Vortex Gaming

To maximize population growth in EU5 version 1.1, you need to utilize various factors in combination. It's particularly important to fully leverage the 'Abundant Free Land' buff, for which the 'Population Factory' strategy, maintaining population below a certain threshold, is key. Rural settlements contribute to initial population growth but disappear upon urbanization, necessitating a population concentration strategy. Build granaries to increase food stockpiles and promote population growth by maintaining low food prices. Additionally, it's advisable to obtain a nationwide population growth buff through the census and actively utilize the benefits of urbanization. Ultimately, the player's strategic choice is crucial, considering the opportunity cost between economic growth and population growth. You must decide whether to prioritize population growth or economic growth.

The 'Population Factory' strategy involves intentionally keeping the population in specific regions low to activate powerful population growth modifiers like 'Abundant Free Land.' The goal is to maintain less than 5% population in rural areas and less than 10% in urbanized areas. To achieve this, periodically deport population to other regions to maximize the construction of settlements and the 'Abundant Free Land' buff. Through this strategy, rural areas can achieve up to 2.71% population growth, and urban areas can achieve 1.9%. Maintaining a population below 10,000 or 10% of the total capacity is the key.

The notion that urbanization is bad for population growth is a misconception. In patch 1.1, the unique food production debuff for cities has been removed, meaning urbanization can have a more positive impact on population growth than before. Low food prices provide a 0.1% buff to overall market population growth. By building granaries and urbanizing, you can increase food stockpiles, lower food prices, and simultaneously promote population growth. Especially in large cities with high development, urbanization can actually become a food buff.

Forging an alliance with France in the Netherlands campaign was essential for strengthening diplomatic standing and laying the groundwork for future expansion. To achieve this, several diplomatic efforts were made. First, after successfully concluding the war with Utrecht and incorporating it as a vassal, efforts were focused on improving relations with neighboring countries to prevent the formation of coalitions. The alliance with France was prioritized, and relations were continuously improved through diplomats by offering naval access and food access. Additionally, diplomatic assets were utilized, such as accumulating favors from Bohemia to invite colonists. Ultimately, the alliance score with France was raised to +0.42, successfully securing the alliance.

To mitigate the penalties to royal power, monthly prestige, and vassal loyalty resulting from diplomatic capacity overflow due to the alliance with France, it's important to reduce the burden on diplomatic capacity. The most effective method is to accelerate the annexation of the vassal Overijssel. Annexing vassals reduces the usage of diplomatic capacity, thereby alleviating the penalties. Furthermore, participating in large-scale conflicts like the Hundred Years' War with minimal troop deployment while maintaining influence is another way to reduce the diplomatic capacity burden. Through these measures, you can maximize the benefits of the alliance with France while maintaining stability in national operations.

In EU5, the most advantageous religion for empire building and economic growth varies depending on playstyle and objectives, but religions offering strong bonuses and flexibility are generally preferred. Confucianism, Hinduism, Shinto, and Sunni religions are particularly noteworthy. Confucianism significantly increases urban development growth by raising the maximum literacy of the burgher strata and promotes prosperity and development growth through the 'Harmony' mechanism. Hinduism offers research speed, government power, and powerful bonuses through the blessings of various deities, making it particularly advantageous for monarchies. Shinto allows for early economic explosions through balanced peasant loyalty and 'Demand Extra Payment.' Sunni religion facilitates the management of conquered territories through high tolerance for heathens and 'Demi-Territories,' and switching to the Maliki school provides a monthly development bonus, making it very advantageous for long-term growth.

The most powerful characteristic of the Norse religion is its unique 'Raid Slaves from Religious Enemies' mechanic. This allows you to steal population from other regions and relocate it as desired, making it one of the most potent mechanics in the game for efficiently manipulating population. It enables 'social engineering' by building slave markets to direct looted slaves to specific regions, thereby securing the large population needed for canal construction. It also offers various bonuses, such as 10% literacy and an additional 5% research speed through the Odin deity. In the long term, you can even achieve further growth by changing deities through population growth. A significant advantage is that slave raiding is possible even in regions with low population.