Any EU:IV fans here?

[Jub]

Fellow EU:IV fans I have a question for you!

After watching an LP of the game by Quill18 and seeing the steam sale I had to pick up the game and its expansion packs. Since picking it up and I messed around as the natives for a bit, and unified Japan but wasn't skilled enough to accomplish much with these nations. Deciding that I knew enough to play a great power I started a game as Castile and soon after had formed Spain, expanded into Africa, and started some overseas colonies. The game is going great thus far and I've even got France as the junior partner in a personal union. Things are going so well that I'm now starting to integrate them.

The question I have is how can I integrate them faster than I already am? I have the +1 base and +1 from shared religion, but can't seem to find a way to get it to go any faster. This wouldn't be an issue as they have zero chance of breaking our union, but it's 1715 and integration at the current rate will take me beyond the end of the game. I'd really like to have a giant swath of Spain across Europe by the end of the game and really don't want to have to do it by force.

Any ideas from players who have been here before?

[Thanas]

Pick ideas that help your diplomatic reputation/diplomacy in general. Enact policies that help you with that.

But: integrating large nations takes a lot of time and chances are you are too far advanced to change your ideas/policies.

[Jub]

I thought that might be the case, and was hoping the right advisor might be able to help with that instead. It's still possible that I can still squeeze in another idea group in time as Admin tech level 26 is coming up in the next decade, but it will be tight. Had I known going in that integrating a junior PU member used different mechanics to annexing a former vassal I'd have played the last 60 years differently, but you play and you learn.

[Jub]

So I reached my goal and figured I'd post screenshots of my empire at the end of the game.



These are my core holdings. They would have included all of Great Britain and what's left of the Dutch if the game lasted just a decade or so longer.



These are the colonial holdings that I cultivated myself in South America. They're good allies in the wars involving other colonial powers and make me tons of coin.



Lastly, with the exception of some minor holdings in Asia, my territory all highlighted.

All told I don't think it was a bad first completed game. Any suggestions for what nation I ought to try next?

[Thanas]

Try Byzantium and reconquer the Roman Empire.

[Lord Relvenous]

About the integration: I'm sure you saw the +2 diplomatic reputation adviser. He's a godsend for integration. Past that, both Diplomatic and Influence ideas have bonuses to diplomatic reputation, which will also help. Influence also carries a -25% integration cost idea which knocks further time off integration by making it cheaper. The influence idea is certainly worth a look if you find yourself vassal-feeding often. Obviously too late for the Spain game, but for future use. Diplomatic plus Influence plus the adviser will make your integration efforts fly. Even with the -3 diplomatic malus for recently annexing a vassal, you can get +6 or +7 if you're not overextended.

For the game, that's a pretty good effort. Strong colonial control in South America, and a Franco-Anglo-Iberian state in Western Europe. Did you fight any wars against the other blobs?

As for the next game, what mechanics interest you in trying out and how much of a challenge do you want? Playing outside of Europe will make it somewhat easier to become a major regional power than a smaller European nation, but also runs the risk of a colonizer like Portugal/Spain/Britain wrecking your country before you can westernize. Playing a smaller power in Europe can be really interesting and rewarding, especially nations with hard starts but powerful positions (such as Burgundy, Brandenburg, or Tuscany). Overall, there are a ton of fun options, so it really depends on what you're looking for.

Try Byzantium and reconquer the Roman Empire.

Always an awesome playthrough, though it usually requires a bit of strategy help for a newer player to pull off (especially with the Ottomans now prioritizing galley construction). Restoring Rome with any nation is quite fun, though. I'm currently finishing up a restoration using the Papal State. Idea was to make a truly Roman and truly Holy "Holy Roman Empire".

[Jub]

Isn't a Byzantium play through the kind of thing that you do as a more experienced player looking for a challenge? I'm thinking that the Hansa, Venice, or Burgundy might be more my speed, perhaps even Brandenburg for those amazing Prussian ideals. They're all pretty strong starts without being a straight up super power like Castile was.

As for the integration, I realized what was tripping me up in regards to figuring it out. I had a +2 diplomatic reputation adviser, but wasn't seeing the -3 malus for having a recently annexed vassal. Then my adviser died as the -3 expired, so I was having trouble figuring out what effected integration. I could't get another +2 diplo rep adviser right away, so after doing some research I ditched exploration ideals and went for Influence ideas. That got things rolling and getting a +2 diplo rep adviser after becoming the Papal controller just sealed things. I ended up getting France and Tunis integrated before the end of the game rather than just narrowly missing getting France as I feared I might.

[Skywalker_T-65]

My favored start when I'm not being a masochist and using Trebizond to restore Byzantium, is Brandenburg. The Prussian ideas really can't be understated. You have to keep an eye on Poland though...they're a Lucky Nation now I believe (like France) and if the Commonwealth doesn't implode, it can get pretty dangerous.

[Thanas]

Jub if you truly liked annexing peacefully, you might play Austria. Because Austria is all diplomacy, with plenty of wars against the french and Ottomans.

Try turning the HRE into a modern nationstate, it is one of the most rewarding playthroughs ever. Especially if you go the Karl V route and then rule over Spain, HRE and the carcass of Burgundy.

[Irbis]

Isn't a Byzantium play through the kind of thing that you do as a more experienced player looking for a challenge?

Well, yes. Even when you take all of their European holdings, ally Serbia, vassalize Bulgaria and Bosnia, and take Greek territories off Venice, they can still field larger army than you and make for a few bad surprises. Saw that first hand

Also, if you want to play extra storyline states like Byzantium, I'd recommend getting their DLC events (only at -75% sale, though). They make the game much less stale and repetitive, IMO.

[Jub]

I have all the expansion packs, but I don't have any of the theme packs right now. On the next big sale I think I'll splurge and just grab them all.

[Skywalker_T-65]

The Byzantine events/missions are part of the Purple Phoenix DLC. Problem being, Paradox hasn't released that one on its own- it's part of the pre-order pack. Which is still on Steam thankfully, despite being the pre-order pack.

[Irbis]

The Byzantine events/missions are part of the Purple Phoenix DLC.

Yeah, that's the one. I'd honestly skip all cosmetic packs, like unit skins and song packs, unless it's the corner of the world you will be playing a lot.

[Jub]

Thanks for clearing that up. I'll have to pick that specific pack up before my next play through starts.

[Esquire]

Has anybody ever done a megacampaign? In CK2 I've managed to put Ivar the Boneless' family at the head of a Norse Brittania ruled from Northern Ireland, and I'm thinking of carrying it over to EUIV to see what will happen when the HRE sorts out its internal troubles and starts looking north.

[Skywalker_T-65]

Haven't done one from CK2 into EUIV yet, but I'm currently in the process of playing a Byz game I imported into Vic2 though.

[Esquire]

Snazzy. I got Vic2 during the Steam Christmas Sale, but I haven't gotten around to playing it yet.

[Steve]

Vic2 is a major leap in difficulty due to the complex economic system and such. And it can get wonky given how the game sorts out population demands or how capitalists decide to build factories. You can have a worldwide shortage of cement or artillery or what have you and the AI will still decide to build another liquor distillery....