In this weeks dev diary I’m going to tell you a little bit about some of the general additions and changes we are making to the game. This list is quite long but there are some interesting things in there, since we don’t have that many dev diaries left I'll try to cram quite a lot of stuff into this one, hope you like itFirst up is a quite big one, the policies. We have lots of decisions where you enact one decision that has permanent effects and then another decision to remove those effects. What we initially wanted to do was to simply combine those two into one, a Policy. But as often happens when we start thinking about a new feature come up with more cool things to do. So, while we started with an idea about saving decisions we now have another layer of optimizing your nation, more flavour and a way to use that monarch power to boost a certain need you have at the moment.So, Policies. First of all, each policy is connected to two idea groups. To enact that policy you must adopt all ideas in those two groups. Each policy is also connected to one of the three monarch powers and as long as the policy is enacted it will cost you 1 monarch power each month. We have tried to balance to policies so that they cross over the monarch point categories a bit better to make it more interesting. For example the Weapon Quality Standards, that gives 5% discipline, requires Economic and Quality ideas and cost Adm points while the Anti Smuggler Act, that gives +10% Trade Efficiency, costs Mil points and requires Offensive and Trade Ideas. Each of these policies are fairly situational, but you have to plan ahead since you are only have to have a policy for at least 10 years. You can also have a maximum of 5 at a time. We have also removed some of the old decisions whose function is now filled by the policies (that was the original idea remember). That also a reason why this is a free feature, we don’t want to remove features from players that don’t buy the expansion.Then we have changed the concepts for some modifiers a bit. There are a few of them so Im just going to list them.Previously the fire and shock modifiers from Ideas affected both naval and land leaders the same. Now we have separated them, so there are ideas affecting just land or just naval leaders, just like maneuver works.If you have Wealth of Nations, there are two concepts affecting merchants in inland nodes. One for when present in inland, and one for steering to inland nodes.Missionary Strength was sometimes too crude a tool, so we added a separate missionary strength against heretics. This means that Counter Reformation is no longer a brilliant tool to convert the infidels, but more of a tool to bring the protestants back into the fold.Defensiveness is something that all players strive for, but previously there has not been a way to effectively counter it when an opponent has stacked it. Now we have a concept called Siege Ability which reduces your penalty when assaulting and the time between siegeticks.We also added made so that supply limit can be modified in a province depending on climate, looted etcThere is now a possibility to increase your entire nations production of goods, and some ideas allow that.Three new diplomatic modifiers have been added, one that affects how quickly your merchants and diplomats travel home, one that affects how quickly you can justify a trade conflict, and the most important.. How much impact your vile actions have on AE.The new concepts of privateering and fervor can also be affected by events, ideas & decisions.Base Vassal Income has been reduced, and is increased by several ideas and other factors instead.Production Efficiency modifiers have been reduced at various places, as the cap of +200 was reached easily, making economic techs and investments useless from the mid game.Discipline now affects defensive capabilities as well, so the values have been halved at most places.There has been quite a bit of Idea rebalancing for the 1.6 patch, I'll try to list them all for you.AristocracyLocal Nobility - now also increases Vassal Income by 10%.Noble Officers - now only affects generals and conquistadors.PlutocracyFree Subjects - Increases Goods Produced by 10%.ReligiousDevoutness - now also increases fervor & papal influenceEspionageIs now an Diplomatic idea group.Privateers - Embargo Efficiency reduced from 33% to 25% & added +33% Privateer Efficiency.DiplomaticClaim Fabrication - Reduced from 33% to 25%.Diplomatic Influence - Increases Vassal Income by 10% as well.Flexible Negotiations - Now also reduces AE impact by 5%.OffensiveLost Improved Maneuver, and gained Engineer CorpsBayonet Leaders - now only affects generals and conquistadors.Superior Firepower - now only affects generals and conquistadors.Engineer Corps - now gives +20% Siege Ability instead of +1 to Leaders Siege.Napoleonic Warfare - Reduced from +10% to +5% Discipline.DefensiveLost Engineer Corps, and gained Improved ManeuverTradeTrade Manipulation - Also increases Merchant Steering to Land by +10 power.EconomicSmithian Economics - Reduced from 20% to 10% Production Efficiency.QualityAmbition - Reduced from +15% Discipline to +7.5%.ExpansionIs now an administrative idea group.AdministrativeAmbition - Is now +10% Goods Produced.Berber IdeasCorsairs - Now also gives +10% Privateer Efficiency.Rajput IdeasLeader Martial Ethos - Now gives +1 to Fire on Generals & Conquistadors.SwedenTraditions - Infantry Power increased from 15% to 20%.Swedish Steel - Nerfed from 15% to 5%.Produktplakatet - Increases Goods Produced by 10%.NetherlandsLost Revenue StampsInstructie Voor de Admiraliteiten - NEW - gives +2 to admiral & explorer fire.Army Sappers - Now gives +10% Siege AbilityFranceFrench Language in all Courts - Increased from 10% to 25% Vassal Income.OttomansAmbition: Now +33% ForcelimitGhazi: +25% Manpower recovery speed.. Not the +300% ghazi special effect anymore.VeniceDefend the Law - Also 10% quicker justify trade conflict.PrussiaTraditions - Lost the espionage bonus, but gained -10% AE impact.Ambition: Nerfed from +20% to 7.5%.PortugalAfosine Ordinances - Increases Goods Produced by 10%.PersiaTraditions - Vassal Income increased from 10% to 25%.Persian Rug Production - Increases Goods Produced by 10%.Improved Silk Road - Increase inland merchant steering by 25 power.GenoaReunited Genoa - Also 10% quicker justify trade conflict.ScotlandAct of Revocation - 15% less AE impact.HungaryTraditions - Lost +100% Enemy Core Creation, gained +20% Cavalry PowerTimuridsUnleash the Tiger - 10% Siege AbilityHansaReformed Hanstag - Also 10% quicker justify trade conflict.ByzantinesRepopulation the Countryside - Production Efficiency replaced by 5% more goods produced.NovgorodExploration Tradition - now also gives +15% Privateer efficiencySaxonyMeissner Porcelain - Increases Goods Produced by 10%.PapacyHoly Father - 10% less AE impact.OrissaRefined Cloth Production - Increases Goods Produced by 10%.PunjabBreadbasket of India - Increases Goods Produced by 10%.RyukyuChinese Investiture - 25% Less AE ImpactUSAWorkshop of the World - Increases Goods Produced by 15%.SonghaiTrans-Sahara Trade - Increase inland merchant steering by 25 power.HedjazSharifs of Mecca- 10% Less AE ImpactKnightsReconquista of the Sea - 25% Privateer EfficiencyKongoDiplomacy with European Monarchs - Now also 25% quicker envoysMaliRestore Malian Suzerainity - Increased Vassal Income from 10%to 25%.And now, when you thought I was done I have one more for you. Inspired by a suggestion from our betas you can now form the nation for Courland. For a time a very prosperous independent duchy in the baltic that for a time owned colonies in Africa and the West Indies, and managed to remain independant up until 1795 in spite of Swedish king Charles Xs best efforts. Now if you start the game as Riga och Livonia you can for Courland if you first become catholic or protestant, has admin tech 10 and owns Kurland and Semigallia. This changes the name and flag of your country and gives you some more good stuff like new historical ideas. The ideas areLegacy of Sword Brethren, Privilegium Gotthardinum, Duchy of Mercantilism, Booming Manufacture, Couronian Colonization, Palaces of Mitau and Promote the Curonian Kings.That was it for today. While waiting for Wealth of Nations you could read a bit more about Courland, its quite fascinating