Article at IGN

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http://pc.ign.com/articles/111/1112332p1.html

 

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"-- Never get involved in a land war in Russia. "

best tip ever

 

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Victoria 2 Developer Tips
9 things every industrial ruler should know.

Imagine a game of Risk where you not only expand your territory through war, but also manage the economy, master diplomacy, oversee a navy, keep your citizens happy, and everything else in between. If that sounds complex, that's because it is. Victoria 2 is an incredibly deep geo-political strategy game that lets you guide one of 200 countries into the industrial age.

The sequel to the 2003 title boasts a streamlined interface and automated tasks to make life easier for would-be despots. Need more? You're in luck since we asked the developers, Paradox Interactive, to share some juicy tips to navigating the grand epic that is Victoria 2. Hurray!

Before we get to those nuggets of wisdom, we highly recommend you start with the game's tutorial. It walks you through a total of 25 basic, medium, and advanced concepts and actions. These mini-guides play out fairly quickly and get you acquainted with the many on-screen controls that will be critical to your success.

Now, on to the developer tips:

--The ledger is your friend. In the ledger, you will find detailed information on the state of your nation that is not necessarily available through other interfaces. Information and proper intelligence are the building blocks of sound policy.

-- It's the economy, stupid. Without a sound economy, your country isn't going anywhere. Look for opportunities, and always strive to increase your industrial base. Use your national focuses to promote capitalists, and if your capitalists aren't doing it for you, consider appointing a ruling party that allows you to build factories yourself. A state-capitalist or planned economy party can be a great way of kick-starting an economy, but when the industrial base is in place you might want to switch to something less inefficient.

-- Don't disregard politics! War is only the continuation of politics by other means. As a Great Power, it might be more efficient to control a minor country through your diplomatic influence than through force of arms.

-- If you are a Great Power, try to keep the others in check. Another Great Power expanding might put them in a better position in the event of a future war so intervening simply to protect the independence of minors can be extremely profitable in the long term. Plus, winning wars gives you prestige! 



-- The world is a big place. If no opportunities present themselves in your immediate vicinity, try looking further afield. After all, who says Japan doesn't have legitimate interests to protect in South America? Perhaps there is some far off war that you can meddle in to gain a good ally in the region?

-- Your population will be upset with your autocratic rule if you keep switching parties every other year. Appoint one you like, and stick to it. Elections can be a good opportunity to campaign for a new one without upsetting your loyal subjects too much.

-- Choose your allies wisely. An alliance with a powerful country might feel good, and can certainly be a blessing in the event of war, but it can also get you dragged into wars that you don't want to fight. Dishonoring alliances hurts your prestige, so avoid allies that you don't intend to stand by. Cancel bad alliances before someone holds you to them.

--Don't be too afraid of declaring a war without justification. Your nation's infamy will naturally drain over time, but if you do not have any infamy to lose, that drain will simply go to waste. Having a couple of points at all time is actually a sound idea, but beware of the extra attention other nation's will pay you. You may not want it.

-- Never get involved in a land war in Russia.

Victoria 2 is available now for the PC. Try out the Victoria 2 demo here.