Mercenary Princes: Mercenary Cost -25%: Like most medieval kingdoms, Aragon relied heavily on mercenary armies. Their own Almogavar troops were rented out across Europe for hundreds of years. Protection of the Coast Lines: Galley Cost -25%: Aragon was one of the leading galley navies in Europe, pioneering the use of castles and heavy cannon on these light ships. Mediterranean Trade: Trade Steering +20%: With Genoa to the east and Sevilla to the West, Aragon is situated to decide which node to invest in and from where it should steer some extra cash. Consolidation of the Estates: Stability Cost Modifier -20%: Bring all the great houses and lands together, so that there are fewer points of conflict weakening our kingdom. Chartered Merchant Companies: Global Trade Power +20%: Control of Naples meant that Aragon had access to the greatest Italian trade port. Chartered companies sprung up to take advantage of this wealth. Reforming the Administration: National Tax Modifier +10%: Aragon was often too decentralized, a legacy of Catalan independence and the fact the islands took care of themselves. Reform would see more money come to the crown. Protect the Little Folk: Morale of Armies +0.25: Orphaned children of the infantry would find care in state run schools.

Naples starts with a 25% bonus to National Spy Defence and 5% faster recovery to Navy Morale. Found the Academy of Naples: Yearly Prestige +1: Neapolitan support of arts and literature was central to the royal family’s conception of itself. Consolidate the Royal Domain: National Tax Modifier +10%: Southern Italy may not be as divided as the city states in the north, but only because the king works hard to keep his domain united. Encourage City Living: Stability Cost Modifier -20%: Naples rivals Rome and Florence in size, and by bringing more peasants to the towns, you can promote trade and crafts. Expand the Arsenal: Galley Cost -25%: The Neapolitan Arsenal isn’t as awesome as the one in Venice, but with some expansion, it could make the fleet of Naples rival all shopkeeper nations. City of Artists: Yearly Legitimacy +1: With sculpture workshops and multiple art academies, the Muses themselves sing of how divinely inspired the royal line of Naples is. Suppress Banditry: Trade Efficiency +5%: The wealth of Naples encourages a few people to turn away from the law. By keeping this criminal element under control, the trade can continue uninterrupted and increase their wealth. Refurbish the University of Royal Studies: Technology Cost -5%: The medieval seat of learning in Naples went through many periods of decline over its centuries of existence. Renewed attention by monarchs led to cultural flowering in the kingdom.

The Hangul Alphabet: Technology Cost -5%: Introduced in the 1440s, Hangul slowly became the standard script for Korean. It is syllable based, unlike the more symbol oriented Chinese of the time, and was easier to learn, promoting literacy. Grand Code for State Administration: Stability Cost Modifier -10%: King Seongjong reasserted the legitimacy of the Joseon dynasty through vigorous administrative efforts, including unifying and updating the legal codes of Korea. Hyang'yak System: Production Efficiency +10%: The Hyang’yak system recognized some degree of local independence in decision making in return for respecting the powers of the royal line. Geobukseon: Heavy Ship Combat Ability +5%: The famous “turtle ships” of Korea were used to halt a Japanese naval invasion in the 1590s. Though their exact manufacture is unknown, some sort of metal plating on the roof is likely and iron spikes prevented boarding. The Hopae System: National Manpower Modifier +10%: This early 15th century system of national identification tags fell out of use as the Korean census expanded. But it was revived in the 1600s to track the movements of citizens. The Kyujanggak: Idea Cost -10%: Korea’s royal library, founded in 1776. This is also the site of the national archives. Economic Reform: National Tax Modifier +10%: Jeongjo, the last of the great Joseon rulers, devoted his reign to a series of reforms and innovations in the kingdom.

Welcome to the 37th Development Diary, as we continue the march to launch day on August 13! We continue our look at some of the countries we’ve given more character and unique traits, so this week we introduce you to Aragon, Naples and Korea.Aragon has an interesting starting position between the big nations France and Castile. The personal union with Naples guarantees a strong starting ally and the island possessions of Sardinia and Sicily can be protected by a strong galley fleet – larger than that of Castile. Aragon is able to form Spain, just as Castile is, and may find that an aggressive posture while Castile is distracted is better than sitting back and waiting for the hammer blow from Toledo.Aragon starts with a 10% bonus to their galleys’ combat ability and a 10% boost to National TaxesWhen Aragon has unlocked all their ideas, they get a +2 bonus to Diplomatic Reputation. Aragon is a solid economic power with the navy as its core asset. If it can keep Naples close, it is more than a match for Castile before the empire gets going.Naples is the big dog in Italy when the game begins. Yes, it starts in a personal union under Alfonso V of Aragon, but should this come to an end, Naples has the land and money to push into the fractured northern half of the boot.When Naples has all their ideas they also get a 1% reduction in the rate of Naval Tradition decay. Naples will be a strong naval power, but is otherwise well balanced in its attributes.Korea starts next to Ming, which can be intimidating, but Korea is a strong nation that can hold its own. It has many provinces, the potential of a strong ally in either the Ming or Manchu, and dominance in the Beijing trade node.Korea starts with a 20% discount in the cost of buildings and a 25% bonus to the trade power from its domestic provinces.When Korea has unlocked all of their ideas, they also get a 10% bonus to Infantry Combat Ability, the last in a set of rather powerful ideas. With low stability cost, cheaper ideas, cheaper buildings and cheaper tech, Korea can keep pace with its larger neighbors through thrift and innovation.Have a lovely summer!Cheers from all of us at Paradox Development Studio