Europa Universalis (PC)

[Julius Seeker]

Picked the game up for 99 cents. I have NO idea how such a great game ended up in the bargain bin at the Bargain Shop, but I am quite happy to have found it. After a few hours play I can say that this is probably the next best strategy game I have played besides Civilization 4.

It is similar to risk with 1500 territories and 90 different nations, except things move in real time (yeah, conquering the world isn't as easy as it is in Civilization 4). You build your armies, develop your economy, trade, conquer lands, win lands to your control through treaties. You can even have your King marry off children to other nations to secure Alliances or other good relations; and when your own King/queen dies, the next member in line will replace them as Monarch. You can send out settlers to different lands, explore, and there is just a ton of stuff to do. The one downside to new players is that there is so much to learn that it'll take a few hours to even get the basics down (it doesn't help that no instructions come with the bargain version). With all the politics and factions and stuff, the ability to conquer the world is as difficult as it would be in real life, whereas in Civilization it happens in about half the games.

Yes, you do research technology and all of that stuff too.

[Don]

I bought the game when it first came out and don't think it was great, but for 99 cents it's not a bad deal.

There's also a Europa Universalis 2 out there somewhere I think.

[Julius Seeker]

I bought the game when it first came out and don't think it was great

Well, it doesn't have advanced graphics (it's the same level as Civilization II), but it they are as good as they need to be. It also is a game where the focus is primarilly political rather than militaristic. This is certainly not for most people. There is just incredible depth that I am finding in this game, much more than any other strategy game I have ever played. Unlike Civilization that has only a few goals, this one has hundreds of things you can do, it's not about world conquest (I am sure it's possible in the grand campaign, but it's not expected), it's about being the best nation. I especially like the idea of securing Royal marriages that can lead to a dynastic change later on. I also really like the territory system, and the idea of having hundreds of historical figures

I am finding the learning curve (especially with no instruction booklet) to be quite large. Though I have the basics down now, I am still finding it difficult to achieve much. It seems like it's a game that will require a few playthroughs to get a good strategy down.

I am not sure how many others here would like this game, but personally speaking, it has a LOT of features that I have always wanted to see in a strategy game. So I am in love with it =)

[Julius Seeker]

Hahaha, I am loving this game, though it is not one I would recommend to anyone unless they were incredibly interested in history, particularly European history during the time period of 1492 until the French Revolution.

Summary of the game so far. As the world is in 1492: The entire Christian world is Catholic at this time, and the Holy Roman Empire is ruled by the Austrian Emperor. Within the Holy Roman Empire are many different smaller states (Saxony, Hannover, etc..). I managed to secure a large number of Royal Marriages, and I got lucky and inherited the Kingdom of Brandenburg. After which I declared war against Scotland, sending my entire military might in England North to fight them, after conquering all of their territories I annexed them (a nation can only be annexed if all of their territories are conquered, otherwise a treaty can be signed for a maximum of three territories; nations such as France or Spain with dozens of territories would be extremely difficult to conquer).

As time went on, I received the explorer units which I needed to explore North America. I converted to Protestantism (which caused ENORMOUS problems for me early on, since the entire Catholic world hated me and broke all of their treaties, needless to say my Empire was upset, and revolts were breaking out everywhere. In order to fix this, I invested all of my monthly income into "stability" which eventually got rid of the revolt problem). I began colonizing North America in the North East, particularly building up Halifax Nova Scotia into a city, colonizing all around the great lakes, the Gulph of St. Lawrence, and down to New York.

Many other nations in Europe began converting to Protestantism, and I began securing massive alliances and Royal marriages throughout Germany once more. Sweden broke free of its vassalage to Denmark, and I quickly established relations. Most significantly was Bohemia (Czechs) breaking free from Austria after their protestant reformation; The Catholic Holy Roman Emperor of Austria declared war, I quickly moved in sending Bohemia lots of gold improving relationships drastically. Eventually I managed to bring them in as vassals to my Empire which cancelled Austria's war relation against them. War would eventually break out again, Austria who was much more powerful began to move in, but I got to Bohemia first, and since they had been my vassals for long enough, agreed to be annexed into my Empire.

So currently my Empire stands as being North-Eastern North America (The New England States, Southern Ontario, Southern Quebec, and the maritime provinces), the entirety of the British Isles, Bohemia and Brandenburg. I also lead an Alliance of 4 independent German nationstates and the Netherlands. The year is 1554, I do not think the English were doing this well historically by this point in time =)

Right now all of the other major European powers are busying themselves with a massive war against the Turkish Empire and its allies. I am currently working to unify many of the smaller Protestant powers. My goal is, of course, to take control of the rest of Germany putting half of my extra resources into economy development in England and the North American Colonies, and attempt to take control of the markets throughout Europe, the second half into military buildings and technology within my German territories. Next is to take my Alliance and use it against the major Catholic powers of Europe, when we are ready to face them.

[kali o.]

I haven't played the game in a while (though I am 99% I burned it and have it somewhere). Maybe I'll give it another go.

However, I have heard enormously good things about Galactic Civilizations II. I intend to install it sometime this week and give it some attention.

Honestly, heard TONS of praise for GCII (the only complaint being bugs, solved by the update).

[Julius Seeker]

I have heard a lot of praise for Galactic Civilizations II as well. I'm more than likely going to be getting it within the next week (holding off because I threw the name out as a game I want and don't own, and my birthday is this week). So that will probably be the next strategy game I'll be talking about. Paradox just might end up being my favourite Strategy game publisher.

It took me a little while, but I finally have the gameplay and strategy in Europa Universalis down completely (I found the instruction booklet on as a PDF file, it came with the game. I should look for these things more closely). I'm playing on the easiest difficulty (the longest scenario, the grand campaign which spans the entire history of the game's timeframe) so I totally expect to win this one now that I have the game learned. My thoughts on the game right now is that even though it is limited to just the map of Earth (unlike Civilization), the map is so vast, and the number of possibilities are so vast (especially with the ability to alter the game rules using the rules text file like with Civilization 2) that this game will certainly have hundreds of hours to offer (which is all I need). Not bad for 99 cents =)

On the game itself (sorry, I like writing about it because it's a lot of fun to play):

What I have accomplished: It's around 1600, the turn of the century, I've expanded my growing German Empire by vassalizing and politically annexing four more Independent German States: Hessen, Saxony, Hannover, and Palatinate. I have expanded the population of North America significantly expanding most of my colonies to "City level" and expanding a few of those cities to large sizes .


What I plan for the near future: Spain has allies throughout the Catholic German States (including, Baden, the Teutonic Order, and Cologne), and I have a permanent Casus Belli (reason for war; these are required to declare war without having your national stability rating fall) against them. Spain also owns a significant number of territories between the Holy Roman Empire and France, I intend to take a few of those as well, at least enough to give me a good window into France for later. Spain will have a lot of power behind them, with those three German States allied to them, and they also have an Alliance with Portugal. I have my borders quite well defended at this point, all that remains is to finish up my fortress upgrades and to build a few more troops. My Alliance consists of England (also owns most of Germany and Eastern North America), Sweden (also owns Finland), Denmark (who also controls Norway and Iceland/Greenland), and the Netherlands (who are my largest rivals for expansion in North America, they are settles all throughout Quebec/Newfoundland/Labrador). My goal at this point is to not only unify Germany, but also to expand the German borders. My only worry right now is that my fleet might not be strong enough to repel the Portugese and Spanish fleets from a possible invasion of (poorly defended) England or North America, one major reason why I wisely chose Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands as allies, those nations each have very powerful fleets to add to mine.