ThoseDeafMutes
Member
For the last four years or so, one kind of game has taken up the majority of my gaming time. It's not the sort of game you can find on a console, and until relatively recently they have received nearly zero media attention. They are complicated, they are niche and they are highly addictive. They are "Grand Strategy games".
Crappy Image taken from random amazon bundle to avoid having to actually put all the covers together myself.
These games are generally all from one company located in Sweden called Paradox Interactive. The games include:
Each covers a different time period and has very different gameplay from each other. But they all have a lot of things in common, too.
Grand Strategy? Is that like Total War? Or Civilization?
No. It's not really one of the traditionally recognised genres and you could try to fit it under several existing labels if you really wanted to. They are "real time strategy" insofar as they have a ticking clock (not turn based) and are strategy games. They are not RTS in the same way Starcraft is an RTS, where you have real time tactics and base-building / simple economics.
They are sort of like Civilization in that they span very large time periods and feature the rise and fall of empires. But there are no turns. There is no directed research. There are no wonders. You do not found cities. Ghandi does not nuke you. They are sort of like Total War in that you have historically themed units, large armies and a strategic layer. But it is in another sense nothing like Total War because there is no tactical layer at all - combat is something you do not have direct control over, although you *do* heavily influence the outcome of a battle by controlling where it takes place, who is in charge of the armies, the technology and morale of your forces etc.
Who is it for? Why would I want to play something so lame?
While dissimilar to the games I mentioned for several reasons, there is a lot of overlap in the kind of person who enjoys painting the map your colour in Risk or Total War and the kind of person who would enjoy these games. If you ever found yourself getting mods for Civilization to make it more historically accurate or increase the complexity of the game, you might find that the itch you're trying to scratch is best satisfied with these games instead.
Different games will satisfy different urges.
Crusader Kings 2 is all about running a Dynasty, backstabbing medieval politics, navigating the power structures of countries (think Game of Thrones, except not shit like the actual GOT games), or being a motherfucking Viking. It spans (with expansion packs) something like 600-700 years, with various starting points of historical significance (1066, for instance). You can start as a lowly count or an established Emperor. Expand through political / diplomatic means or military force. Want to fend off the Muslim invaders and restore the Roman Empire? Can do. Want to get the Pope on your side and excommunicate your neighbour? Possible. Want to play as a small tribal kingdom in West Africa? Also possible. Be a Viking raider and carve out a Norse empire? You better believe it. For more modest aims, try starting as a count or duke and seizing the throne of France or becoming the new Holy Roman Emperor.
Crusader Kings II is the latest version of the series.
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Europa Universalis has you playing not as a character but as a country more abstractly. Less internal modeling of politics, more focus on exploration, colonisation, warfare etc. It covers the period from 1444 - 1821, from the late Renaissance to the modern period. The entire world is in the game, and you can play everything from European bishoprics to Japanese warlords and Native American tribes. Large European states are recommended to start off with the game, though!
Europa Universalis IV is the latest version of the series.
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Victoria is all about the Victorian era of history, starting in 1836 and ending in 1936. It models mass politics, revolution, trade, industrial production and so on to a deep level. It's all about the Great Powers carving up the world between them. It's the series I've played the least by far, but it's still good in its own right.
Victoria 2 (Heart of Darkness expansion) is the latest iteration of the series.
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Hearts of Iron is the most focussed game in the list. It spans 1936-1948, and is all about building up for and fighting World War II. Any country is playable, but most of the action happens in Europe and the Pacific. A game as Panama is not likely to be exciting. As a WWII game all about the war itself, it focusses on directed research, industry as it pertains to arms manufacturing and combat itself. You will have a full Order-of-Battle down to the Brigade/Regiment level. You will launch vast operations if you're playing one of the majors, handling logistics, supply, production and R&D to try and win for your faction (Axis, Allies, or Comintern).
Hearts of Iron 3 (Their Finest Hour expansion pack) is the latest iteration of the series.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What are people saying?
"Nordic peoples raped and stole from my ancestors, and I'm glad to see that Paradox Interactive are continuing this tradition with me."
Community threads
We have several ongoing threads on GAF including EU multiplayer sessions.
Paradox Grand Strategy OT
EU4 Multiplayer session
Why don't you join in? The steam sales are coming any day now, and there are always extensive discounts. We are happy to help if you're having trouble working out exactly what to buy, since there are approximately 1 billion DLC packages available for each game.
Crappy Image taken from random amazon bundle to avoid having to actually put all the covers together myself.
These games are generally all from one company located in Sweden called Paradox Interactive. The games include:
- Crusader Kings series
- Europa Universalis series
- Victoria series
- Hearts of Iron series
Each covers a different time period and has very different gameplay from each other. But they all have a lot of things in common, too.
Grand Strategy? Is that like Total War? Or Civilization?
No. It's not really one of the traditionally recognised genres and you could try to fit it under several existing labels if you really wanted to. They are "real time strategy" insofar as they have a ticking clock (not turn based) and are strategy games. They are not RTS in the same way Starcraft is an RTS, where you have real time tactics and base-building / simple economics.
They are sort of like Civilization in that they span very large time periods and feature the rise and fall of empires. But there are no turns. There is no directed research. There are no wonders. You do not found cities. Ghandi does not nuke you. They are sort of like Total War in that you have historically themed units, large armies and a strategic layer. But it is in another sense nothing like Total War because there is no tactical layer at all - combat is something you do not have direct control over, although you *do* heavily influence the outcome of a battle by controlling where it takes place, who is in charge of the armies, the technology and morale of your forces etc.
Who is it for? Why would I want to play something so lame?
While dissimilar to the games I mentioned for several reasons, there is a lot of overlap in the kind of person who enjoys painting the map your colour in Risk or Total War and the kind of person who would enjoy these games. If you ever found yourself getting mods for Civilization to make it more historically accurate or increase the complexity of the game, you might find that the itch you're trying to scratch is best satisfied with these games instead.
Different games will satisfy different urges.
Crusader Kings 2 is all about running a Dynasty, backstabbing medieval politics, navigating the power structures of countries (think Game of Thrones, except not shit like the actual GOT games), or being a motherfucking Viking. It spans (with expansion packs) something like 600-700 years, with various starting points of historical significance (1066, for instance). You can start as a lowly count or an established Emperor. Expand through political / diplomatic means or military force. Want to fend off the Muslim invaders and restore the Roman Empire? Can do. Want to get the Pope on your side and excommunicate your neighbour? Possible. Want to play as a small tribal kingdom in West Africa? Also possible. Be a Viking raider and carve out a Norse empire? You better believe it. For more modest aims, try starting as a count or duke and seizing the throne of France or becoming the new Holy Roman Emperor.
Crusader Kings II is the latest version of the series.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Europa Universalis has you playing not as a character but as a country more abstractly. Less internal modeling of politics, more focus on exploration, colonisation, warfare etc. It covers the period from 1444 - 1821, from the late Renaissance to the modern period. The entire world is in the game, and you can play everything from European bishoprics to Japanese warlords and Native American tribes. Large European states are recommended to start off with the game, though!
Europa Universalis IV is the latest version of the series.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Victoria is all about the Victorian era of history, starting in 1836 and ending in 1936. It models mass politics, revolution, trade, industrial production and so on to a deep level. It's all about the Great Powers carving up the world between them. It's the series I've played the least by far, but it's still good in its own right.
Victoria 2 (Heart of Darkness expansion) is the latest iteration of the series.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hearts of Iron is the most focussed game in the list. It spans 1936-1948, and is all about building up for and fighting World War II. Any country is playable, but most of the action happens in Europe and the Pacific. A game as Panama is not likely to be exciting. As a WWII game all about the war itself, it focusses on directed research, industry as it pertains to arms manufacturing and combat itself. You will have a full Order-of-Battle down to the Brigade/Regiment level. You will launch vast operations if you're playing one of the majors, handling logistics, supply, production and R&D to try and win for your faction (Axis, Allies, or Comintern).
Hearts of Iron 3 (Their Finest Hour expansion pack) is the latest iteration of the series.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What are people saying?
"Nordic peoples raped and stole from my ancestors, and I'm glad to see that Paradox Interactive are continuing this tradition with me."
Community threads
We have several ongoing threads on GAF including EU multiplayer sessions.
Paradox Grand Strategy OT
EU4 Multiplayer session
Why don't you join in? The steam sales are coming any day now, and there are always extensive discounts. We are happy to help if you're having trouble working out exactly what to buy, since there are approximately 1 billion DLC packages available for each game.
