European players will have a harder time when attempting to colonize

Sep 8, 2014 23:15 GMT  ·  By

Europa Universalis IV is already an extensive simulation of the world starting in the Middle Ages, allowing gamers to select any nation, already existing or emergent, in order to try and guide it towards greater glory.

But the development team is determined to enhance the level of simulation that the grand strategy title is offering, and with the new Art of War expansion it is adding a number of provinces and national tags to areas of the world outside of Europe, which have been previously underrepresented in the title.

A new developer diary talks about the major changes that will be introduced to West Africa, which has been a little neglected in previous installments in the series.

The team at the Paradox Development Studios states, “In reality, in the 1444-1821 time frame, West Africa was a land of rising and falling empires; a land of thriving city states fighting over the wealthy commerce flowing down the Niger river. It saw the Golden Age of Timbuktu, when a city south of the Sahara became a renowned center of learning among the Muslim world.”

Art of War will also aim to recreate the Tuareg caravans that moved trade in the area and the way they changed the destinies of far-flung empires with their shifting fortunes and prices.

A new way to show Africa to gamers

In 1444, the start date of the Europa Universalis IV – Art of War experience, Mali is presented as an empire and the power vacuum is filled by new nations: Jenne, the Maga Diallo-led Kingdom of Macina, and the Magsharen Tuareg dominated Timbuktu, with the Jolof Empire in charge of Senegal.

Paradox says that Mali remains a powerful force and adds that they are “one good leader away from staging a comeback. In time, when they fall and finally collapse, cut in two by the assaults of Koli Tengella's Fulo empire, it will fall to the governors of Kaabu to carry on the empire's memory, a Malian Constantinople.”

The rest of the development diary offers clear information on how the team is adding new tags for the game, with 14 of them offered as the game starts and another three that are emergent.

Africa will be harder to colonize

The development team working on Art of War also says that it will make it harder for European powers to simply overrun African empires in order to establish their own colonies.

A new set of poor provinces in Guinea and in Mauretania are designed to show how hard it would be for the nations of the era to move quickly inland.

The new Europa Universalis IV expansion will be launched in the fall.