Looks like there'll be a lot more flexibilty for AI nations which will lead to more ahistorical developments 
http://pc.ign.com/articles/733/733412p1.html
http://pc.ign.com/articles/733/733412p1.html
Europa Universalis III
Hands-on with the new and improved grand strategy game.
by Steve Butts
September 22, 2006 - There are so many moving parts in the games of the Europa Universalis series, that it's often hard to know just where to start when the time comes to actually explain it to someone. To say that they allow players to direct a nation at nearly every level from the War of the Roses to the French Revolution just doesn't cover it enough. Players can choose from any nation in the world, and will have to determine that country's military, economic, diplomatic and technological policies and every single decision that's made will impact not only your fortunes but also those of every other nation that comes into contact with you.
With so many inter-related systems, it's understandable that the developers at Paradox Interactive have preferred subtle refinements rather than radical evolutions for the franchise's many sequels. After playing through a recent early beta of the game, we're convinced that the upcoming Europa Universalis III is the innovative title that will carry the series into entirely new directions.
Greater flexibility in terms of start dates and historical probabilities allows for many more surprises, while a brand new 3D map and polished interface helps to maintain focus and appeal. New systems for combat, government and a host of other additions and changes are sure to make the game even more exciting for veteran players and more appealing to rookies.
The first thing that fans of the series will notice is the brand new 3D engine. It's a big improvement over the duller board game style presentation of previous iterations. The map actually has different types of realistic terrain features now and armies will animate as they march from one province to another. Variable zoom levels let you get in close enough to watch the battle animations and let you get far enough away to get a sense of the overall strategic situation at the global level.
Fans will also notice that the game's interface is much less obtrusive than before. Most of the screen is taken up by the overall map this time around, but there's still plenty of information available in the small windows and bars along the edges of the screen. Most importantly, those annoying popup windows have been reduced considerably without losing any information. Even the cities benefit from 3D buildings in the small city window.
One of the most welcome of the new features is the ability to choose any start date between 1453 and 1789. An incredible amount of research has been poured into the game to ensure that the starting conditions for each date is as accurate as possible. The game even comes with a number of significant bookmark dates so you can jump right to events from the Wars of the Holy League through to the American Revolution.
As with previous versions of the game, you can take charge of any of up to 300 countries that existed during the period you're playing. If you choose a bookmark date, the game will suggest significant nations that you might want to play but you're free to lead whatever people you like -- from Koreans to Dutch to Iroquois. In all cases, the game outlines the military, economic, religious and diplomatic status of each country and lets you know who they're currently at war with.
Though the starting conditions are all as historically accurate as possible within the context of the game, how things develop after that could change dramatically. While EU2 gave you tremendous flexibility with regard to your own country, the AI-led nations seemed a bit tied to the decisions they made throughout history. Not so this time around. Now the AI nations are free to respond to world events and new opportunities with complete freedom. This should make the game a lot less predictable.
Moreover, the historical events are completely random this time around so you won't be able to predict what's going to happen to a given nation on a given day. The historical death dates of rulers have been thrown out the window. In fact, the very identity of every ruler beyond your first one will be determined randomly.
The death of a ruler is a big deal for countries under monarchy. In addition to the regular disorder that occurs when rulers are replaced, the country may actually enter into a war of succession as other claimants come forward to demand the throne. The details of this crisis haven't been completely worked out, but it should definitely add an interesting element to the game. The upside to choosing monarchy is that you can sometimes inherit other countries if you choose your marriages carefully.
Each of your rulers can now be assisted by up to three different advisors, each of whom will bring unique bonuses to your government. When you decide to hire an advisor, you'll be presented with a lengthy list of historical candidates drawn from your culture group. There's a cost to hire each one and an additional cost to retain them for the 20 or so years that they'll remain with you. After comparing bonuses and costs, you can hire whomever you want. If they don't work out, you can always replace them with someone new.
While the concept of government isn't new to the series, Europa Universalis III introduces new styles of government. Government is now a research area on your technology investment screen. As you invest more in government, you'll discover new, more advanced forms that can make your country more powerful. Be warned though that changing governments takes time and causes a bit of chaos during the transition.
More advanced governments will determine what you can and cannot do in the game, from your dealings with other nations to the rate and extent to which you can change your own domestic policies. The game comes with 17 different types of government, from rather simplistic tribal governments all the way up to intricate theocracies and bulky republics.
In addition to picking government types, you'll also have the chance to research and implement various "national ideas." These thirty different ideas help you to color your government in a unique way -- from promoting nationalism to exploration to religious missions and crusades. Since you can activate up to ten different national ideas at once, the potential for finding a specific combination that works for your circumstances is very high.
The game takes place long before the United Nations but that doesn't mean that there aren't some significant international organizations. The Holy See is an entirely new group that serves as the governing council of Catholicism. If you can win the support of at least four of the seven Cardinals who make up the Holy See, you can gain the full support of the Catholic Church, giving you greater stability and prestige. Since other nations can bribe the Cardinals to encourage them to change their support, you'll need to stay in the Holy See's good graces if you want to hold on to your power.
There's a similar system for the Holy Roman Empire. There are seven elector states (and many more lesser members) that vote for the succession of the Holy Roman Emperor. If you happen to have enough favor with enough of the electors, you can enjoy a reign as Emperor. Like gaining the favor of the Holy See, the Emperor will enjoy greater stability and prestige. He'll also be able to field a larger army and have a greater chance to succeed while conducting espionage.
Spies are entirely new to the Europa Universalis series. You can send your spies into rival provinces to sabotage specific targets or generate instability. They can also be used for larger tasks, like assassinating a leader or slandering an entire country. Even if you succeed, you can still get caught conducting these spy missions. If you are caught, you can at the very least expect a reputation hit and a temporary casus belli from the nation you spied on.
Military units in previous versions of Europa Universalis were somewhat basic. Though the scale of the game rules out any complex unit creation, the upcoming sequel allows players to build a greater variety of infantry, cavalry, artillery and ships. Within each of those four broad types, you'll select a specific subtype of unit that carries with it specific bonuses and abilities. So instead of just fighting with generic infantry and cavalry, you can research technologies that will allow you to take to the field with powerful Redcoats, Highlanders or Hussars.
This time around your military units will replace their losses in the field based on the support level you're providing. This will go a long way towards eliminating the nickel and dime armies that tended to make up your forces at the end of a campaign. The same support option will also allow you to keep your navies up to strength after they take damage in battle.
Europa Universalis III introduces a new concept called "military tradition." Measured separately for land and naval battles, your military tradition rating increases each time your forces engage in combat. (You'll also earn a bit from certain national ideas or buildings and from exploring new territory.) This new mechanism reflects the fact that countries who spend a lot of time waging war usually get pretty good at it.
Your military tradition decreases slightly over time, so you'll want to spend it quickly to recruit special generals and admirals to lead your forces into battle. Even the most inexperienced nation can still convert their ruler into a general but that brings the risk that the ruler will be killed on the field of battle.
In keeping with the improved presentation of the game, combat is now much clearer. You'll be able to see, at a glance, the dice rolls and modifiers that affect your chances of winning. Things like terrain, river crossings, and leader traits will all influence the outcome of each battle. Scrolling combat results give you a clear sense of the numbers involved in each encounter.
You'll also be able to view a special window to show the status of each of your sieges. Keeping up with the numbers of men involved and their overall morale is crucial to managing your invasion of garrisoned territories. You can always opt to have your forces storm the walls but it's usually much safer to wait it out and hope the defenders surrender on their own.
Europa Universalis III also contains loads of new peace options and an entirely new graphical interface for settling peace and exchanging provinces. Some provinces are now considered "core" provinces and will use them as an immediate casus belli if they're ever controlled by another nation. You can now also require that nations release their hold on particular vassals, thereby breaking up mighty empires into smaller nations. Even more exciting you can now require that wholly conquered nations be re-established by their occupiers.
While games in the series has always been highly moddable, Europa Universalis III promises to give players even more control over the game's content. By simply modifying basic text files, players can set a wide variety of parameters, from the benefits of different governmental policies to the status of each individual territory. For the first time ever in the series' history, players can now also use 3D modeling software to create entirely new maps.
Finally, the developers are currently trying to test the game for 32-player multiplayer support. It's not clear yet whether that number has to come down in order to ensure a consistent experience. In any case, the game will support multiplayer and the team is even considering adding in some cooperative elements as well.
As always with these games, we could go on for hours and hours explaining the intricacies of other systems. Let's just say that the game has about a hundred other cool systems in it that you can employ to gain an advantage over your enemies. Right now the team is busily squashing bugs and working on the AI and the art. The game is currently slated for release early next year.