Europa Universalis IV

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Zajeer

Molten Core Raider
544
449
You need to be on the lookout for older leaders without heirs. Sure, you can claim the throne of a newly crowned 18 year old without an heir, but odds are he or she's going to have an heir before death. I've found that a fair amount of it is up to the RNG Gods.

Also, you have to have more prestige than the country who's throne you're claiming to get into a PU. Otherwise a noble from your dynasty will be crowned and you then have to fight it out to force a PU.

And to answer the question, no I haven't had much luck.
Yeah, I've been on the lookout for leaders that are old with no heirs and most of the time that doesn't work either. I'm aware of needing to have more prestige than the current country -- you can't even claim throne with lower prestige.

I haven't found any solid threads that explain how to game that mechanic well, from what I've found
 

Agraza

Registered Hutt
6,890
521
A few 1.3 changes were mentioned.Some changes in 1.3
Johan_sl said:
- You will no longer get AE from inheriting another country.
- Revoking electorate through war now reduces Imperial Authority by 10.
- Reduced AI skill with armies on Low difficulty
- Provincetradepower is now given to controller of province, not owner.
- Trade Steering now also modifies the amount of money that goes forward from a tradenode you have a trader in.
- Rebalanced landcombat algoritms to be based on direct values instead of relative bonuses. aka, lategame is as bloody as early game.
- Moved away the quality impact from scaling weaponmodifier to scale actual damage.
- There is now damage on morale on units in the backline during a landcombat.
- Tweaked up strength damage slightly in landcombat.
- Navallandings now have a penalty of -2.
- AI: Less likely to switch attitudes and become hostile/rival towards an ally
- fx files now work properly for steam workshop.
- Great leader for achievement is 5 or 6 fire, and 5 or 6 shock, nothing else now.
release date should be tomorrow so long as nothing crops up.

I'm looking forward to the combat changes, but while they mention late-game I'm hopeful that the early game army vaporization is also tweaked. I don't want late game to be as silly as early game where a 20k army just disappears b/c it lost to a 24k army (first engage not rout chase). (hundred years war)

Having more loyal allies will be nice. Portugal becoming upset with England because their colonies border is usually very silly. They worked hand-in-hand in a lot of different spheres to stave off the superior manpower threat of France/Spain.
 
88
0
I picked Ireland as I found it a good way to learn in CK2 starting with just the one province and growing outward.

The thing that peaked my interest most and I understood least was the Trade system, so I actually grabbed Portugal next. I figured out trade quite well, which I like quite a bit, and colonization (though I didn't figure it out until late so was behind the curve).

Recently I have been playing Muscovy-turned-Russia, which again has been a great learning experience. I'm dominating trade in my little slice of the world (I was able to capture a northern seaport early, then a southern one) and have been learning about war and diplomacy quite well.

Just like in Victoria 2 and Crusader Kings 2, each game you learn some more and are able to apply it better to next game. I'm finding this, just like the other two, quite brilliant and enjoyable.
Yep. Did the same thing as Ireland in CK2... decided to go with them one more time after learning a bunch my first playthrough with them and learning how to win kingdoms without firing a shot. Ended up using marriages and inheriting the entire kingdoms of England, Scotland, Wales, and moved onto the continent by inheriting France and the HRE. Not bad for starting off with just Dublin
 

Agraza

Registered Hutt
6,890
521
1.3 Patch Released!!

bunch of tiny changes. I'm going to try forming Hannover and Westfalia. I assume they'll retain basic "german ideas" though.

Johan_sl said:
#################################
# New Features
#################################

- Three new countries can now be formed through decision. Hannover, Westfalia and Greece.
- Minor enhancements to Africa done, with national ideas for Kongo & Mali, cavalry for sub-saharan techgroup, flavor events for Kongo, Ethiopia, Mali & Songhai, and a new revolter country Jolof.
- The Knights have gained unique national ideas.
- 5 new achievements, Just a Little Patience, Nobody wants to die, Double the Love, Turning the Tide, Liberty or Death.
- New ledgerpage added, showing the location of all tradegoods in the world.


#################################
# Gamebalance
#################################
# Combat
- Rebalanced landcombat algoritms to be based on direct values instead of relative bonuses. aka, lategame is as bloody as early game.
- Moved away the quality impact from scaling weaponmodifier to scale actual damage.
- There is now damage on morale on units in the backline during a landcombat.
- Tweaked up strength damage slightly in landcombat.
- Navallandings now have a penalty of -2.

# Trade
- Provincetradepower is now given to controller of province, not owner.
- Trade steering now also modifies the amount of money that goes forward from a tradenode you have a trader in.

# Units
- Fleets now leave settlement whenever it is destroyed, instead of dying.
- You can no longer detach blockades if its only transports left in it.
- Unitmovement is now cancelled when a unit attached to another unit.
- You can't do harsh treatments in a province you don't control
- Moving units through a siege does no longer give them a ghost 1% attrition.
- Attaching units now syncs their movement to the target unit.
- You can now enter ally's occupied TI provinces when at war.
- Patrols no longer warp to adjacent ports when set on patrol.
- Disabled forced march on inherited units.
- Splitted units now keep their exile status.
- Fixed an issue where units could get stuck at the edge of a battle, leading to an never ending battle.

# Diplomacy
- Its no longer possible to sell provinces to anyone at war.
- Tweaked down lucky impact on inheritances from +10% to +5%.
- Annexation & Integration progress is now halted if the capital of the minor is occupied.
- Expansion cb is only on those with capital in asia, and is also accessible to ottoman techgroup.
- Countries will no longer lose cores on non-culturegroup provinces when annexed
- Integrating or annexing an overseas vassal/unionpartner is now far slower.
- Releasing a primitive country as a vassal no longer gives them your technology.

# War & Peace
- Can no longer release a nation if all its provinces are already promised to another nation to be released.
- Fixed a cash exploit in peace negotiations.
- Revoking electorate through war now reduces Imperial Authority by 10.
- When Japan forces a daimyo to release another daimyo, that daimyo will become a vassal of Japan
- Cancel all access with lesser union partners aswell (previously only cancelled with vassals) when going to war against them.
- Fixed issue with changing side in the war when making someone your vassal
- An overlord called into a wall by a vassal will now call its personal union warlord.
- Daimyos will now call in their own coalitions, not their Shoguns (fix for all nations that allow vassal war)
- You cannot take the last provinces of a country while also releasing nations from that country.
- Newly formed vassals will not force you to join their old wars.
- Fixed an issue where a country would be considered at war when it actually was not.
- Fixed an exploit where you could immediately revassalize a country after being forced to release it in war
- Players can now be replaced as warleader in a defensive war as well.
- You can no longer leave coalitions if you are at war with the target.

# Opinions
- Insults now decay.
- You will no longer get AE from inheriting another country.
- Cancelled vassals no longer get "At war" negative modifier with the country that cancelled them.
- 'Was at War' opinion modifier is now applied at the end of a war.
- Rev & Counter-rev gives 50% AE instead of 75%.

# Colonisation
- Maintenance costs for colonies above limit is now properly adding +100% that it was missing before.
- Cotton now only gives +5% colonist chance.
- Coring costs are now correct for colonies started before a tag change.

# Technology
- Hordes can not westernise unless they have reformed their government,

# Religion
- Defender of the faith wargoal can now be applied when declaring war.
- Defender of the faith now gives normal deus vult cb as well.
- Now you need to wait 36 months between excommunication
- HRE members of same religion as emperor will no longer get upset when emperor enforces religious unity on another member.
- The Test Act, Superintendent Office, The Popery Act & The Conventicle Act is now cleared when converting religion.

# Misc
- Cores will now expire on the correct date
- Enabling wartaxes no longer increases WE by 1.
- Unions now end when the subject dislikes the overlord, as tooltips says.
- Lesser countries in a union no longer get stability hits when the monarch dies.
- Pretenders breaking a union also breaks the royal marriage.
- Can no longer change luck in a saved game.
- Unions breaking from event effects now give propepr cb & shows message as well.
- Pretenders taking control in lesser union countries now breaks the union.
- You can no longer core provinces adjacent to overseas vassals, unless in colonial range.

################################
# AI
#################################
- AI: Less likely to switch attitudes and become hostile/rival towards an ally
- AI: Higher prio on building temples
- AI: Less likely to choose allies as rivals
- AI: Less predictable about who they will choose as a rival
- AI is now less willing to peace early in a war
- Fixed a bug where rebels could get exiled
- Attached AI units that are exiled will now detach to go home
- Reduced AI skill with armies on Low difficulty
- Fixed a bug where the invasion AI would launch suicide attacks on provinces under siege
- Fixed a bug that caused the AI to launch suicidal naval invasions of besieged provinces
- Fixed a bug that was causing exiled AI units to not return home
- AI should no longer throw away leaders if it has less than pool allows.
- Fixed a bug which made the AI very unlikely to send missionaries.

#################################
# Multiplayer
#################################
- Fixed bug in MP where all players would assume control of a released vassal if "play as vassal" was selected.
- Can no longer choose random country after clicking ready in MP
- Fixed two different Out of Syncs.
- Fixed one major reason for OOS_67.

#################################
# Interface Improvements
#################################
# Country
- Change Government: Don't show legitimacy in confirm dialog for non-monarch
- The tooltip for "advisors slots available" alert is now clearer

# Religion
- Sort mission button is now functional
- Stabilized the papacy votes list.

# Economy
- Added extra digit in inflation tooltip
- Repay bank loan message is now more descriptive.

# Diplomacy
- Actions that aren't available after the crusades ended (1650) are now visible but disabled
- Added icon for war overview for countries that cannot negotiate peace (b/c of unions, vassals, etc)
- Added icon in Diplomacy view for members of the HRE.
- Added icon for non negotiable participant in waroverview.
- Fixed Enforce peace message to others so its clear who signed peace with whom, and who enforced it.
- To many diplomatic relations shows how many over you are.
- Added a type to CCallAllyAction so you can more easily find how you were brought into the war.
- Fix CB tooltips displaying countries repeatedly.
- Distinguish between allies and coalition members when declaring war.

# Peace
- Sorted values in the "will AI accept peace?" tooltip in the peace view.
- Added shield list to peace negotiation window so you can easily switch to other nations you are able to negotiate with.
- Disabled "decrement gold" button in the peace view, if the current gold is 0.
- Fixed scrollbar location in peace view

# Provinces
- Now shows the owner of the colony's chance of attracting people, rather than the player's hypothetical chance.
- Fixed accidentally renaming provinces to "Random province name"
- Selecting Harsh Treatment now updates the other Harsh Treatment buttons according to remaining MIL power.
- Changed in localisation so native "hostility" and "aggressiveness" (the same thing) is now known as "aggressiveness"
- Enemy core creation modifier now showed as red since it is a negative modifier.
- Fixed tooltip for claims so it shows correct information when a claim will be lost.
- Don't show misleading tooltip for colonization growth while colonist is traveling.

# Build Interface
- The window for building a building that enhances manpower in a province that has >100% manpower inefficiency no longer shows a negative increase in manpower.

# Units
- Fixed missing click sound on sort leader icons
- Fixed a display issue where units were in combat, but was not displayed as such.
- Forcemarch can now always be toggled off.
- Display correct military tactics value from insufficient support penalty in combat.
- Made the text for "make ruler/heir general" a bit clearer
- Fixed missing tooltips for shock, fire, and morale pips.
- Forced march tooltip text should work again.

# Map
- Update supply limit tooltip text to be more clear.
- Added explanation of the yellow stripes to the HRE mapmode tooltip.
- Changed Revolt mapmode so it can show a greater range of revolt risks
- Fixed so that clikcing a country with the diplomacy tab open updates the coalition map mode
- Changed supply mapmode so that the colors are relative to the provinces with the currently lowest and highest supply limit.
- Better tooltip text in colonisation mapmode.
- Fixed swapped tooltips for vassalage in diplomatic mapmode
- Repeat TI texture slightly more to make it tile perfectly.
- Colonization mapmode colors and tooltips now reflect more accurate what is possible and not.
- Added base outgoing value to tooltips for the outgoing links on the trade map mode.

# Messages
- Building complete message should now be working
- A negative change in native aggressiveness or ferocity is now shown with green digits in events.
- You now only get papal controller messages if you are catholic.
- Fixed Call To Arms message to the Defender of the Faith so that it correctly shows why you are called into the war.
- Show province names for provinces that was in TI when going to observe mode.
- Message about enemy's allies joining your war should now be triggered.

# Outliner
- Show merchant status in tooltip, since it can be hard to see what they are doing when they have long names.
- Annexation should now correctly update in outliner, also it should show consistent progress both in diplomacy view and outliner.

# Misc
- Clarified decay factors in the prestige tooltip.
- Revolt risk alert tooltip should now update when revolt risks changes.
- Added tooltip text to explain that legitimacy is taken from leader when you are lesser in a union.
- Added tooltips and hiding of incompatible savegame functionality to the ingame load menu as well.
- Fixed buttons becoming greyed out when they should not in release nations screen.
- Fixed so you can sort overextension on cores.
- Don't set options unless clicking accept button.
- Fix tab order in host game window.
- Reset the correct text when clicking in matchmaking window.
- Fixed certain cases that could cause you to click "through" the interface.
- Shortcut keys have been added to country selection screen.

#################################
# User Modding
#################################
- define_heir and define_ruler can now set the age of the person
- every_empty_neighbor_province effect now works correctly
- Made a new effect for revolt risk in every country to reduce message spam for big countries.
- Added "mods loaded" tag in save files
- dynasty names from define_ruler is now used for republics as well if used.
- Removed OCCUPATION_PROV_VAL_DECAY values from defines.lua as they are no longer used.
- fx files now work properly for steam workshop.
- Should no longer be possible to crash the game with weird names

#################################
# Achievements & Ironman
#################################
- Great leader for achievement is 5 or 6 fire, and 5 or 6 shock, nothing else now.
- Fixed FOW/TI console command exploit in iron man mode

#################################
# Events & Decisions
#################################
- Tweaked quite a few requirements for country decisions.
- Event flavor_pol.3488 "Turko-Polish Tension" should no longer spawn if there's already a claim/core
- conventicle_act is now available for Christian countries instead of just Catholic
- Event spawning Ikko-ikki rebels should no longer make them friendly to the owner of the province
- Fixed a few bugs with turkish events relating to provincial system & the devshirme that made them not fire.

#################################
# Setup
#################################
- Tweaked chances for quite alot of missions.
- nerfed national ideas for some minor countries.
- MCH_ideas are available for QNG tag as well
- Fixed MCH claims in Korea being converted to QNG claims after 1645
- Replaced MCH legacy in history files with QNG
- Castile and Aragon are no longer historical friends
- Castile and Aragon will now tend to pick personalities that make them less likely to fight while The Iberian Wedding can still fire

#################################
# Stability & Performance
#################################
- Improved detection of when we should update opinion cache (rival, military rating and alliance changes)
- Optimized a case where large rebel forces was spawned.
- Settings from a savegame file is now used when loaded.
- Settings stored in gameplaysettings.txt is used by default.
- Fix crash when inspecting battle lines.
- Fixed a crash and a UI layout issue related to rival selection.
- Fixed bug where the game would crash when the player was annexed.
- Fixed crash if a subunitdefinition was not found.
- Fixed crash in border system related to wasteland provinces
- Fixed crash that occurred when selecting a saved game while text was already selected.
- Fixed a crash that could happen when going back and forth between main menu and in game.
- Don't send trade goods message threaded (caused crash on OSX and Linux)

#################################
# Major Bugfixes
#################################
- Fixed a bug where units would get incorrectly exiled after the end of a war
- The attacker now stays attacker after an ally in a battle makes peace.
- Fixed another bug that was causing trade fleets to be sent to the wrong side of the Red Sea
- Outliner: Fixed issue with wrong country being displayed as annexing
- Added missing gfx combat_terrain for desert_mountain
- Strait information should now be correct after exiting and reloading a game.
- Apply triggered modifiers at load and not at first monthly update.
- Fixed so that capitals, units and buildings stays consistent when cycling through bookmarks before the start of a game.
- Asian level 4 now have correct cavalry graphics
- Fixed bug where protecting trade would not work if you owned all provinces in node

#################################
# Minor Bugfixes
#################################
- Fixed bug where no modifiers that decreased fabrication time were applied.
- Fixed bug where interesting countries would be reset on loading game
- Fixed bug where interesting country calcualtion would add all countries
- Fixed bug where some nations would be shown as undiscovered in the diplomacy UI
- Fixed bug where fabricate claim time could not be reduced by modifiers.
- Fixed bug where fleets could not protect trade of Novgorod Trade Node if they started in Gulf of Finland.
- Fixed bug where supply limit mapmode would not be updated if a new unit was selected.
- Fixed some minor typos in various parts of the game.
- Fixed claim reduction percentage in LOADING_TIP_10
- Added missing localization for Go to button in decision message
- Added missing localization for FUTURECARDINALDEAD_TITLE and FUTURECARDINALLOYALTYSTOP_TITLE
- Country: Don't save relation for null tag in save game
- Removed fabricate claim message that was not true ("agent expelled and sent home").
- Fixed text colorization issue.
- Fix tooltip when taking many provinces.
- Fixed erronous tooltip for offensive morale when recruiting regiments in province view.
- Fixed bug where refusing military access to someone meant that you would like them less, instead of the other way around.
- Fixed bug where the DIP cost would not be zero for vassalization even though it was the wargoal.
- Fixed bug where no DIP power was deducted when annexing.
- Fixed bug where you could vassalize countries that had all their countries already ceded.
- Fixed bug where mapmodes would not update on province deselct
- Fixed bug where province would not be selected when clicking "select province" in siege view
- Fixed bug where "suggest peace" would add returns of cores that were promised to other nations.
- Fixed bug where released nations would not get a truce with the country that forced them to be released.
- Fixed bug where going back to start menu would not reset secondary map mode
- If subunit definitions are not found, will now default to preferred infantry type (aka, support usermods)
- Eastern Start Bastion icon fix.
- Cb on pagans now fits properly in NI frame.
 

Zajeer

Molten Core Raider
544
449
The combat changes in this patch were definitely needed - the game feels much more playable at the later years of the game. Also, the changes to the AI so that they are less random with their opinions helps a ton - its way easier now to predict why an AI will hate you if you expand, are a different religion, etc.
 

faille

Molten Core Raider
1,854
454
Finally got the Basileus achievement. Fuck it was annoying and took far too many restarts to pull it off.
 

Zajeer

Molten Core Raider
544
449
Finally got the Basileus achievement. Fuck it was annoying and took far too many restarts to pull it off.
Congrats! That one was tough. I ended up reading a thread on the Paradox boards to find a good strategy for it - basically if you build a ton of galleys, you can blockade the Bosphorous Strait while the Ottoman Army is on the Asian side of the Strait and either siege all of the European counties, or sit there and let a ton of revolts occur. Once I used that strategy it made playing Byzantium a lot easier. I'm probably going to play another Byzantium game eventually - their location makes it easy for you to fight on multiple continents and blob quickly once you've eliminated most of the Ottoman threat.
 

faille

Molten Core Raider
1,854
454
Not sure if I'm thrilled about the expansion. Never been a big fan of the americas and usually stick to the european nations. Might wait for more reviews to come out or a steam sale to pick it up.

As for EU4 v CK2, I love eu4 but could never get into CK2 at all. A lot of people report the opposite though, so it's really a personal preference thing. Try out both and see which one clicks for you.
 

Aaron

Goonsquad Officer
<Bronze Donator>
8,735
20,474
Though they look similar they play quite differently. In CKII you basically play a dynasty. If you pick one of the larger dynasties then it's pretty hard to "lose" since if you die with no heir you'll just play some other member of your dynasty. With EUIV it's all about country management.

But in both games, the most important thing to remember is this isn't (unless you're fucking good at the game, which you won't be when you start) a military conquest game. In fact, you'll prolly lose most of your battles and wars at first until you learn how to fight. But give them a go, and watch some Let's Plays and video tutorials on YouTube and you'll be fine. EUIV is much, much easier to get into than EUIII was lol.
 

Zajeer

Molten Core Raider
544
449
As somebody who's never played a Paradox game, would this or Crusader Kings 2 server as a better introduction? I own both.
I'm a huge fan of both. Consider that, unlike Civ, there really isn't an end-goal in either game -- its whatever you personally decide you want to accomplish. For me personally, when I began CK2 there weren't achievements in, so I just played the game (same goes for EU4). However achievements help you try to plot out your goals from game to game. The difference between the two, as has been mentioned, is that one game is a dynastic game and the other is empire management. I feel like in terms of depth, CK2 is more deep because you have to manage relationships between your ruler and others, while this relationship handling is easier in EU4. However in EU4 you have to work on economy and tech gain more.

The main difference in my mind is, do you want an empire management/conquest game, or a game where you build a dynasty and a story? EU4 is good at the first bit, while CK2 is great at the 2nd bit. Both games are excellent, so you can't go wrong with either choice
 

Nutron_sl

shitlord
712
0
So I started playing the latest expansion with the new world...and my lil amerindian empire is starting to shape upm, but for some reason I cant seem to be able to build ANY buildings on any regions...the quickbuild menu shows no buildings at all and when i manualy click provinces, all the buildings are greyed out. Cannot build from the ledger either...

I have not reformed or westernised, and have plenty of monarch points...

WAT DO?
 

Zhaun_sl

shitlord
2,568
2
So I started playing the latest expansion with the new world...and my lil amerindian empire is starting to shape upm, but for some reason I cant seem to be able to build ANY buildings on any regions...the quickbuild menu shows no buildings at all and when i manualy click provinces, all the buildings are greyed out. Cannot build from the ledger either...

I have not reformed or westernised, and have plenty of monarch points...

WAT DO?
You can only make the chepo Native buildings until you either reform or Westernize (I don't recall which). You can't build the normal buildings (Star Fort, Armory, whatever) until then.
 

Zhaun_sl

shitlord
2,568
2
Well I know the first menu thing there, only shows proper civilized buildings, so you won't have the option there irritatingly.

That second screenie... er... I don't even know.

You're a Mahican in a random world? Lemme load it up and take a look.
 

Zhaun_sl

shitlord
2,568
2
Yep, I can build fine.

Yer done fooked mate!

Sounds like you bugged yourself or... are you converting them to Core or converting their Culture or Religion? Those will grey out build options. No idea otherwise.
 

Nutron_sl

shitlord
712
0
Yep, I can build fine.

Yer done fooked mate!

Sounds like you bugged yourself or... are you converting them to Core or converting their Culture or Religion? Those will grey out build options. No idea otherwise.
nah none of that, i even tried reloading as iroquois etci n smae world and none of em cn build :\ i dont get it
 

Nutron_sl

shitlord
712
0
Ok so apparently I was playing extended timeline and I forgot you have to unlock all the buildings through tech first... OOPSIE. Playing native is too easy, i steamrolled my entire continent and have like 30k spare gold with nothng to do but wait and hoard till i pulverize europe when i get contistadors.