https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/developer-diary/tinto-talks-84-15th-of-october-2025-onboarding-systems.1863138/

Tinto Talks #84 - 15th of October 2025 - Onboarding Systems

Hello, and welcome to another Tinto Talks, the happy Wednesdays where we talk about Europa Universalis V!

As you may have noticed, I’m not @Johan nor @Pavía ; therefore, since this is my first official post in the forums, I will introduce myself. My name is Èric Vicent, and I’m UX Designer and UI Team Coordinator at Paradox Tinto. Before joining Paradox back in 2020, I was, just like most of you, a completely and utterly addicted Paradox fan for many years, having Europa Universalis as my core franchise, followed by Crusader Kings and Hearts of Iron. Some of you might recall me from some “Behind the Scenes” videos we have been posting on YouTube, and probably others may recognize me as an odd-looking armor in the Skokloster Castle’s Armory with Laith, where we did some cool interviews this past spring!

Now that we’ve got the boring part out of the way, let’s move on to the fun stuff: EUV’s Onboarding Systems!

This week, we’re pulling back the curtain on one of the toughest design challenges we’ve faced so far: teaching a Grand Strategy Game that’s, well… truly grand.

If you’ve ever tried to explain Europa Universalis to a friend, you probably know the look. That thousand-yard stare that says, “Wait, so you are a… Country? And what exactly is an Estate again?”

Designing a learning experience for a game this deep is no small feat. But as game developers, we can’t just shrug and say “they’ll figure it out.” Our goal is to invite players, new and veteran, into the grand strategy mindset by not burying them under spreadsheets on day one.