The various Paradox games

[Starwars]

So, I've been playing CK2 quite a lot and while it has turned dumb as hell, it is still undeniably fun and addictive. But I haven't tried any other Paradox games. As I understand it, CK2's "thing" is that it focuses much on the characters, their relationships and all that. And that is fun.

But can someone give a quick rundown of some of the other games and how they compare? And which one is your favorite?

 

[Lone Wolf]

Hearts of Iron I/I/III/IV - grand strategy level WW2 games where you conduct research, field armies (division level), use diplomacy and inevitably go to war.

Victoria I/II - grand strategic economic simulations of the 19th/early 20th centuries. Build an economic empire, manage populations (literacy, employment, contentedness etc) and try to establish yourself as a great power in the age of rifles.

EUI/II/III/IV - by far the largest in scope, history-wise; guide a country from the late Medieval era to the early modern. Some emphasis on Europe, but you can play as any country around the world.

My favorite is the EU series, because there's satisfaction in seeing history unfold in different ways, and EU allows you to pursue various strategies in achieving your goals. But lots of people prefer more micro-oriented titles, such as the CK and Vic series.

 

[vmar]

Got into Paradox about a month ago, EU4 has quickly become one of my favorite games. Still waiting on the next Steam sale to pick up CK2+dlc. Painting the map just never gets old, and I really like how you can take certain provinces to form new nations, it's quite addicting.

I've played a little of Vic 2 since Vic 1+2 complete got a humble bundle for 10 bucks recently, and it's fun too but I can't really comment on it yet because EU4 is consuming my life atm. Definitely check out EU though, judging from the CK2 stuff I've watched you'd probably enjoy EU if you like CK.

 

[Sranchammer]

V2 is the last title of Old Paradox

 

[Konjad]

IMO there are two great titles made by Paradox: CK2 and Victoria 2. The rest of the games might be fun for a while, but quickly get boring for me (I'm not into map-painting that much though).

 

[vonAchdorf]

CK/CK2 are the best, EU becomes really boring after you start colonising (which, unfortunately, id the whole point of the game).

 

[Renegen]

I find EU4 to be quite fun if you don't try to just map paint but larp a country a specific way.

 

[sser]

Europa Universalis is the play and drink coffee/read a newspaper type of game. I actually like it for that reason. It's very easy to pick up and play.


Victoria II is really good. I think if they ever make Victoria III it might be the best Paradox game so long as they learn from these previous titles and don't manage to totally fuck it up.

 

[Starwars]

So what makes Victoria II so fun? Trying to figure out if I should get EUIV or Victoria II.

 

[Hitoshura]

EUIV is a more conventional wargame, a derivative from Risk: you probably played quite a few in the past. It's one of the best of it's kind but will probably not change your world.

Victoria 2 is a little more in the vein of CK2 in the sense that the depth of the game is internal to the state and less focused outside of it. Instead of having to care about specific persons in your kingdom, you have to care about classes of people. The game computes metrics throughout many classes of people in your country, based on their ethnicity, their work, their religion, it determines their salary, how much is their purchasing powers, how angry they are, what are their political stance, how much educated they are, etc... You have to guide your country through the industrialization and political changes, elections are a big thing in that game! Additionally, it's one of the few (only?) game that determine who's winning not by how big your country is but by their industrial capacity, prestige and military presence. You can become #1 without ever fighting in a war if you wish...

I've seen UK becomes communist and lost India, there's a lot of "lulz"to be had!

 

[Starwars]

That kinda sounds like something I'd enjoy, thanks for the description. I'll probably get Victoria II then.

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

i don't understand v2. everything i do seems to have extremely little to no impact.

 

[Kane]

i don't understand v2. everything i do seems to have extremely little to no impact.

an excellent simulation then

 

[Raghar]

The first game had much better industrialization. It felt like you are making a new industrialized country from some lowland. It had also more detailed army composition, thus it allowed to do some more complicated stuff. It gimped itself by perpetual revolutions, even in situation where monarchies would survive in reality.

 

[Machine]

dont bother with Stellaris , in fact I personally wouldnt bother with any Paradox game, you already played best one they ever made.

 

[Monk]

"Humble Best of Paradox Interactive Bundle"

 

[Silva]

IMO there are two great titles made by Paradox: CK2 and Victoria 2. The rest of the games might be fun for a while, but quickly get boring for me (I'm not into map-painting that much though).

This.

EU makes a great intro to the series but when you realize it's just a map painting fantasy with little to do besides that, you'll appreciate the depth in CK2 and Vic2.

 

[Sranchammer]

Vicky is for civilized folk

 

[Heroic Liberator]

But can someone give a quick rundown of some of the other games and how they compare?

/gsg/ has you covered:

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

wait wait wait wait wait wait, wait.
"dominions, innovative diplomacy system".
not having diplomacy is innovative now?

 

[Heroic Liberator]

wait wait wait wait wait wait, wait.
"dominions, innovative diplomacy system".
not having diplomacy is innovative now?

Haven't played it so I couldn't tell.

 

[JarlFrank]

CK2: best of Paradox, character relations are fun, losing is fun because it can be hilarious, creates the best stories due to its character focus
Vic2: pretty fun, you manage your economy and your nation's industrialization and population growth, very detailed mechanics for interior politics while also letting you expand your nation and colonize Africa
EU4: it's fun but it devolves into map painting pretty quickly, the most simple and generic of the Paradox games mechanically, it may cover a huge timeframe (1400s to 1820) during which lots of things happened but the generic mechanics keep it from having as much flavor as CK or Vic
HoI4: it's WW2 and focused on warfare, pretty fun and I wish other Paradox games copied its war mechanics because they're much better than the simplistic systems of the other games

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

EU4: it's fun but it devolves into map painting pretty quickly, the most simple and generic of the Paradox games mechanically

*cough*cough*stellaris*cough*

hoi war system can't be functional until the ai understands how to make a proper front advance. no way you can push through africa or russia without having most of your troops either staying thousands of kilometers back or pushing alone. it's disheartening to watch this lone soldier division walk all the way to the other side of the front, and thus stopping the whole advance, because reasons.

 

[Heroic Liberator]

EU4: it's fun but it devolves into map painting pretty quickly, the most simple and generic of the Paradox games mechanically

*cough*cough*stellaris*cough*

At least Stellaris has pops.

Still, EU IV > Stellaris; even more so if you add MEIOU & Taxes.

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

we need a "wow! this is worthless" tag for posts like that.

 

[Heroic Liberator]

we need a "wow! this is worthless" tag for posts like that.

The disagree rating is enough given that it wasn't a shitpost.