The developers of the global strategy game Europa Universalis 5 have released a new diary. This time, the focus is on the population and related mechanics.
- The population system "turns EU5 into a kind of life simulator, in which every decision changes the social fabric of the state."
- The population vitally needs food, clothing, and luxury goods, which are integrated into the reworked EU5 trade system.
- Each population group has a culture and religion, which means that almost every region has a different population, "because it is very difficult to obtain a completely homogeneous demographic distribution due to hundreds of religions and thousands of cultures."
- The population is divided into "social classes." With their help, the population can be raised or lowered depending on available positions and demands.
- Different structures employ different types of population: townspeople and workers mainly produce goods for the economy, nobles and soldiers defend the state, and the clergy increases literacy. But their characteristics are also very important: for example, a more literate clergy will be better at converting the population.
- Ignoring the population can cause uprisings, and satisfying their needs improves productivity.
- Natural disasters and epidemics, such as volcanoes or smallpox, can devastate the population, especially in dense cities, forcing the player to balance population management with economic growth.
- With an abundance of food and general prosperity, the population will grow, and it can even be promoted to higher classes if the necessary positions are available. Conversely, a shortage of food due to war or a bad harvest can cause famine, reducing both the labor force and military potential.
It was also noted that Europa Universalis 5 will feature "the most ambitious of Paradox maps, carefully created thanks to historical sources, covering the period from 1337 to 1837 with more than a thousand playable civilizations. For example, the HRE features many small states with their own population and borders, and some regions and states are the size of a city. In total, there are more than three hundred such states."