Victoria II impressions.

[commie]

@ Malakal and Vaarna _Aarne

Thanks guys, those suggestions certainly helped out a lot. Am actually expanding a bit now!

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Yea, Laissez Faire and Planned Economy are easily the worst possible economic policies. Though at least Planned Economy can be debated, since the only downside is that you'll have to micro all your railroads, factories and shit.

I'm actually trying out Japan too. Got Meiji Restoration in 1860, and now I'm making preparations for the invasion of China. I made a save/load probe, and discovered that it just might turn out to be the most annoying shit ever (not hard though mind you), since the Chinese bugger your business with things like using blocks of 500 brigades for every province you take. Then again, that only serves to fuel my thirst for rape.

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

China has a ton of troops, but is super weak. My (new) CSA game is going well... have most of the USA except for New York, New Jersey, and DC, and have the Panama and Suez canals. Can't figure out how to get the necessary life rating low enough to start colonizing Africa, though.

 

[Erzherzog]

 

[Malakal]

China has a ton of troops, but is super weak. My (new) CSA game is going well... have most of the USA except for New York, New Jersey, and DC, and have the Panama and Suez canals. Can't figure out how to get the necessary life rating low enough to start colonizing Africa, though.

Colonization comes after three inventions:
One is from the culture techs, I believe it is Imperialism. So You can undertake the burden to civilize all those savages.
One is machine guns, since those savages do not *understand* that You bring them civilization.
Finally there is something from medical techs so Your soldiers bringing progress dont die so much.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

It's the Prosphyraxis Against Malaria invention from Medicine (-5% to life rating requirement).

The All Roads Lead To X event and minority events in general are some funny shit. Though I like the one where Yankees have to learn using a Southern accent at school the best.

 

[Fuck_The_Banks]

Anyone know when the patch is out?

As V-A pointed out, hit the economic problems in late 1870's with the world economy / POP needs. Also the retarded colonial migration / mega armies thing. Never personally had too much difficulty with the rebels though, nor any of my neighbours, bar Russia (bent on conquering the world),who had not fought repeated unsuccessful wars.

Still hold that this is one of the best Paradox games on release. All the problems seem to be in terms of balance / parameters, which are easily fixed.

*edit* Maybe the colonial mega armies are not so retarded. Just read this on the interweb about British Army in WW1

Four years of war saw conscription and Kitcheners call to arms placed 8,780,000 subjects of the British empire of all backgrounds into the khaki uniform of the Tommy. This figure includes more than a million and a half colonial troops drawn from all of the countries of the commonwealth. Particular mention should be given to India who provided 518,000 troops including ethnic Sikh, Pakistani Moslem, and Gurkhas regiments and to Australia who provided some 430,000 of their ‘diggers’ from down under. Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and Jamaica among others also formed sizable national forces that were sent to fight the enemies of Britain complete with indigenous uniforms and commanded by their own officers as part of the empires army.

Read more at Suite101: The British Army in 1914: World War One's Professional Fighting Force. http://www.suite101.com/content/the-bri ... z0yYBcLrFU

 

[Malakal]

True, British Empire did mobilize millions from their colonies. But they were not used in Europe (well some were but not much compared to British boys). Maybe they should implement a new type of regiment - colonial militia.

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

The mobilization is one balance problem, but the other is India's ridiculous industrialization. Although in my game, a USA that's left with only a few states has surpassed them in economic power. I got fucked as the CSA and have had to deal with Socialists for the past 15 years in my government.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

India doesn't start off as colonial provinces, I take? I mean, I've never managed to turn a place like Egypt into states of any sort when I played as Two Sicilies, even after 40 years of ownership.

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

I don't think it starts as a state, but I think the problem is with the culture. Something like their culture assimilates ridiculously quickly, which brings them into statehood also very quickly.

Just finished my first full game... CSA #1 world power, but I had the socialists in power almost the whole game, which sucks ass. Still... conquered all of the USA and Mexico, and had most of Central Africa, as well as the Suez and Panama canals... very fun game. There are some bugs and balance issues, but this game is really great.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

I take it there was no industrial India?

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

There was, Britain's industry was ridiculous (like 13k or something?) while mine was at like 1.5k. They also had 1300 regiments fielded. For some reason my military score was way higher, though. Maybe it was because I had fleet of 80some odd Dreadnoughts or something.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

The British AI uses a balanced approach to technology, which is why their military is always slightly behind.

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

Odd though that it was way behind. Admittedly my military score was like 12k or something, but Britain's was like 1.4k while having over 1000 brigades. I almost wish I had started a war with them (other than white peacing a few "Cut down to size" wars they declared on me). CSA occupying London would have been nice.

 

[Hoaxmetal]

Game won't even start for me, damnit

 

[L'ennui]

Is there a way to declare your independence as a satellite state? I briefly looked at the options in the diplomatic screen, couldn't find any and didn't have much more time to play the game.

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

Eh, Diplomacy is really barebones right now. The only way to stop being in an SOI is to become a great power yourself, I believe. That's normally not too hard to do, especially if you research military techs (don't waste too much on the culture techs: They give a nice prestige boost but most of them aren't very useful beyond that). If you're Uncivilized, though, you have to civilize before you can become a Great Power (even if your score is high enough).

 

[Annonchinil]

Is the combat in general a game of whack-a-mole or is it actually good?

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

Eh.... Okay, right now in the vanilla game you will get rebellions that will spawn 1-3 regiments in every single territory you own. That really sucks. There are some minor mods and tweaks out to help fix it, but that's something that will definitely be handled in the patch. Post 1880 or so it gets really tedious. Battles are okay up until everyone gets machine guns. Then the lethality is just taken out of it. Battles can take months and at the end you find out you've given 2000 casualties on a stack of 42k. Also annoying, and also makes post 1880 kind of annoying (gets better with tanks and other techs that improve attack, but still somewhat annoying).

There are plenty of things that need to be ironed out and fixed, but I'd still say it's worth playing right now. From what I understand this is probably the best Paradox release ever (as far as day 1 quality), but it does need patching.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Pelleon's combat rebalance does fix the combat quite a bit. It was as simple as dropping Military Tactics gains to a quarter, adding +10 attack to Machine Guns, and doubling Artillery tech attack gains.

EDIT: Though if you ask me, they should move more towards a HoI style of combat, so overall movement matters more than stack size and superior technology. The way wars are now, it's just a matter of superior technology or outlasting your opponents stack capacity.

 

[Malakal]

You mean just as it was in WWI? Verdun anyone? Besides the game is all about economy and industrialization not war. Its natural that advanced weapons win wars.

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

Pelleon's combat rebalance does fix the combat quite a bit. It was as simple as dropping Military Tactics gains to a quarter, adding +10 attack to Machine Guns, and doubling Artillery tech attack gains.

EDIT: Though if you ask me, they should move more towards a HoI style of combat, so overall movement matters more than stack size and superior technology. The way wars are now, it's just a matter of superior technology or outlasting your opponents stack capacity.

There are a few "gamey" ways to win wars right now. The AI tends towards doomstacks, and since machine guns make the game absurd, have a small stack defend against a doomstack in good terrain/good leader/high level fort and the battle will take months. Tie up all the doom stacks and send a few cavalry around to occupy all of their provinces, they'll cave while the battle still rages, you win the war without winning any battles. But yeah, that's not strategy as much as abusing game mechanics.

 

[Malakal]

I prefer to simply wipe my enemies in glorious battles, however long they take (or use a mod). I like the fact that battles easily give warscore now and there is no longer need to occupy hundreds of provinces. Unless You aim for something bug, but thats arre seeing as babdoy limits are severe.

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

After a certain point your military score is so high no one will fuck with you because of your BB limit. As CSA My BB was over 300 at the end. Since I couldn't take more than one or two provinces from the USA, I'd DOW, Take one or two provinces, truce, DOW right after I moved my troops out. A bit gamey, sure, but when my warscore was 13k and UK was second with 3k, I had nothing to worry about.