peaceful, colonization focused game with what are the 2 major colonizers of the period.
Paradox, if you will listen to anything i write, please just implement these trade changes above.
Provinces:
Lets face it, portugal is extremely weak in land forces, which while having some basis in reality, is way overblown. For example During the war of castillian sucession portugal fielded armies comparable to those of the castilians Whereas in game you can barely field half of castiles troops, which just seems ridiculous.
I would propose to fix this by adding 1 province (abrantes) that would come from a split of the Lisbon/castelo branco provinces. This is a province that over the time period was the site of many battles like during the seven years war, or the napoleonic wars not only that, but the adition of this province would allow a fortress to be placed there and essentially make it "the Key to Lisbon" and serve a similar purpose as the Elvas Lines.
I won't lie to you, this is a straight up buff to Portugal, unlike the trade changes which merely changed the status quo while keeping the power as is.
Colonization:
And finally we must talk about colonization. Portugal is primarily a colonizar and a trader, and therefore any balance regarding it will influence it. Therefore the change to make the first idea group at level 5 rather than 4 is a straight up nerf to portugal. As it is portugal is already artificially prevented from colonizing for a decade, and this will just make it worse.
Therefore i propose a change to the portuguese traditions, replace the +5% Trade efficiency with a +1 colonist.
This allows portugal to colonize africa, as it did IRL, and speeds up the way to india, making it as attractive as the new world, without allowing it to colonize the new world (since explorers can only go through ocean when they have quest for the new world at level 5). This means the new world will continue to be competed for, while giving portugal more oportunities to expand early on and build on things that can pay off later on.
I understand that this is a big change, but i truly believe that there is little downside in incentivising portugal to fulfil their missions and take advantage of certain events, because otherwise we get a portugal with events in india (GOA!) when all it did the entire game was focus on america. This would make asia and africa just as attractive to it as the new world.
Therefore i'd like to propose the following changes to not only make balancing the iberian peninsula easier, but also make colonizing africa and going to india more desirable than simply spamming the new world. The primary focus of these changes would be to play to each countries strenghts, while incentivising (though not railroading) a more historical gameplay.
So with that, let's get started.
Trade:
Trade is by far the most important thing when balancing Portugal, and something that had a huge influence IRL, therefore it should be the main thing tackled when making changes in the Iberian peninsula. The thing i would suggest is the biggest issue, is the fact that both Spain and Portugal belong to the seville tradenode. This makes them have competition for trade income, and weakens both, in the current state of the game. Other major colonizers, such as france and England have their own end trade node, with little competition in it (the netherlands hardly ever manages to sucessfully form), so the fact that 2 major colonizers must share the same node means they are both being nerfed. his issue is copounded even more due to the fact that seville is now no longer an End node, meaning they will now be competing with the italians as well.
At the same time, keeping sevilla as an end node leaves them both too strong, and is ahistorical since the tradegoods often went into italy and northern europe.
Therefore i would offer the following suggestions:
Create another trade node in Lisbon that would receive trade from Brazil, Safi, Ivory coast, and would send trade into the english channel.
Have the Seville trade node receive trade from Safi, Caribean, Cheasapeak Bay, Tunis, and would send trade into Genoa.
This would have the following benefits, for one it would seperate Portugal and Castile, making both easier to balance individualy in the future. Secondly it allows both Portugal and spain to be nerfed, by having them compete with other wealthy european areas for trade from the colonies. Thirdly, the inputs for the tradenodes means that both portugal and castile have an increased incentive to complete missions that would otherwise be ignored (there is essentially no reason for portugal to ever colonize africa when it can go for the new world). And finally, it makes it so that india and Asia is just as desirable as the new world as a place to colonize early on, this is in line with history.
Not only that, but it gives england an incentive to remain allies with portugal (since they can then get some trade from Lisbon), and removes spanish incentive to go to war with portugal (since they're no longer competing for trade power in sevilla), allowing a more peaceful, colonization focused game with what are the 2 major colonizers of the period.
Paradox, if you will listen to anything i write, please just implement these trade changes above.
Provinces:
Lets face it, portugal is extremely weak in land forces, which while having some basis in reality, is way overblown. For example During the war of castillian sucession portugal fielded armies comparable to those of the castilians Whereas in game you can barely field half of castiles troops, which just seems ridiculous.
I would propose to fix this by adding 1 province (abrantes) that would come from a split of the Lisbon/castelo branco provinces. This is a province that over the time period was the site of many battles like during the seven years war, or the napoleonic wars not only that, but the adition of this province would allow a fortress to be placed there and essentially make it "the Key to Lisbon" and serve a similar purpose as the Elvas Lines.
I won't lie to you, this is a straight up buff to Portugal, unlike the trade changes which merely changed the status quo while keeping the power as is.
Colonization:
And finally we must talk about colonization. Portugal is primarily a colonizar and a trader, and therefore any balance regarding it will influence it. Therefore the change to make the first idea group at level 5 rather than 4 is a straight up nerf to portugal. As it is portugal is already artificially prevented from colonizing for a decade, and this will just make it worse.
Therefore i propose a change to the portuguese traditions, replace the +5% Trade efficiency with a +1 colonist.
This allows portugal to colonize africa, as it did IRL, and speeds up the way to india, making it as attractive as the new world, without allowing it to colonize the new world (since explorers can only go through ocean when they have quest for the new world at level 5). This means the new world will continue to be competed for, while giving portugal more oportunities to expand early on and build on things that can pay off later on.
I understand that this is a big change, but i truly believe that there is little downside in incentivising portugal to fulfil their missions and take advantage of certain events, because otherwise we get a portugal with events in india (GOA!) when all it did the entire game was focus on america. This would make asia and africa just as attractive to it as the new world.
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