Customs union

[Segata Sanshiro]

How do you enter into a customs union after this update? Is entering into a power block the only option?

[Strifeboy]

I'm not sure myself

[Segata Sanshiro]

Originally posted by Strifeboy:

I'm not sure myself

Let me know if you figure it our. If it's not possible, it makes playing as a smaller country way less viable, unless there's an alternative.

[Strifeboy]

I'm starting to think making your own power block for -500 influence is the only way.

[Segata Sanshiro]

So it looks like joining a power block doesn't give access to the market. Going to have to completely rethink the way I play I guess since they nerfed this pretty bad.

[Vellsi]

As of 1.7 the only way to get into someone's market are joining the Customs Union OR becoming a subject of the nation.

One can argue about this in many directions but I think it has one advantage on game balance: Prior to 1.7 customs unions were just a way to leech advanced goods the own economy could not produce yet to build up. Now this comes with a cost - that is either the lack of freedom (in varying degrees, thanks to the new subject mechanics) or joining a specifically aligned interest of a Major Power - with all that entails. To me that's a much more fair and balanced approach, though it completely changes the necessary approach of rising as small nation.

Mind you, allowing foreign investment lets someone build up your economy and Pops even further. So the loss of economic customs union leeching is not a total loss with the update.

[Razorblade]

Originally posted by Segata Sanshiro:

So it looks like joining a power block doesn't give access to the market. Going to have to completely rethink the way I play I guess since they nerfed this pretty bad.

Your Power Bloc must have the Trade League identity, or have the level 3 Market Unification principle to form a Customs Union.

By default, I believe only the Prussian power bloc meets those requirements.

[Segata Sanshiro]

Originally posted by Razorblade:

Originally posted by Segata Sanshiro:

So it looks like joining a power block doesn't give access to the market. Going to have to completely rethink the way I play I guess since they nerfed this pretty bad.

Your Power Bloc must have the Trade League identity, or have the level 3 Market Unification principle to form a Customs Union.

By default, I believe only the Prussian power bloc meets those requirements.

Got it., thanks!I'll have to play around with the mechanics and figure it out. I haven't been following the dev updates, so this is the first I'm hearing about it.

Originally posted by Vellsi:

As of 1.7 the only way to get into someone's market are joining the Customs Union OR becoming a subject of the nation.

One can argue about this in many directions but I think it has one advantage on game balance: Prior to 1.7 customs unions were just a way to leech advanced goods the own economy could not produce yet to build up. Now this comes with a cost - that is either the lack of freedom (in varying degrees, thanks to the new subject mechanics) or joining a specifically aligned interest of a Major Power - with all that entails. To me that's a much more fair and balanced approach, though it completely changes the necessary approach of rising as small nation.

Mind you, allowing foreign investment lets someone build up your economy and Pops even further. So the loss of economic customs union leeching is not a total loss with the update.

I agree this is a lot more realistic and less cheesy in principle. Just need a full playthrough to figure out if it's well implemented or not.