Despite not having enough time to go through the 7 week orientation course to get good at Europa Universalis IV it still remains one of my favorite strategy games out there, for the simple reason that it doesn't compromise in order to appeal to everyone and instead just focuses on being the best game it can be.

It also helps that Europa Universalis IV receives frequent high quality DLCs (and some complete fluff) that have improved upon almost every aspect of gameplay, from warfare to colonization and now even maritime activities with the the upcoming Mare Nostrum (Our Sea in Latin) expansion. Here's the trailer and a bit more information:

Mare Nostrum, as you might imagine from the name alone, will grant you even more naval tools and tactics with which you can bring your country to greatness, or complete ruin due to ineptitude. What this means in gameplay terms is that you will be able to send ships on missions, assign them areas to patrol and even create trade leagues, among a host of other improvements.

The strength of your royal navy will depend on the number of able bodied sailors you can gather, ships you can launch and the technology you can use. All of which is important because you will need to ensure that your fleet remains in tip top shape as you will be expected to protect the numerous merchants within your borders from the most dangerous of sea dogs, pirates. The general idea behind these changes is to reduce the tedium that revolved around ship and sailor management while simultaneously increasing the amount of choices available to you as well as things to worry about.

With a renewed focus on naval missions and trading the control of routes becomes even more important

Despite the naval theme Mare Nostrum brings with it some improvements to the land based portions of Europa Universalis IV as well. Merchant Republics will now be able to create trade leagues thus ensuring mutual defense and mutual profit which means if left unchecked they can become vast powers in their own right. However, if everything is quiet within your borders and your neighbors are on their best behavior why not rent out your surplus troops as mercenaries and fight wars for potential allies while earning valuable coins in return.

There is no release date set for Mare Nostrum just yet but on the positive side there will be a free patch accompanying it, so even if you don't plan to grab the DLC you have something to look forward to.