Best Europa Universalis-like game

[Callaxes]

Victoria: Empire Under A Sun

I can't begin to summarize how awesome it is. It was the first Paradox game I played and all the EU left a bitter taste in my mouth as a result. Hearts of Iron was good, but the economic factor in Victoria set it a part from the rest.

Not to mention it's perhaps the only Paradox title to have a good soundtrack.

 

[Malakal]

Victoria only with Revolutions. But still China is unplayable.

I'd nominate EUIII with all expansions. I spent most time with it and its awesome, expecially with mods.

Also You forget about EUII soundtrack, which too was awesome.

 

[Serious_Business]

Yes

the ultimate :monocle: game

 

[Muty]

Yep I would say EUIII with all the expansions and the newly released for heir to the throne magna mundi ultimate mod

 

[L'ennui]

I tried EUIII when it first came out and vomitted all over my keyboard at the fugly 3d graphics and lack of perceived improvements that would warrant playing that game over EUII with mods. I recently didn't remove from inventory Heir to the Throne and I have to say that the end product is much finer than the first version of EUIII I played. After a game as tiny Wallachia (Vlad the Impaler, fuck yeah!!!! But I still couldn't survive the Ottomans...) in which I reacquired the basics, I've been reinstating the Byzantine Empire to it's full fledged glory (well... trying to... the improved AI is one mean fucker in this one) and would say it beats Vicky (with and without revolutions.) Of course, they're rather complementary games.

Still wish they'd do a Crusader Kings 2.

 

[Takeda Kenshi]

Vicky 2 makes me incredibly moist in the pants. Can't wait for that fucker. Of course it will probably be a mess at launch, but given an expac or three it will be a monster.

 

[oscar]

Loved EU II with AGCEEP. So much rich historical detail and fully explored alternate history possibilities.

Hearts of Iron II had alot of potential but was far too easy (AI mainly) and I like the combat system with it's (correct) focus on speed and making encirclements. Could also do with some unit balancing.

Vic's economy is awesome but I can't say I like the tech system. Should be more invention based (similar to how your capitalists build railways and factories if the conditions are right). Though this would make the game feel even more hands-off.

 

[Monocause]

EU3 gets much better with the Magna Mundi mod, but vanilla sucks indeed.

 

[Muty]

Vanilla eu3 with a major power is retard easy. Just hoard units that take less then a month to build and wipe out everything from the map.

Also "You have been framed!"

 

[Pegultagol]

I'd have to agree EU 3 with all its expansions is a very addictive game. The options for diplomacy and war conditions have been revamped from what I've played so far, at normal difficulty; good to see major powers going head to head once in a while for a change.

 

[Monocause]

I got raped as Russia in EU3 with MM by a Poland-Lithuania-Sweden alliance. They declared war when I made a really stupid decision that dropped me to -3 stability. A civil war erupted couple of months later and Novgorodian rebels seceded from my empire. Stopped playing at that point but boy, was it fun. With MM playing as a great power poses some unique challenges and is quite difficult. Also the countries behave historically since it benefits them, I haven't seen any gibberish like France controlling half of Europe in the XVIth century. You get rewarded for historical decisions too by the mission system.

In vanilla EU3 the only trouble I had with England was the war with France at the very beginning. As soon as I started colonisation I steamrolled through whole of the western Europe and resigned in disgust.

You guys give EU3 another chance with the MM mod. Makes the game much better than EU2 with any mod I remember IMHO.

 

[YourConscience]

I hope some really rich guys notices EU3, Victoria and Crusader Kings, and in a fit throws enough money on paradox to hire some of the most active modders to create one engine which is dynamic enough to encompass all these games, slowly changing its game mechanics as the time progresses, moving from feudal system of CK to nations based of EU3, to industry and pop based of Victoria.

Well, one can dream, right?

Vanilla EU3 with all three expansions still has the problem of blobby large nations be end of the 15th century. In my current game as Ottomans there is a humongous Burgundy, which borders with Lithuania, which borders with the Ming empire. And everything south of that is my own self. Yes, there are a few small countries left still, but they are utterly insignificant.

It is fun to watch such a huge state to suddenly collapse into small bits and pieces and be eaten by the remaining superpowers. It even has a certain aesthetic aspect to it, watching it in fast-forward in the maximum zoom out.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Victoria is the best to begin with, and Victoria Improvement Project only makes it better.

 

[Panthera]

For the Glory is the best Europa Universalis engine game.

 

[Serious_Business]

Isn't For the Glory just EU2 with AGCEEP? I don't know what kind of bullshit they were trying to pull with this one. I tried it vaguely but it seemed like the same thing to me, albeit now you can play on the political map, great, but what the hell?

Anyway, you're wrong, Victoria is the best game. PERIOD. R00fles!

 

[Panthera]

Not really, it's EU2 with an updated engine that supports higher resolutions and has some of the interface improvements of EU3. It's also packaged with AGCEEP, which is how I play it.

Victoria is fantastic, it really is. It has so many great ideas and the terrain is just beautiful. It's a bit of a trainwreck for balance and gameplay though. I just don't think that Paradox has managed to put out a game that's better as a game than EU2.

 

[GarfunkeL]

It's like choosing between a blonde, brunette, redhead and a black haired girl. Why not have them all?