Europa Universalis 5’s Automate option simplifies tasks for beginners. While automation has risks, it can help you learn gameplay features by letting the AI handle certain responsibilities. This guide explains how to automate and which features are best to automate.
How to Automate in Europa Universalis 5
Head over to the top right corner of your screen and click on the cogwheel icon to bring up the list of features available to automate. Go through the list and click on the cogwheel icon beside each feature that you wish to automate. Automation is available anytime, even if you are in the middle of the game. Also, if you go through the features list under the Automation menu, you can read about them and decide whether you wish to let the AI take over or do it manually yourself.
If you don’t want to go through the entire list, then click on either the Economy, Diplomatic, or Military icons on the top left corner, then right-click on whichever subtab you wish, which sets it to Automate entirely. If you check the Automation list on the right, everything that falls under those categories will then be set to automate. Using the Automation feature is entirely subjective and depends on how you wish to play the game.
What to Automate and All Automation Features Explained
There are three categories to automate in the game, namely, Economy, Diplomatic, and Military. Let’s take a look at the type of features available under each of these categories, what they do, and whether you should automate them or perform them manually.
Economy Automations
| Feature | Description | Should You Automate |
| Balance | Everything that falls under the Balance section of the Economy menu comes under the Automation list too. This offers an entirely balanced gameplay experience, which keeps things stable for your region. | Using Automation here will make things a whole lot easier to manage, especially for larger regions that require intense resource management. Smaller countries will benefit more from keeping this feature off. |
| Trade | Manages trading with other regions and implementing the best trade routes for easier access. | Enlisting the AI with trading will ensure that you receive the best trade offers for maximum profit between your allied regions. Can be left on automate if you aren’t into micromanaging trades. |
| Production Methods | This checks all available production methods and implements the best tactics to tackle the hassles of goods production. | This requires a lot of micromanaging, which is easier done if left under the AI. |
| Buildings | This will ensure that you get to decide on construction based on the resources you already own, and also depending on the budget you currently have. | Leaving AI to construct and manage buildings will free up time to manage the other issues in your nation. |
| Close and Open Buildings | Works on building operation times. | Again, leave this to automate since this is a mundane task. |
| Subsidies Building | This will allocate the proper resources to the residents and check on tax returns. | If you have a booming economy, leave this feature to automate. Otherwise, it is best to take a proper look at your housing situation manually. |
| Destroy Buildings/ Destroy Estate Buildings | Destroys buildings that are not suited to your economy. | Might destroy important buildings if left to the AI, so it’s recommended to leave this off. |
| R.G.O. | The way Raw Goods are obtained and handled within your region is determined by this feature. | Beginners can leave this on automate till you are equipped with the right knowledge about your country’s economy. |
Diplomatic Automations
| Feature | Description | Should You Automate |
| Research | Working on your nation’s research will help you make progress within various domains. | Manually handling Research is best, as you get to pick your domains and the path that you wish to lead your nation’s development to. |
| Laws | Implementing strategic policies to govern your country will ensure that your nation does not fall prey to outsiders. | Like research, you need to check and implement laws manually, or you could easily fall into chaos. |
| Government Reforms | Working on your government reforms ensures that your country operates in a safe and secure environment, which is beneficial to your citizens. | Since this feature heavily depends on your population, you should take care of this manually. |
| Cabinet | Assigning the right candidates to take over daily tasks of running the nation, plus you get to check which tasks require utmost importance. | The cabinet can be left on automate, since you need to micromanage this section a lot. |
| Parliament | Ensures Stability of the nation and provides the framework in which your country needs to abide by. | Automating the Parliament is beneficial if your country already meets the standard requirements of a successful nation. Otherwise, you need to manage this manually for better outcomes. |
| Estates | Your Estates provide tax returns, which has a chance to fluctuate depending on your nation’s Stability. | If your country isn’t at war, then you can set this option to automate. |
| Culture Acceptance | This depends entirely on your population and how they view their cultural environment. | If you are not micromanaging every aspect of your country’s affairs, then leave this to the AI. |
| Religious Doctrines | Involves relations between countries with opposing religious viewpoints. | It is best to do this manually if you plan on dealing with countries outside the European belt. |
| Diplomacy Interactions | The core mechanic under which your country sets its ties with the rest of the world. | This feature is a bit dicey to leave in the hands of AI. But it can come in clutch if you are unsure of which diplomatic decision to make, especially when the odds are not in your favor. |
| Rivals | Making enemies is inevitable, and how you deal with them falls under this feature. | It is best to make decisions here manually. |
Military Automations
| Feature | Description | Should You Automate |
| Exploration/ Colonies | A requirement if you plan on expanding territory or unlocking new countries. | Learning how to command multiple territories might not be easy from the get go, hence automating this feature at the start then weaning yourself away from it will help you learn the feature. |
| Army/ Navy Construction | Helps you manage the daily activities of your armies. | Set it to automate during times of peace and stability. |
| Replace Generals/ Admirals | Focuses on how your army should be governed and led, which also includes military strategy. | Leaving this for the AI will help you reduce risks while you send your army out. |
For more Europa Universalis 5 guides, check our guides on How To Get More Levies, How To Build Roads, and How To Get Casus Belli.
