The Europa Universalis IV Thread

Ducksforcup

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Jan 5, 2006
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I like the 2nd picture. Interesting that Novgorod was around.

Novgorod used to always get crushed, but now I find that in least 40 percent of the games they manage to at least survive and do somewhat decently.

Venice now ALWAYS gets destroyed. Paradox needs to fix that for sure. Historically, they were a check on Ottoman power and they should be in the game as well.
 

Shrimper

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Feb 20, 2010
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Are there always big nations by the end of the game or does it change? Will see If I can buy this tonight.
 

DaveG

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Apr 7, 2003
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Are there always big nations by the end of the game or does it change? Will see If I can buy this tonight.

Always seems to be a few superpowers out there each time I play. Just that (with the exception of France and usually England) it tends to be different ones each time.

That said, I'm just playing a CK2 game with Byzantium that I plan on transferring over right now, so it's been a while since I even really delved in to EU4.
 

Ducksforcup

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Always seems to be a few superpowers out there each time I play. Just that (with the exception of France and usually England) it tends to be different ones each time.

That said, I'm just playing a CK2 game with Byzantium that I plan on transferring over right now, so it's been a while since I even really delved in to EU4.

Dave's right usually a few super powers start emerging and then the snowball gets underway. The map changes pretty dramatically from game to game though. I've seen games where Luneburg (a one province minor) took over all of Germany. You just never know what will happen. So, the game doesn't get repetitive.

Having said that, the game does have a "Lucky Nations" mechanic. These nations historically were power houses. To reflect that, certain countries get stat boosters to ensure they perform as well as their historical counterparts. So USUALLY these countries tend to do better (France, Austria, Britain etc).

This feature can be turned off or randomized, but I think it has to be set to historical for Iron Man games (for achievements, can't reload from earlier save).

Here is a post detailing that mechanic. http://www.eu4wiki.com/Luck
 
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Beef Invictus

Revolutionary Positivity
Dec 21, 2009
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Novgorod used to always get crushed, but now I find that in least 40 percent of the games they manage to at least survive and do somewhat decently.

Venice now ALWAYS gets destroyed. Paradox needs to fix that for sure. Historically, they were a check on Ottoman power and they should be in the game as well.

Yeah, Venice was a major Med player and economic force.
 

Teemu

Caffeine Free Since 1919
Dec 3, 2002
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Hours I've played:
CKII - 592
EUIII - 223
EUIV - 240
HOI III - 194
Vicky II - 307
 

DaveG

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Apr 7, 2003
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Dave's right usually a few super powers start emerging and then the snowball gets underway. The map changes pretty dramatically from game to game though. I've seen games where Luneburg (a one province minor) took over all of Germany. You just never know what will happen. So, the game doesn't get repetitive.

Having said that, the game does have a "Lucky Nations" mechanic. These nations historically were power houses. To reflect that, certain countries get stat boosters to ensure they perform as well as their historical counterparts. So USUALLY these countries tend to do better (France, Austria, Britain etc).

This feature can be turned off or randomized, but I think it has to be set to historical for Iron Man games (for achievements, can't reload from earlier save).

Here is a post detailing that mechanic. http://www.eu4wiki.com/Luck

I may start a quick (LOL ya right) Muscovy game tonight just to get a hang on some of the new mechanics that have been added since Common Sense. I played the piss out of it some time in March and basically had Muscovy stretching from the Baltic states to California and into the North American interior. Plus Australia.
 

ChaoticOrange

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I downloaded the demo and played through the tutorial. Started a demo game as Portugal and quickly found that despite playing the tutorial, I have no damn idea what I'm doing :laugh:

Lifelong Civ guy pretty much - how long of a learning curve would you say there is until a player is at least passable?
 
May 27, 2012
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I downloaded the demo and played through the tutorial. Started a demo game as Portugal and quickly found that despite playing the tutorial, I have no damn idea what I'm doing :laugh:

Lifelong Civ guy pretty much - how long of a learning curve would you say there is until a player is at least passable?

25-30 hours + maybe? Perhaps more. It took me quite a bit to get going when I started playing last year.
 

Ducksforcup

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I downloaded the demo and played through the tutorial. Started a demo game as Portugal and quickly found that despite playing the tutorial, I have no damn idea what I'm doing :laugh:

Lifelong Civ guy pretty much - how long of a learning curve would you say there is until a player is at least passable?

Hard to say...really the only way to learn is by playing. We all were awful when we first started playing.

I've said it before, but I am STILL learning about aspects of the game. I could spend hours on the EU4 wiki... :laugh:

For me I played through about 150-200 years of a campaign (which ended in total disaster), but it was illustrative in that it taught me how to play.

Your first game just start as Castile...they are extremely forgiving gameplay wise. You'll be making a lot of mistakes, but every mistake you make is a mistake you won't be making again and Castile is good enough where the player can overcome many such mistakes.

An EU4 session tends to last a long time lol. One more turn in Civ=one more year in EU4.
 
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MadArcand

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Dec 19, 2006
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I like the 2nd picture. Interesting that Novgorod was around.
Well, Novgorod and Hungary are my marches (Wales and Catalonia being mundane vassals and France and Netherlands the allies). So I think I made Muscovy release Novgorod then fed them Muscovy till it died the horrible fiery death it deserves.
 

MadArcand

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Hard to say...really the only way to learn is by playing. We all were awful when we first started playing.

I've said it before, but I am STILL learning about aspects of the game. I could spend hours on the EU4 wiki... :laugh:

As far as how long it takes to acquire enough knowledge to play the game, it really depends on the person. For me I played through about 150-200 years of a campaign (which ended in total disaster), but it was illustrative in that it taught me how to play. The first game just start as Castille...they are extremely forgiving gameplay wise. That sounds like a lot, but much like Civ an EU4 session tends to last a long time lol. One more turn in Civ=one more year in EU4.
The first game made me get crushed by Ottomans (I was Hungary). Like with CK2, I was extremely annoyed and disappointed by the first game, but it all changed once I actually learned what the hell am I doing.
 

Ducksforcup

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Jan 5, 2006
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Irvine, California
I may start a quick (LOL ya right) Muscovy game tonight just to get a hang on some of the new mechanics that have been added since Common Sense. I played the piss out of it some time in March and basically had Muscovy stretching from the Baltic states to California and into the North American interior. Plus Australia.

It took me a bit to learn but the changes are good. No more carpet siege is a godsend. I love the new fort system. The development system is great as well.

Is it worth 15 bucks...debatable, but since it is EU4 I bought it because I just have to lol.
 

Ducksforcup

Registered User
Jan 5, 2006
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Hours I've played:
CKII - 592
EUIII - 223
EUIV - 240
HOI III - 194
Vicky II - 307

Thread seems to be evenly divided between CK2 and EU4 fans.

If you CK2 fans feel left out, I encourage you guys to talk about it here as well. Or even make a new thread. Whatever you guys want. :) I can support any Paradox game! :yo:
 

Ducksforcup

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Jan 5, 2006
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The first game made me get crushed by Ottomans (I was Hungary). Like with CK2, I was extremely annoyed and disappointed by the first game, but it all changed once I actually learned what the hell am I doing.

You are bold!. Hungary is a HARD game for a first time player. I applaud your boldness. Although in recent times I think Paradox has done a good job in making Hungary a little more formidable.

What achievement are you going for next? My friend has been begging me to do a Prestor John run with him, so I'm thinking I'll do that. It sounds daunting though lol.
 

MadArcand

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Dec 19, 2006
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You are bold!. Hungary is a HARD game for a first time player. I applaud your boldness. Although in recent times I think Paradox has done a good job in making Hungary a little more formidable.

What achievement are you going for next?
It's a historical strategy, my first few games are inevitably going to be Hungary/France/Scotland. :laugh:

As for next achievement, either White Elephant (I pretty much did this in Land of Eastern Jade but the achievement didn't exist yet...) or maybe yet another stab at Dracula's Revenge.
 

DaveG

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It took me a bit to learn but the changes are good. No more carpet siege is a godsend. I love the new fort system. The development system is great as well.

Is it worth 15 bucks...debatable, but since it is EU4 I bought it because I just have to lol.

Yeah, it's bad to say but I may wait for it to go on steam sale again.

The fort system sounds interesting, but definitely adds more realism from the sounds of it IMHO.
 

Ducksforcup

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Jan 5, 2006
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Irvine, California
It's a historical strategy, my first few games are inevitably going to be Hungary/France/Scotland. :laugh:

As for next achievement, either White Elephant (I pretty much did this in Land of Eastern Jade but the achievement didn't exist yet...) or maybe yet another stab at Dracula's Revenge.

I've tried Dracula's Revenge...now that is a brutal achievement.

I think you just have to get lucky honestly. You just start out in such an atrocious position.
 

Shrimper

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Feb 20, 2010
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Asked if it is on sale as it is currently £34.99. Will read up on the Wiki and then decide tomorrow.
 

MadArcand

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Dec 19, 2006
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I've tried Dracula's Revenge...now that is a brutal achievement.

I think you just have to get lucky honestly. You just start out in such an atrocious position.
I have tried it twice. One was a quick fail. The other I had half the Balkans (most of Hungary and Serbia/Bosnia) and then I kinda misdeclared on Ottomans (I think either Poland, Austria or both didn't join for various reasons) and got steamrolled.

Ottomans are probably the most OP nation in the early game.
 

Ducksforcup

Registered User
Jan 5, 2006
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Irvine, California
Asked if it is on sale as it is currently £34.99. Will read up on the Wiki and then decide tomorrow.

The wiki is a great resource, but it doesn't replace the gaming experience.

I would try it out for the two hour period that Steam allows...make sure to time yourself. And then refund it if you hate it.

Or else just wait for sale periods. The game goes on sale pretty often on Steam.

@MadArcand

Ottomans along with the Commonwealth (super easy to form once you start as Poland) are easily the two best starting factions in the game in my view. Ottoman units are just so good in the beginning.
 

DaveG

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I've found Portugal remarkably easy to start with as well to get a hang on the economic aspects of things. Aside from maybe a small war early with Tlemcen and/or Morocco to gain some more trade power in the region, it's basically all colonization, exploration, diplomacy, and economy. There's quite literally no threats to Portugal in most any game since Castile/Spain basically never messes with you. So you can prettymuch colonize 2 of Africa, Brazil, and the Caribbean unopposed... all 3 if you're really lucky.
 

Shrimper

Trick or ruddy treat
Feb 20, 2010
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Found it on sale. It is the Digital Extreme edition. Are there any specific DLC's I should download or does it not matter?
 

DaveG

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Apr 7, 2003
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So after a bit of playing last night, I picked up on some of the changes rather easily. The decreased amount of buildings in a given region hurts but on the whole it's not a negative, just means I am going to have to prioritize what I want to build and where for my economy and production. The new siege metrics actually make things a LOT easier and faster, didn't anticipate that. Basically crushed Novgorod in 2 wars by having 2 armies. First one basically took out their army while it was still a factor while the other laid siege to one of their forts. Once their army was dealt with the other stack took on their other fort while my vassals basically played mop-up on any military they might build and laid siege quickly to any non-defended areas. Took about 2 years to completely blitz them whereas usually any war would be a prolonged 5-6 year affair in most of my other games. Made sure to take one of their two fortress regions in the peace deal to make the next war even faster.

Then I decided to take the Livonians Estonian territories and vasalize Riga while I was at it since they were allies at the start of the war. Was actually a bit of a longer war since they actually had more forts then Novgorod, but still an easy one.

Once I was done on mop-up there I was able to settle a few pesky Karelians that felt like revolting, and rebuild my manpower for one last push to take out Novgorod. Before 1500 now and I'm set to turn my eyes on Danzig (westernization once I hit Admin level 10), colonizing Siberia, and Kazan... who kicked the ever living **** out of the Golden Horde so this should actually be rather interesting.
 

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