This guide for Europa Universalis IV will get the payers acquainted with the sophisticated aspects of gameplay and help them take advantage of all the options optimally, to enable them develop their empire as dynamically as possible. The guide includes practical information and hints that both veterans and newcomers to this title, who may find the amount of slides and numbers dizzying, will find useful. The contents of this guide revolves around the administrative, economic, diplomatic and wartime issues included in the game. The reader will also be acquainted with the implemented system of monarchy and the ropes of ruling.
Somewhat traditionally, when it comes to games developed by Paradox Interactive, you need to pay attention to the software's version which, in the case of this guide, was 1.1.2.
Arek "Skan" Kaminski ()
Europa Universalis IV is a sandbox type of game, which does not impose any restrictions in particular and gives the player a total freedom of actions, limited only by imagination and the size of the globe. This is why this guide does not focus on describing the gameplay in detail with a particular nation step by step, but rather attempts to acquaint the reader with the options and the optimal ways of using them. Furthermore, if you have had no previous experience with the games of the series, or similar games developed by Paradox (Crusader Kings, Hearts of Iron, Victoria), you should acquaint yourself with tutorial. This guide does not describe the basics of the gameplay e.g. loading troops onto the ships . It, instead, focuses on more complicated options that do not get explained by the game itself.
Nationality selection is a very important decisionBefore you start the game, you need to select the starting year, as well as the country that you want to play as. The year of beginning does not matter that much and it only depends on how long you are indenting to play and if you want to have any particular political situation on your hands. Still, the selection of the country determines what kind of aims you will be able to assume. These depend on both its size and its geographic situation. The world comes divided into technological regions which determine the pace of development. A beginner player should select a nation from the Latin technological group (the Western and the Middle Europe) to have access to cheapest technology possible. The further to the East and to the South, the worse the technological group with slower and more expensive development to follow. As much as in the case of the differences between the countries of the Middle Europe and Turkey the differences are not that great, and it is easy to keep up with the competition, the more primitive cultures like the Aztecs and the Congo are never going to be on a par with the European countries.
Also the size of the selected country doe s not remain without its significance. The beginner player should not select the biggest of the available countries, to avoid getting lost in the management issues. Still, selecting a small country of one or two provinces is also immensely dangerous for the risk of falling prey to bigger neighbors. Your selection of the country should reflect your plans of how you actually want to play. A good selection, for starters, will be, e.g. Portugal or Castile. Both countries are quite strong and safe, for the lack of numerous neighbors, and you will also be able to focus on the development while colonizing the New World. If you are not interested in colonization, and want to focus on a more offensive mainland game, you could turn your attention to Sweden or the Ottoman Empire. If you, on the other hand, want to forge an economic power and restrict your military actions to the necessary minimum, then Venice s Your choice.
After the beginning, the game pauses. It is the moment in which you should get acquainted carefully, with your country. EU IV is going to require you to plan many years ahead. It is a good idea to determine your moves and aims for years to come. Before you un-pause the game, you should learn each interface in detail and comprehend individual options. It is also a good idea to review the hints displayed each time you start the game. Once you know what's ahead of you, it is time that you learn about your new empire. You should review the map and learn about the relationships between your neighbors. Learn who is your adversary, who you can deem an ally? Check out if there are some of your provinces on the enemy territory. If so, they may turn out to be a good target for the beginning. Find out if there are any provinces, which belong to any of your neighbors, within the boundaries of your country. If so, you may be sure of the fact that, sooner or later, your neighbor will be interested in getting them back and you should take necessary precautions, as soon as possible, to prevent that. Learn about your economic condition. How rich is your country? What do you produce? Is there the economic center in your country? If your reserves are high, you could start by constructing new buildings or additional soldiers. On the other hand, if you barely make moth ends meet, maybe it is a better idea to disband some of the army to make some savings? Also, get to know your monarch, his strong and weak points. Check, thoroughly the religions professed within your boundaries as well as the available missions and decisions. All of these factors should determine the beginning action plan. Take advantage of the strong points of your kingdom and try to strengthen the weak ones as quickly as possible. Once you draw up a plan for your first movements, and take your first decisions, it is time that you let the play begin and let the years fly by.
A good ruler is a half of successOne of the changes implemented in the newest installment of Europa is a new set of rules and the altered significance of the ruler, in terms of the gameplay. Traditionally, the sovereign's abilities are determined by three factors - administration, diplomacy and military. The sovereign will be assessed, with respect to these categories, with grades ranging from 0 to 6, where 0 means an utter moron and 6 an absolute genius. This is more significant than in the case of the previous installments because of the introduction of a new resource, which is Monarch Power. As much as the king's higher statistics provided better or worse boosts for the specific domain, in EUIV, Monarch Power translates into the form of the currency used for specific actions like development of doctrines or technology, or even the construction of buildings, or hiring generals, Depending on your level, the monarch will generate a specific amount of points of three kinds (i.e. administrative, diplomatic and military), on a monthly basis.
This lends a new spice to the game and at the same time carries a greater risk. Even a strong and developed country may, at some point, face a great crisis when the monarch turns out to be completely inept. It may also turn out that you will have to alter your strategy by 180 out of a sudden, when the military genius will be succeeded by his son, who turns out to be incapable in these matters, but is an excellent diplomat nevertheless. Each country has its base increase in the MP points, depending on its technological group. The European and Islamic have 3 points per month. The Asiatic 2, and the African and the American 1.
Although, in general terms, the increase of the MP points is a permanent value, which is independent of factors like the country's wealth or size, to a certain extent you can manipulate its growth. First of all, there is an option of hiring advisors. At the same time, it is a quite expensive thing to do so, the best solution is to hire, temporarily, an advisor that offers a discount, onlu for the period necessary to implement changes that you want to implement, and fire him if you do not plan on any more sizeable purchases. Furthermore, while playing a republic, each time you elect the same sovereign, all of his statistics go up by 1 point. The downside of this solution is that you suffer the drop in the republican values, which may lead to a rebellion and the collapse of democracy. Also, while playing the monarch, the forms of manipulation are limited. If the heir turns out to be a complete nonentity, you can appoint him a commander and send him to a battlefield on purpose. Such battles are bound to be lost, which will result in the king's death and make it impossible for him to ascend to the throne. Of course, this is the most drastic of solutions and it is recommended only as a last resort. At the same time, you need to be prepared to face all the situations that come with it, like plummeting stability of the country. Finally, you can try and influence the increase of Monarch Power points by taking advantage of random events, often in exchange for money. If you are prepared to sustain such losses, it is a sound trade-off then.
You can change the political system by clicking the crown icon in the Government tabThere are two basic government systems in EU IV - monarchy and republic. Furthermore, there also is theocracy and the tribal system, which can with time evolve into a more enlightened form of government. The difference is, of course that in the case of the monarchy, the country is ruled by the dynasty and in the case of the republic, the successor is determined by way of election.
If your system is the monarchy, it is immensely important that you take care of having the ruler on your throne. An heir can be born from a royal union with another country, secured by the marital bond. If the king dies and his heir is still a baby, the power will be taken over by the regency council. Throughout the rule of the regent, you will not be able to take any diplomatic decisions, until the prince reaches adulthood. The situation is more serious if the king dies heirless. That is when you will enter the personal union with the country that you entered the royal union with and, until the king dies, you will be completely dependent on that country. This, of course, works both ways so, there is a chance that you will also ascend to the other country's throne, via non-aggressive means. Still, there is a danger in that. Royal marriage is, in general terms, a powerful tool, which is to be used with artifice. You can find the details in the chapter devoted to diplomacy. The most important thing, though, is that you should always send 2-3 princesses to the other countries because, no heir to the throne may be tragic in its consequences. The situation is much more simple in Islamic states, because these have +100% chance for a heir. Well, harems do well here.
The republic, on the other hand, deprives you of the option of marriages, which makes the hard diplomatic expansion more difficult. Still, you will not have to worry about the drop in stability and various wars for the throne. In the event of the ruler's demise, election, to determine a new leader, is organized.
Additionally, there are two characteristic values to both systems, which influence the game.
Legitimacy - the sovereign's entitlement to the throne. It ranges 0-100%. The higher the factor, the higher the current ruler's right to own the throne and, which follows, the less opponents in the country. This comes with additional bonuses including, as much as -3 to rebellions, +1 to religious tolerance for all religions and +2.5 to diplomatic reputation. Obviously, it pays off to make sure that it is as high as you can get. It increases, on an annual basis, with dependence on prestige (1 prestige = 0.01 legitimacy), and by 0.20% per each royal marriage. It drops as a result of events (e.g. if it turns out that the king is a bastard) and at the moment of signing every next royal marriage.
Republican Tradition - the republican tradition reflects democratic ideals in the country. Just like in the case of legitimacy, it ranges 0-100%. Low values are connected with the increased prices for stability and the risk of restoring monarchy (the country will turn into one automatically when this factor drops to 0%). On the other hand, however, with the RT, you receive -3 to rebellions. You automatically gain 1% a year, just for the fact of being a republic. Still, you lose 10% if the same leader is elected during elections but, this provides a +1 rise to al his statistics. The fact itself, that during the elections you decide which leader to choose, is a big advantage of the republic. Each newly-found republic starts with 1% tradition so, in the case absence of events, reaching the maximum value takes 100 years!
Changing the system of government takes up 100 Monarch Power administration points and 50% of the amassed legitimacy. Also, an appropriate level of the administrative technology is required. Monarchy can peacefully turn into monarchy only. The Republic, oin the other hand, can turn into any other type of republic, or monarchy, if its tradition factor is sufficiently low. Additionally, each country can be seized by rebels, whose aim may be to introduce monarchy or the republic.
Monarchies
Absolute
+10% discipline
-1 revolt risk
Requires the 20th level of administrative technology
Administrative
+10% Production Efficiency
+5% Global Tax Modifier
Requires the 12th level
Despotic
-1% National Revolt Risk
+10% Unjustified Demands.
Requires the 2nd level. Low Tradition Republic, which keeps electing the same leader will turn into this type of monarchy
Feudal
+10% Vassal Income
+10% Manpower
Requires the 2nd level.
Constitutional
-1% Prestige Decay
+1% annual legitimacy
+10% Manpower Recovery
Requires 22nd level
Enlightened Despotism
+20% Global Spy Defense
+10% Manpower
-5% Core Creation Cost.
Requires the 29th level
Revolutionary Empire
+1 Army Tradition
+25% Manpower
+0,5 Morale of Armies
Requires the 31st level.
Administrative
+1 Religious Tolerance
+10% Trade Efficiency
Requires the 12th administrative level. Five year election cycle.
Bureaucratic Despotism
+1 Religious Tolerance
-20% Stability Cost.
Requires the 29th level. The sovereign rules until death.
Dictatorship
+1 Tolerance
+0,1 Morale of Armies
Requires the 20th level. The sovereign rules until death.
Constitutional
+1 Tolerance
+20% Production Efficiency
Requires the 26th administrative level. Four year election cycle.
Merchant
+1 Merchant
+10% Global Trade Power
+5% Trade Efficiency
Does not require any technology level. Four year election cycle. Cannot turn into any other form.
Revolutionary
+2 Tolerance
+0,5 Morale of Armies
Requires the 31st administrative level. Four year election cycle. Possible only in a European country.
Noble
+1 Tolerance
+0,25 Morale of Armies
Requires the 7th level. Eight year election cycle, the only republic to llow for royal marriages.
Tribal governments can turn into reformed forms of government. This requires 200 administration points, +3 stability, 90 legitimacy or republican tradition, and also a fully developed economic or administrative doctrine. Reforming will result in a 5 point drop in stability.
Democracy
+20% Manpower
+20% Land Force Limit
-100% Provincial Trade Power
Reforms to Noble Republic.
Despotism
-10 Core Creation Cost
+1 Global Revolt Risk
-100% Provincial Trade Power
Reforms to Despotic Monarchy.
Federation
+20% Manpower
+20% Land Force Limit
-100% Provincial Trade Power
Reforms to Feudal Monarchy.
Steppe Horde
+100% Manpower
+100% Land Force Limit
-50% Relations Over Time.
Always has Casus Belli against all neighbors. Bonuses to battles fought in home provinces, deserts and flatlands.
After reforming, it becomes a Despotic Monarchy.
There also are unique forms of government available for selected countries, which cannot be turned into anything else. Some can be activated only after the specific decision is taken.
Archduchy
+10% Vassal Income
+1 Diplomat
+10% Manpower
Available only in Austria after the completion of the Privilegium Maius event. To activate it, Austria needs to control the Holy Roman Empire, the Habsburg Dynasty needs to be in power and the year needs to be past 1500.
Empire
+0,25 Morale of Armies
+10% Vassal Income
Available only for Byzantium after it is imported from the Crusader King 2 converter.
Daimyo
+0,5 Morale of Armies
+10% Infantry Power.
Available only for Vassals to Japan. Cannot wage war against other Daimyo systems.
Iqta
+33% Vassal Income
+100% Chance of new Heir.
Iqta is a counterpart of Theocracy for the Muslim countries, functions e.g. in Tripoli.
Celestial Empire
-3 Global Revolt Risk
-with positive stability, it gains the so called Celestial Mandate that decreases the cost of stability by 10% and reduces the revolt risk by additional 5%
Available only in China.
Ambrosian Republic
+10% Global Tax Modifier
+0,20 Morale of Armies
Three year election cycle. Available only for Milan in a 1447-1449 start or, as a result of an event during regency, or with low legitimacy.
Dutch Republic
+33% Naval Force limit
+10% Global Trade Income
The sovereign rules until death. Allows for royal marriages. Available only for the Netherlands in the 1581 start or, as a result of revolt.
Shogunate
+4 Diplomatic Relations
Available for Japan only.
Theocracy
Tolerance to Own Religion +2
Tolerance to Heretic -2
+0,1 Papal Influence, if the country is catholic.
Available only for selected countries like, e.g. Church State or the Teutonic Order . Cannot change systems.
There are many elements in the game that overlap and determine a strong, healthy empire. A big country with a big army is not an indicator of welfare and safety. This is decided by many other factors, which it is good to know, and whose existence and gravity a "regular" player may not realize to the full extent.
Prestige represents your reputation and respect in the country, and in the world. It ranges between -100 and +100. In general, you want to have as much of it as possible but, not necessarily at any price so, it is not the thing that you should be too bothered with. Still, prestige has immense bearing on your relationships with the other countries and their willingness to cooperate. So, if you are planning on entering into an alliance with a country that is not too interested in that, you should consider employing an Advisor who will increase your prestige and reinforce your attempts. Apart from Advisors, your prestige is also increased by victorious battles and wars, as well as thanks to ideas. Also the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire wins prestige points. Higher and higher with each emperor from the same country.
With 100 o prestige, you receive the following bonuses:
With prestige at the level of 50%, you receive a half of the above list. With zero, you receive nothing and with negative prestige, you receive negative counterparts of the above. Maintaining prestige at the highest possible level is quite difficult. The basic annual loss to the current prestige is 5% (with negative prestige, you receive the base +5%). You also lose 0.3 prestige a year, per each Core province within the boundaries of an enemy state. Of course, also in the case of a lost battle, or war you also lose your prestige. Often you will have to decide whether it is better for you to lose your prestige, or go to war. Often, these are going wars that you cannot handle or, simply, they would be completely nonsensical so, you will have to live with losing your prestige points. To the extent it is possible, try and keep your prestige high but, not at any cost to avoid getting into more trouble.
Stability has been improved considerably, in comparison with the third Europa. First of all, stability does not depend on economy and finances anymore. The slide for spending money, to keep it high, already disappeared from the budget window. What you now spend on that, is the Monarch Power and, more precisely, the administration points. Once again, the tendency to make your country's welfare dependant on the king's skills, becomes apparent. Administration points spent on stability are not going to be, after all, spent on the development of technologies. With the deficiency of the Monarch Power, it is a good idea to consider improving it. The base cost of the stability improvement is 100 administration points. This price is influenced by the following factors:
Stability itself ranges -3 and +3. The effect of stability on the country is as follows:
For one positive point (the effects cumulate by up to x3 on the +3rd stability level):
For one negative point (the effects cumulate by up to x3 on the -3rd stability level):
So, as you can see, stability is an immensely important element with its influence on the development of the country. Additional 30% to profits from taxes is a considerable cash injection for your economy. On the other hand, additional +6 to the Global Revolt Risk...-3 legitimacy, which is going to increase the risk even more, can ruin even the best of economies in no time at all, and that is what you want to avoid at any price. Avoid the excess Overextension and lack of religious unity. Never attack without any justification of your actions! Play with slowly and reasonably. Seize a province and turn it into a Core. Then, convert the infidels. Only after that, take to conquering further lands.
The stability is best if it does not exceed 2. First of all, it is expensive. Secondly, the increase in stability can often be achieved as a result of missions or (more rarely) events. If you receive an additional stability point when you already have +3, it will go down the gutter. Finally, the game has the tendency for quick decreasing of maximum stability. If you reach the fabled +3, within several months, you are bound to receive an event or heir's death. That is why, you should strive to keep stability at +2, and reach +3 by completing missions. Still, if you need administration points elsewhere, and the condition of the country is relatively stable, you can easily play with stability at the level of 1, or even 0. Negative stability should be made up, to the extent it is possible, as fast as you can.
The hatched regions are the exterritorial core provinces.
The so called Cores. Provinces perceived as integral parts of the country that you have the indelible right for. You receive an automatic casus belli against each country, within whose boundaries, there are your core provinces. As you will be conquering everything, soon you will learn the hard way that foreign provinces, within a country, are not a good solution, due to the high revolt risk, low tax income and increasing overextension (with more expensive stability to follow). In general terms, this is a curb that prevents the player from conquering the entire globe. Still, each province can be cored but, the larger the country, the longer the process.
The base time for the establishment of a core province is 3 years. The price, expressed in the administrative MP depends on the taxes in the province in question - 20 points per 1 ducat of taxes, if the province is not occupied by an accepted culture. The cost is additionally higher if you are exhausted from the war - war exhaustion X3 (e.g. exhaustion = 5 = 15% to the price). Additionally, some of the provinces have the additional Local Nobility modifier, from the Aristocratic idea, which increase the price by 100%.
The base three years to core a province can be modified by two factors. Firstly, each province owned by you on the same continent (+5% per province) and for Adaptability on diplomatic ideas, which decreases the time by 25%.
The situation is different in case of colonies. You can conquer these straight away and their cost is only 10% of the regular price. So, if you want a sprawling country, and avoid problems with overextension, you should immediately set on to colonization. Be fast about it to beat the others to it.
You can always core all of the provinces that are subject to your rule. The only exception here is the situation in which you want to gain a core in a province already cored by another country, that you are currently at war with. In such a situation, you will be able to start only after you sign the peace treaty. In general, you always want to have all of your provinces cored but, you should core the rich provinces first as well as the ones that bear the highest risk of losing in the forthcoming war, which will provide you with casus belli. If you want your country to be big, the adaptability is a must so, make a wise choice of the idea.
Just like it can be gained, core can also be lost in a given province. It may be one of the conditions of peace. Furthermore, core disappears after 50 years if a war between the country that owns the province, and the country that claims right to it, is not waged. If the war actually takes place(even if you lose it) the core is automatically extended for another 50 years. As you can see, sometimes it pays off to go for a war, even if you are too weak to defeat the enemy, and only if you want to extend coring and casus belli, just to increase your numbers and defeat the enemy several years later.
The only exception to the above is a province whose culture is the same as the country's main culture. In such a case, core never expires. The purpose of this is to enable the countries, which disappear from the map, to be reborn after one or two hundred years.
Overextension is a growth that is too extensive. It is another restriction o those who aspire to conquer the entire world, and it is directly connected with the core provinces. Each province, which is not a core, will provide a specific percent of OE calculated as follows: 1 tax ducat= 4% overextension. So, a province with the tax of 5 ducats gives 20%. Again, colonies are the only exception here, because they do not yield OE, provided they are not occupied by your culture.
The higher OE brings about the following:
Furthermore, heightened OE will have an adverse effect on your neighbors. This will result in more frequent wars and, which is even worse, entering coalitions. Overextension also hes negative bearing on the citizens of the country. The maximum, acceptable OE is 100%. Above this value, you will be regularly nagged at by events with revolts on a massive scale, throughout the entire country, the loss of stability effectiveness of commerce etc. A bit above 100% or 150% it is not that bat, though (events occurring every, more or less, year). With 200%, and especially 250 it goes crazy enough to make you want dump your screen out of the window.
It is easy to guess that excessive overextension is something that you want to avoid like fire. You bring it down by creating cores (start with the richest provinces, of course), which you create with your administrative MP points. So, once again, the game's mechanics come full circle which reveals the connection between a well-prospering country and a good ruler. If necessary, you should free vassals to decrease OE. You may be thinking that with a strong army you can suppress all revolts but, it is a very short-sighted solution. Surely, at first you will face no problems with that, but soon enough, your Manpower will start to plummet abruptly, and an unexpected war with a coalition may quickly bring you down with a hard landing. The history of our country, with the Cossack uprisings should serve as the best example here. Never exceed 170% OE.
Depending on its geographic situation, each country belongs to a specific technological group. This determines the cost of technologies, the increase in Monarch Power and the level of the starting technology. Of course, the more advanced the technological group, the easier the game. A beginner player should stay away from backwards countries.
Western - France, Spain, etc.:
Technology cost - 100%
Monarch Power - 3
Starting Technology Level- 3
Eastern - Poland, Russia, etc.:
Technology cost - 120%
Monarch Power - 3
Starting Technology Level- 3
Ottoman - Turkey:
Technology cost - 125%
Monarch Power - 3
Starting Technology Level- 3
Muslim - Persia, Tunisia etc.:
Technology cost - 145%
Monarch Power - 3
Starting Technology Level- 3
Indian - Nepal, Mysore etc.:
Technology cost - 150%
Monarch Power - 2
Starting Technology Level- 3
Chinese - China, Japan etc.:
Technology cost - 160%
Monarch Power - 2
Starting Technology Level- 2
Nomad - Mongolia, Golden Horde etc.:
Technology cost - 175%
Monarch Power - 2
Starting Technology Level- 3
Sub-Saharan - Ethiopia, Congo etc.:
Technology cost - 200%
Monarch Power - 1
Starting Technology Level- 1
New World - Aztecs, Mayas etc.:
Technology cost - 250%
Monarch Power - 1
Starting Technology Level- 0
As you can see, with the game started in 1444, there are no starting differences between the four leading groups. With the passage of time, the technological collapse will increase on a regular basis. That is why, there is a special option of westernization.
Westernization is a process of merging a worse technological group with the Latin world of the Western Europe. This is the only reasonable way in which backwards countries can coexist with the European powers. You initiate westernization by clicking the appropriate option but, there are two conditions that need to be met. Firstly, your core province needs to border a core province of the Latin world, which is ahead by, at least 8 levels of technology, and also you need to have +3 stability. The pace of westernization depends on your current stability, where one positive point = 1% of westernization per month. After the process, stability will fall to -3, which means that you will first need to gain +1, at least, to progress the slightest bit. At the same time, all Monarch Power will fall to -100 and the cost to improve stability will rise by 200%. Additionally, throughout the entire process of westernization, you will have to face the occurrence of events of revolting people, which will often end up in rebellions, the drop in stability or the loss of prestige. In other words, westernization is a very tough job and you need to realize very well what you are up to, well before you start it. IT is a good idea to calculate how much time it will take to reach positive stability (of course, there is always the risk of negative events so, you should take that into account also). Make sure that your army is large enough (not too large though, because negative stability will have adverse effect on your finances and it may turn out that maintaining a large army runs you into debts). You should first wait for a ruler with high administration and high legitimacy. It is also a good strategy to withhold decisions, or quick missions, which will increase stability, and enact them/perform them right after you start the process. Before you start westernization, do not forget to spend all your Monarch Power points, or else they will go down the drain.
The decision to westernize is a serious enterprise and you need to be sure that this will pay out. For example, while playing Poland, this will, probably, do more harm than it will do good. With a normal game, you probably will not lag behind, with technological development, more than 3-6 levels, which means that you would have to halt the country' development on purpose. Later on, this would be too difficult to make up for, not to mention the other negative aspects ofthis process. With Turks and Slavs, it generally pays off to westernize only if you will be able to reach positive stability. E.g. with the Russian Czarism, you will be able to make a secision of the building of Sankt-Petersburg, which will provide +3 stability, i.e. will allow you to reach level 0 straight away, after you start westernization and will speed up the process. On the other hand, in the case of primitive countries, it is the only chance for survival and should be the primary objective that you will be attempting to reach. It is also good to remember that westernization provides Heathens with the opportunity to accept Christianity, which will withdraw automatically, casus belli from the European countries, with Heathens so, it will provide Heathens with safety.
Use advisors to make up for the king's shortcomings or, to take a full advantage of his strong points.In the game, you can hire up to three advisors. One for each kind of the Monarch Power. You will have 3 potential candidates for each position (this number can be increased via some of the ideas) of 7 types. The price of an individual advisor depends on his age (the older at the moment of hiring the cheaper he is)and his skills (1-3). Each type of advisor has a permanent bonus to offer. With each consecutive skill point, the generated Monarch Power, of the corresponding type, increases. At first, the advisors may be expensive and ruining to the budget. Then, select them only if you need a boost to the corresponding area. When you already have big monetary reserves, it of course pays off to keep them permanently. At the same time, do not hold on to this one type so, fire and hire the new ones so, they correspond to your plans and aims in the best way possible. In general it is not worth to employ advisors on the third level due to their price, unless you have an utter economic empire, or you need the best support possible (e.g. the improvement of attitude while westernizing).
The starting cost of an advisor (a thirty year-old, the older the cheaper) in 1444, amounts to, correspondingly, depending on the skill level:
With time, these prices increase, more or less, by 1% a year. Some of the ideas also decrease the cost of advisors.
Missions will help you decide on your aims .EU IV offers a number of missions that you can take up throughout the game, as well as decisions that you can implement. Both carry bigger or smaller bonuses, and they can additionally provide a framework for your future aims, if you cannot yet decide for a specific strategy. The available missions and decisions depend on the current political and economic situation, and also on the national religion (e.g. changing the religion from Catholicism to Protestantism) and the historical conditions (e.g. Poland and Lithuania have the decision of entering the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth). Before you start a mission, you should get acquainted with the requirements and determine if you are able to meet them. You should also check if the reward is worth it because, you could spend the time and the resources on something more important. In general, the strategy is you select the quickest task to perform, so you can perform as many missions as possible and collect as many bonuses as possible. You can also cancel the selected mission but, this involves a penalty if you will not be able to take up another mission for the next five years.
Another issue are the historical events. Veterans of the series probably remember the historical events in the first and in the second installment of the game. They were permanently bounded with specific dates and, when the time was right, the player had to face the historical ramifications of the event. The third installment of the game gave up on this element and focused on a more open-ended type of gameplay. In the current installment, the history repeats but, in a modified way, though. Now, historical events do not come with certain dates. Instead, they initiate automatically when the conditions are met And so, if in the XV England, there is no heir to the throne, this may initiate a series of events, which will result in the civil war known as the war of Roses. If the war exhaustion towards the end of the XVIII is high, and the proposals of the social and economic reforms have been repelled, this may lead to the French Revolution which, if handled properly, may (or may not) bring about the reign of Napoleon.
Historical events spice the gameplay up and lend the element of unpredictability and the variation of elements while completing the game for the next time with the same country. It is difficult to give any advices at this point. When the option of a string of events appears, you will be informed about this and learn about the general outline of possible consequences, depending on the decisions that you take. Of course, this type of events abound in the most important countries on the European continent. When it appears, you decide for yourself if you want history to roll out in the way known from the history books, or if you want to see "what if..."
Technological development in EUIV may seem complicated, at first, but after you give it a closer scrutiny, it will turn out to be quite simple. First of all, Monarch Power points are the most important again. The MP points determine when you can develop. There are three basic technology trees - administrative, diplomatic and military. You develop each one of the trees by spending the corresponding MP points. The base cost to improve a technology is 60 MP but, it is modified by your neighbors, ideas and the current year. The more ahead of your times with a technology you are, the more expensive the next levels. Still, if your neighbor's technological advancement, for a technology, is higher, you will receive a discount of 5% for each level higher. Sometimes, it is worth it to lag behind n purpose. E.g. if you want to develop and idea that makes it possible to colonize, or if you want to perform westernization and take advantages of the discounts to make up for your losses. Still, these are single exceptions from the rule.
As you progress for higher levels, you will unlock further ideas, buildings and improvements. You will unlock detailed information about what will get improved , if you hover your pointer over the appropriate icons to the right of the technology tab. Additionally, these are indicated by the elements highlighted I the screenshot. The highlighted type will be improved with each next level.
Apart from the development of technological levels, Monarch Power can be spent also to develop ideas. Ideas are specific permanent bonuses of a given kind. These are mighty tools which it is good to account for in your plans at the beginning. There re , in total, 15 idea groups, 5 of each kind (i.e. administrative, diplomatic and military), and each of them uses up the corresponding MP points. You can select new ideas after you reach the following levels of administrative technology- 4, 7, 10, 14, 17, 22, 26, 29. So, as you can see, it will never be possible to acquire all of the ideas. Which groups you select, should be the result of the of your general strategy, e.g. if you are planning to establish a colonial empire, the "Exploration" group is mandatory for you. This will provide you with access to conquistadors and explorers.
While choosing ideas, you should turn your attention to where you need the most points. The base cost of unlocking an idea is 400MO of the corresponding type. Make sure that you can spend them on the idea and you are not going to need them elsewhere. Administrative ideas, for example, use up the administrative points. But you also need them to unlock higher technology levels, core provinces and regain stability. If the last one are a commonalty that you face every day, taking up additional administrative expenditures makes no sense, and it will be better to take the military or diplomatic group.
Ideas are unlocked one after another from left to right, you e.g. cannot select the third and leave out the first two. After you unlock the whole group, you will receive a special bonus. Additionally, each idea is connected with a random event that occurs every five years.
Administrative:
Innovative
Patron of the Arts: Annual Prestige Decay drops from -5 to -2%
Pragmatism: Mercenary cost-25%
Scientific Revolution: technology cost -5%
Knowledge Transfer: Army and Navy Tradition Decay drops to-2%
Organized Recruitment: Regiment Recruitment Time -10%
Optimism: Monthly War Exhaustion -0.05
Formalized Officer Corps: Leaders without upkeep.
Bonus: Advisor Costs -25%
Religion
Unam Sanctum: Permanent Casus Belli Against All Other Religious Groups
Missionary Schools: +1 Missionaries
Church Attendance Duty: Stability Cost -25%
Divine Supremacy: Missionary Strength +3%
Devoutness: +1 Tolerance of the True faith
Religious Tradition: +1 Prestige per year
Ecumenism: +2 Tolerance of Heretics.
Bonus: Better Relations Over Time +100%
Espionage
Privateers: +33% embargo efficiency
Vetting: +25% protection against espionage (e.g. fabricating of claims by the other countries , or their support of rebels in the country)
Rumourmongering: allows you to sabotage the reputation of a foreign country among their neighbors and enemies. Especially useful for entering coalitions against weaker countries.
Efficient Spies: +25% effectiveness of covert actions, additional diplomat.
Shady Recruitment: 33% less penalty for being discovered.
Destabilizing Efforts: Adds a covert action- Sow Discontent, that increases the risk of rebellion by 1 and increases the cost of stability by 50%.
Espionage: Adds a covert action - Infiltrate Administration, which temporarily covers the fog of war from another country.
Bonus: +50% do to rebel support efficiency in a foreign country.
Economic
Bureaucracy: +10% National Global Tax Modifier
Organized Construction: Build Cost -20%
National Bank: Yearly Inflation Reduction -0,10
Debt and Loans: Interest per annum -1
Centralization: Possible Advisors +1
National Enthusiasm: Military Maintenance Modifier -10%
Smithian Economics: Production Efficiency +20%
Bonus: May reduce inflation by 1% for 200 AMP, if higher than 3%.
Administrative
Organized Mercenary Payments: Mercenary Cost -25%
Benefits for Mercenaries: Mercenary Maintenance -33%
Mercenary Recruitment: Available Mercenaries +50%
Bookkeeping: Interest per annum -1
Administrative Efficiency: you can select from among four advisors instead of three.
Resilient State: National Spy Defense +25%
War Cabinet: Cost of Reducing War Exhaustion -33%
Bonus: Production Efficiency +20%
Diplomatic:
Diplomatic
Foreign Embassies: Additional Diplomat
Claims Fabrication: Time to Fabricate Claims -50%
Cabinet: +3 Diplomatic Relations
Adaptability: Core Creation Cost -25%
Revolution & Counter Revolution: Permanent Casus Belli against other Government Types.
Diplomatic Influence: +3 Diplomatic Reputation
Flexible Negotiations: Unjustified Demands Cost -33%
Bonus: Lowered impact of Diplomatic actions on Stability, e.g. penalty to stability for attacking a country without Casus Belli.
Trade
Shrewd Commerce Practices: +10 Global Trade Power
Free Trade: Additional Merchant
Merchant Adventures: +25% Trade Range
National Trade Policy: +10% Trade Efficiency
Overseas Merchants: Additional Merchant
Trade Manipulation: +25% Trade Steering Income
Fast Negotiations: +10% National Trade Income
Bonus: Additional Merchant
Exploration
Colonial Ventures: Additional Colonist
Quest for the New World: allows you to recruit explorers and conquistadors. Absolutely necessary if you want to join the race for America colonization
Overseas Exploration: Colonial Range +50%
Land of Opportunity: +33% Global Settler Increase in Colonies.
Viceroys: +33% Global Tariffs
Free Colonies: Additional Colonist
Global Empire: Overseas Income +10%
Bonus: Permanent Casus Belli against Heathens.
Naval
Superior Seamanship: Morale of Navies +1
Naval Glory: Prestige from Naval Battles +100%
Grand Navy: Naval Force Limits +100%
Seahawks: Yearly Naval Tradition +1
Excellent Shipwrights: Leader Maneuver +2
Naval Fighting Instruction: Port Blockade Efficiency +50%
Press Gangs: Ship Costs -33%
Bonus: Ships can repair in coastal sea zones.
Expansion
Additional Colonists: Additional Colonist
Additional Merchants: Additional Merchant
Faster Colonists: Colonial Travel Time -33%
Additional Diplomats: Diplomatic Relations +2
Improved Shipyards: Ship Construction Time -10%
Experienced Diplomats: Diplomatic Reputation +3
Competitive Merchants: Global Trade Power +20%
Bonus: Permanent Casus Belli against Indian, Chinese and Nomad technological group countries.
Military:
Aristocracy (unavailable for republics, except from Noble)
Noble Knights: Cavalry Cost -33%
Local Nobility: +100% Hostile Cost-Core Creation.
Serfdom: +25% Manpower
Noble Officers: +1 Shock for all commanders
International Nobility: Additional Diplomat
Noble Resilience: -20% Cost of Reducing War Exhaustion.
Military Traditions: -10% Military Technology Cost.
Bonus: Cavalry Combat Ability +10%
Plutocracy (only for republics, except for the Noble)
Tradition Of Payment: Possible Mercenaries +50%
Abolished Serfdom: Land Morale +0,25
Bill Of Rights: Global Revolt Risk -1
Free Merchants: Additional Merchant
Free Subjects: Production Efficiency +20%
Humanist Tolerance: Tolerance of Heathens +2
Emancipation: Manpower Recovery Speed +20%
Bonus: Technology Cost -10%
Offensive
Bayonet Leaders: +1 Shock for all commanders
National Conscripts: +25% Manpower
Superior Firepower: +1 Fire for all commanders
Glorious Arms: Prestige From Land Battles +100%
Improved Maneuver: Land Leader Maneuver +1
Grand Army: Land Force Limits +25%
Esprit de Corps: Discipline +10
Bonus: Allows the issuance of the Forced March order. Land forces move faster by 150% at the price of 2 Military Monarch Power per each 2 provinces moved.
Defensive
Battlefield Commissions: +1 Yearly Army Tradition
Military Drill: +0.50 morale
Engineer Corps: +1 Leader Siege.
Regimental System: -10% Land Maintenance Costs
Defensive Mentality: +33% Fort Defense
Supply Trains: +33% Reinforce Speed
Improved Foraging: Land Attrition -50%
Bonus: Attrition for Enemies +1
Quality
Private to Marshal: +10% Infantry Combat Ability
Quality Education: +5% Army Morale Recovery Speed.
Finest of Horses: +10% Cavalry Combat Ability.
Oak Forests for Ships: +10% Heavy Ship Combat Ability.
Naval Drill: +5% Navy Morale Recovery Speed
Merchant Marine: +10% Light Ship Combat Ability
Massed Battery: +10% Artillery Combat Ability.
Bonus: +15% Discipline
Quantity
Benefits for Horseowners: Cavalry Cost -10%
The Young Can Serve: Manpower Recovery +20%
Enforced Service: Infantry Cost -10%
The Old and Infirm: Land Maintenance Modifier -10%
Ship's Penny: Ship Cost -10%
Standardized Artillery: Artillery Cost -10%
Leve en Masse: National Manpower Modifier +50%
Bonus: Land Force Limit +33%
An additional element is the special national ideas, which are different for each country. First of all, each country will have access to two special bonuses of own tradition that it starts the game with and which do not need to be unlocked. E.g. France receives a bonus to diplomatic relations, and Portugal to trade. Secondly, there is a special set of seven ideas that unlock automatically, from left to right, per each three ideas purchased in a normal way. These do not necessarily have to be any specific ideas, not necessarily from the same group. Simple calculations prove that, in order to unlock the national idea fully, you need to buy 21 ideas. With full unlocking of the group, you also receive a special bonus, different for each country.
The national ideas correspond to the historical conditioning of a given nation. And so, in the case of Poland, it is going to be +33% to cavalry strength, due to the Hussars, for Spain, it is going to be a 10% improvement of the fleet, due to the Spanish Armada. As you can see, numbers are high so, it would be good if you learned about your ideas and take full advantage of the bonuses that you receive for them.
World religions can be checked out in the appropriate map modeReligion has a great significance for the game. Each country in the world has its own religion, which it deems the True Faith and, by default, it disagrees with another one. Foreign religions within a country not only wreak havoc among the citizens, but also increase the risk of revolt and the stability cost. It also translates into lower income from provinces. Your aim should be to a country that is uniform, when it comes to religion.
The world is divided into four main religious groups::
The country, attitude to a religion is marked with the tolerance factor. The base tolerance for own religion is +3, for heretics (the other religions) -2 and the tolerance of Heathens (all the others) -3. These factors are additionally modified by various othe elements like ideas, legitimacy and the religion in question. It is important that your tolerance, to the extent possible, is positive for any type, especially in the case of a multi-religious state like Turkey or even Poland. Each positive tolerance point decreases the risk of rebellion in the province by -1%, and each negative point increases the risk of rebellion by 1,25%, and decreases the tax income by 10% and the income from the goods produced in that province.
But, it is worthwhile to unite your country under one religion not only for the sake of tolerance. Another important factor here is the Religious unity. Each province in the country, which does not profess the national faith, decreases the unity. Unity has influence on the risk of rebellion and the cost of stability. Each 10% missing from the 100% increases the global rebellion risk (in the entire country and not only in the province in question) by 0.20 and increases the stability cost by 10%. Furthermore, if you are playing a catholic state, higher unity increases your influence on the Rome up to, as much as, 5% with full unity.
A province can be converted with missionaries. A missionary dispatched to a foreign province will increase the conversion ratio by a given percent. As soon as it reaches 100%, the province will be converted. The situation is not that simple, though. Base conversion for each missionary is as little as 2% per month. The bigger and the richer the province that you dispatch him to, and also if it is populated with an alien culture, the more factors there are to act against conversion. In such a situation, the missionary will be trying to convert the province until the end of times and never succeed! You need to monitor the progress of each missionary. If any one of them shows no progress, remove him from that province straight away. Each active missionary increases the rebellion risk by 6% and, additionally, costs 0.4 ducats per month so, keeping him there without results makes no sense. Increase your missionaries' strength e.g. through an idea, advisor, increasing the stability or by building a fort. Then, try again.
In the XVI century Reformation is bound to happen in Europe. When you open the religion window, you will notice the "reform desire" indicator. When it reaches 100%, Martin Luther will start his speeches and a religious avalanche will start. Throughout the following centuries, provinces in Europe will be switching between religions spontaneously, which will make the missionaries' job harder by 8%. At this time, it may turn out that most countries will change their religion out of a sudden (you can change either to Protestantism or reformation). Changing religion will cost you 3points of stability but instead, you will receive a bonus of 10% to your annual income. This bonus is awarded only once so, changing again will yield no results.
An additional element of religion is the possibility to activate the title of "Defender of Faith". For a modest price of 500 ducats, you can receive an additional missionary +50 to Land Morale, drop in war exhaustion by 0.03. The title remains active until the death of the ruler, or until you are bought out by a country with higher prestige. In general, this is not the best of trade offs in history. An additional missionary can help you convert provinces, +0.50 to morale is also a big reinforcement but, this is not the best solution, at least as long as you do not have a super-powerful empire where shelves sag to the gold on them. Then, you can try and hold the Defender at all occasions especially that, for holding the title, you will be receiving a free Casus Belli against your religious opponents.
Catholicism - tolerance of The True Faith +1, tolerance of heretics -1. The only religion with the access to papacy. To learn more, see the chapter devoted to Holy See.
Orthodox - tolerance of The True Faith +1, stability cost -10%. The Orthodox church also has a series of unique events that come with it - Patriarchal Authority. With each event, you will be able to bolster up the Patriarch's authority. ON the maximum level, you will increase the Manpower modifier by 33% and you will decrease the risk of rebellion by 3%. Still, there is no rose without a thorn and such a decision involves a Global Tax Modifier of as much as -33%. It is a trap that an Orthodox player should stay away from because this may easily lead to a disaster. Events are random and it is difficult to determine when they appear. When the moment is right, if you have big monetary reserves, 33% to Manpower may tip the scales and decide about a victorious war that would be lost under different circumstances. Increasing power for a number of times is, in general, advised against, unless you are completely cornered and surrounded from all sides. But even then, you need to keep your fingers crossed for an event to crop up soon, so you can bring down the patriarch's power back to normal.
Protestantism - Global Tax Modifier +10%, idea cost - 10%. If you convert from Catholicism to Protestantism, all of the religion-based decisions and their effects will be removed.
Calvinism- trade effectiveness +10%, an additional advisor to choose from. If you convert from Catholicism to Calvinism, all of the religion-based decisions and their effects will be removed.
Islam has an additional element added - pity. It is a value that ranges from -100 to +100. Both sides have special bonuses to them and so, with -100 you receive a 25% higher Global Tax Modifier and manpower modifier, as well as 10% technological discount. +100 is, on the other hand, gives you +3 to missionary strength, +1 to Land Morale and +50 to fort defense. In the case of piety, the middle which gives you nothing is the worst solution. That is why you should avoid balancing things out, and choose one of the sides, depending on your preferences. You strengthen up piety by means of events and wars. Declaring wars on the infidels will increase this value and declaring wars on another Muslim state will decrease it. Additionally, after the ruler's death, you lose 3 of your current value. This allows for switching sides quite fluently.
Sunni - Tolerance of The True Faith +1, +100% Chance of new Heir, -2% Local Missionary Strength.
Shiite - +0,25 Land Morale, +100% Chance of new Heir, -2% Local Missionary Strength.
There is also a special option - Unify Islam - which combines it into one religion. To perform this, you need to have your control extended (direct or in the form of vassals) over the following provinces:
Furthermore, all of these provinces must follow Islam. The cost to unify is 200Monarch Power of each kind and, in exchange you will receive +2 to Tolerance of Own, Local missionary Strength +2% and also you will lower the stability cost by 20%. This last option is especially interesting if you want to westernize with the Turks. Needless to say that is easiest to unify of the Ottoman Empire.
Buddhism - +2 Tolerance of Heretics, +1 Tolerance of Heathens.
Confucianism - +2 Tolerance of Heretics, +1 Tolerance of Heathens.
Hindu - +1 Tolerance of Heretics, +5% Global Tax Modifier.
Shinto - -1 Tolerance of Heathens, -2 Local Missionary Strength, +0,50 Land Morale
Animist - -50% Enemy Core Creation, -50% Defensiveness, +10% Missionary Strength in Cores.
Shamanism - -50% Enemy Core Creation, -50% Defensiveness, +10% Missionary Strength in Cores.
Additionally, if you make use of the Crusader Kings 2 converter, you can import the game save , where the Heathen faiths have been reformed . This will provide you with access to a number of additional heathen religions, like the Slavic or Hellenic which, unlike Shamanism and Animism will have positive values.
Controlling the Curia provides several interesting additionsThe Catholic countries can enter the control of the Curia. Controlling the Curia has a positive effect on the country and, furthermore, provides access to unique diplomatic options.
The Curia consists of seven Cardinals. The country to control most of the priests of this group, takes control over the Papacy, which automatically provides him with the following effects:
Controlling the Curia also gives access to two unique diplomatic options:
Call for Crusade - You can all a Crusade against heretics. Each Catholic country will receive a special Casus Belli for the Holy War against a chosen target. The crusade lasts one year and there can be only one active at any given time. Each country that responds to the call, will receive the following bonuses: Tax Modifier +10%, Morale +0,50, manpower modifier +30%, prestige +1, papal influence +2.
Excommunicate - Excommunication will allow you to attack a Catholic country without losing your stability for the lack of Casus Belli. It is possible only if the relations of that country with the Rome are low.
Furthermore, even if you do not control the Curia, you receive the following bonus for each Cardinal that you control:
There is a number of advantages and useful options to the Papacy so, it is not a good idea to ignore it, and you should attempt to control it, to the extent that it is possible. Crusades are especially useful when, e.g. you play an European country bordering with Turkey, whereas the Excommunication is a good way to weaken a strong country, by drawing it into a series of wars without moving your armies. Unfortunately, the control over the Curia is a thing that is quite complicated and random, to a large extent. The entire Curia is divided into 12 Cardinals - 7 main and 5 candidates, of which the oldest one will take place among the 7 in the case of death of one of them. A Cardinal once hosen will be a supporter for one country until his death and this cannot be changed in any way. You can still change the support of the candidates. For that, you spend the so called, Papal Influence. The growth of Papal influence is dependent on prestige, taxes, the number of erected temples, religious unity, your relations with the Holy See, and on various decisions taken by you and the number of Cardinals that you control. By spending your Papal Influence points, you talk the candidate into loyalty and, once he is elected, he will be loyal to your cause until his death. Of course, the other countries may also spend their Papal Influence points to persuade candidates and, which is most important - a candidate can never become a Cardinal and die before being elected. This matter decides about the random nature and unpredictability while striving for power over the Curia. The lifespan of a Cardinal is around 72 years but this number is variable and it may be much longer or much shorter. The best strategy is to fight for support of the youngest candidates from the very first years of candidacy but you will have to wait a decade or two for the actual effects to take place. Also, do not let yourself be pulled into a senseless fight over the support of one Cardinal. If there is a country bent on outbidding you, instead of wasting all your Papal Influence on one candidate, spread it over two or three others. The fight for the domination of the papacy will be much easier after Reformation takes place, when a lot of countries will leave the Rome's umbrella.
The boundaries of the HRE can be looked up in the appropriate map mode. The lightest green is the Emperor's country.The Holy Roman Empire is a unique union between Teutonic countries. The Empire consists of the Emperor, seven electors and a number of teutonic princes. The electors elect the Emperor and he gains access to special options. Although the Empire is a Union, of a kind, it is more of a loose partnership of autonomous states than the actual country. And so, the member states of the Empire can wage wars against each other.
Most of the times, throughout the game, the Austrian king will be the Emperor (Austria also has a bonus of +10% to the Imperial Authority, due to its national idea), but if you manipulate events with skill, you can cause a situation in which another country, also non- Teutonic, becomes the Emperor, or even the HRE is disbanded.
The fact of being the Emperor carries several bonuses:
Every male Christian ruler can become the Emperor, if he is a member of the HRE. The duty of the Emperor is to care about the unity and independence of the Empire. To fulfil his duties, the Emperor receives the following diplomatic actions:
Furthermore, each member can seek help from the Emperor, while at war.
Who an elector is going to vote for, mainly depends on relations, Imperial Authority, prestige, legitimacy, the size of the country and trust (trust falls when you attack the other members, especially electors), but also on religion. An elector will never vote for a country with different religion so, while choosing your allies, remember to make sure that the electors are not Protestants, and do not become ones after the Reformation, if you are still playing in the XV century. In general, the Northern countries are more susceptible to changing religion than the ones in the South so, for a catholic Emperor it is safer to surround oneself with the countries from the South, and for protestant one from the North.
In the HRE menu, you can look up who the electors are going to vote form, as well as to implement reformsIt is necessary that to take decisions, you have the Imperial Authority. You gain authority by:
You lose Authority by:
Apart from bolstering chances for success in diplomatic actions, authority also gives you the opportunity to enact reforms in the Empire, to centralize it into a stronger entity, or even to unify it into one nation. You can find the list of reforms to the right of the Emperor's window. To introduce a reform, you need high authority and the support from members. After you point your mouse to a specific reform, you will learn who is in favor and who is against and why. Try to make up for the shortcomings by persuading the enemies to change their mind, and introduce the reform. You should also take into consideration the fact that each one of the members may declare war on the Emperor, to force reversing of a reform.
Each reform carries its effects, both on the Emperor and on the members. These are:
Call for Reichsreform:
1. For the Emperor:
Building cost -2%
Technology cost-2%
Yearly Prestige +2%
2. For the member states:
Building cost -2%
Technology cost -2%
Institute Reichsregiment:
1. For the Emperor:
Additional Diplomat
Diplomatic reputation+2
2. For the member states:
Diplomatic reputation -2
Reform the Hofgerichit:
1. For the Emperor:
Yearly Prestige +1%
Cost to Core -10%
2. For the member states:
Yearly Prestige -2%
Enact Gemeiner Pfening:
1. For the Emperor:
Global Tax Modifier +25%
2. For the member states:
Global Tax Modifier -5%
Ewiger Landfriede:
1. For the Emperor:
Stability Cost +10%
Annual Army Tradition -1
2. For the member states:
Stability Cost -10%
Annual Army Tradition -1
Forbids wars among member states.
Proclaim Erbkaisertum:
1. For the Emperor:
Annual authority +25%
2. For the member states:
-1 Diplomat
Reverses the Imperial Elections, each consecutive Emperor from the same country.
Evoke The Privilegia:
1. For the Emperor:
Diplomatic reputation -1
2. For the member states:
Diplomatic reputation -1
Each member of the empire becomes the Emperor's vassal. Ones that disagree will wage war against him.
Renovatio Imperii:
Unifies the Holy Roman Empire into one country!
Being a member of the Holy Roman Empire comes with a special modifier - Imperial Integrity which decreases the Revolt Risk, the Stability Modifier by 3 and decreases the global technology cost by 10%. Due to the lower price of stability, sometimes it is worthwhile to join the Empire (westernization with an Eastern country). Although the HRE in reality means the German Reich, any Christian country can actually join it (provided it is not too big). To do that, you need the relations with the Emperor's country of, at least +190, and you need to border the Empire. Then, you can join the border provinces to the HRE in the province menu. Once you join the capital, the entire country will be under the protectorate of the Emperor. You can also leave the Empire at any time, in its menu, but this will have adverse effects on the relations.
There also is an option of destroying the Empire utterly. To do that, you need to take control over the electors and occupy the Empire's capital. Liquidating the HRE will come with a large boost of prestige - +100.
Another important element that decides about the country' integrity is its culture. Each country in the world has its main culture that rises from the Founding Fathers of that country. In some countries, there also is an accepted culture which, although it does not spring from its founders, enjoys the same rights and privileges as the main culture. Some countries become an utter melting pot with five, or more, accepted cultures. An ideal example of such a country is France.
The Teutonic cultural group.The cultures of the world have been divided into cultural groups. All of the cultures that spring from the same group, as the main national culture, come with limited adverse effects (as long as they are not the accepted ones because then they will have no adverse effects). Every province of the same cultural group lowers the Manpower and Tax modifiers by 15%. While a province of an absolutely foreign culture lowers these values by, as much as, 33%, and will raise the Revolt Risk by 2%, and weaken missionaries by 2%.
The more foreign cultures within the boundaries of a country, the more problems you will have. Is you plan on expanding your boundaries, the range of your cultural group is a good place to start. The view of the division into cultural group can be found in the appropriate map mode. Additionally, the culture of a province can be changed in a way similar to establishing a core. This process takes three years and costs 25 diplomacy points per a ducat of taxes.
The budget boils down to the monthly balance only
In EU IV, unlike in the case of the previous installments, the budget has been simplified to the juxtaposition of monthly income/expenses. Thanks to this, the financial issues are definitely more lucid and comprehensible. The income visible on the left side of the budget window basically boil down to taxes, production, trade and, occasionally, to the other elements like tariffs (if you own colonies), the harbor fees for letting another country use your it, gold mines vassal income and war subsidies received from the other countries as a form of help (possible virtually only in multiplayer). The expenses are restricted mainly to the army upkeep, but also to the maintenance of missionaries, colonies, maintenance of advisors, diplomatic expenses (e.g. when you are a vassal or support the foreign rebels), as well as harbor fees and loan interest. Although, after the introduction of Monarch Power, gold lost some of its value, it is a natural thing that you want to have as much of it as possible. It is mainly spent on building and conscripting new armies so, you should always make sure to keep a positive balance.
If the country's economy is not capable of dealing with the generated expenses, you need to limit them. First of all, you should turn your attention to the army upkeep slide. In the peacetime, you should keep it somewhere in the middle of the scale and, if you are not likely to experience many problems with rebels, you can cut the expenditures by further 10-15% . In general, if nothing shows that, in the nearest future, you will have to use your army, you should disband much of the existing troops. The second slide that determines how much is spent on the fleet, also may be the source of considerable savings. The situation here, though, is more complicated due to the trade. Light ships are used to protect trade routes and, at the same time, the income generated by these. In this case, cutting their budget may do more damage than it will do good. So, if you use many ships for protection of the trade (which you should) you will have to determine manually how much lower these, to make the savings exceed the potential profits from trade with higher financing of the fleet. Compare both of these values and balance things out to lower the expenses but still receive profits due to the protection of the routes. Still, without mucgh hesitation, you can liquidate heavy galleons, especially if you wage war mainly on land. Of course, in the case of a war, increase both of the slides to their maximum and, look for any financial support in war taxes, loans or in a peace treaty.
The remaining two slides probably do not constitute that big a part of the budget, but also here you can fork out some pieces of gold. The money you spend on the missionaries translate directily into their effectiveness while converting. In this case, there exists a possibility of bringing down the expenses, for these, if you choose appropriate ideas, and they still will be converting people for free, in fact. The situation is a bit similar in the case of the colonial slide, although you should restrict limiting this kind of expenses to a minimum. The better you maintain a colony, the faster its population will reach one thousand which is practically synonymous with its self-sufficiency and a general increase in the income generated by it.
So, you can choose between paying larger sums for a shorter period of time, or paying less for a longer period of time (in the long run, it will turn out that you are actually paying more). If you really need to cut down the expenses connected with colonies then, just like with missionaries, there is a probability of receiving a positive growth of population, even with major cut-downs. For this, take advantage of the appropriate ideas (e.g. Land of Opportunity in Exploration). If you want to curb your budget, make sure that population still rises in colonies, even to the smallest extent. Finally, also take into consideration that maintenance costs for each consecutive colony (starting with the third), will be higher and higher. So, it may be a good idea to restrict the number of owned colonies to two only, until you are financially back on your feet again.
During wartime, you also gain access to war tax option. Levying this tax does not give you cash directly and decreases the cost of army and fleet maintenance by 20%, in exchange for the increased war exhaustion ratio, and the extra 10% to the cost of the reduction of the exhaustion. This is especially useful in the case of quick wars that end before the exhaustion factor reaches high levels but, this may also be used to safeguard yourself if the war is getting on the money too fast. Beware, though, because long-lasting war taxes result in steep inflation.
When you are hard bent on money, you can save the treasury with loans (you take out a loan automatically when you reach 0 with your finances). Loans are taken out for 5 years with annual interest depending on the current modifiers (base interest is 4%). You can also pay up the loa earlier than planned but, even then, you will have to pay up the entire loan just as if you paid it up after the five years. So, with the base interest, one loan is as much as 20% of interest! This is really a lot and additionally, each loan increases inflation by 0.10. In other words you should in general avoid taking out loans and do that only if the situation is really grave, when there is a risk of losing a war if you don't, etc.
The amount of the current loan and the total amount that you can take out depends, mainly, on the size of the country. After you use up the limit for the available loans, reaching 0 with your gold will mean going bankrupt. Bankruptcy will erase all of the loans that you have taken out, but at the price of the fall in stability, inflation will soar, you will suffer the loss of all your Monarch Power points, the loss of prestige and legitimacy. Furthermore, all your advisors and mercenaries will leave and the morale of the remaining armies will drop. All of the loans that you take out thereafter, will be with the interest higher by 10%.
Inflation increases the cost of everything that can be bought for money, by its own value. What it means is that a 5% inflation = buildings, army, etc more expensive by 5%. It is easy to guess that it is something that you want to avoid at any cost. Inflation can rise as a result of events, taking out loans (0.10% for each), war taxes and gold mine taxation. Haw high it will soar depends on what percentage of the total income comes from these mines. If it is more than 10%, then the inflation will soar on a monthly basis. This is especially destructive in the case of the New World countries, like the Incas, whose deposits of gold are especially large, where the income from the other sources is low. This will result in inflation rising to a high scale over the years. Once it rises, inflation is difficult to bring down. Apart from events, there are only four other ways to limit it, of which two require the appropriate ideas. You can hire an advisor who will be reducing the inflation by 0.10% annually. Full development of the economic idea will bring inflation down by another 0.10% a year, and will allow you to eliminate 1% directly, at the price of 200 administration points, with the minimum inflation of 3%. The last way is to build the Tax Assessor building, which is going to bring the inflation down by 0.05%. You can only have one such building and, it is additionally available only late into the game, because it requires the 27th administration level.
As much as in the last decades of the game, inflation is not going to mean that much, at the very beginning, it is very difficult to combat and can make the game considerably more difficult. Avoid its excessive rise at all costs. Try not to take out loans and do not build the economy of the country on the Indian gold.
Total income from provinces is the outcome of many different factorsThe income generated by provinces is divided into three main types - taxes, production and tariffs.
Tax this is the base amount of income generated by each province. The level of taxation of specified for every province in the world, and it depends on the population, resources and historical conditioning of this area. This base amount is modified by decisions/events, as well as the following:
Note that any decisions and various factors inform of the modification of the tax modifier in a positive, or negative way. +10% of the tax modifier, does not mean that the taxes are higher by 10%. The modifier is a multiplier that you multiply by the total of taxes, which you receive as an income, in a given province. I.e. if the taxed amount in a province is 10 (e.g. base 9 and +1 for a temple), and the modifier is 150%, then from this province you will receive 15 ducats.
The modifier is calculated separately for each province. Apart from decisions and events, the modifier depends mainly on:
You necessarily need to note the difference between the values displayed directly in the province window and the values displayed in the budget window. The ones in budget will be far lower than the ones displayed in province. This result from the fact that directly in the province, the annual income from taxes is displayed, with the monthly in the budget, i.e. divided by 12.
Production is an income from selling of the goods produced in a given region. Goods differ between each other and, in general, what is produced, will depend on the income. There is a base value to each one of the goods (2 for regular and 3 for luxury like tobacco or ivory), but it is going to fluctuate depending on the current supply and demand in the world. You calculate this by multiplying the base price by demand and dividing it by supply. Controlling what kind of goods are currently in demand is an easy way to profit, especially if you play in Europe, when the goods in high demand turn out to be the ones produced on a mass scale by a pagan country that you can easily conquer within two months. The production is subject to multiplication with adherence to the same rules as taxes. The modifier can be increased by ideas, decisions, technological development and building.
A specific kind of ware is gold, which does not make it directly into the market, and is worked into direct income instead. Gold is a secure and rich source of quick money but, if it constitutes more than 10% of the country's income, it starts to generate inflation on a regular basis. Detailed information about what is produced in which province is available in the economic mode of the map, and detailed information about specific products and their prices is available in the log (Hotkey - L).
Tariffs - the provinces that are not on the same continent, do not generate production income and their taxes are largely limited (-90%). In exchange for that, the income from these is based on tariffs. Note that there is no difference between the distance of a given area. Each province that is located on a continent different than the capital, which has no direct land connection with it, counts as an overseas colony. The exception to this rule are all the straits, apart from the Strait of Gibraltar. E.g. if you play with Spain and conquer the region right past the strait, just like in the screenshot, this will count as an overseas land. But if you cut through the entire coast of the Mediterranean, all the way to Constantinople, along the northern African coast back to the Strait of Gibraltar, then this land will count as a mainland colony.
How do you calculate customs? By adding the base tax amount to the modified value of trade in that province, and then multiplying it by the base tariff modifier of -85%. There also are several ways to modify the value of tariffs e.g. the abovementioned Spain has a national idea that provides +10%. You can also receive another 20% from the Exploration idea, but you need to remember one thing - all of the positive indicators to tariffs are calculated from a ready value, and not summed up like in the case of tax or production. In simple terms, the idea that adds the 20% will not make the global tariff modifier amount to only -65%. The sum is calculated in a regular way (with the -85% modifier), and the 20% is added to the result, i.e. as a result the difference is minimal. You also need to include the fact that the maintenance of collecting the 100% of tariffs will require a big fleet (roll your mouse over the tariffs in the budget window to see your current effectiveness and how many ships you need more).
In practical terms, tariffs can never be considered the basis for finances and basing on them is not too wise. It is much better to focus on the development on the continent by erecting buildings and developing tax and production ideas. If you have vast lands in the American continent, maybe it is worth considering to relocate the capital, which will carry over production to America, and tariffs to Europe. To relocate the Capital, you need to open the province menu and click on the grey crown next to the name of that province. The cost to relocate is 200 MP.
You can only build one type of special buildings in a province.There are four types of buildings in the game - regular, special, unique and manufactories. When it comes to the regular buildings,, they all can be erected in each province. They are divided into six categories - Government, Army, Navy, Production, Trade and Fort, four in each section. Special buildings are two additional upgrades for the regular buildings. In each province there can be only one such building so, if you build the arsenal from the Army division in a province, you will not be able to build e.g. the Post Office from the Trade division.
Unique buildings, on the other hand, can be erected only once on the whole map. Manufactories can be built one per each province.
While erecting buildings, try to think ahead, so you do not lose your freshly-built manufactories at war. First of all, you should be developing the richest provinces that are far away from borders.
The building time of each building is 12 months. You can only build one in each province and in the pre-determined order ( you cannot build a courthouse if you do not have the temple). The effect of these buildings holds only in the province in which they were erected.
Government
Temple
Requirements - 5 Administrative level. 10 AMP. 50 Ducats.
Increases the base tax level by 1
Courthouse
Requirements - 8 Administrative level. 10 AMP. 75 Ducats.
Decreases revolt risk by1
Spy Agency
Requirements - 11 Administrative level. 10 AMP. 100 Ducats.
Local spy defense +25. Local defensiveness +10%.
Town Hall
Requirements - 14 Requirements 10 AMP. 150 Ducats.
Local tax modifier +20%. Local defensiveness +10%.
Army
Armory
Requirements - 4 Military level 10 MMP. 50 Ducats
Manpower +25. Local regiment cost-5%, Local regiment time -10%.
Training Fields
Requirements - 8 Military level 10 MMP. 75 Ducats.
Manpower +25. Local regiment cost-5%, Local regiment time -10%
Barracks
Requirements - 11 Military level 10 MMP. 100 Ducats.
Manpower +50. Local regiment cost -5%.
Regimental Camp
Requirements - 13 Military level 10 MMP. 150 Ducats.
Manpower modifier +20%
Navy
Dock
Requirements - 4 Diplomatic level. 10 DMP. 50 Ducats.
Trade power +0,33. Local ship repair +25%
Drydock
Requirements - 8 Diplomatic level. 10 DMP. 75 Ducats.
Local shipbuilding time -10%. Local ship repair +10%.
Shipyard
Requirements - 11 Diplomatic level. 10 DMP. 100 Ducats.
Naval Force Limit +2
Grand Shipyard
Requirements - 13 Diplomatic level. 10 DMP. 150 Ducats.
Local shipbuilding time and their cost -10%.
Production
Constable
Requirements - 5 Diplomatic level. 10 AMP. 50 Ducats.
Local tax modifier +20%
Workshop
Requirements - 8 Diplomatic level. 10 AMP. 75 Ducats.
Produced goods +20%
Counting House
Requirements - 11 Diplomatic level. 10 AMP. 100 Ducats.
Local production efficiency +25%
Treasury
Requirements - 14 Diplomatic level. 10 AMP. 150 Ducats.
Produced goods +20%
Local tax modifier +20%
Trade
Marketplace
Requirements - 4 Diplomatic level. 10 DMP. 50 Ducats.
Trade power +1
Trade Depot
Requirements - 8 Diplomatic level. 10 DMP. 75 Ducats.
Trade power +25%, Trade value +1
Canal
Requirements - 11 Diplomatic level. 10 DMP. 100 Ducats.
Trade power +1. Trade value modifier +25%.
Road Network
Requirements - 13 Diplomatic level. 10 DMP. 150 Ducats.
Trade power +25%. Local movement speed +10%
Fort
Earth Rampart
Requirements - 3 Military Level 10 MMP. 50 Ducats.
Local missionary strength +0,1. Supply limit +0,5%. Fort level +1
Star Fort
Requirements - 9 Military Level 10 MMP. 75 Ducats.
Local missionary strength +0,1. Supply limit +0,5%. Fort level +1
Tenaille
Requirements - 14 Military Level 10 MMP. 100 Ducats.
Local missionary strength +0,1. Supply limit +0,5%. Fort level +1
Star Bastion
Requirements - 20 Military Level 10 MMP. 150 Ducats.
Local missionary strength +0,1. Supply limit +0,5%. Fort level +1
Special buildings can only be built after you have erected all four of the regular buildings of a given type. There can be only one type of special buildings per province. The construction time is 24 months. The effect of these buildings holds only in the province in which they were erected.
Government
College
Requirements - 16 Administrative level 10 AMP. 250 Ducats.
Local revolt risk-1. Local spy defense +25%.
Cathedral
Requirements - 18 Administrative level 10 AMP. 500 Ducats.
Local revolt risk -1. Local spy defense +10%.
Army
Arsenal
Requirements - 16 Military level 10 MMP. 250 Ducats.
Manpower Modifier+25%, Local spy defense Local recruitment time -25%
Conscription Center
Requirements - 18 Military level 10 MMP. 500 Ducats.
Manpower modifier+25%, Land limit +2
Navy
Naval Arsenal
Requirements - 16 Diplomatic level. 10 DMP. 250 Ducats.
Naval Force Limit +2, Local shipbuilding time -10%
Naval Base
Requirements - 18 Diplomatic level. 10 DMP. 500 Ducats.
Naval Force Limit +2. Local shipbuilding time -10%, local repair time+50%.
Production
Mint
Requirements - 16 Diplomatic level, 10 AMP, 250 Ducats.
Local tax modifier +50%
Stock Exchange
Requirements - 18 Diplomatic level. 10 AMP, 500 Ducats.
Tax income+5
Trade
Post Office
Requirements - 16 Diplomatic level. 10DMP. 250 Ducats.
Local trade power +3 and +50%
Custom House
Requirements - 18 Diplomatic level. 10 DMP. 500 Ducats.
Local trade power +5
Fort
Redoubt
Requirements - 24 Military level 10 MMP. 250 Ducats.
Missionary Strength +0,1. Fort level+2, Local defensiveness +10%.
Fortress
Requirements - 29 Military level 10 MMP. 500 Ducats.
Missionary Strength +0,1. Fort level +2, Local defensiveness +10%.
One country can only have one unique building of each kind, regardless of its size. Some buildings have special requirements to operate. If the requirements cease to be met after some time, the buildings will be demolished. And you will be able to erect a new one in another province(as long as the requirements are met, of course). The construction time for these buildings is 12 months. Their effects hold all around the country, unless it has been stated otherwise. Furthermore, unique buildings can be erected in the same provinces, even all in the same province.
Tax Assessor
Requirements - 27 administrative level, 10 AMP, 1000 Ducats. It can only be built in the capital, as long as the capital's base tax level is at least 10.
Inflation reduction -0,05 per annum.
Embassy
Requirements - 6 Diplomatic level. 10 DMP. 1000 Ducats.
Additional diplomat. Foreign Core Cost in your core +10%
Glorious Monument
Requirements - 19 Administrative level 10 AMP. 1000 Ducats.
Annual prestige +1
March
Requirements - 8 Military level 10 MMP. 500 Ducats. It needs to be a border core province.
Manpower +500. Local defensiveness +200%.
Grain Depot
Requirements - 24 Administrative level 10 AMP. 1000 Ducats. Only in grain producing core.
Local Army Limit +10%, army maintenance modifier -10%.
Palace
Requirements - 20 Diplomatic level, 10 DMP, 1000 Ducats. Only in the capital and only for monarchy.
Annual Legitimacy +1
War College
Requirements - 19 Military level 10 MMP. 1000 Ducats.
Yearly army tradition +0,5. A Leader without upkeep.
Admiralty
Requirements - 19 Diplomatic level, 10 DMP, 1000 Ducats, only in a coastal province.
Yearly navy tradition+0,5. A Leader without upkeep.
Fine Arts Academy
Requirements - 12 Administrative level 10 AMP. 1000 Ducats.
Stability cost modifier -5%
University
Requirements - 17 Administrative level 10 AMP. 1000 Ducats.
Technology cost -5%
Manufactory increases the production of a province's good by 100%. It requires an appropriate type of good though produced in that province to be built. One province can only have one manufactory and their construction time is 60 months (5 years!) and additionally, cannot be destroyed once built. Before you decide to build a manufactory, you should consider possible changes in economy in future years (e.g. due to new geographic discoveries or wars that will influence the supply of a given ware), the capacity to hold the area and its overall production, to take full advantage of the 100% bonus.
Refinery
Requirements - 20 Diplomatic level. 10 DMP. 500 Ducats. Wine or sugar
Naval Equipment Manufactory
Requirements - 12 Diplomatic level. 10 DMP, 500 Ducats. Naval supplies, fish or salt.
Weapons Manufactory
Requirements - 20 Military level 10 MMP, 500 Ducats. Copper or iron
Textile Manufactory
Requirements - 12 Administrative level 10 AMP, 500 Ducats. Wool or fabrics.
Farm Estate
Requirements - 6 Administrative level 10 AMP, 500 Ducats. grain.
Plantations
Requirements - 13 Administrative level 10 AMP, 500 Ducats. Coffee, cotton, sugar or tobacco.
Trade Company
Requirements - 12 Administrative level10 DMP. 500 Ducats. Ivory, tea, ceramics, slaves spice or fur
Trade is one of the main sources of income generated by the country. It is also, seemingly, one of the most complicated elements of the game so, learning it thoroughly is a must for the economic domination in the world.
The world is divided into trade regions, i.e. the so called Trade Nodes. The entire production from each province in a given region makes it into the Center of Trade. From there, it is sent further on, in accordance with the arrowheads shown in the map (the above screenshot). Note that the transfer on the European routes is permanent and never changes. Unlike in the third Europa the trade routes can be neither destroyed, taken over, nor established. The map of these is permanent and it will only grow in size with new geographic discoveries. There are two "end stations" for all of the routes, which do not send goods any further. These are Venice and Antwerp.
The amount of money in a Trade Node depends on the amount and the price of the goods produced within its boundaries. This value is called trade value and it is calculated by multiplying the product price by its amount manufactured in a given province, and then by the modifier that is influenced by e.g. the Canal building which increases it by 25%. The total trade value o all the provinces is the sum of money that you can put your hands on by controlling a given trade route. Of course, there will be other countries that will want that money also.
In each Center of Trade there are merchants responsible for goods and money transfer. The larger the trade power at your disposal, within a given center, the more profit you are going to generate.
A trader can amass money or send it further, in hope of making a larger profitTo control trade, you use merchants. There is a base number of two per each country. This number can be increased through ideas (especially Trade that provides three extra merchants) and decisions. Furthermore, merchant republics have one more base merchant. You dispatch merchants to trade nodes (only within your trade range modified by diplomatic technology and ideas), where they attempt to seize as much control over the local trade route as possible.
You can order a merchant to do either of two things:
The larger your control over a given trade node, the larger percentage of the money, coming from the total, you receive. What you want to do, then, is establish a transfer route from the starting point A, through B, to C, where you have great control and where you are going to collect the money (much more than if you collected it in points A and B, where your share in the market is low). How much money you are going to collect for yourself, depends on the current trade power.
Trade Power is a key factor of how much you actually are going to get. Note that it is not a value that has bearing on the amount of money in a node (that is what trade value is for). Trade power determines how much of the entire pie you are going to get. This value varies for each trade center (although some modifiers, e.g. for high stability, are global for all nodes). Trade power depends on the following factors:
You should collect money where it is most effective after the establishment of the entire node, i.e. it is the ideal situation when it is a trade node with high trade value from production and from steering, and also very high trade power coming from market control (the more negligible the competition the easier it is to control, you will receive a lion's share in the market, somewhat by default, in the nod that your Capital belongs to.
Eventually, the game puts a merchant in the trade center of the capital to collect money there. Money in the capital is always collected automatically and the merchant presence modifies it only by 10%. Therefore, the most effective solution is to remove the merchant from there and put him in another node that you have strong control over. You need to take into consideration the fact that this will pretty much decrease the local trade power there but, if it still stays on a high level, this will be anyways more effective than the additional 10% from the capital. In general terms, a good solution for trade are two transfer routes, one that ends in the center that the capital belongs to and the other ending in another center, which you exercise vast control over.
To maximize your share in a trade center, you can consider imposing embargo on another country. Embargo will decrease this country's trade power in nodes, in which both of you have trade power. This will increase the income of the remaining countries from these nodes. The imposed penalty is a half of the owned TP in any other trade center. I.e. the more power you have over a given center, the more effective the embargo is. Embargo effectiveness can be additionally increased by 33% by the Privateers idea from the Espionage group. Furthermore, England has a national idea that increases the effectiveness of embargo by 100%.
Embargo wil come with the decrease in the opinion of the other country by 15. Furthermore, each imposed embargo decreases trade effectiveness by 5%. This penalty can be avoided if you name another country your opponent.
Controlling the market comes with very nice bonuses.
For controlling the market of certain goods, you can receive special bonuses. If you are the leader of the world production, you will receive a 10% rise to the production of these goods. If you, on the other hand, control at least 20% of the world trade of these goods, you will receive a special bonus, which depends on the type of the goods. These bonuses are really big and worth obtaining. For example, controlling grain market, will increase the limit of the army by 25%, and controlling wine market wil decrease stability cost by 25%. Gold is the exception here because it provides no bonus. You can find detailed information about that in the log (Hotkey -L).
Colonization provides you with peaceful means of expanding your territory. The first centuries on EUIV is the period of breakthrough geographic discoveries in the history of man so, it is only natural that, by default, it makes a significant element of the game. What you can discover, and then seize in the name of King, God and Country are, among others, African Coast, India, Oceania and, above all both Americas with plentiful gold and other riches. Once the tape goes up, the race is on. The early bird catches the worm.
To be able to even think of joining the race, you need a colonist, Most countries can only have three of those. All of them require an appropriate idea - 2 from Exploration and 1 from Expansion. Furthermore, due to the national ideas, Spain, Norway and Russia wil receive an additional colonist, which results in the total of four for these countries.
Even if you only have colonists, this will do no good, if you do not discover new lands yourself. To discover new lands, you need to obtain either and explorer or a conquistador. Only they can set out into Terra Incognita to explore it. The explorer travels by ship and he can explore new waters, whereas conquistador can set out into the depths of the land. To gain access to them, you need the Quest for New World idea, from Exploration. So, as you can see, if you are going to join the conquest of the world, the Exploration group is absolutely necessary, because otherwise you simply will not be able to discover the unknown lands. If you do not have explorers, nor conquistadors, you can only hope that when you learn about new lands through the mouths' word, they will not be colonized yet, and you still will be able to send out a colonist, but this is a thing that you cannot base your colonial empire on. As you discover new lands, remember about the right selection of the army. Use only the fastest units to be able to discover new lands as quickly as possible before the leader is consumed by exhaustion. When it comes to explorers, always use the lightest ships.
The mechanics of the colonization itself is very simple. You dispatch a colonist to a land that has not been colonized yet and, after enough time has passed, he will establish a colony. And...that is basically it. Unlike in the case of the previous Europa games, the colonist will always succeed and he will always establish a colony. Then, the colonist may remain in the colony, just like in the screenshot, to speed up the development of the colony. He can also be sent elsewhere to start establishing another colony. Once the colony reaches the population of 1000, it will turn into a city.
At the very beginning, a colony has only the population of 10. In the province tab, you can find information about annual increase (or decrease) of the population. This value depends on the current level of financing the colony from the budget, as well as on modifiers e.g. Land of Opportunity from Exploration provides +33, and a province situated in the tropics has a modifier of -10. The colonist's presence does not increase population directly. He provides a chance, expressed in percents, that he can make new people settle in a given area. The chance depends on the situation of the colony, its natural resources, culture and religion. Colonies also expand faster if they border a city so, clustering them together will speed up the general development.
Due to the limited number of colonists, you will have to choose carefully your next moves. You need to decide if you want to develop your current colony, or to move ahead to colonize another land which will threaten the existing colonies with the extended process of turning into a city(which is connected with larger expenses, the risk of being attacked by locals and the possibility of losing a colony in a war). In general, first select the richest provinces and those that will produce the most expensive and the most important goods, e.g. to seize control over trade with strategic goods and profit from the bonus that follows.
While colonizing, you should also pay attention to the locals. Each one thousand of locals, which is left alive at the moment of transition into a city (population of 1000) will be included into the population count and will increase the base tax income by 0.20. In theory,, this will allow you to create an entirely new city, which will start with the population of 5000 or 7000. Still, locals can be irritating. They have two main indicators - aggressiveness and ferocity. The former, marked with the small axes, indicates the probability of their attacking your settlement, where the latter, marked with the bows, indicates a bonus to the damage inflicted by these locals. You need to keep in mind that locals with high ferocity level can quite easily put even the best of the European armies if they outnumber you, or even when the numbers are even. If there are troops stationed in the region, you can order them eradicate locals but, this will set back the development of the city later on. If you can afford this, the best solution is to keep your troops in the colony, which will have locals let you be and protect the citizens of the colony from the attacking locals. Then, at least some of the locals should make it into the newly-created city before they die.
The green provinces on the colonial map are within rangeTerritorial range determines how far you can send a colonist. It is the key fctor of the range of colonization. You will not be able to bridge the gap between Europe and America if you do not have sufficient range. The range is counted from the closest core province that you control and it is influenced mainly by your level of Diplomatic Technology and, again, the Exploration group where you find an idea that increases the range by 50%. Some countries also have a bonus provided by the national idea, e.g. Portugal (+25%).
What do you do if you are not able to reach out for the new world? If you play e.g. Austria, Poland or Sweden, it is going to be much more difficult than if you played with countries at the brink of Europe. You can submit a diplomatic plea to the other countries that already have their overseas lands for access to their ports and then, your range will count from their provinces. This way, you can easily neglect the less important provinces in your way to gain a piece of land in the wealthier regions. Unfortunately, this involves quite high fees that you, especially at the beginning of the game, may not be able to handle. You can terminate the agreement to use ports whenever you want to so, if you cannot afford maintaining it, you can send out a colonist and, after he starts establishing a colony, terminate the agreement to get the fees off your back. Once the colony is established and you will want to move your colonist over to another province, you will enter the agreement again and terminate it after he starts establishing a new settlement.
In a situation in which, either for financial reasons or because of low relations the plea for the access to the ports is denied, there is nothing else to do but delineate the route yourself by seizing control over the key islands in the middle of the ocean. It is easy to reach America e.g. via Iceland and then to Greenland. In 1444, Iceland remained under Norwegian rule that has union with Denmark in union with Sweden. This will mean going for war with the entire Scandinavian peninsula. Still, at this level, these are countries with relatively small armies. Another option are islands to the west of Northern Africa. Especially the Azores (towards the Caribbean) and Cape Verde (towards the "hunch" of the south America). The Azores belong to Portugal and Cape Verde has been no man's land from the very beginning but, since Portugal starts the game with an explorer and a conquistador, it is only a matter of time before it will make under the Portuguese rule. Also the African provinces may be an alternative, because they border, in the shortest straight line, with America. Remember that these regions, unlike Iceland, start out as colonies so, they first need to be transformed into a city before you can core them.
By bordering, with your colony, another country's colony, you receive a mutual casus belli - Colonial Conquest. Note that these do not need to be colonies per se (population lower than 1000). In this case the colony is an overseas land (not on the same continent as the capital, unless there is a land connection). If there is a war going on, and the armies enter the actual colony (less than 1000 settlers), the colony is then seized (colonies do not have ports so they cannot defend themselves). Then, the enemy army may burn the buildings down, which leaves the area for re-colonization, or seize it for itself. Still, such actions will negatively influence relations with neighbors.
In the diplomacy window, you will learn against whom you have Casus Belli
You are able to make life easier for yourself, if you operate diplomacy well, by avoiding many exhausting and unnecessary wars during conquests. Therefore, it is good to know how to best use your diplomats.
First of all, in EUIV relations between countries are bilateral and the opinion of country A about country B does not necessarily have to reflect the opinion of country B about A. These are two different values, both can range between -200 and +200. Of course, the higher the relations the higher willingness to cooperate with the other side. Diplomacy is also influenced by, the so called, diplomatic reputation. It is influenced by overextension, advisors and ideas.
Apart from number relations, the countries also have ideas about each other, which will, to a large extent, determine their actions. To learn how you are perceived by the other side, roll your mouse over the icon to the left of the current relations.
Countries may have the following ideas:
During the game, you will quickly notice the meager of diplomats. The basic amount of these, for each country is two so, each additional diplomat for a big country is very important. You can acquire them from the Diplomatic, Espionage an Aristocracy ideas, by building an embassy and by becoming the Holy Roman Emperor, after the introduction of an appropriate reform. Each loose diplomat should be used straight away, unless you have a good reason to keep him away from work, e.g. submitting a proposal of peace after winning a battle or to gain more MP. Avoid getting entangled in close relations (e.g. marriages, alliances) with many countries. Three or four countries that you enter such relations with is enough.
Finally, if you plan on any definite offensive actions against a country, and you are not going to conceal it too much, you can make that country a rival. You can have up to three rivals and naming one costs you 10 diplomacy points. It is very useful an option so do not forget about it. You receive the following modifiers per each rival:
You can use diplomacy to wage wars without rolling out cannonsThe first option in diplomacy is declaring a war or starting peace talks, if the war is already on. You can declare a war nearly always, with small exceptions, e.g. when you are a dependent country in a personal union or when your country is ruled by the Regency Council. Still, for war to be grounded, you need Casus Belli, i.e. the reason for war. Attacking without CB will decrease stability in your country and will have a negative impact on diplomatic relations, which is why you should never attack without reason. You should never attack a country that you currently have truce with (truce is imposed automatically after you sign peace). You can gain Casus Belli for many reasons. First of all when you have cores within the boundaries of an enemy country or at least you present a claim to that province. Other CB include, e.g. a war with your Overlord for the independence of the country, war on infidels refusal of an ally to help at war, wars for colonies attacking a country that you guarantee peace to, offence on the part of another country or seizing the throne in a country where you secured it with marriage. Furthermore, there also are special historic CBs that can be activated after certain requirements are met e.g. around 1600 Russia's neighbors may intervene about the, so called Time of Troubles to place their candidate on the Tsar's throne.
The type of war determines the reactions from the nearby countries, prestige that you will earn from victory, cost of diplomacy points for each demand during peace talks and, of course, the aim that needs to be fulfilled.
Casus Belli is not restricted to the possible spoils of war but to the initial aim. The more lands you occupy and the more battles you have won, the more you can demand during peace talks but, you need to keep in mind that you will earn excessive overextension this way, and also that neighbors will react to that. The more aggressive your gaming style, the more you increase the Aggressive Expansion with countries that are interested in these lands. Careless playing and expanding your country in every possible direction will soon result in a number of coalitions and to war with 20 countries on four different fronts. The game is long and, if you do not gain everything that you want, you will have the next opportunity in five more years. That is why it is better to wait than have to face half of the continent.
During peace talks, the winner can demand the following:
How much the other side will agree to that will be determined by the warscore. With peace negotiations, it is immensely important that the aim from Casus Belli is met. When you fulfill it, e.g. when you take over a province that you started the war over, the warscore will start to rise systematically, until it reaches 20% at most. That is why, if you have several CB to choose from , always choose the one whose aims are the easiest to fulfill. Note also that the demands require specific value of the Monarch Power Points. In a situation when there is no definite victor, both sides can agree to Status Quo i.e. ending the war without effect.
In the second tab, there are two options - entering an alliance and a coalition.
Alliance forces both sides to help each other in both defensive and offensive wars, as long as the assailant summons an ally. Refusal to help will result in the loss of 25 prestige points, breaking the alliance, a tremendous fall in relations and casus belli for the other side. Still, as long as you are in the alliance, both you and your ally receive +50 to relations and additional +25 during wartime.
You should use deliberation when selecting an ally. One, or two is enough. These should also be big and strong countries . Getting involved in a net of alliances with small countries will drag you into a string of conflicts when the weaker side will make trouble with another one in hope that you will win the war for them. Additionally, you will often have to break truces. It is something that you want to avoid. Find one strong ally, at best one that you do not border with and that you have common enemies with., ideally on both sides to lock them between a rock and a hard place, e.g. France and Poland or France and Turkey with Austria in the middle, which is disliked by all sides. Or Spain and Austria against France, and Austria with Russia against Poland.
Coalitions are, on the other hand, a good way to ally yourself with against a common enemy without entering into the official alliance and without taking the risk of being dragged into a series of wars that you are absolutely not interested in. After you enter a coalition, each country (even a rival who would not agree to enter an alliance under regular circumstances) can join the coalition. When a war between the aim of the coalition and any of the member states breaks out, all of the countries will join in the fights and create a common front. Unlike in the case of alliances, the option to refuse is not available here. If you are in a coalition, you will always join the war, unless a truce between you and the enemy is currently in power. Note that this works both ways so, it is one of the few acceptable situations when it may be a good idea to break truce. If you have a truce with 5 members of the coalition, you can declare war on one of them and defeat him, without worrying that the rest will intervene.
Coalitions can be a very useful tool in fights with stronger countries but, assuming that you play an offensive game, they more often will be a problem than they will be helpful. As a matter of fact, each neighbor, or even his neighbor will join an armed coalition to conquer and expand in every possible direction. It does not matter that these are small countries that can affrd only troops 10 thousand strong. If there are fifteen of then and additionally they attack at all sides, you will soon notice that this is not a comfortable situation. Of course, you can play this way and win, as long as your country is big and strong but, this is going to be very tiring and not too pleasant and even unhealthy, when a war over a small worthless island will be waged for 10 years. When you play an aggressive game, it is impossible to avoid entering a coalition. But, you can manage them prudently by restricting them to reasonable sizes. First of all, what matters here is numbers. If a country is not threatened/outraged/hostile, he will leave the coalition when relations are higher than -100. If it is one of the three, he will leave the coalition at zero. So, when you plan an expansion, you need to learn about the neighbors carefully and try to win the undecided over to your side, to avoid them joining. Also, do not forget to care for your strongest ally that you have common enemies with. F a strong country is nearly bound to react in a negative way to an attack on a smaller nearby country, try to neutralize it at first e.g. by royal marriage and later on, through war, for the throne. Also, troy to restrict your expansion to one place at a time, to have all the coalition partners on one front. This kind of calm and more sensible playing style, in spite of appearances, brings development on a larger scale and faseter expansion. Instead of fighting against the coalition of eight countries, in a long-lasting exhausting war, from which you can get only three provinces, you can instead fight a quick and relatively easy war with three enemies to get the same three provinces. At the same time, you will be able to plan on your next move!
Force peace - in theory, with relations with another country at the level of, at least, + 100, you can support the defender to force Status Quo on the assailant. In practice, however, this option is probably bugged because it always shows 0% chances to succeed without explaining any positive or negative modifiers, just like in the case other decisions.. The other country will automatically refuse, which will drag you into war. You can take advantage of it in the case of lack of Casus Belli, to support a country, which will protect it from destruction and will not let the enemy expand too much. You can also use this option in the multiplayer mode because the other player is presented with a choice to either accept or refuse to proposition of forced peace. Unfortunately, in the case of AI, you will always get a refusal.
Guarantee of Independence- you guarantee the other country with independence. If it is attacked, you will receive casus belli against the assailant. Useful, first of all when you want to prevent the bigger countries from seizing the smaller ones, which you need for decisions, and to prevent them from expanding too much. Castile and Granada are good examples here. To transform Spain, Granada cannot exist. By guaranteeing it with independence, and making sure that it does not disappear from the map, you prevent Spain from being founded.
Improving of Relations - Sending out a diplomat so that, with time, he can improve your relations with another country. The diplomat must remain in the country for relations go up so, he will not be available for other actions. After relations reach the maximum value (+100 or +200 depending on your relations with the country) the diplomat returns to the capital, and relations start to go down again, on the base rate of -3 per year. You can modify it through advisor's prestige and ideas. Take a good care of your relations with allies and neutral countries to prevent them from joining a coalition.
Send a warning - If a country attacks one of your neighbors, you will receive casus belli against that country.
Send offence - You offend a country and provide it with casus belli against your country.
Royal marriage is a very useful tool. First of all, you can ensure your country with a heir thanks to it. This is not the end though. If the king of the country which you have married into, dies heirless, you will enter a personal union with that country and take control over it! This, unfortunately, works both ways and this can make you a subject to another king for years to come so, there is a risk in that. There also is an option of annexing the country that you are in a personal union with. The country needs to be dependent for, at least, 50 years, needs to be smaller and relations should be, at least, +190.
Three or four marriages is the maximum that is wirth having. With royal marriage, you can take over an enemy throne, through war, even if the rightful ruler is still aliveIt is a perfect tool for nipping inconvenient coalitions in the bud. Imagine you want to take over a small country, which will pave your way to rich provinces in the east. Nearby, there are two strong countries which definitely are not going to like it and there is a justified risk of a coalition. And now, if you could, instead of going to war with one of them, and bind yourself with one of the countries? By winning the war, you will make one of the countries into a vassal. Now, you can annex the small country without being bothered. Because, one of the enemies, although still being enraged, will be your subject so, it won't be capable of doing anything and the other will fear war one on one. The appropriate way of playing with your princesses is halfway to success. You should also watch out for countries that already have several marriages. In such a situation, a war, among all the fathers in law, for the throne may break out. Access to marriages is barred for republics (apart from the noble) and theocracies.
Vassalization is a way to develop your country in a peaceful way. A vassal pays 50% of its taxes to the overlord and has to help him in wartime. To propose vassalization, you need to have a marriage and alliance with a country, as well as the same religion and +190 to relations. You can then annex your vassal, after 10 years in a non-hostile way, as long as relations remain at the level of +190 and you have not taken over anyone within the past ten years. You can walk around this restriction, though by annexing vassals at the same time, with the game paused.
Unlike in EUIII there are no spies in the game. All of the covert actions are now performed by diplomats. Some of the options are available for each of the countries, and some can be activated with the Espionage idea group.
Claim fabrication - achieve a claim to a province which will allow you to declare a war over it. The basic tool used for expansion. This process can take up to several years in a situation when the diplomat is detected, which make the process longer by 10%. The provinces that you claim are cheaper by 25% during peace talks and they are cheaper by 25% to core.
Support Rebels- you can start sending money to rebels in a country that is endangered with an uprising. You decide which rebels you want to support and how much money you want to transfer for their cause every month. The financing itself increases the risk of rebellion by 3 and, the more you pay them the more soldiers will appear. Furthermore, if rebels succeed, and they establish an independent state, they will become your ally.
The remaining option require appropriate ideas from the Espionage group:
Sow Discontent - you increase the Local revolt risk by 1 and the stability cost by 50%. Requires Destabilizing Efforts.
Sabotage Administration - this allows you to sabotage the reputation of an enemy country among its neighbors and enemies. It is especially useful for creating coalitions against stronger countries. Requires Rumourmongering.
Infiltrate Administration - removes the fog of way from a given country. Requires Espionage.
Embargo - decrease trade power of the country in the centers that you compete in. it will also impose a 5% penalty on trade efficiency, if the country is not a competitor.
Send gift- a financial help for a country. It will increase relations depending on the amount that you send, +15 at most, for five years.
Loan- an offer to lend money to another country. If the country does not pay up the loan, you will receive casus belli.
War subsidies - you can lend help to a country in wartime, by sending a definite amount of money every month.
Sell a province- you can sell one of your provinces to a country. It can be, e.g. a stronger country's core to ensure safety. Aesthetics may use this tool to establish better looking borderlines on the map. As an alternative, you can sell a province to your vassal, when Aggressive Expansion and Overextension are too high, to decrease these values. You will strengthen your ally and, when you annex a vassal in a peaceful way, these lands will return you anyways, at a far lower price.
You can offer to give, or ask another country to provide you with military access. Although it is not too fair, you can take advantage of the fact and strike at the enemy from neutral lands. Furthermore, agreeing for the foreign troops to enter you country will increase your relations by +10, for as long as it remains in power.
There is a bit different rule that applies to harbors, for which you need to pay a certain amount of money to access. Still, if you have a green light in harbors of the other countries, you can repair your ships there and expand your colonial range.
You will find all of the most important information on the army in the Military tabWar is the quintessence of EUIV so, everyone who wants to succeed in it, needs to know the rules. War can be divided into land and naval, although the latter is less important and it is on land that the fate of kingdoms kings and countries will be decided. In general, it is easier to defend than to attack but an utter power will, as a rule of thumb, be always decisive. Just like in the case of administration, it pays off to know several basic terms and factors that decide about victory and failure, as well as their impact on the rest of the country.
Manpower is the basic factor to how many soldiers you can conscript and how fast it will be possible to replenish losses of the existing units. In a nutshell, if any of the sides depletes its manpower, it will practically lose, unless it can invest in mercenaries. The base regeneration rate for the depleted Manpower is 10 years, while you will be at the mercy of your neighbors. The speed of replenishing manpower can be modified with decisions, ideas, buildings and advisors.
When it comes to the units that already exist, you need to remember that it is going to take longer abroad and that leaders of high maneuver will speed up the process.
No army can exist without its commander. Well, it can, in theory but, when it comes to battles, it is better if your army has an experienced general to command it. The cost of a leader is 50 MMP for a general and 50 DMP for an admiral. If you have unlocked Conquest for the New World, you can also employ conquistadors and explorers, who can enter the unknown lands. There is a preset limit on how many leaders you can have and exceeding this limit will cost you 1 military point a month, per each excess leader. If you want to, you can also transform your king, or his heir, into a leader, because they are for free, but you need to take into account the fact that they will be exposed to the risk of dying...or they will have the opportunity to die, if you want the heir to take over from his inept father, or if you want to get rid of an incompetent heir before he ascends to the throne.
Leaders are assessed in accordance with four categories:
The effectiveness of armies' strength in the battle can be modified through discipline, military tactics, tradition and morale. The first two factors are easy and obvious. Simply, the more of them you have, the stronger you hit and the less damage you take. Tradition and morale, basically, work similar but their function is a bit more complicated.
Tradition influences morale, manpower and trade steering. It is amassed through ideas, events discoveries, trade protection and, above all, battles. This does not matter if a battle was victorious or lost, each increases military tradition, to the maximum of 100%, which yields the following effects:
The annual drop to tradition is 5% of the current value. You can decrease this to 2% through the Innovative idea group.
Morale is, to all intents and purposes, the factor of victory and loss in battles. The army, whose morale is first to reach zero, retreats and loses. You should never attack with an army whose morale is low. Morale of an exhausted army regenerates automatically during rest from fight and that is why it is important to swap armies skillfully, so that the freshest ones fight.
Additionally, a low morale can cause two other effects:
Shattering - the army that lost the battle, due to the drop in morale, starts an abrupt retreat into safe regions, far away from the enemy, best to the fortified provinces where supplies are high. It is one of major changes to battle in EUIV. The defeated army does not retreat to the neighboring province, but rather as far as possible, sometimes several provinces across. The area that they flee too is selected automatically and you cannot change their route until they reach their destination.
Disorganization - even after winning a battle, the army's morale may be so low that they will be disorganized. This is signified by a small icon of fire next to the morale bar. They cannot set out and will be stationed in one spot as long as they are disorganized, i.e. as long as their morale is regenerated to the appropriate level.
The maximum level of morale available for an army can be increased through ideas, prestige, technology, advisors, military tradition, piety, in the case of Islam and by holding the title of the Defender of Faith.
Each land province has a predetermined limit on supplies, which determines the limit of troops that can be stationed there. If there are more troops than the current limit allows, the troops will suffer from wear, which decreases their numbers every month due to desertion, starvation etc. In general, the level of supplies in EUIV is discernibly higher than in the previous installments, so you can have larger armies at your disposal without fear of that much wear but, naturally, it is still an important factor that you need to pay attention to. The level of supplies depends on an individual province, technology level, the leader (maneuver), control exercised over the province (increases the limit by 25%), climate and weather. You should pay most attention to the last factor. In winter, depending on the severity, the limit can be lower by as much as 30%, which may prove lethal for your troops. You should always consider the current conditions while planning on a new campaign. If you are going to attack countries like Russia, you should start your war around March or April to minimize the possibility of operating in winter.
Wear is somewhat different in the case of the navy. A ship near home ports will sufer no wear. After leaving territorial waters, it encroaches the range of supply ships. When you roll your mouse over water, you will notice the distance of the given region from the nearest port and your current maximum range. As long as ships are within range, they will suffer no wear. After you set out further, the process of wearing will start and the level will be rising by 1 each month. The navy will losing a percent of the whole each month, which can, in effect, destroy all ships if they do not make it to the waters that you are capable of supplying, in time. The wear for the months spent at sea will be regenerated after you reach the 22nd level of diplomacy. You should also consider the fact computer's ships are not subject to wear so, you should not be surprised if a fleet makes it around the Americas and attacks on the Western coast of the modern USA.
War exhaustion rises as a result of prolonging war. This factor is facilitated, in particular, by defeats, blocked harbors, wear and war taxes. Exhaustion disappears automatically during peacetime but, the base value is only 0.10 per month. You can speed up this process by holding the title of the Defender of Faith and through ideas. You can also decrease exhaustion manually by two, in exchange for 75 diplomacy points. You should avoid long wars and try to finish your actions relatively quickly. High war exhaustion has adverse effect on the entire country. With the maximum of 20 points, these are:
You cannot fight battles in EU IV so, even if you are a military genius, you will not benefit from it. The fate of battles is in the hands of the game's mechanics and luck. Still, t is a good idea to reinforce these two factors to the extent it is possible. First of all, it is important to organize your army and choose your units properly. During a battle, clashes are fought along the predetermined length known as the combat width, which is divided into two rows (the above screenshot). Armies in the first row fight against each other, by default with the regiment in front of them. High maneuverability acquired from technology and the leader, will allow the unit to attack sideways also, and thus flank the enemy, which you can view by rolling your mouse over a specific unit (square). In the screenshot, one unit of rebel infantry can attack three cavalry units. The base maneuverability of infantry is 1 (which means that it can attack enemy directly infront of it, on its left and on its right). For cavalry the value is 2, but the factors rise basing on technology and a good leader. The range of maneuverability also depends on the current manning of a given regiment. It acquires it's full maneuverability with 75%. You achieve half the potential with 75-50%. If a unit less than 25% strong, it cannot flank the enemy . Infantry and cavalry that stay in the second row, do not participate in the fights and, that is why combat width is more favorable to smaller armies. CW is appropriately smaller, depending on the size of a province. For example, in mountainous areas, it is smaller by, as much as 66% so, this is a considerable handicap for defenders who cannot be flanked and, at the same time, attacked by several units at the same time. . this answers the question of why, while fighting in mountains, defenders are capable of defeating enemy armies larger in numbers. The only type of unit that can attack while in the second row is artillery. It is worth noting that artillery does not slow down the army, unlike in the previous installments. The unit speed remains the same regardless of whether it has cannons or not. Therefore, you do not need to worry about this factor. The artillery that remains a t the back, can easily lay fire on the enemy without sustaining any losses. Still, if it makes it to the first line, by accident, it becomes very vulnerable and receives twice as much damage so, it can be easily destroyed. That is why the army make-up is so important. You should have sufficiently enough units in the first line to keep cannons in the back. Furthermore, the make-up is important due to the appropriate balance between infantry and cavalry. Infantry is the basic unit for armies of that period so, if you have lots of cavalry, you will receive a special modifier - Insufficient Support. This will decrease your military tactic by 25%! The balance factor depends on the technological group and it amounts to:
The make-up of the army is a key to success. There are many opinions on how to best make up your army, and what works best here is experience, as well as own preferences. In general, a good solution here is armies between 15 and 20 thousand, or even 25- 30 thousand, depending on wear, technology and finances. Mostly, it should be composed of infantry. Per each 15K you can try solutions like 9 infantry, 3 cavalry and 3 artillery (with possibly more cavalry). In spite of appearances, cavalry is not that effective a solution. For more than twice the price of infantry, it offers not much more, and much less than the slightly more expensive artillery. Of course, you should always have some units for flanking available but, in general, when you develop financially, I recommend that you prefer artillery e.g. for an army 20 thousand strong - 10 infantry, 2 cavalry and 8 artillery. It pays off to have as much artillery as possible to fill in the second row, and keep it completely covered in front. Not only does artillery attack without taking damage, but also reinforces, offensively, the first row at the cost of a half of its defense! At the same time, you should always have some infantry reserves, which will fill in the gap in the front row if necessary, and some unit is rendered incapable of fighting.
You should also consider the terrain and the country you play as, while making up the army. E.g. Poland, due to hussars, has formidable cavalry available and in this case, the above ratios are not going to be that effective. It is a way better idea to play here, e.g. 4-6-5. On the other hand, if you are going to fight a defensive battle in the mountains, cavalry is completely useless and you can have artillery and infantry in equal proportions (with maybe more infantry in reserve).
Whenever you take over a province, you initiate siege. Every preset amount of days (the base number is 30) there is a die roll which determines what happens in the castle, starting with status quo, through deficiencies in supplies, food, water, to surrendering the fort. You can speed up the siege if you have an appropriate leader, by blocking local harbor and by owning lots of artillery. Next to the fort, you will find information, expressed in percents, of how possible it is that the fort will be surrendered.
If you do not want to wait, try storming the enemy fort. Only infantry takes part in storming. It is a very expensive maneuver and it is virtually unprofitable with low technology levels but, with the passing years, it is increasingly more effective. First of all, you should make sure, before storming that there is a crack in the wall. Storming undamaged walls practically equals sending all of your soldiers to a slaughter and can be successful only in the case of enormous advantage in numbers. If there actually is a crack, storming will be expensive but, it will be successful with numbers of your armies three or four times higher.
If you are hard pressed on deploying armies and replenishing losses, you can enlist mercenaries. You can recruit mercenaries only once a month and they do not use up Manpower. The access to these is limited to specific number of units a month , and they are also 50% more expensive to recruit than their national counterparts. They are also 1.5 times more expensive to maintain. The 50% higher cost of recruitment is negligible and it makes no difference, but maintaining them may botch you up, even if your country is rich and, that is why you should never base your army on mercenaries in peacetime. It is simply best to disband such units. In the wartime, they can still prove to be immensely useful, especially to rich countries with low Manpower. You can modify mercenaries through appropriate ideas and, additionally, some countries like Byzantium, Burgundy and Sweden have national ideas that decrease their cost. In the case of such countries, with ideas developed, you can easily wage wars basing on mercenaries only.
Sat war, battleships will be mainly busy with blocking ports and protecting narrow exits into the seaIn EU IV there are four types of ships. These are:
You can use ships to set blockades on enemy harbors to decrease income of the enemy and speed up his exhaustion with war, as well as to lay fire on the besieged forts from the sea. Still, they are not as crucial and victory in the sea will not provide you with any real profits if you lose on land. Still, it always pays off to have a strong fleet, if only for breaking blockades, elimination of pirates and protecting trade. Of course, you can also use transport ships to surprise the enemy with surprise-landing from behind. Remember also to control the key entrances to basins and passages between strips of land. Like, e.g. between Sicily and the Apennines, or between Europe and Asia near Constantinople. You will not only lock the way for the enemy ships this way, but also for his infantry which, in some cases, can make it across such straits.
Acquaint yourself with the enemy numbers carefullyHere's a handful of general hints that it is good to keep in mind during military actions:
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