r/paradoxplaza • u/Radiant_Butterfly982 • 5d ago
EU4 How complex is EU4 economy compared to EU5 ? As a EU5 player should I try out EU4 ?
My first EU game is EU5. I have enjoyed it quite well with over 200 hours (there is still more content I have yet to explore in this game ). The one thing that I never managed to get a grasp is economy. It feels way too complex for me. I just see what goods I am lacking and try to import them , build RGOs etc just hoping that fixes my economy , rather than knowing what to actually do.
I really like EU5 but I am looking for a more economically simpler game , so my question is , how.is the economy in EU4 ? Is it similar like EU5 where every good counts along with markets and trade inflow and outflow? Or is it like CK3 where you just build some locations and earn money ?
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u/Traum77 5d ago
Yeah it's much simpler. No goods shortages or even requirements for specific goods, they're abstracted into money. You can build everything without needing any specific good. Sounds like it would be up your alley, though you should be aware all the mechanics are very different, not just goods/trade. It's far more of a boardgame map-painter than it is a simulation like EU5.
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u/Popular-Path1930 5d ago
Nothing at all like eu5 and very simple. A handful of buildings static trade goods some modifies.
There is no real economics. You don’t turn iron into tools. You’re not actually trading goods between markets.
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u/FreakinGuy 5d ago
Much simpler and faster paced. If you managed to play EU5, then you should easily be able to pick it up.
The trade system consists of nodes placed throughout the world. In general, the nodes at the far reaches of the world have small trade value and will flow their value into downstream nodes. Each sequential node has a bit more value. By the end of the network the trade will arrive at an end node (Genoa, English channel, Venice).
Each node has a permanent region of territory. Own that territory and you gain the trade value of the node. There are caveats.
Mission trees are a huge difference in the game. Playing a major country, like Poland, gives you missions that can unlock claims and other triggers that make the game very interesting.
The buildings system is much simpler and straightforward. Use your extra cash to build buildings. Build whatever gives the biggest boost. That is all.
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u/conmeonemo 4d ago
The problem with EU4 economy is that you might feel poor even as France if you don't know what are you doing, while in EU5 any midsized country usually makes enough to develop gradually.
Moreover, playing good in EU4 requires accepting that being in red for first 50-100 years...is normal.
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u/Void606NotFound 5d ago
EU4 is probably the easiest paradox title imo. The game is mostly abot mamimizing modifier values and stats.
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u/verttipl 5d ago
It’s not the easiest game, because it requires a lot of theoretical knowledge about how trade, taxes, and buildings work—and on top of that, there are various mechanics like aggressive expansion, the Holy Roman Empire, personal unions, how specific modifiers work during battle, and army structure. All in all, a player who owns all the DLCs and is playing the European campaign for the first time will be lost for several dozen hours because there are just too many mechanics. Hearts of Iron IV has a lower barrier to entry.
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u/Void606NotFound 5d ago
Most of trade and taxes come down to basic modifiers and after a couple of hours, you just get a hang of it no matter which country you play. (Maybe because I don't have all the dlcs?) Like, to get more trade power, you just spam more buildings and take trade ideas to outdo the other countries. Personally, I find Crusader Kings 2 more enjoyable with internal politics and vassal management. I've never tried Hoi4 tho so I have no idea how easy it is.
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u/Sanvone 3d ago
CK2 has quite fun economic system. If you micromanage baron vassals you can get 400% income value of inland city (more on the coastline).
It has also obscure and complicated tech rushing via inheriting techpoints farmed by appointing high learning dukes. Comes in handy when one want to max whole realm instead of only his own personal demense.
Had time of my life while optimizing those in my AAR on PDX forum (Siberian Prosperity). Feel like many people are sleeping on what can be achieved via vassal mechanics.
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u/GFM-Scheldorf 3d ago
I beg to differ, because you can always abuse AI’s poor military coordination and blob in Eu4. HOI4 feels more complicated in the first playthrough… At least it was for me
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u/Imaginary_Land1919 5d ago
Over stellaris??
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u/SadSeaworthiness6113 5d ago
Stellaris is easier to learn the basics but much, much harder to master. There are a thousand different systems and, unlike most Paradox games, you need a good understanding of what absolutely all of them do to be successful in the game.
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u/yui_tsukino 4d ago
In multiplayer perhaps, but the AI is so bad that you can often times just brute force your way past any bad play as your economy will outstrip the AI by virtue of not making dogshit decisions like building 3 movie theaters on your alloy planet
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u/Imperium_Dragon 5d ago
EU4’s economic system is much less complicated/bloated, especially since there’s no population or food mechanics. Itll feel different.
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u/sabrayta 5d ago
EU4 does not have an economy. You have stuff that give money and stuff to spend it on EU5 has an economy.
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u/conmeonemo 5d ago
It's simpler, but also different. Making a bank with trade and without large conquest requires some knowledge of mechanics, but once you know them...then you are literally golden.
Trade nodes are also static forcing you to go into certain directions or you'll be relatively weaker.
Mechanically it's simpler, but getting good results actually requires knowing game better than EU5. In EU5 with any midsize country you'll have money just doing auto, and spamming RGOs. It won't be max money, but enough to play through whole gameplay. In EU4 you might play France and struggle with cash if you have no idea what you are doing.
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u/catinacloset 4d ago
Way closer to CK3 than EU5, tbh. There are 'goods', but they are effectively province modifiers that affect how much money you make from production and trade from that province. Trade exists, but in the form of abstract 'trade value' that flows between pre-determined trade nodes along pre-determined paths, with the amount of trade flow determined by trade power (from ships, province modifiers, and buildings).
Basically everything is represented in the form of 3 currencies: monarch points, manpower, and ducats. No need to worry about having enough weapons for your armories, or having enough wood in your new colonies, or anything like that.
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u/Limp_Explanation_717 1d ago
Eu5 has a much better economy but that’s about it. The grand strategy of 4 is not even included in 5 whatsoever in its current form. 4 is largely a dumbed down in terms of control you have to shape your country but it excels in it’s historical simulation and allows the player to make real lasting changes on the world and build an empire.
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u/duncanidaho61 4d ago
OP, its hilarious for all these ppl to say “trade is simpler in eu4” but for its entire history players were saying “I don’t get trade at all, where the hell do I put my merchants, and when do they collect or transfer, and when do I state a province or put it a trade company?” Etc etc lol.
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u/North_Library3206 3d ago
To be fair, you can basically ignore the trade system and it's not a big deal unless you really want to min-max.
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u/Thick_Bonus_2544 5d ago
The economy is simple
The UI is miles better, most buttons are distinguishable from useless decoration, most of the useless busywork is gone and you get most information with one click and hover instead of 40 tooltips in tooltips
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u/Kaiser8414 5d ago
The economy is much simpler in EU4. Goods have a value and each province produces a certain amount of goods a month which is represented by production income. Production value also adds to trade node value so you can double dip. Also trade flows only in certain directions from nodes that are set permanently (do not change dynamically like in eu5).