Summary at a glance
Goal: Optimize your nation's character through strategic laws and reforms that align with your playstyle.
Do this first:
- Keep default settings in first 20 years (save stability)
- Enact Estate Laws early if expanding rapidly
- Enact Education Reform mid-game (extremely valuable long-term)
Pitfall to avoid: Changing laws too often wastes stability. Commit to a strategy and only change when it significantly improves your position.
Laws and Government Reforms shape your nation's character, affecting everything from taxation to military efficiency. Understanding this system is crucial for optimizing your empire.
Government Reforms
Government Reforms are permanent structural changes to your government that grant powerful bonuses but require specific conditions.
Reform Categories
Tier 1: Government Type
- Monarchy, Republic, Theocracy, Tribal
- Determines ruler selection and succession
- Affects available reforms in later tiers
Tier 2: Power Structure
- Autocracy, Oligarchy, Democracy
- Affects Crown Power and estate influence
- Determines who makes decisions
Tier 3: Regional Administration
- Centralized, Decentralized, Federal
- Affects control, integration, and expansion efficiency
- Influences regional autonomy
Tier 4: Military Organization
- Standing Army, Feudal Levies, Mercenary Focus
- Affects army composition, maintenance, and quality
- Determines military recruitment methods
Tier 5: Economic System
- Mercantilist, Free Trade, Guild Economy
- Affects trade income, production, and market efficiency
- Shapes economic development path
Enacting Reforms
Requirements:
- Crown Power: 60-80% required (varies by reform)
- Stability: 50-100 required
- Societal Values: Some reforms require specific value thresholds
- Age: Advanced reforms locked until later ages
Cost: 50-150 gold + stability cost
Time: Reforms enact immediately but may have temporary negative effects
Key Reform Examples
Autocracy (Tier 2)
- Effect: +10% Crown Power, -10% Estate Influence
- Best for: Centralized empires, rapid expansion
- Requirement: 50% Centralization value
Royal Decree (Tier 2)
- Effect: +10% Crown Power, +5% Administrative Efficiency
- Best for: Administrative efficiency focus
- Requirement: 60 Crown Power
Standing Army (Tier 4)
- Effect: -20% Army Maintenance, +10% Morale
- Best for: Nations fighting frequent wars
- Requirement: Age of Absolutism, Military Professionalism advance
Mercantilism (Tier 5)
- Effect: +20% Trade Income, +10% Tariff Efficiency
- Best for: Trade-focused nations (Venice, Holland, England)
- Requirement: 40% Capital Economy value
Free Trade (Tier 5)
- Effect: +30% Market Access Efficiency, -10% Goods Prices
- Best for: Large empires with internal trade
- Requirement: 60% Capital Economy value
Laws System
Laws are more flexible than reforms and can be changed, but doing so is expensive and destabilizing.
Law Categories
- Estate Laws: Govern relationship between ruler and estates
- Tax Laws: Determine taxation methods and efficiency
- Military Laws: Affect military recruitment and maintenance
- Economic Laws: Shape trade, production, and markets
- Social Laws: Control culture, religion, and education
Estate Laws
Favor the Ruler
- Effect: +20% Crown Power, -10% Estate Satisfaction
- Cost: 100 stability to enact
- Best for: Centralizing monarchies
- Risk: Low estate satisfaction can cause rebellions
Favor the Estates
- Effect: -15% Crown Power, +15% Estate Satisfaction
- Cost: 75 stability to enact
- Best for: Maintaining stability after expansion
- Benefit: Peaceful internal politics
Balanced Estate Relations
- Effect: Neutral Crown Power, neutral satisfaction
- Cost: 50 stability to enact
- Best for: Default stable option
- Use when: No immediate need to shift power
Tax Laws
Centralized Taxation
- Effect: +20% Tax Income, +10% Administrative Efficiency
- Cost: 100 stability
- Requirement: High control (60%+ in most provinces)
- Best for: Well-integrated empires
Decentralized Taxation
- Effect: -10% Tax Income, +20% Estate Satisfaction, +15% Integration Speed
- Cost: 75 stability
- Best for: Rapidly expanding empires
- Use when: Control is low in new territories
Progressive Taxation
- Effect: +10% Tax Income, +5% Population Happiness
- Cost: 125 stability
- Requirement: Age of Revolutions, Enlightenment advance
- Best for: Late-game stable empires
Military Laws
Conscription
- Effect: -30% Army Recruitment Cost, -10% Morale
- Cost: 75 stability
- Best for: Large-scale wars, replacing casualties quickly
- Drawback: Lower army quality
Professional Army
- Effect: +15% Morale, +10% Discipline, +50% Maintenance Cost
- Cost: 100 stability
- Requirement: Age of Absolutism
- Best for: Quality over quantity strategies
Mixed Recruitment
- Effect: Balanced costs and quality
- Cost: 50 stability
- Best for: Most nations (default option)
Economic Laws
Protectionism
- Effect: +20% Domestic Production Efficiency, -15% Foreign Trade Income
- Cost: 100 stability
- Best for: Nations focusing on internal development
- Use when: Building self-sufficient economy
Free Market
- Effect: +25% Trade Income, +15% Market Access
- Cost: 100 stability
- Best for: Trade-focused maritime nations
- Requirement: 50% Capital Economy value
Guild Control
- Effect: +10% Production Efficiency, +15% Estate Satisfaction (Guilds)
- Cost: 75 stability
- Best for: Manufacturing-focused economies
- Benefit: Stable internal economy
Social Laws
Religious Tolerance
- Effect: +2 Tolerance of Heathens, +2 Tolerance of Heretics
- Cost: 100 stability
- Best for: Multicultural empires
- Benefit: Faster integration, less unrest
State Religion Enforcement
- Effect: +3 Tolerance of True Faith, -1 Tolerance of Heathens, +50% Conversion Speed
- Cost: 100 stability
- Best for: Religious uniformity strategy
- Risk: High unrest in unconverted provinces
Education Reform
- Effect: +15% Literacy Growth, +0.5 Advance Points/Month
- Cost: 150 stability
- Requirement: Age of Absolutism or later
- Best for: All nations (extremely valuable long-term)
Tip
Priority: Education Reform is one of the most valuable laws. Enact it as soon as you can afford it.
Societal Values
Societal Values are axes that drift over time based on your laws, reforms, and actions.
Core Value Axes
Centralization ↔ Decentralization
- Centralization: +50% Crown Power at maximum
- Decentralization: +30% Estate Influence at maximum
- Shifted by: Estate laws, government reforms, administrative actions
Capital Economy ↔ Traditional Economy
- Capital Economy: +20% Trade Income, +15% Market Efficiency
- Traditional Economy: +20% Production Efficiency, +10% Population Happiness
- Shifted by: Economic laws, trade focus, production buildings
Clergy Power ↔ Secular Power
- Clergy Power: +20% Religious Conversion Speed, +2 Tolerance of True Faith
- Secular Power: +15% Administrative Efficiency, +10% Technology Cost Reduction
- Shifted by: Religious laws, appointments, cultural reforms
Communalism ↔ Individualism
- Communalism: +15% Population Growth, +10% Estate Loyalty
- Individualism: +20% Innovation, +0.3 Advance Points/Month
- Shifted by: Social laws, education reforms
Managing Societal Values
Drift Speed: Values drift slowly, typically 0.1-0.5 points per month
Acceleration: Laws, reforms, and estate privileges can provide +1 to +5 points per month
Penalties: Extreme values (90+ or 10-) may have negative effects
Strategy: Push toward values that align with your national goals
- Expansionist: Centralization, Capital Economy
- Tall: Decentralization, Communalism, Traditional Economy
- Innovative: Secular Power, Individualism, Capital Economy
Practical Reform & Law Strategy
Opening Strategy (First 20 Years)
- Keep Default Settings: Don't change laws immediately; save stability
- Assess Starting Position: Check your societal values and estate balance
- Plan Long-Term: Decide whether you're centralizing or staying balanced
- Save Stability: You'll need it for other actions (integration, conversion)
Early Expansion Phase (Years 20-60)
- Enact Estate Laws: Shift toward centralization if expanding rapidly
- First Reform Tier: Choose government type reforms aligned with your playstyle
- Economic Laws: Protectionism if building internally, Free Market if trading
- Save Reforms for Stability: Use reforms strategically when you have surplus stability
Mid-Game Consolidation (Years 60-120)
- Tax Laws: Switch to Centralized Taxation once control is high
- Military Reforms: Enact Standing Army or Professional Army reforms
- Economic Reforms: Optimize trade or production focus based on empire shape
- Social Laws: Enact Education Reform (massive long-term value)
Late-Game Optimization (Years 120+)
- Final Reform Tiers: Complete all five reform tiers
- Value Maximization: Push societal values to extremes for maximum bonuses
- Advanced Laws: Enact late-game laws (Progressive Taxation, Enlightenment policies)
- Optimize for Victory: Align laws/reforms with your victory condition
Common Mistakes
- Changing Laws Too Often: Each law change costs 50-150 stability. Don't flip-flop; commit to a strategy.
- Ignoring Societal Values: Values provide huge bonuses at extremes. Actively manage them.
- Enacting Reforms Without Requirements: Some reforms require specific values. Check requirements before planning.
- Neglecting Estate Balance: Low estate satisfaction causes rebellions. Monitor it closely.
- Wrong Economic Focus: Don't enact Protectionism if you're a trade nation (or vice versa). Align laws with reality.
- Wasting Stability on Minor Changes: Stability is valuable. Only change laws when it significantly improves your position.
Quick Reference Table
| Law/Reform Type | Stability Cost | Best Timing | Top Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estate Laws | 75-100 | Early-Mid Game | Favor the Ruler (if centralizing) |
| Tax Laws | 100-125 | Mid Game (after integration) | Centralized Taxation |
| Military Laws | 75-100 | Before major wars | Professional Army |
| Economic Laws | 100-150 | Early-Mid Game | Free Market (traders) or Guild Control (producers) |
| Social Laws | 100-150 | Mid-Late Game | Education Reform |
| Government Reforms | 50-150 gold + stability | Throughout game | Autocracy, Standing Army, Economic focus reform |
Reform Priority Order:
- Economic reforms (immediate income impact)
- Estate reforms (stability and crown power)
- Military reforms (before wars)
- Social reforms (long-term investment)
- Administrative reforms (optimization)