[Discuss On!] Europa Universalis III

AxenAxen My avatar is Excalibur.Yes, the sword.Registered User regular
edited January 2008 in Games and Technology
I just got this game a few days ago. It is my second attempt at getting into the "Grand Strategy" genre. My first and failed attempt was Hearts of Iron 2: Doomsday. HoI2 was simply to much for me, a simple newbie, to this fantastic genre. Europa Universalis III on the other hand was just right for me.

For those of you who don't know about Paradox Interactive's Europa Universalis III here is what Wikipedia has to say on the subject.

The game starts in 1453 right after the Fall of Constantinople and continues until 1793, just past the beginning of the French Revolution. The player controls a nation, and handles matters concerning war, diplomacy, trade and the economy.

Main Features


* Gameplay stretches over 300 years, allowing the player to start at any date between May 30, 1453 (Fall of Constantinople) and January 1793. (1820 with Napoleon's Ambition)

* Players can decide their own form of government, the structure of their society, trade policies, etc.

* Player can take up 'national ideas' to steer their nation in different directions.

* People such as Sir Isaac Newton, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart or René Descartes are available to the player as advisors.

* A topographic map in full 3D allows for a complete world view, and contains more than 1700 provinces and sea zones.

* Players can choose between any of the 250+ nations that existed during the time period anywhere in the world, including for instance, Scotland, Serbia, Kazan, Bohemia and Bali.

* 4000 different monarchs as well as 1000 other individuals appear in the game.

* More than 100 different unit troops are available in the game.

* Co-operative multiplayer mode to allow several players to work together to control a single nation.

Check out the game over at Paradox's official site.

Did someone say screen shots?
screen1.jpg
Oh yeah you get those trade shares you naughty little merchant. Rawr.

screen2.jpg
Do I hear wedding bells? Nothing makes better leaders than massive inbreeding of the Aristocracy!

screen4.jpg
Lord knows how much time, money, and manpower it took these nations to paint themselves in designer colors.

screen3.jpg
Natives getting restless? Nothing says "Howdy Neighbor" as much as Small Pox Blankets!

I played around with a couple different nations, mostly all European. Most of which failed. Eventually I settled on Lorraine. It seemed to me to be what I was looking for. Nation that wasn't already a super power, but had potential what with all those yummy little nation states to the east.

Things started of shaky for me. I had a crappy economy and a thirst for war which I quickly realized was a bad combo. It took me many decades to get my Kingdom's books in the black. Luckily for me I had already acquired 12 provinces and 3 vassals at this time. However I think I figured out how to break the game, Blitzkrieg to an enemy's Capital then demand they become my vassal seemed to work pretty much every fucking time.

When I ended my game Lorraine had 16 provinces and just about every European power, great and small as a vassal. Europe effectively became my PWN STICK. Any country I declared war on was followed by a metric fuckton of "Ally x has honored our alliance". It took me longer to click "Okay" for all those pop-ups then the actual war. All of Western and Eastern Europe was my play thing.

It certainly was awesome, but I think for now I shall refrain from abusing the vassal system.


Well thats my story, I might have more later. Currently playing as Serbia and Austria is looking mighty tempting.

What is your story.

Oh! Also I salivate at the thought of a 10+ multiplayer game, but at the same time weep at the logistics of it all.

A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
Axen on

Posts

  • FellhandFellhand Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    I'm interested and nice OP. How long is the span of a turn? Like in Civ a turn can be a ton of years or later on just one year.

    Fellhand on
  • WienkeWienke Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    There are no turns, everything is done in real time.

    Fantastic series really.

    It's a shame the OP couldn't get into Hearts of Iron though :( Probably my favorite game of all time next to Morrowind and Civ 2.

    I'm really looking forward to Hearts of Iron III that will likely be on the EU3 engine.

    Wienke on
    PSN: TheWienke
  • CheezyCheezy Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Victoria totally wins out for me. I like war, but the economic side just wins so hard.

    Cheezy on
  • AxenAxen My avatar is Excalibur. Yes, the sword.Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Wienke wrote: »
    There are no turns, everything is done in real time.

    Fantastic series really.

    It's a shame the OP couldn't get into Hearts of Iron though :( Probably my favorite game of all time next to Morrowind and Civ 2.

    I'm really looking forward to Hearts of Iron III that will likely be on the EU3 engine.

    Oh I plan on getting back into Hearts of Iron. It was the first of its genre I have ever played and ended up being just to overwhelming for me. But now I am better prepared for what HoI2 has to offer me.

    Axen on
    A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
  • squirlysquirly Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    I acquired this a couple of months ago but never really played it but as of the last week or 2 it's piqued my interest so I'm trying to find a copy, so far no luck in any stores around here. :/

    I'm also going to pick up the latest Civilisation game (With the 2 expansions) and Galactic Civilisations 2 (With it's expansion) when I find copies!

    squirly on
    Diablo2 [US West; Ladder]: *DorianGraph [New/Main] *outsidewhale [Old]
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