Paradox is the best company ever :love:

[Spectacle]

Paradox games just aren't that challenging or strategic once you understand the mechanics.

And understanding the mechanics requires reading stuff on the internet, because in game explanations are inadequate or misleading.

So playing Paradox games basically consists of researching the mechanics on the internet, then going "oh, this is kind of boring" after a couple of games.

Unless you like sandbox games... I do not.

Or, alternatively, you could spare yourself spoilers and enjoy the movie as it is. Its not fair to complain about the ending when you knew what it will be from the beginning.

Or are you perhaps playing some kind of competitive SP?

Strategy gaming are about making decisions. If you don't understand the game's mechanics you have no way to know what the consequences of your decisions are, so they become pointless.
If you're looking to LARP a country then playing a Paradox game blind will be enjoyable, but if you want to actually play a game then knowing what the rules are is essential.

 

[Malakal]

Once again - everything you NEED to know is in the game. I, for example, didnt know for a long time how shock multiplayers worked for unit types but that didnt ruin my game at all - I built armies of mixed cavalry and infantry and so did AI. Then once I learned about this the temptation to use cavalry only armies began (they patched that out since then).


What I mean is you dont need to have all the formulas to make strategic decisions. You need formulas to power game and set yourself up for certain events and outcomes. Which the AI isnt doing. For me strategy is when both sides play by the same rules (same-y in this case as AI cheats somehow in few aspects). LARP'ing is just a bonus. But I like to feel like I'm the king and to base my decisions on rp reasons (crusading for example is just that).

 

[Spectacle]

Sometimes the hidden information is truly essential. Just yesterday I discovered that my nice Dutch pike retinue in CK2 does fuck all on the battlefield unless it's lead by a Scottish or Italian general. You'd think that building lots of your cultural units would be a good idea both strategically and from a LARPing perspective, but unless you know the formula you won't know that you have to include some heavy infantry if you want your generals to do anything but wait around on the battlefield.

 

[Malakal]

Pikemen are effective without employing special tactics - good defence, effective versus cavalry, almost as good as heavy infantry. What you are talking about is special schiltron (?) tactic that certain culture generals can use with certain army composition (thats the Scottish one, Italian one is weaker). It is not by any means a necessary thing to know. AI isnt building its armies around that, it was added for cultural flavor. Yes, its good but not necessary.

Without that knowledge you could think that pikemen are effective as cavalry counter and in defence, not too good versus horse archers. And that is true.

Of course powergamers will now employ only Scottish generals with their pikemen-heavy infantry retinues just to abuse this tactic. Like they need help to beat AI.

 

[Kattze]

Sometimes the hidden information is truly essential. Just yesterday I discovered that my nice Dutch pike retinue in CK2 does fuck all on the battlefield unless it's lead by a Scottish or Italian general. You'd think that building lots of your cultural units would be a good idea both strategically and from a LARPing perspective, but unless you know the formula you won't know that you have to include some heavy infantry if you want your generals to do anything but wait around on the battlefield.

This. Pdox should have expanded the tutorials or make manuals that explain new mechanics from the dlc-expansions.

 

[mondblut]

I wonder what a paradox-made RPG would look like.

Open world and fuckton of instakill random encounters appearing out of the blue. Take out what little Wizardry 7 has in terms of plot, and you have it.

 

[Tzaero]

Vaarna_Aarne How many times have you attempted to conquer the world as Finland in HOI 3?

 

[Corporate_Jew_Master]

I remember playing HOI3 vanilla with a friend and laughing about how my armor horde was beating mountain divisions at the carpathians. Without an overwhelming numerical advantage. 4 brigades of armor per division and you could destroy everything.

Fair enough, you are entitled to your opinion.

That I am. If I ain't satisfied with what they offer me then I'll vote with my wallet and not throw any money at them.

Since we are both entrenched in our opinions I'll not argue any further.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Vaarna_Aarne How many times have you attempted to conquer the world as Finland in HOI 3?

Generally my first campaign with every expansion is with Finland (though not of the world conquest variety unless I mod in a decision to add cores on Estonia and Ingria when joining the Axis for realz) to see how the minors got shafted this time, and then usually a Germany campaign. Out of the Allies, I've never played as France. However, I've played as every Axis major (this is mostly because the Axis have the most on the plate, for everyone else it's gg after Germany is down).

 

[Spectacle]

Pikemen are effective without employing special tactics - good defence, effective versus cavalry, almost as good as heavy infantry. What you are talking about is special schiltron (?) tactic that certain culture generals can use with certain army composition (thats the Scottish one, Italian one is weaker). It is not by any means a necessary thing to know. AI isnt building its armies around that, it was added for cultural flavor. Yes, its good but not necessary.

Without that knowledge you could think that pikemen are effective as cavalry counter and in defence, not too good versus horse archers. And that is true.

Of course powergamers will now employ only Scottish generals with their pikemen-heavy infantry retinues just to abuse this tactic. Like they need help to beat AI.

Without Scottish/Italian generals the only fucking tactic that a Pikeman army qualifies for is "Wait", and the only way to know why is to look the mechanics outside of the game, there is no explanation of how this works in the game.
Sure, you don't absolutely need tactics, and you even benefit from the fact that bad generals can't pick any bad tactics either. But without tactics pikemen are no more useful against cavalry than any other troop, and in general won't act like pikemen on the battlefield.
Obscuring the game mechanics could work somewhat if things worked like they do in reality, but they don't, you need to know the rules.
Unless as said before, you're merely larping a country.

 

[Cassidy]

The best company ever will always be Looking Glass Studios. Who else managed to invent a new genre of first person game in PC, to develop a great action RPG, a great Survival Horror, a great squad-based FPS/Strategy and a good flight sim? Who else managed to keep a flawless record of releasing only good to excellent games in all their history?



Paradox has a monopoly over their niche, which is why some people view them in an overtly optimistic manner. They released lots of mediocre to decent and two good grand strategy games (Hearts of Iron 2 and Vicky 2), but the ridiculous DLC milking chalks off them from being on a list of best companies.

 

[MetalCraze]

Bro don't you worry. I'm sure just like with CK2 all DLCs will be totally optional.

Hearts of Iron 4
----------------------

In the base game you are able to play only as allies and all countries but allies lack flags (replaced with purely red flag for comintern, purely black for axis and green for everybody else) and ruler faces (replaced with token face silhouette).
Fortunately there will be optional DLCs available shortly or right at the release! Axis Flags DLC, West Axis Faces DLC, Comintern Flags DLC, Comintern Faces DLC. Neutrals still won't be available.

Then Paradox will announce an "expansion" called Sword of Lenin™. It will be totally optional of course. It will let you play as Comintern! Together with it will come out the following DLCs: West Axis Units and Comintern Units. And as a special bonus Music Collection DLC 1 just in case you are tired of listening to the same 3.5 tracks in the base game.

This is the point where Paradox releases HOI4 Complete.

Of course because Paradox respects its playerbase they will announce another completely optional "expansion" shortly after - Legacy of Reich™. Finally you will be able to play as most of Axis! But not as Japan yet.
For that Paradox will have an optional DLC called Sunrise Invasion™. And of course another most anticipated optional DLCs adding another 2 music tracks, East Axis Faces DLC adding japanese faces and of course East Axis Units DLC!

As you can tell content wise the game totally dumps any previous game in the series and it's optional too! So finally Paradox will announce and release the final DLC - Old Neutrals™ where you play with all the thirdworld shitholes from South America. As a bonus you get more optional DLCs! Neutral Flags DLC, Neutral Faces DLC and Music Collection DLC3 adding another 2 tracks for a whopping total of 9 tracks! (if you bought previous optional music DLCs)

This is the point where Paradox releases HOI4 Chronicles (100% Full Collection)

Then Paradox releases Neutral Units DLC

 

[Emily]

meh just buy the base game, and pirate everything else. Or just pirate everything

 

[Delterius]

Paradox has a monopoly over their niche, which is why some people view them in an overtly optimistic manner. They released lots of mediocre to decent and two good grand strategy games (Hearts of Iron 2 and Vicky 2), but the ridiculous DLC milking chalks off them from being on a list of best companies.

Though I suppose people are more likely to accept the DLC AVALANCHE from a dev like Paradox - independent, very niche, mid-to-small and, as far as I can see, with good PR. Some may even think its a necessary thing to keep them afloat amongst the big guys, though I wouldn't know about that.

 

[Ulminati]

Bro don't you worry. I'm sure just like with CK2 all DLCs will be totally optional.

Hearts of Iron 4
----------------------

[snip]

Desert Fox DLC ($0.99) adds +2 to the stats of Generic General 814 and renames him to Erwin Rommel. His face is still a silhouette, but Famous Leaders DLC ($3.99) adds cropped wikipedia photos to half the generals. Goes well with the completely optional DLC that adds PzKpfw IV and StuG III to the german panzer divisions (Niche Tanks of the Reich, $7.99)

 

[Corporate_Jew_Master]

Achievement Unlocked: Race Traitor

You have not terminated any Juden in your campaign. To do so purchase the Final Solution™ DLC for 6.99$.

 

[mondblut]

You have not terminated any Juden in your campaign. To do so purchase the Final Solution™ DLC for 6.99$.

Hey, finally having it in a fucking World War 2 game would be a massive incline, even if it's a DLC.

Also, it should cost 7.40$

 

[Cassidy]

Reposting this very relevant image on the companies that will release games for the new PopamoleStation4 here:

Well that certainly is interesting.

And that will have Diablo 3 grade always-online DRM and OnLive grade cloudshit.

 

[ohWOW]

88 € deluxe edition

 

[Arcks]

I wish there was a way to automatically ignore all the people who brofist skyway, as it is pretty obvious they are never going to contribute anything to any kind of discussion.

 

[Malakal]

Reposting this very relevant image on the companies that will release games for the new PopamoleStation4 here:

Well that certainly is interesting.

And that will have Diablo 3 grade always-online DRM and OnLive grade cloudshit.

Yeah, they really branched out as a publisher. Cant say I like it. While I think that some of their new non-studio games are pretty nice with few incoming potential gems (to mention Cartel and East versus West) overall they also publish a lot of shit. Very shitty shit.

Magicka was nice, but seriously, Cities in Motion? A Game of Dwarves? Defenders of Ardania? Reaaallly stretching it here.

Fortunately, their "core" titles seem to develop nicely.

 

[GarfunkeL]

Paradox has a monopoly over their niche, which is why some people view them in an overtly optimistic manner. They released lots of mediocre to decent and two good grand strategy games (Hearts of Iron 2 and Vicky 2), but the ridiculous DLC milking chalks off them from being on a list of best companies.

Though I suppose people are more likely to accept the DLC AVALANCHE from a dev like Paradox - independent, very niche, mid-to-small and, as far as I can see, with good PR. Some may even think its a necessary thing to keep them afloat amongst the big guys, though I wouldn't know about that.

It's actually very true. Before HoI3 and CK2, their games weren't selling enough to justify the long turnaround and unimpressive cash flow. Heck, they had to fire few staff members before HoI3 came out and Swedish law forces them to fire the latest hire to the company, so they lost a very talented programmer (King) among other people. While those really tough times are apparently now far past them, I don't doubt that no more than two-three Magna Mundi scale disasters in a fiscal year could ruin them.

Though since they have since expanded their publishing role, no idea if that brings in more money for them or whether it's peanuts.

 

[IDtenT]

Even though I love the idea of thief, I've always been disappointed that they implemented those mechanics in a horror game. I must add that I did love a Chuck Yeager game, but I'm not 100% sure it was theirs. Of course though, Ultima Underworld was awesome and revolutionary - the only failing that I can think of is that it was all dungeon crawling - opening up the opportunity for TES.

 

[IDtenT]

Reposting this very relevant image on the companies that will release games for the new PopamoleStation4 here:

Well that certainly is interesting.

Err. They're a publisher. I'd eat a hat if the in house development studio has committed to the PS4.

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

I have no problem with their current system, and find it preferable to their older ones. These latest DLCs are all substantive, add significant gameplay elements, and generally are of good quality. They have been released with minimum bugs and they've squashed the bugs that have come out much more quickly than previously. They are still incredibly moddable, and they listen to their fans without bending to them overmuch.

And I'm going to cum all over EU4s face when it comes out.