In that classic conflict, I played the Lancasters holding off what turned out to be the rebellion of Richard III. I started my first run as England, and it didn’t take long before one of the most important events of that period kicked off: the War of the Roses. One of my favorite aspects of historical strategy games is, well, the history. This gave me one more goal to strive toward as I sought to dominate trade in the Mediterranean, and the rewards from missions helped me accomplish my other, more long-term goals. Hungary is a natural rival of Venice, but one mission I received asked that I boost my relations to them to “100” - and I was at a level below zero. I also like how you receive missions it’s nice to have some more concrete goals than just, “Hey, let’s dominate the world.” Some are pretty easy - like beating up on a neighboring state - but others can be a challenge. This give-and-take is one of the most fascinating aspects of Europa Universalis IV, and I look forward to many hours of finding which National Ideas and advisers best fit my playstyle. And this is also where some of the most interesting choices come in Europa Universalis IV: Do you hoard your administrative points to access better National Ideas, or do you spend your bureaucratic capital on boosting your realm’s stability? Your military points help in repressing rebellion, but they also help you unlock better units. (And they die as well as time passes.) The capabilities you unlock through National Ideas also help determine the growth of these point pools. Highly skilled advisers cost more in coin and maintenance, but they give you better benefits. These points are also tied to your advisers - the more skilled your adviser (administratively, diplomatically, and militarily), the more bonuses you receive to the growth of these points. And you use all of these points to unlock National Ideas (the Europa Universalis tech tree) and the technologies that lie within them.
They can also change the culture of provinces, making them more suitable for your kingdom’s values (though I can’t help but think of “ethnic cleansing” in the back of my mind I hope this is achieved in-game via intermarriage and the absorption of culture, not the forcible removal of it). Those diplomatic points come in handy when you’re trying to convert a conquered province to your empire. You can use your administrative points to boost your stability, reducing the odds of a rebellion. Three top investment pros open up about what it takes to get your video game funded.
You make your decisions in real time, managing the administration, culture, diplomacy, expansion, military, and trade of your kingdom, and in the fourth edition of the grand-strategy series from publisher Paradox Interactive and developer Paradox Development Studio, out now for the PC and Mac, you have more, streamlined tools to help you do so. These choices define Europa Universalis IV, giving you plenty of freedom to shape the destiny or doom of your empire.
How the Doge handles each of these choices will decide whether Venice would remain a free mercantile republic or a vassal of a larger empire. And his merchants - the backbone of Venice’s strength - were struggling abroad. The Austrians, in alliance with a number of smaller, but still Germanic, kingdoms, coveted the Doge’s territories on the northern border. With the backing of the Austrians and the Holy Roman Empire, the Doge found himself having to give up conquests made over the Milanese, even though Milan started the war in the first place. The Doge of Venice sat in his hall, contemplating his next move. Join gaming leaders online at GamesBeat Summit Next this upcoming November 9-10.