im new to vic and i haven’t the slightest as to which nation i should use for my first play through
Nations to pick as a beginner
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Just bought the game on sale, tips for a beginner?
Starting out advice
Lack of Good Starting Nations?
Which of these nations should i play as when i buy the game?
Read through these threads where your question has been asked before. Come back here if you need to ask questions, though, so that we stay on a current thread.
I just got off work and being lazy.
Starting out advice
Lack of Good Starting Nations?
Which of these nations should i play as when i buy the game?
Read through these threads where your question has been asked before. Come back here if you need to ask questions, though, so that we stay on a current thread.
I just got off work and being lazy.
Get to know the game, and then download the pop demand mod. It makes the game so much better that you never go back to vanilla
My recommendation is Serbia:
Slow start, giving you time to get used to the mechanics
Russia is always there to help you if Austria starts feeling cheeky
Lets you experiment with various mechanics, like crises
Has a clear goal in forming Yugoslavia
Is overall quite fun once you get going
Slow start, giving you time to get used to the mechanics
Russia is always there to help you if Austria starts feeling cheeky
Lets you experiment with various mechanics, like crises
Has a clear goal in forming Yugoslavia
Is overall quite fun once you get going
It improves many areas in the game.
http://popdemandmod.wikia.com/wiki/Pop_Demand_Mod_Wiki
This is the wiki. You can read all about it there. And here is the thread to download: https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/pod-3-06-final-download-thread.744962/
You'll realise soon enough that Vicky2 is not so complex after all. Once you get to know things, PDM will be the only mod you'll enjoy in Vicky2
Historical Flavour mod, basically HPM but with a lot more Flavour. Great mod!
It's been a long time since i played Victoria and i missed that. I'll definitely try that. Thanks!
I wouldn't recommend a new player starting already with a modded Victoria 2. I think it's better to learn vanilla first. Then try out some mods. It's not like Victoria 2 is a broken game which is only playable with mods.
And, to answer your question, I would recommend Belgium. They are small, so you won't be overwhelmed when you open your population screen, and you can get a Great Power to save your ass if you need.
Playing with Belgium you get a grasp on how industrialization works.
After I suggest playing Prussia to fiddle with Spheres of Influence.
Or, instead of Prussia, you can choose a secondary power like Brazil to understand how to industrialize in the first place. (it's easier after playing with Belgium, which already starts with industry)
And, to answer your question, I would recommend Belgium. They are small, so you won't be overwhelmed when you open your population screen, and you can get a Great Power to save your ass if you need.
Playing with Belgium you get a grasp on how industrialization works.
After I suggest playing Prussia to fiddle with Spheres of Influence.
Or, instead of Prussia, you can choose a secondary power like Brazil to understand how to industrialize in the first place. (it's easier after playing with Belgium, which already starts with industry)
Brazil can be a decent tutorial nation. It gives you a chance to learn how to balance a budget and start increasing Administration and Education, while being relatively safe from the big states in Europe. Essentially it's the biggest fish in a small pond. Ultimately, the lack of coal and metals will hamper growth, but it should still have enough potential to reach GP status without them.
Prussia is indeed the way to learn about Spheres of Influence, as their game is all about sphering the pieces needed to form the North German Federation, and ultimately Germany. It's a bit of a "sink or swim" experience, but definitely gives you a taste of all of the tools required. The ramifications of a two or three front war mean that you want to keep France from allying with Austria and/or Russia against you, if possible, or at least need to ally one of them to counterbalance the other two. Highly recommended as a second game, once you learn the basics.
As said, Belgium is another good start, only a stone's throw shy of GP status and with all the tools to achieve it, but the Netherlands WILL want to re-annex you, so you'll need to ally with at least one or two big nations for self-preservation. Beware of being too dependent on an alliance with the UK, as they are notorious for dishonoring alliances and leaving you hanging.
I strongly agree with marcelodcs: don't add mods until you're familiar enough with the base game to understand what the mods do, and can make an informed decision about what to add or change.
Prussia is indeed the way to learn about Spheres of Influence, as their game is all about sphering the pieces needed to form the North German Federation, and ultimately Germany. It's a bit of a "sink or swim" experience, but definitely gives you a taste of all of the tools required. The ramifications of a two or three front war mean that you want to keep France from allying with Austria and/or Russia against you, if possible, or at least need to ally one of them to counterbalance the other two. Highly recommended as a second game, once you learn the basics.
As said, Belgium is another good start, only a stone's throw shy of GP status and with all the tools to achieve it, but the Netherlands WILL want to re-annex you, so you'll need to ally with at least one or two big nations for self-preservation. Beware of being too dependent on an alliance with the UK, as they are notorious for dishonoring alliances and leaving you hanging.
I strongly agree with marcelodcs: don't add mods until you're familiar enough with the base game to understand what the mods do, and can make an informed decision about what to add or change.
I've always felt that the Boer nations (Transvaal and the OFS) would be quite fun to play as, as, but I can never get started. Does anyone have any ideas as to which one would be better/how to reconquer the Cape?
Promote soldiers, attack the other Cape nation, cheese and attack Sokoto or Ethiopia, build up troops and attack Zulu, then wait patiently to attack UK when it is weakest
Thanks, I'll try that. Any idea on which of the two is easier to start as? Oranje borders Britain and Transvaal borders Portugal. I think Transvaal may have a large army/economy but I'm not sure.
Given how both nations start with 1 division, you should go with Transvaal, since it has far more provinces in its one state, making the war easier. Then actually attack Zulu, then Madagascar or Portugese Mozambique if France sphered the former
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Sardinia-Piedmont and Two Sicilies are good choices, too, as they are large enough in their area not to be inconsequential, and they don't have to become big by themselves. If you care to become Italy eventually, choose Sardinia-Piedmont; if you choose to fight Italy eventually and win, choose Two Sicilies.
Basically this.
I tried playing first with Belgium (as many people says it's easier) however my luck sucks because Netherlands always allied with Prussia or Russia, while I had United Kingdom by my side but th war always finished in status quo as British weren't able to press enough the rusians or prussians. So, after several annoying attempts I decided to play with Two Sicilies.
I started without wanting to be Italy, I just wanted to have an interesting game. After some wars, I eventually fought against Austria and the ottomans, pretty scary but with some lure traps I was able to get a good warscore and enforce status quo peace.You start kinda slow, the whole peninsula is the playground for great powers, literacy isn't great and your economy is pretty much agrarian based.
But, making things right, I was able to achieve Great Power status, through some wars and acquiring some colonies, I took the Sinai to build the Suez channel when I had the chance.
It was 1872, almost all of the italian states were in my sphere and suddenly Parma was overthrown by Garibaldi, suddenly, they offered me the italian crown! (Not bad huh?)
Anyways, try Two Sicilies, the game is quite interesting and while it doesn't start with industries, it's quite easy to start modernizing the country and forming Italy may be a goal if you are ambicious, it's 1915 and slowly I've been chewing off the italian cores owned by Austria.
Good luck
One of the great things about Two Sicilies is that you start with a strong military, so you can start taking things over quickly, and you're right in the middle of the Mediterranean, so you've got excellent access to lots of locations. However, you are agrarian and you'll stay agrarian longer than a northern European power, so affording the military will be tough. Use them fast!
One of my first moves as Two Sicilies is to conquer Sardinia (just the island). They're South Italian, like you, so it's extra pops of your culture immediately, and they have more sulfur, which will come in handy when you industrialize. Egypt is an excellent second target if France or the Ottomans don't want you in Tunis. (Carving up Egypt is a great bonding activity with the Ottomans). Also, because of your position, it's incredibly easy to become a great naval power without really trying.
As Sardinia-Piedmont, you have coal up in Savoy, and a natural friend in France (who will sphere you quickly). Compared to Sicily's agrarian militancy, Piedmont has an easier time industrializing and requires less of a military presence. Also, a note about Italy: if there is no Great Power among the Italian minors, Garibaldi will offer Italy to Sardinia-Piedmont. If there is a Great Power, then Italy will go to the Great Power half the time, and to Piedmont the other half. That means you're pretty much guaranteed to be eventually handed Italy as Sardinia-Piedmont. That means you've got a leg up on African expansion because there's less to look into in European expansion.
One of my first moves as Two Sicilies is to conquer Sardinia (just the island). They're South Italian, like you, so it's extra pops of your culture immediately, and they have more sulfur, which will come in handy when you industrialize. Egypt is an excellent second target if France or the Ottomans don't want you in Tunis. (Carving up Egypt is a great bonding activity with the Ottomans). Also, because of your position, it's incredibly easy to become a great naval power without really trying.
As Sardinia-Piedmont, you have coal up in Savoy, and a natural friend in France (who will sphere you quickly). Compared to Sicily's agrarian militancy, Piedmont has an easier time industrializing and requires less of a military presence. Also, a note about Italy: if there is no Great Power among the Italian minors, Garibaldi will offer Italy to Sardinia-Piedmont. If there is a Great Power, then Italy will go to the Great Power half the time, and to Piedmont the other half. That means you're pretty much guaranteed to be eventually handed Italy as Sardinia-Piedmont. That means you've got a leg up on African expansion because there's less to look into in European expansion.
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