Espionage 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 alliances, (or vassal states and tributaries), improving opinions, and preventing defensive coalitions are vital to a player's survival. The game is a sandbox environment, and while there is no strict rule on winning the game, the game of the player is over when the player's nation is removed, or annexed, from the map. 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. True exploration, trade, warfare and diplomacy will be brought to life in this epic title rife with rich strategic and tactical depth. Rule your nation through the centuries, with unparalleled freedom, depth and historical accuracy. The empire building game Europa Universalis IV gives you control of a nation to guide through the years in order to create a dominant global empire. Paradox Development Studio is back with the fourth installment of the award-winning Europa Universalis series. The player does so through their choices as sovereign of their nation, and through the spending of resources available to them: prestige, power projection, stability, gold (ducats), manpower, legitimacy for monarchies, republican tradition for republics, devotion for theocracies, horde unity for steppe nomads, meritocracy for celestial empires, and monarch power (administrative, diplomatic, and military). The gameplay requires the player to lead a nation by finding a balance of military, diplomacy, 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 events occurring when they did in history.