14 DAY TRIAL // Europa Universalis IV did not have as ambitious an expansion as Art of War before, and the team at Paradox Development Studios continues to impress by revealing how it is trying to rework the entire game map in order to make more nations and areas playable and interesting.
In Central Asia, the studio has reduced the average size of the provinces in order to add more granularity, and players can work with entities like Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva in order to try and dominate neighbors and the huge trade that moves through the area on the Silk Road.
Paradox also says that a Siberian population is present in the area and might ask for a country of its own and that many nomad provinces remain sparsely populated and have limited taxes to offer to their overlord.
The company states, “While perhaps very big at first glance, these steppe realms are really ‘glass cannons’. Big and powerful on paper, but also challenging to keep together against both internal and external challenges (specially at the same time). The Uzbeks should provide a unique and interesting gameplay challenge with the potential to achieve greatness and perhaps even challenge the legacy of Genghis Khan.”
Siberia will rise again
For the Siberian region, the Art of War expansion introduces twenty new provinces, and a new power called Buryatia is rising there, nominally Mongol but actually trying to create a path for itself, which might involve domination of the fur trade and then a push south.
Paradox adds, “The rest of new Siberian tribes are settled closer to the Pacific Ocean. They are the Koryak tribe of Chauchuvens, the Yukagiri people of the Khodynts, the Kamchadals on Kamchatka and the warlike Chukchi. These new tribes could seriously change the game style and become base for conquest of Siberia by mighty Spain.”
All of them have a new government form called the Siberian clan council, which allows them to migrate like North American tribes do.
The studio is also introducing a new culture group, the Evenks, and new trade nodes are introduced in order to make the area more independent from Chinese traders.
Art of War for Europa Universalis IV will be out before the end of the year and will also introduce a range of new mechanics linked to warfare and diplomacy.
Paradox also plans to deliver a major patch for the game for free at the same time.
