It is, however, the only way to receive any of the game's many achievements. This means that any mistakes are irreversible. Single player also has the option of "Ironman" mode, which locks several settings such as difficulty, and removes the control of saving the game from the player. Some of these random events are driven by an individual country's history, while some can apply to any country and serve generally to enhance the "flavor" of the game. These events can be either helpful or harmful. Gameplay is influenced by random events that arise every so often for the player. Technological advancements are invested in over time, and will require the expense of monarch points. For example, the Catholic faith makes use of the Papacy, which can allow a nation to have control over the Pope or to use their influence for other rewards. Players can employ missionaries to convert their provinces or can engage in policies of universal religious freedom. Many major religionssuch as CatholicProtestantShiaand Confucian are present in the game and can provide distinct bonuses to their practitioners. Trade is also an important part of the game, where the world is divided into many trade nodes and trade flows through each of the nodes and can be collected by merchants. The Wars to Come: Europa Universalis 4 development in 2019 Combat can be waged on both land and sea, during which the game attempts to simulate real world factors such as morale, discipline, varying unit types with associated strengths and weaknesses, competency of leaders, terrain and supply lines. InvalidĮspionage can also be employed against enemy states in order to claim their territory, or incite rebellion in their provinces, along with other dubious ends. Diplomacy is a large aspect of the game, as creating alliancesor vassal states and tributariesimproving opinions, and preventing defensive coalitions are vital to a player's survival. These nations range alphabetically from Aachen to Zuni. Players can choose to conquer the world by military might, become a colonial superpower, establish trade dominance, etc. The gameplay requires the player to lead a nation by finding a balance of militarydiplomacy and economy. Each of these provinces contribute to their country either positively or negatively, as provinces can both provide resources to a nation and serve as a point of unrest and rebellion. The game itself is an interactive map of Earth divided into the provinces that compose nations. The game has been formed to begin historically, with real events occurring in real time. It is a strategy game where players can control a nation from the Late Middle Ages through the Early modern period to AD conducting trade, administration, diplomacycolonization and warfare.