User Guide

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• The Emperor will gain one extra diplomat
each year to aid him with his important
imperial negotiations.
• The Emperor's spies are slightly more ef
-
ficient, being 5% more likely to succeed in
their missions.
• Each member state will contribute the
equivalent of a one-ducat investment
in the Emperor's national stability each
month. This cost is not deducted from the
member states, but is applied as a bonus to
the Emperor's monthly investment.
• The Emperor gains a large bonus in month
-
ly manpower, enabling him to recruit new
regiments or replenish losses much more
rapidly than would otherwise be the case.
The extent of this bonus is determined by
the total number of member states.
• The Emperor is also able to maintain much
larger standing armies than would nor-
mally be the case. His country's maximum
number of supportable regiments will be
increased, although the cost of support-
ing these troops must still be paid from
the Emperor's treasury. The degree of the
increase is determined by the number of
member states.
Member States
At the beginning of the game, there will be a
number of countries that are considered mem-
ber states of the HRE. You can easily check to
see which countries are members by looking
at the shields in the interface, or you can click
the “imperial map mode” button on the Spe-
cial Menus toolbar to graphically display this
on your main map.
Each country that is part of the Empire
receives a small bonus to its monthly stability
investment as well as an increase to its man-
power and force limits. This is much the same
as -- though considerably less than -- the bonus
received by the Emperor. There is also a small
monthly relationship bonus between all states
in the Empire.
New members can be added to the HRE as
a result of a special random event. A Christian
country that has a neighbour who is a member,
and has excellent relationship with the Emper-
or may be invited to join. You should be careful
to remain on good terms with the Emperor as
well, since it is also possible to be evicted from
the Empire.
Electors
There are seven states in the Empire that hold
the special position of “elector”. They receive
no additional benefit from this status; however,
when the current Emperor dies, the seven elec-
tors will vote to determine who will become the
next Emperor. An elector is expected to main-
tain a very good relationship with the current
Emperor, and to maintain a fairly good inter-
national reputation. If an elector fails to do so,
he may receive a special random event that will
force him to resign his position in disgrace. An
elector can also be removed if his nation is an-
nexed through war or diplomacy.
If there is an electoral vacancy, a new elector
will soon be chosen by the Emperor via a spe-
cial random event. This is a prestigious assign-
ment and can also result in some side benefits
as member states attempt to curry favour with
you with gifts or other favourable offers.
Becoming the Holy Roman
Emperor
When the current Emperor dies, whichever
member state receives the most votes from the
electors will become the next Emperor. Each
elector will cast one vote, nominating the
member state he likes the most. This is deter-
mined by the relationship between the elector
and member, and the prestige and ranking of
the prospective Emperor. The country that re-
ceives the most votes will be crowned the Em-
peror and will rule for the remainder of his life.
In the event of a tie in the voting, the new ruler
of the country that was ruled by the previous
Emperor will be crowned as the next Emperor
-- provided that his nation is one of the leading
contenders. If this isn’t the case, the new Em-