When you think of a merchant, what image immediately springs to mind? A fat man in a fur-lined coat and a funny hat, holding a bag of coins? I bet it does, or at least something similar. The fat man is of course none other than
Jürgen Wullenwever, mayor of Lübeck and instigator of the Danish Civil War known as the Count's Feud, whose epic failures led to his torture and death in 1537, signalling the beginning of the end for the Hanseatic League. (Such is the power of archetypes that they can survive for centuries almost unchanged.)
The Hanseatic League as a political entity has always been problematic to define - especially in game terms - but as Wullenwever's example proves, its senior representatives did not hesitate to use military force when it suited them. The League may have played a minor role in EU3 but will enter the limelight in
Heir to the Throne, with Lübeck and Hamburg merged and forming the core of the Hanseatic League. Now, there are some who will object to this, but do read on before you start convulsing and frothing at the mouth.
The Hanseatic League is of course a Merchant Republic, and this form of government has received a serious overhaul. Merchant Republics do not use regular Trade Agreements; instead, they form Trade Leagues, the members of which avoid internal competition. The Merchant Republic gains by this, because league provinces tend to trade through league centers of trade. The members also stand to gain, since they use the Republic's compete modifiers (if better than their own.) Additionally, the league might open Trade Stations (think Hanseatic Kontors) in member provinces, giving various bonuses. Merchant Republics can also Propose Trade Rights, which means all goods of a certain type will trade through its own centers of trade, with a set compensation to the giver and some other effects. Lastly, there will be more events and decisions dealing with Merchant Republics, like the Hanseatic League trying to avoid paying the Sound toll.
Merchant Republics can not include each other in their leagues, being bitter rivals, and it is of course no longer possible to simply change your form of government to Merchant Republic: Venice, Genoa, the Hanseatic League and Novgorod are it at the start of the game, each having their own Trade League. However, if you too want the respect that comes with obesity, garish clothes and oversized jewelry, you might be able to convert through a special decision (or a career in gangsta rap; your call.)
What else have I got for you today? Oh yes, all forms of republic barring tribes now get reduced penalties from provinces not of their own culture and religion. (In general, government bonuses are being redesigned to make them more interesting.) So, there you have it, there is room for humanists and democrats in our Paradoxian hearts too (but not enough that I will tell you what Magistrates do)!
