Europa Universalis IV announced

[DGuller]

I always viewed tech investment in EU not as actual research, but rather implementation spending.  Someone else invented the musket, you just need to spend money to retrofit your military to make use of it.

[Josquius]

I wonder if some type of "envoys" will be usable to improve tech, though. While most of the world did not indeed progress because of direct state funding, many rulers hired great inventors and scientists to get an edge over their rivals.

That was more engineering than 'tech research' (*shudder*, really hate those kiddies) though. Getting a one off expert to build a few excellent cannon to give you a temporary edge for the upcoming war.
And of course more often than not the money was being thrown down a pit.

How to handle technology if it is taken away from the player... Just plain having it advance normally wouldn't work- its a bit unfair on the historically less advanced nations in case the player turns them into a major player.
....having some sort of options in procurement perhaps? Your first bath of musketeers costs a small fortune but as they become more common in the world/your region/with you the cost goes down. For an interesting gameplay mechanic (which would probally suck but I'm just spouting ideas here) it would make it quite a balancing act to have an advanced enough army whilst letting your opponents blow their money on making your guns cheaper.

[DGuller]

Your first bath of musketeers costs a small fortune

They would probably be all dirty and flea infested.

[Viking]

Your first bath of musketeers costs a small fortune

They would probably be all dirty and flea infested.

It sounds like the plot of a ghey prono

[Josquius]

Heh, typo; batch.

[Josephus]

Your first bath of musketeers costs a small fortune

They would probably be all dirty and flea infested.

It sounds like the plot of a ghey prono

You watch a lot of them?

[Habbaku]

New DD, this time about the unique aspects of England :

http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?640468-Europa-Universalis-IV-%96-Development-Diary-7-%96-And-did-those-feet-in-ancient-time....

Among other tidbits :

England's National Ideas
The traditions that England starts with is a small boost in naval morale and a 5% boost to their trading efficiency.
The trading efficiency boost is due to the fact that the economy of England to fund their participation in the Hundred Years War was their taxation of the very profitable wool trade.

The 7 National Ideas for England are:
Royal Navy : 25% higher naval force limit, and +10% more combat power for big ships.
Eltham Ordinance : +15% higher tax.
Secretaries of State : +1 diplomat
Navigation Acts : +10% trade income, and +10% more combat power for light ships.
Bill of Rights : -1 revolt risk.
Reform of Commission Buying : +10% discipline
Sick and Hurt Board : -50% Naval Attrition.

Reward: English Ambition
When England has gotten all seven of their National Ideas, they get the bonus of 'English Ambitions' which gives them a +100% on their embargo efficiency.

[garbon]

This is good though I think they always unfairly malign EUII was the biggest reason for static sequences is that p'dox never made much use of their trigger system.

War of the Roses is an excellent example of Dynamic Historical Events. If England in the 15th century has a ruler without an heir, that means that there is a likelihood of a large event chain beginning. The player has to select who to back for the throne, York or Lancaster. This decision will throw the country into turmoil with various parts declaring for either the red or white rose, and you have to make sure to eliminate the very strong, rather resilient pretenders. What makes this interesting is that this event chain is not an event series that is guaranteed to come every time you play as England. It only occurs if all the necessary underlying factors are fulfilled. When it happens, you won't have planned for it to arrive on schedule, like many people did when they played Europa Universalis II, the last game in the series with a serious focus on historical events. We hope that this variation will gives you rather unique experiences when you play major powers.

[Sophie Scholl]

Quick question/comment on EU III which I started to play again with the latest patches/graphics and what not:  Is it just me or is the Golden Horde retarded overpowered in the GC campaign?  They overrun everything in Eatern Europe and Russia every single game I play.  It is annoying as fuck.

[Drakken]

Quick question/comment on EU III which I started to play again with the latest patches/graphics and what not:  Is it just me or is the Golden Horde retarded overpowered in the GC campaign?  They overrun everything in Eatern Europe and Russia every single game I play.  It is annoying as fuck.

Historical, as they start with fuckin' Tamerlane as a ruler and general.

When I play Muscovy I usually offer tribute as soon as war starts so that they leave me alone.

[Solmyr]

Golden Horde was utterly trashed by Timur in 1399 and was falling apart.

[Drakken]

Golden Horde was utterly trashed by Timur in 1399 and was falling apart.

You are right, I got mixed up with the Timurid Empire.

[Sophie Scholl]

The new "horde" rules are a cool concept, but they are an utter pain in the ass to deal with in reality.  If you border a horde, you get province tax penalties, are at war seemingly within a year and a half tops of thrashing any horde you neighbor, and also cannot simply take provinces or demand a release of vassals to help end the annoyance.  You have to jump through annoying hoops of colonizing horde provinces to actually take them.

[sbr]

The new "horde" rules are a cool concept, but they are an utter pain in the ass to deal with in reality.  If you border a horde, you get province tax penalties, are at war seemingly within a year and a half tops of thrashing any horde you neighbor, and also cannot simply take provinces or demand a release of vassals to help end the annoyance.  You have to jump through annoying hoops of colonizing horde provinces to actually take them.

It's brutal, especially in MP.  I played as Novgorod and could barely expand at all while everyone else was growing at a normal (for MP) pace.  We eventually turned that mechanic off, but not until ~150 years in.

[Josquius]

New DD, this time about the unique aspects of England :

http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?640468-Europa-Universalis-IV-%96-Development-Diary-7-%96-And-did-those-feet-in-ancient-time....

Among other tidbits :

England's National Ideas
The traditions that England starts with is a small boost in naval morale and a 5% boost to their trading efficiency.
The trading efficiency boost is due to the fact that the economy of England to fund their participation in the Hundred Years War was their taxation of the very profitable wool trade.

The 7 National Ideas for England are:
Royal Navy : 25% higher naval force limit, and +10% more combat power for big ships.
Eltham Ordinance : +15% higher tax.
Secretaries of State : +1 diplomat
Navigation Acts : +10% trade income, and +10% more combat power for light ships.
Bill of Rights : -1 revolt risk.
Reform of Commission Buying : +10% discipline
Sick and Hurt Board : -50% Naval Attrition.

Reward: English Ambition
When England has gotten all seven of their National Ideas, they get the bonus of 'English Ambitions' which gives them a +100% on their embargo efficiency.

No Royal Academy?
Odd England would have nought scientific. Or is that left till Britain?