Europa Universalis IV

[Malakal]

In SP you very rarely need or use quantity but in MP or in challenging games as poor minors its a very good source of manpower. It also got buffed and will get buffed in the next patch again.

 

[baturinsky]

Every Western tech group nation is OP.

 

[Luzur]

I don't think Sweden is OP, at least I never saw Sweden being OP in my games. I will call Sweden OP when I see Sweden conquering Russia, or having a vast colonial empire.

Did they weaken France, on the other hand? I remember seeing a reunified France easily fielding 100k armies by 1500 in EUIII and curb-stomping pretty much anybody not called Castille or Austria. In EUIV they seem a lot more historical and less OP. Hell, my Super-Portugal (Portugal + Castillean and Granadean territory + colonies + three provinces in northern Maghreb) has almost the same army size-limit (70k), althrough they obviously are way superior in land fighting because of their military ideas. BBB is still frightening, but without being that All-Devouring monster that takes over half of Western Europe by 1500.

I think they boosted Manchu recently, just saw Manchu>Qing conquer most of China in my game, its still going on, Qing has become the Celestial Empire and Ming is continously being beaten down. Good. Seems China is quite ok now, I remember that Ming in EUIII was either a lameduck or had a border with the Ottoman Empire by 1520, and it usually stomped the hordes flat.

Castille needs a little nerf and Portugal, some boosting, through. As it is Castille annexes/vassalizes/PUs Portugal, always.

Ottomans don't seem as agressive as they oughta be, in my games they conquer Anatolia, Greece, Bulgaria and the Levant, then they seem quite content to sit tight in their little corner of the mediterranean with their immense navy and army. They also seem not to give a shit about the Berbers being shitkicked by Iberians. Should't early game Ottomans be EUIV's equivalent to the Mongol Hordes - A ridiculously strong, rich and angry agressive expansionistic as fuck power

Am I the only one who finds it fantastically retarded that Paradox introduced the "Federation" native american mechanic and yet, the Iroquois are still a single nation?

in my game Iberia was split up betwen Castille, Spain and Portugal (and a somehow a single province Granada managed to survive, although they became Prostestant somewhere along the line..?)

 

[Delterius]

Going by colonial regions I'd think that there'll be an expansion focused on Africa. Don't know you but I kinda dislike how Europe can pretty much scramble for Africa in the 1600s. But at least there might be colonial nations in the future.

 

[Malakal]

France is still super OP, not in the hands of the AI but its cores provide easily the biggest mp and income in the world with only perhaps Ming coming close. France op'ness comes from being number one without having to expand beyond their core territory.

 

[Delterius]

Well, France is easy mode for the human. Those exist. A rapid fire conquering Ottoman player can be number one before the turn of the century. That's why we prefer middling and small factions, right? Regardless of wether France is that powerful, the power difference isn't so great that the AI will always conquer Iberia and the HRE.

 

[Merkwürdigliebe]

Well if AI France actually picked good military NI's it would a whole lot scarier than it is currently. As it is, it only picks Aristocracy. While 25% MP and 1+ shock is nice, it's not enough on it's own especially when players regularly pick 3 or even 4 military groups by the end of the game. Similarly the Ottomans only get quantity, thats whole lot of kebab, but when their quality is shit late game from tech group, and then no quality from NI's it makes them a pushover. I suspect the late game would be a whole lot more challenging for the player of the AI's had picked more military NI's.
This could be an interesting minor mod. If France picks say Offensive and Quality it could make the game very interesting.

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

i like that some nations are overpowered: it gives me something to crush during late game.

 

[Space Satan]

Offensive+Defensive is an overkill for every nation. Combined bonuses and uberleaders are so powerful it's almost impossible to beat them if you could not swarm them with cannon fodder.

 

[Xeon]

Portugal gets really big income from trade, Late games Portugal claims the top of the income chart because of the trading income and they survive most times, Aragon is the one who gets destroyed by Castile in most playthrough but its kinda nice since I can try and vassalize him later and get his core back and maybe Naples too.

My most hated ideas for the AI to take is Espionage because of the -50 sabotage reputation and the Aristocratic idea because of the +100% coring cost.

 

[Malakal]

Offensive+Defensive is an overkill for every nation. Combined bonuses and uberleaders are so powerful it's almost impossible to beat them if you could not swarm them with cannon fodder.

I went quality first as Ottomans in one of our multiplayer games. First idea gives 10% more infantry combat ability. Imagine that coupled with Ottoman bonus to discipline, superior units when you only few ideas unlocked early...

 

[Quilty]

Any impressions on playing as Japan? I was thinking of starting a campaign as either the Papacy or Japan, since I'm looking for a nice challenge, but I'm not sure if Japan turns out to be overpowered in some way.

 

[Malakal]

Any impressions on playing as Japan? I was thinking of starting a campaign as either the Papacy or Japan, since I'm looking for a nice challenge, but I'm not sure if Japan turns out to be overpowered in some way.

Japan is super OP, OP as fuck, its OPness can hardly be described in words. Has one of the best NIs in the game and no competition once it unites.

 

[Quilty]

OK, thanks for that. Which country would you suggest for a nice, hard challenge? I guess any of the minors in Italy could be a nice idea? I'm reluctant to choose any of the minors in HRE because in EU3 I had very little trouble overtaking the HRE with the minors, which made it boring after a while. I guess I could import some crazy map from CK2 and try surviving as the Kingdom of Jerusalem, always wanted to see how EU4 would handle that...

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

OK, thanks for that. Which country would you suggest for a nice, hard challenge?

A French minor or Albania.

 

[Malakal]

OK, thanks for that. Which country would you suggest for a nice, hard challenge? I guess any of the minors in Italy could be a nice idea? I'm reluctant to choose any of the minors in HRE because in EU3 I had very little trouble overtaking the HRE with the minors, which made it boring after a while. I guess I could import some crazy map from CK2 and try surviving as the Kingdom of Jerusalem, always wanted to see how EU4 would handle that...

Italian minors are all cool, stuck between Austria and France and restricted by huge AE penalties of the HRE while in the south Aragon encroaches. The more you buff majors with difficulty the more challenge you will get.

Balkan minors are quite fun too as you can survive and have a clear goal of fighting Ottomans. And even united Balkans are poor and have almost no mp. Only one major contender tho.

French minors can be fun, especially something like Brittany. Granted you do have the obvious route of going colonial.

I also had a fun game with Dutch minors, even when you unite Netherlands theres the BBB to worry about.

 

[Luzur]

i would say either some Russian minor or one of the Knight orders.

 

[baturinsky]

Playing Takeda was fun. Japan is indeed uncontested in their region, but when nations start uniting against you, or when you have to fight with European powers, things get interesting.
Lots of natural objectives: unite Japan, conquer Korea (and some of China), colonize Siberia before Russia, colonize Australia before Spain, convert to Western tech, catch up technologically with Europe.

 

[Luzur]

in my game Japan was deep into China and going strong when i was about to finish.

 

[Malakal]

Playing Takeda was fun. Japan is indeed uncontested in their region, but when nations start uniting against you, or when you have to fight with European powers, things get interesting.
Lots of natural objectives: unite Japan, conquer Korea (and some of China), colonize Siberia before Russia, colonize Australia before Spain, convert to Western tech, catch up technologically with Europe.

Only challenge in SP comes from big western nations and those rarely reach far east and even if they do theyre unable to project force properly all the way over there. Naval AI is better than it used to be but its still pitiful overall. So theres not much challenge as Japan.

 

[XenomorphII]

Playing Takeda was fun. Japan is indeed uncontested in their region, but when nations start uniting against you, or when you have to fight with European powers, things get interesting.
Lots of natural objectives: unite Japan, conquer Korea (and some of China), colonize Siberia before Russia, colonize Australia before Spain, convert to Western tech, catch up technologically with Europe.

Only challenge in SP comes from big western nations and those rarely reach far east and even if they do theyre unable to project force properly all the way over there. Naval AI is better than it used to be but its still pitiful overall. So theres not much challenge as Japan.

Russia can be a problem as Japan. Especially if you colonize Siberia.

 

[XenomorphII]

Italy is definitely a fun place to play. Tuscany is my personal favorite in that area (though I never, ever form Italy due to its poor ideas).

 

[Malakal]

You what? Italian ideas are definitely top tier: cheaper cores, good military power, good economy. IA is shit but other than that Italian ideas are way better than anything in the region provides.

 

[XenomorphII]

Have they changed Italy's then? I was thinking that they used to be awful.

 

[Merkwürdigliebe]

Maybe you are thinking of the generic Italian ideas that some OPMs have, yes those are pretty shitty. However Italy's ideas are solid, especially after they got improved after last patch. 50% better relations over time and -25% core cost makes it amazing for quick conquest, decent military ideas with 15% infantry power and 33% MP, and nice economy boosts as well.

For comparison

Italy
Traditions:
+20% National trade power modifier
+50% Better relations over time

Not a Geographical Construct
-10% Stability cost modifier

The Tradition of the Legion
+15% Infantry combat ability

Mare Nostrum
-15% Galley cost
+20% Galley combat ability

The Office of Censor
+33% National manpower modifier

Italian Tax Reform
+15% National tax modifier

Heir to the Empire
+25% Imperial authority

Path to Citizenship
-25% Core-creation cost

Bonus:
+20% Fort Defense

Generic Italian
Traditions:
+10% National trade income modifier
+2 Yearly papal influence

Italian Renaissance
-5% Idea cost

Italian Condottieri
-20% Mercenary cost

Italian Aristocracy
+5% National spy defense
+50% Hostile core-creation cost on us

Trace Italienne
+15% Fort defense

High Renaissance Art & Architecture
+1 Yearly prestige

Italian Diplomacy
+10% Spy offense
+1 Diplomatic relations

Commedia dell'arte
-10% Stability cost modifier

Bonus:
Yearly Legitimacy: +1
Yearly Republican Tradition: +0.5