Age modding

Ages are dynamic periods ingame that activate special rules such as Absolutism and permit the spending of Splendor, gained through objectives, on age-specific modifiers.

Ages

The Ages for the game are defined in /Europa Universalis IV/common/ages/*.txt. You can have as a little as one age, or as many as you can create. There is an age usher-in time delay set in defines that delays when the next age happens, 120 months in vanilla.

Ages follow this format:

<age> = {
    # The year after which the age will be active in history
    start = <year>
    
    # The conditions for the age to happen (starts the usher-in-time countdown)
    can_start = {
        <triggers>
    }
    
    # Added to enable the Religious Conflict features, i.e. Crusades.
    religious_conflicts = yes
    
    # Added to enable the Absolutism feature.
    absolutism = {
        # Each entry defines the absolutism gain or loss from the action.
		<entries>
	}
    
    # Objectives ...
    objectives = {
        <objective> = {
            # When to show the objective
            allow = {
                <triggers>
            }
            
            # When the objective is met
            <trigger>
        }
    }
    
    # Abilities ...
    abilities = {
        <ability> = {
            # When to show the ability
            allow = {
                <triggers>
            }
            
            # Effect to execute when ability is taken
            effect = {
                <effect>
            }
            
            # Modifier to grant when ability is taken
            modifier = {
                <modifier>
            }
            
            # Rule ability to grant when ability is taken
            rule = {
                <rule>
            }
            
            # How likely the AI is to take this ability
            ai_will_do = {
                factor = <int>
            }
        }
    }
}

Absolutism entries

The absolutism scope takes specific commands, with the value representing the amount of Absolutism lost or gained when the action is taken.

harsh_treatment
stability = <float>
decrease_autonomy_command = <float>
strengthen_government = <float>
increase_autonomy_command = <float>
debase_currency = <float>
execute_rebel_acceptance_command = <float>
seat_in_parliament = <float>
war_exhaustion = <float>

Abilities

The following modifiers are unique to Ages, they are used in the rule = { } scope within an ability.

can_transfer_vassal_wargoal = yes
can_chain_claim = yes
can_colony_boost_development = yes
attack_bonus_in_capital_terrain = yes
force_march_free = yes
ignore_coring_distance = yes

Interface

New ages must be added to ages_view.gui as a new WindowType within the ages_view window.

For example:

WindowType = {
    name = "<age name>"
	# ...
}

Abilites and Objectives

The icons for abilities and objectives must be defined in a .gfx file. For example:

spriteType = {
    name = "GFX_obj_discover_america"
    texturefile = "gfx/interface/ages/obj_discover_america.dds"
}

spriteType = {
    name = "GFX_ab_allow_feudal_de_jure_law"
    texturefile = "gfx/interface/ages/ab_allow_feudal_de_jure_law.dds"
}

Topbar

It is important to note that Ages will edit the top-bar background when entering a Golden Age. Without the following spriteTypes, the game will crash when entering a golden age:

GFX_topbar_liberty_overlay_golden
GFX_age_frame_addon_golden
GFX_age_button_golden
GFX_topbar_bg_golden
GFX_topbar_portrait_value_bg_golden

Modding

Audio

Music • Sound

Guides

Adding a province • Save-game editing