Paradox Studio Thread

[why42]

Serious question. Are there any less autistic alternatives to those games?

I really like the idea of Hearts Of Iron and Crusader Kings, but each time I install one of them I quickly get put off by how needlessly complicated they are.

There used to be a game that was simpler, it was called Rulers Of Nations or something like that, but it was an unplayable buggy mess.

Maybe knights of honor 2.

 

[Ughubughughughughughghlug]

Serious question. Are there any less autistic alternatives to those games?

I really like the idea of Hearts Of Iron and Crusader Kings, but each time I install one of them I quickly get put off by how needlessly complicated they are.

There used to be a game that was simpler, it was called Rulers Of Nations or something like that, but it was an unplayable buggy mess.

You normalfaggot are the reason Paradox games suck now.

 

[NvII iS 8ulLt f0R 88C]

Serious question. Are there any less autistic alternatives to those games?

I really like the idea of Hearts Of Iron and Crusader Kings, but each time I install one of them I quickly get put off by how needlessly complicated they are.

There used to be a game that was simpler, it was called Rulers Of Nations or something like that, but it was an unplayable buggy mess.

>HOI4
>complicated

 

[thefreshmaker]

Serious question. Are there any less autistic alternatives to those games?

I really like the idea of Hearts Of Iron and Crusader Kings, but each time I install one of them I quickly get put off by how needlessly complicated they are.

There used to be a game that was simpler, it was called Rulers Of Nations or something like that, but it was an unplayable buggy mess.

They're no more complicated than Stellaris or Victoria or Europa, just in different ways.

Hell, even Hearts of Iron 3, much loathed by the Reddit audience for needing to use your brain, allows you to fully automate literally everything. You can "play" with all troops and systems set to automated - I don't think any other game from Paradox has an automation function outside of Imperator and even then it's only for armies you've already deployed.

CK2 is also only as complex as something like the controls in Metal Gear, once you actually learn how things work it's probably the easiest to pick up and play. It's really about learning how to read the map and navigate the UI, which is not complex nor does it take fifty clicks to find out who someone is related to unlike nu-PDX UI.

 

[Bobbobson]

What's everyone's thoughts on the new CK3 dlc?

I have played a bit with it over the weekend. Not enough to give full review but here are my first impressions:

People seem to love it, but for me landless play is not very interesting. It is powerful enough in short term to allow you to get landed in any region you want with decent war chest and man-at-arms so it can be good starting point for campaign but the gameplay is very grindy and boring. There are 4-5 types of contracts per each stat. You click on the ones your character is good at and the same event pops up every time with percentage chance based on your skill. Alternatively, you wait for the bar to fill up couple of times. When you complete all the contracts in the area you move on to the next one. Rinse and repeat until you bank up enough gold and prestige to get landed. I like to play from nothing to an empire so most of my campaigns will start as unlanded but I will rush the landed title as soon as I can.

I have only played with ERE content for a bit but my first impressions are mostly positive. There is some historical flavour events added to the game which is always good. In terms of simulating Byzantine politics, administrative system seems to do better job than CK2. I began playing ERE campaign last evening going in blind. I started as unlanded and sucked up to a strategos for him to sell me estate in the empire. I like how the system requires you to use all the mechanics to succeed. You need to scheme to lower influence of other families, suck up to some, keep an army in case emperor orders you to go to war. Going in blind I fucked up a lot and did not manage to become an emperor yet so I don’t know what are the mechanics for it. Few times I thought things were going well just for AI families pull some scheme against me. Overall, it’s too early to tell but I had some fun playing in ERE.

One thing of note, Paradox greatly buffed battle modifiers with general’s skill and terrain playing greater role than before. On the one side it’s neat as now you have to pay attention when you send your blob to fight and if you play smart you can defend against bigger force, on the other, it seems all over the place and it can be hard to gauge to outcome of battle, especially since the in-game battle predictions are full of shit. Also, since peasant rebellions now spawn more troops than they used to and usually get a decent leader, they are real menace especially when you play in a smaller realm.

 

[Ughubughughughughughghlug]

Serious question. Are there any less autistic alternatives to those games?

I really like the idea of Hearts Of Iron and Crusader Kings, but each time I install one of them I quickly get put off by how needlessly complicated they are.

There used to be a game that was simpler, it was called Rulers Of Nations or something like that, but it was an unplayable buggy mess.

BTW, I was mean to you, but I do want to give some actually helpful advice.

These games aren’t that hard to learn. The cool thing about them is they’re simulations enough that doing the “common sense” thing usually works. Don’t worry about optimizing, don’t worry about numbers. Wing it. If it makes sense in real life it probably makes sense in a Paradoz game.

 

[Whitney Houston On Crack]

BTW, I was mean to you, but I do want to give some actually helpful advice.

These games aren’t that hard to learn. The cool thing about them is they’re simulations enough that doing the “common sense” thing usually works. Don’t worry about optimizing, don’t worry about numbers. Wing it. If it makes sense in real life it probably makes sense in a Paradoz game.

OK. You've convinced me. I'm going to give HoI 4 a chance tomorrow.

I'll try an interesting country in the Balkans, probably Yugoslavia or Bulgaria, maybe even Greece.

If I get my shit pushed in too hard, I'll probably try again with the Soviet Union or Britain or America or whatever.

 

[LovisXVI]

I'm going to give HoI 4 a chance tomorrow.

Do not look at the modding community.

 

[Computer God Autism]

OK. You've convinced me. I'm going to give HoI 4 a chance tomorrow.

I'll try an interesting country in the Balkans, probably Yugoslavia or Bulgaria, maybe even Greece.

If I get my shit pushed in too hard, I'll probably try again with the Soviet Union or Britain or America or whatever.

I'd suggest CK2, actually. HOI4 is has so much dlc and so much content locked behind it that unless if you're really into WW2 I wouldn't say it's worth getting into in 2024. CK2 is also more forgiving for newbies; as long as one member of your dynasty survives landed you can keep playing. If you do decide to stick with HOI4, though, Italy is considered the tutorial nation (for some bizarre reason) and you would have to actively work to fail a USA run.

Do not look at the modding community.

Yes most definitely do not check out the dedicated thread for it.

 

[thefreshmaker]

OK. You've convinced me. I'm going to give HoI 4 a chance tomorrow.

At least start with HoI2 Arsenal of Democracy/Darkest Hour or something, please I am begging you. HoI4 is the worst to start with because it teaches poor behavior and will prevent you getting into the "real" games due to it's simplicity. It's the equivalent of your first online experience being 2002 on the family PC when everyone is asleep versus a xanax'd mother giving her 3 year old an iPad and the YouTube app.

AoD is superior to DH in all ways except the map, which only matters if you care about muh accurate borders, for a new player it's better because there's fewer provinces. Play as a smaller country like Brazil or Canada, build industry and a small high quality army and act as a supporting force to the main players. Mongolia even would be good, you don't need to ship anything to Europe, just walk to Ukraine and help out as a mobile reserve.

AoD and DH also go on sale for $2.50 each.

 

[Whitney Houston On Crack]

I spend the day trying HoI 4 vanilla, HoI 3 with all DLC's and even some HoI 2.

Yet again, I came to the conclusion, that the genre simply isn't for me.

Thank you lads.

I'm off to the modding community thread. I'm sure, I'll read about some very special individuals there.

 

[Computer God Autism]

I spend the day trying HoI 4 vanilla, HoI 3 with all DLC's and even some HoI 2.

Yet again, I came to the conclusion, that the genre simply isn't for me.

Thank you lads.

I'm off to the modding community thread. I'm sure, I'll read about some very special individuals there.

Godsneed

 

[Rome's rightful successor]

New hoi4 dlc reveal in 45 hours from now.

 

[Ughubughughughughughghlug]

OK. You've convinced me. I'm going to give HoI 4 a chance tomorrow.

I'll try an interesting country in the Balkans, probably Yugoslavia or Bulgaria, maybe even Greece.

If I get my shit pushed in too hard, I'll probably try again with the Soviet Union or Britain or America or whatever.

Like @Computer God Autism said, Crusader Kings II or if you really want EU4 is actually probably a better choice. In HOI4 there are a million different division types, production lines, it all builds up to an all-or-nothing war. Crusader Kings is extremely simple to toy around with.

 

[Monopolywheel]

Johan has failed us
It's fucking over

 

[General Emílio Médici]

It was going so well...

Most of it is actually good and understandable, close to how it works in EU4. A single change however ruins it.

One thing that is important to notice, is that if you declare war for a war goal to conquer a certain province, then you can not take any other land, UNLESS you take the wargoal.

To be able to take land, you also need to have control over the province capital.

The second part might be tolerable, but the first one forcing you to take the wargoal is just bad. Didn't quite a few wars end up without that but still kind of victories? It also kneecaps how you can expand and forces you to commit to a goal that might look good right now but by the time you can actually fight and enforce peace isn't as good and you have a better alternative. It feels forced. I am the one dictating the peace terms, if I wanna change my mind on what I want I should be allowed to.

 

[Bobbobson]

It was going so well...
The second part might be tolerable, but the first one forcing you to take the wargoal is just bad. Didn't quite a few wars end up without that but still kind of victories? It also kneecaps how you can expand and forces you to commit to a goal that might look good right now but by the time you can actually fight and enforce peace isn't as good and you have a better alternative. It feels forced. I am the one dictating the peace terms, if I wanna change my mind on what I want I should be allowed to.

I guess it is so you don't abuse system by picking an easy to capture and defend wargoal for ticking warscore in order to seize the land you're really interested in?

For me, I don't see much issue with stuff in the dev diary itself. The problem is that after so many diaries where they develop and innovate on the system this one seems basically the same as EU4 system. They could at least steal the idea from Vic 3 where peace deal can involve concessions on both sides rather than always being one sided.

 

[foreman 89]

Johan has failed us
It's fucking over
View attachment 6480698

What is the issue?

 

[Monopolywheel]

What is the issue?

The main complaint I'm seeing is that there will be no two way peace deals in EU5

 

[Computer God Autism]

It was going so well...

Most of it is actually good and understandable, close to how it works in EU4. A single change however ruins it.



The second part might be tolerable, but the first one forcing you to take the wargoal is just bad. Didn't quite a few wars end up without that but still kind of victories? It also kneecaps how you can expand and forces you to commit to a goal that might look good right now but by the time you can actually fight and enforce peace isn't as good and you have a better alternative. It feels forced. I am the one dictating the peace terms, if I wanna change my mind on what I want I should be allowed to.

Honestly it's not unsalvageable, pretty easy change to course correct and it's not something affecting the fundamental design in the same way that Mana was. I do somewhat understand Johan's desire to curb how ridiculously easy it is to expand but the solution is just unimaginative. Even a milder restriction like you cannot take provinces outside of the area/region the one you're deccing for in would be better.

And yeah, it's baffling to this day they have not tried to implement two-way peaces.