With around 9 days to go before Europa Univeralis IV gets expanded upon with the Mandate of Heaven expansion pack, there's a bunch of free goods arriving with the patch that isn't tied to those picking up the expansion at launch.
Though the next developer update has already been confirmed to be the likely long-winded patch notes to accompany the Mandate of Heaven release on April 6, there's a few more tidbits of information to go over before then.
Covering a main feature present in the paid-for experience of the expansion launch next month, the Artillery Barrage command will become available to those with a full-sized army. By throwing 50 Mil power out of the window, your legion will be able to smash a hole in a fortresses walls to aid them in either attacking their opponent or just employing some rather expensive scare tactics.
Embrace The True Faith With Europa Universalis IV: Mandate Of Heaven's Confucianism Changes
Coming in patch 1.20 is a couple of free changes for those waiting out for the newest expansion to go through its likely initial teething pains. Bankruptcy can be declared on a whim whenever you have an active loan with your entire empire being crippled by the move for the next 5 years. Your loans will disappear alongside any buildings erected over the last five years to name a few. It's a harsh move, but a necessary evil for those in a particularly bad place.
The macrobuilder interface is being reworked to offer greater control for those aiming to keep their economy afloat, a filter has been added to shorter the search for a specific nation and a tweak to the Military Overview screen should make it a little less cluttered going forward.
It's not an awful lot to soak up in one go, but it's the calm before the storm of next week's patch notes, no doubt. Grab a copy of the base game from Green Man Gaming for around £34.99.