Terraforming

[digital zinc]

I wish there was a way to increase natural harbor capacity.
Even if i'd cost 10k ducats to do so.

I understand this isn't very realistic or probably historically accurate.
But so far the game hasn't been anyway, so if I want to spend 10 years of my countries income to fund building a canal or improving a natural harbor I'd like to be able to.

[dim pier]

The way you fix bad natural harbors is with artificial ones. Trying to engineer coasts is no easy task with the salinity, humidity, erosion etc.

[digital zinc]

I know, however I think it would add replayability, and not always make u pick the current "meta" location but be able to make your current one better.
Even if this is a late game hyper expensive feature like canals were in eu4

[warm obsidian]

We rarely terraform on such large scale even in modern times. I think buildings to improve it are just fine.

What I would love to see is another pass on historical coastal (or near coastal) capitals and their viability through the lens of game mechanics. It would be nice if historical capitals were also mechanically the best capitals to have.

[digital zinc]

I agree, however no matter how many building you place you can never reach the same potential which makes the game feel very limiting in a way
Putting capital in same spot every single game

[warm obsidian]

Personally, I think it's a good thing. Historical capitals were (generally) where they are for a set of good reasons, and I'd love EU5 to reflect that more, actually. There is no value in plopping down your capital in some Mudville, when London is the historical capital. And that's not to say that many areas already feature enough passable locations for capitals (and some cauntries have historically moved capital between a few cities too).

[digital zinc]

I guess, I just wanna avoid an eu4 situation where EVERY European game ur capital was Amsterdam due to burgundian inheritance if u wanted to play "optimal"

[warm obsidian]

I would definitely agree that there should be more viable/excellent capitals available in general, for every country to have at least a satisfactory one, or better two-three where historically appropriate.

rather than a megacapital somewhere that everyone would pick, especially ahistorically

[peak yew]

If you start increasing a natural harbour, it is no longer a natural harbour...

[digital zinc]

True
I guess another solution would be to put a cap on harbor bonuses so you can make any harbor as good as any other with the right investment

[peak yew]

Problem then becomes the nature around it and the actual size, then you start having multiple locations with a harbour instead like Rotterdam has multiple ports. Or with the nature being water level too low or actual islands in the way.

I think you should be able to expand a harbour (multiple ports or not) doesn't make it a natural one.
And natural only means that there is a natural protection from weather.

[warm obsidian]

or you can just stop stressing out about missing those 5 fantasy point of harbor goodness

I think, if anything, bigger problem is how influential harbor quality is, and how what makes the best capital is heavily weighted towards having the best possible harbor to push control better

Especially for some regions (looking at you, Italy) it's so much more beneficial to push control via naval, that you would be trolling yourself if you stuck with an inland capital. Similar idea applies to the market centers and the fact that you never not want your primary market center to not also be your capital