Europa Universalis V

[mercerxiv]

EU5 has dropped, is anyone playing? I'm very interested, but nearly $90 price tag to get the actual full version with DLC that you will have to get anyway is a bit ouch.



Reviews seem to be good so far, and I've seen generally positive coverage.
The game definitely appeals more to me than CK3 (which I own), because it is more focused on economy/conquest/politics than on "character stories". I was a fan of CK2, but in CK3 I feel like the whole character drama became a bit too slapstick and ridiculous, and I can't be arsed to click through the feast #745 where your wife flirts with your cousin's chief accountant who is also your cousin. I've always felt dissatisfied with the CK3, and this looks like it does all the things I actually wanted from it. The only complaint from what I've seen so far would be that it starts in 1444 and there is no earlier start date, which I would prefer to have as an option.

Ok, enough from me, what do you all think?

[rusty_shackleford]

Just pirate it

[mercerxiv]

Just pirate it

I just might, but it did come out I think literally yesterday and it's been a minute since I've pirated fresh games and non-movies/music. Will have to be careful not to pick up any extra inclusions with the game Another problem - Paradox being Paradox - we will likely be needing regular patches for a few months to fix typical Paradox **** (at least projecting from my experience with their other games).

[rusty_shackleford]

Just pirate it

I just might, but it did come out I think literally yesterday and it's been a minute since I've pirated fresh games and non-movies/music. Will have to be careful not to pick up any extra inclusions with the game Another problem - Paradox being Paradox - we will likely be needing regular patches for a few months to fix typical Paradox **** (at least projecting from my experience with their other games).

all of paradox's games are identical so just play a finished one

[mercerxiv]

Just pirate it

I just might, but it did come out I think literally yesterday and it's been a minute since I've pirated fresh games and non-movies/music. Will have to be careful not to pick up any extra inclusions with the game Another problem - Paradox being Paradox - we will likely be needing regular patches for a few months to fix typical Paradox **** (at least projecting from my experience with their other games).

all of paradox's games are identical so just play a finished one

Ahahaha, if only, if only. I've played a few and I can say that they are definitely not made equal. Some are definitely riding in the shortbus.

[Nemesis]

EU5 has dropped, is anyone playing?

I'm interested but will wait a few months, maybe a year, for patches and more stability. If I get an inkling to play a grand strategy game, "Crusader Kings III" is sufficient for now.

[Crusader]

Paradox only release uncompleted games and overexpansive dlcs now. I wouldn't recommend to buy this, EU4 is probably still a better experience if you are interested in this period of history.

The prime era of Paradox was in the 2010s.

[Crusader]

Just pirate it

I just might, but it did come out I think literally yesterday and it's been a minute since I've pirated fresh games and non-movies/music. Will have to be careful not to pick up any extra inclusions with the game Another problem - Paradox being Paradox - we will likely be needing regular patches for a few months to fix typical Paradox **** (at least projecting from my experience with their other games).

all of paradox's games are identical so just play a finished one

Wrong, CK2, EU4, Vic2 and Hoi4 have very different type of gameplay.

[Demonic Fate]

I just finished a Stellaris game (spoiler: still broken, but the first 100 years were fun at least), and I've tried current CK3 and bounced off hard, so I'll let this one stew for a while even though EU is my favourite pdox series too.

That said:

[nullSector]

I am bullish on eu5 if it filtered casuals, that said I am inherently skeptical of everything new, so guess i will go back to eu4 in meantime.

The ideal time to play any paradox game is after 3 or so years with good amounts of dlcs released, until then the prequel usually is objectively better (even after 3 years, often a strong argument could be made for older series, like ck2)

[Demonic Fate]

I am bullish on eu5 if it filtered casuals, that said I am inherently skeptical of everything new, so guess i will go back to eu4 in meantime.

The ideal time to play any paradox game is after 3 or so years with good amounts of dlcs released, until then the prequel usually is objectively better (even after 3 years, often a strong argument could be made for older series, like ck2)

I'd say this used to be the case until CK2, but from EU4 onwards the newer DLCs tend to be poorly integrated with the base game and add flashy mechanics that become a pointless chore after one playthrough (EU4 Estates, Stellaris dig sites, half the ******** in CK3 etc.). Or they just take up room in an already clogged interface for stuff that doesn't always belong - why did I have a big button for Silk Road stuff when I was playing as El ******* Cid all the way in Iberia?

I suspect that's part of why certain total conversion mods like ASOIAF, Anbennar, or New Horizons are so loved - they can raze all the disconnected DLC content and replace it with a smaller set of events/factions/heroes/whatever that stay focused on the overall concept.

[Rienen]

As an admitted filthy casual in this genre, I've been unable to get into any of Paradox's grand strategy games other than CK2. And, bluntly, the only reason that game took with me was that I was willing to watch videos and bash my head against the wall until I "got it". Even then, though, I'm 100% sure I wasn't "playing correctly", but I was having fun.

Off my CK2 enjoyment (and naivety), I picked up EU4 on release and ended up bouncing off of it hard. It's been a while since I've played it, but from what I remember, in EU4, you weren't playing a person and family, like in CK, but rather you played as a type of "detached spirit" or "decision maker" for a nation/territory. I think I'm explaining that right... Either way, I preferred CK's system.

If I'm wrong and am completely misremembering EU4, someone please feel free to correct me.

[Crusader]

I am bullish on eu5 if it filtered casuals, that said I am inherently skeptical of everything new, so guess i will go back to eu4 in meantime.

The ideal time to play any paradox game is after 3 or so years with good amounts of dlcs released, until then the prequel usually is objectively better (even after 3 years, often a strong argument could be made for older series, like ck2)

I'd say this used to be the case until CK2, but from EU4 onwards the newer DLCs tend to be poorly integrated with the base game and add flashy mechanics that become a pointless chore after one playthrough (EU4 Estates, Stellaris dig sites, half the ******** in CK3 etc.). Or they just take up room in an already clogged interface for stuff that doesn't always belong - why did I have a big button for Silk Road stuff when I was playing as El ******* Cid all the way in Iberia?

I suspect that's part of why certain total conversion mods like ASOIAF, Anbennar, or New Horizons are so loved - they can raze all the disconnected DLC content and replace it with a smaller set of events/factions/heroes/whatever that stay focused on the overall concept.

Yeah EU4 actually became worse with it's last dlcs. EU4 was more realistic when there used to still be real technology groups, they tried to transform the game into an ahistorical game like Civilization after that. I imagine that EU5 is going in that same direction.

CK2 was the last entirely coherent paradox games with main dlcs that almost all makes sense.

[nullSector]

As an admitted filthy casual in this genre, I've been unable to get into any of Paradox's grand strategy games other than CK2. And, bluntly, the only reason that game took with me was that I was willing to watch videos and bash my head against the wall until I "got it". Even then, though, I'm 100% sure I wasn't "playing correctly", but I was having fun.

Thats applicable for every single paradox game tbh

Off my CK2 enjoyment (and naivety), I picked up EU4 on release and ended up bouncing off of it hard. It's been a while since I've played it, but from what I remember, in EU4, you weren't playing a person and family, like in CK, but rather you played as a type of "detached spirit" or "decision maker" for a nation/territory. I think I'm explaining that right... Either way, I preferred CK's system.

Nah you are correct, ck2 is quite different from the other pdx titles, they usually have you control the state itself, with the head of state providing benefits (or detriments). Ck2 would be more appreciated by people who like getting into roleplay a dynasty, eu4 is more oriented towards map painting. I prefer eu4 more, even if i played ck2 first.

What do you think about ck3? I haven't even given it a chance, but my opinion about it has deteriorated a lot.

[Crusader]

As an admitted filthy casual in this genre, I've been unable to get into any of Paradox's grand strategy games other than CK2. And, bluntly, the only reason that game took with me was that I was willing to watch videos and bash my head against the wall until I "got it". Even then, though, I'm 100% sure I wasn't "playing correctly", but I was having fun.

Off my CK2 enjoyment (and naivety), I picked up EU4 on release and ended up bouncing off of it hard. It's been a while since I've played it, but from what I remember, in EU4, you weren't playing a person and family, like in CK, but rather you played as a type of "detached spirit" or "decision maker" for a nation/territory. I think I'm explaining that right... Either way, I preferred CK's system.

If I'm wrong and am completely misremembering EU4, someone please feel free to correct me.

I also find CK2 to be more fun than EU4. EU4 is more like a map painter simulator while CK2 has more depth and is better for role play.

[Rienen]

What do you think about ck3? I haven't even given it a chance, but my opinion about it has deteriorated a lot.

I've held off on picking up CK3, as well. Truthfully, I haven't even gotten the desire to pirate it. I think they even had a free weekend, a couple of weeks ago, and my thought was essentially "Eh. I'll just play 2 if I get the itch."

[mercerxiv]

Tbh I'd steer clear from CK3 unless you are looking for some sort of sims with lots of spammy events and a somewhat strategic background. CK3 is an almost exclusively RP experience and you will quickly get bored/annoyed/etc. with it if you try to play politics/map paint.

[A Chinese opium den]

Well has anyone actually played the game yet?

[mercerxiv]

Ok, I am trying it now, but nothing to say yet. Will need to put in at least a dozen hours since it's my first EU game. It definitely has a bit of a learning curve.

[Decline]

Why is there a second thread and why is it outside of C&C?

[asf]

these days paradox games require 5 years and a dozen dlcs to be even remotely playable, i will just pirate it in 2035

[mercerxiv]

Ok, after spending good 37 hours: the game is pretty good. It's got bugs and some things I think are not well balanced (Prestige gain and spend), but overall it made an impression of a rather solid game if you are into the genre.

Started off as a modest duchy of Athens, fought and politiced my way to freedom, then slowly expanded via wars and political unions to the size of modern Greece, while starting some colonies on the islands west of Africa in preparation for the great Americas rush. Good times.

A few things are currently unbalanced/broken, namely Prestige gain and loss (or Prestige cost requirements to become kingdom from duchy), political unions can be wonky, but that's about it.
For once it seems like we got a decent automation system that doesn't immediately tank your economy/buildings/etc.