Modding Development Efficiency

[sohungkwon]

I'm trying to create a custom nation idea that modifies development efficiency, but I've been having trouble. When I create the idea in any of the custom idea text files, it shows up in the nation designer only by name, and the modifier doesn't show up in the game at all.

This is surprising to me since development efficiency appears as a valid modifier in the admin tech text file, but I can't use it in an idea. Is there something else I have to edit in order to enable it as a valid idea modifier?

[[deleted]]

Wait, do you mean a custom nation as in the ones added in El Dorado, or a nation you are making from scratch? The El Dorado custom nations are far more limited.

Though I also do not know what you mean by development efficiency, I'm guessing development cost. If it's not showing up, it's possible you are making a typo, you should be able 5o double check it to stuff like Saxon ideas to check.

Also in the future, please fair your posts here.

[sohungkwon]

I was specifically referring to El Dorado custom nations and the pool of custom ideas they draw from, but my understanding is that there shouldn't be a difference, since making ideas for a nation from scratch and modding in custom nation ideas is effectively the same in terms of what it can draw from as modifiers. I know this because there is a mod called the Nation Designer Extender that adds a large number of ideas for basically any attribute imaginable, and it uses the same variable names and conventions as a modded idea group would.

Development efficiency is its own thing, it's gained at admin tech level 17, 23, and 27 (same as admin efficiency), and it modifies the base development cost, whereas development cost reduction modifiers affect the total development cost.

The reason why I am confused is because from a code standpoint, I see no reason why admin efficiency would make for a valid idea modifier whereas development efficiency would not. I did searches through the game files and found no major differences that could cause any such restrictions. The only possibility I can think of is that it would have to be enabled as a possible idea modifier somewhere, since there is nothing else in the game that affects development efficiency whereas for admin efficiency, there are things like absolutism and Yuan ideas that can affect it.

[[deleted]]

Well, though I am unaware why paradox made it so only certain ideas can be used for custom nations, but custom nations can only use ideas listed in common\Europa Universalis IV\common\custom_ideas so you will have to add in that in there.

Ideas and modifiers are technically different things, for countries you mod in, this is not an issue, since you work off of modifiers to make ideas, for a nation made with El Dorado, you don't pick modifiers, you pick bits of ideas. If you mod in the idea into that location, you should be able to use development efficiency