Decisions

There are many decisions to take in Elder Scrolls Universalis that offer a wealth of flavor options as well as reoccurring decisions that can be used to enhance overall gameplay. Many of the games decisions become unlocked via technology throughout the vast 2500 year timespan of the game.

Recurring Decisions
Within ESU there are several decisions that are always active, and several more which become available provided certain conditions are met and either operate until they end, usually for a duration, and become available again.

Always Active
These decisions are always available to use and can be used as often as the player needs provided all conditions are met. The primary purpose of these decisions is to allow an exchange of the various game resources which may accumulate throughout the vast timespan of a campaign These decisions are not available to the AI

We need more admin: Pay 100 diplo and mil to get 175 administrative monarch points.

We need more diplo: Pay 100 admin and mil to get 175 diplomatic monarch points.

We need more mil: Pay 100 admin and diplo to get 175 military monarch points.

We need more manpower: Pay 100 mil to get 5000 manpower.

We need more cash: Gain 2.5 inflation and 1 year of income (note that cost of reducing inflation is 50 admin for 1.00 inflation). We need to reduce inflation: Pay 1.25 years of income to reduce inflation by 2.5
 * Not possible at 100 inflation
 * At 20-35 inflation 0.8 years of income is added
 * At 35-45 inflation 0.6 years of income is added
 * At 45-50 inflation 0.4 years of income is added
 * At 50-100 inflation 0.2 years of income is added

Invest in the development of a Province: Pay 2.5% of your manpower and 1.35 years income to increase each base dev by 1 in a random province.

This is not possible if player has any loans, and enacting it will give a province modifier of 'dev' for 50 years, preventing that same province from receiving this decision more than once within that timespan. This decision is also available in a similar version for the AI, allowing them to take it. It should also be noted that having unoccupied provinces and high stability will raise province dev on its own.

Recurring
These decisions either activate an event chain that continues until the event ends or offers benefits, often for a price, too duration. In either case the decisions are available again, provided conditions are met, throughout a campaign.

Archeology Expedition
Throughout a campaign players have the option of starting an archaeological expedition to search for lost treasure and artifacts among dwemer ruins around Nirn. Selecting this option costs 1k ducats and has a mean time to happen of 10 years with a small bonus to prestige throughout the duration. Three equally likely possibilities may occur: the expedition failing for loss of prestige, the expedition needing 500 ducats to continue or letting it fail for loss of prestige, and the expedition succeeding for prestige and an additional bonus. Because there are 44 possible bonuses that, being discovered, offer permanent modifiers, it can be highly advantageous to select this decision often is money is not an issue for the player. ''Artifacts each have a 1% chance of success and can only be discovered once, offering permanent modifiers; if the option is chosen again by rng there will be no additional effect. ''

Permanent Decisions
These decisions may be selected once, provided the conditions are met.

Formation Decisions
There are over 115 formable nations within game and a variety are available for any starting country, provided the conditions are met. Players must be free and independent, have the appropriate primary culture, and five core provinces. In many cases it is possible to form the 'region' you are in, for example forming Great Plains as Whiterun, and then go on to form the super-region, in this case Skyrim, and finally create an end-game tag, such as Old Kingdom. With over 2000 years of playable experience, the possibilities are endless.

Detailed requirements can be found in our List of Formable Nations page.

Religious Decisions
There are many religious decisions, often offering missionary strength and/or another buff as trade off for a payment, typically tech/institution cost. Throughout the vast timeline of the game these decisions can be unlocked via administrative tech to unlock their associated bonuses. See Religions.

Military Decisions
In the same way as religious decisions, these are unlocked via technology and provide associated buffs, often at a price.

Government Reform Decisions
These decisions are unlocked via government reforms and can be accessed at any time, provided the requirements are met and the associated reform is unlocked. For example, one of the opening government reforms is to choose the level of banning alcohol, with a greater ban increasing both shipbuilding time and national sailor modifier; additionally, once unlocked this allows for a recurring decision that allows the player to ban production of alcohol (such as wine) in a province.

Union Decisions
Specific to Elder Scrolls Universalis are unique sites and provinces in game that represent holy or technologically advanced sites of ancient inhabitants of Nirn. The two primary examples are the Towers, such as White Gold Tower in Cyrodiil or Lightless Oubliette in Coldharbour; and Dwemer research hubs such as Bergama in Hammerfell or Dalales in Vvardenfall. The union of all of any type of province yields very powerful permanent modifiers, making them difficult to achieve and well worth the effort.

Building Decisions
Provided the conditions are met, primarily owning specific provinces and having a large bank account, one can build large projects such as canals to make life easier. it is also possible to establish trade companies in Akavir, provided the conditions are met.

Canals
The following canals can be built in game for a price of 15k ducats provided the provinces are owned by the player of one of their subjects and the projects can be canceled for 5k return.

Mandate Decisions
These decisions are specific to the Mandate of Heaven and thus the celestial and daimyo governments of Akavir. Only players who are Emperor of 'Akavir' and have the Mandate of Heaven DLC may enact these options. For more information see Emperor of China on EU4 wiki.

Estate Decisions
These decisions arise out of interactions with the many estates in game. Their primary purpose is the ability to curtail a given estate if they get out of line.

Colonial Decisions
There is one decision unique to colonial government nations which allows the country to form a colonial assembly. The country must have 100 admin and at least 25 liberty desire and taking the decision will cost 100 admin and allow a permanent 10% liberty desire.