Best PDS game if you could only play one?

[BBBD316]

Vicky 2 with both expansions.

If it was still being supported it would be the best game by far. Very few countries that can't become at least a regional power and you don't even have to go to war if you don't want to with some countries.

Also dynamic tag changes are AWESOME!

 

[BarrosRodrigues]

HOI3 with all the expansions.

I 2nd that

 

[PhroX]

Another vote for Vicky 2. So much more variety and depth in how you can play it.

 

[Jorlaan]

One thing Victoria 2 has going for it that pretty much none of the others in the grand strategy series have, is that with many countries you can stay within your starting borders and still get considerably more powerful.
Pretty much all the major, medium and even some smaller nations from every continent can survive and prosper without having to go on a warpath.

 

[magitsu]

V2 AHD and HoD, preferrably with PDM.

The only one that has real "peace-game".
The only one where your soldiers aren't just numbers. When you lose them, you lose actual population. If you want to replenish soldiers, those come from people that could be doing other useful things. So it's "more personal" than other games.

Worst part is that the AI is more predictable / stale in the larger perspective than in say EU4. Little too much event-based railroading, though maybe more in PDM than in vanilla HoD.

 

[wolfing]

V2 AHD and HoD, preferrably with PDM.

The only one that has real "peace-game".
The only one where your soldiers aren't just numbers. When you lose them, you lose actual population. If you want to replenish soldiers, those come from people that could be doing other useful things. So it's "more personal" than other games.

Worst part is that the AI is more predictable / stale in the larger perspective than in say EU4. Little too much event-based railroading, though maybe more in PDM than in vanilla HoD.

Yes that's why I don't play with PDM, played with it once but I felt it railroaded the game too much. I felt like I was basically following the road the mod set out for you. I prefer flexibility over history accuracy.

 

[WeissRaben]

I have a lot of difficult picking between Victoria 2 and Crusader Kings 2. I think in terms purely of the base game, Victoria 2 is probably better, but CK2's modding scene is a lot stronger and offers endless replayability.

It's definitely not EU4, though, which is annoying because EU4 covers the timeframe I'm most interested in.

Did you steal my mind? Because that looks exactly like my mind.

 

[CrabHelmet]

Did you steal my mind? Because that looks exactly like my mind.

Looking at this thread, I don't think it's an uncommon opinion. Even going more widely, and looking at the 'attitude' of the CK2/V2/EU4/HoI forums, EU4 definitely seems to have the most discontent, V2 is happy but rather quiet, and CK2 is very lively.

It's a real shame about EU4, but I just feel like the very core of the gameplay is unenjoyable and that's not something you can easily fix. Monarch points are a terrible, terrible system; and if they represent the future of the EU series, I'm probably going to just stick to CK and V in the future.

 

[ramius3443]

Hoi3. I love all Paradox games, but nothing so captured my love and attention as propelling the Soviet Union to victory, not just over Germany, but the world!
(and then subsequently figuring out i could do that with Yugoslavia too)

 

[gnome109]

Hoi4?

 

[bussoloni]

crusader kings 2 Duh.

I have a lot of difficult picking between Victoria 2 and Crusader Kings 2. I think in terms purely of the base game, Victoria 2 is probably better, but CK2's modding scene is a lot stronger and offers endless replayability.

It's definitely not EU4, though, which is annoying because EU4 covers the timeframe I'm most interested in.

There is a Song of Ice And Fire mod on the steam workshop- The free citys and westros are done if you want a nice mod

 

[Raeheart_]

CK2. Long timeframe and expansive range of content allow me to do silly stuff with the Habsburgs forever. <3

 

[Maarten99]

Depends on what you want. If it's a pure grand strategy game, Victoria II is probably better. However, if you want something a little different, where the character you play as is as important (if not more) as the country, CKII is a great choice.

Really, no game had me as captivated as CKII. The drama that sometimes unfold before your eyes (getting murdered, and then discovering that your heir has done it) is worth much more in my eyes than all the features Vicky can offer you. It isn't about painting the map your color, or becoming a great power. Sometimes, all you want is to exterminate one family, because they killed your heir. And then they'll also hire some knifes, and before you know it's game over. At other times, you'll be a fiersome viking, having three affairs and five concubines, conquering kingdom after kingdom, until someone has enough of it and challenges you in a duel.

If only they'd make having friends in CK2 as interesting as having ennemies...

 

[Smitzer]

East vs. West...it could have been awesome.

 

[Sarius1997]

East vs. West...it could have been awesome.

Talking about this game isn´t the... best idea here...

 

[magritte2]

Depends on what you want. If it's a pure grand strategy game, Victoria II is probably better. However, if you want something a little different, where the character you play as is as important (if not more) as the country, CKII is a great choice.

Really, no game had me as captivated as CKII. The drama that sometimes unfold before your eyes (getting murdered, and then discovering that your heir has done it) is worth much more in my eyes than all the features Vicky can offer you. It isn't about painting the map your color, or becoming a great power. Sometimes, all you want is to exterminate one family, because they killed your heir. And then they'll also hire some knifes, and before you know it's game over. At other times, you'll be a fiersome viking, having three affairs and five concubines, conquering kingdom after kingdom, until someone has enough of it and challenges you in a duel.

If only they'd make having friends in CK2 as interesting as having ennemies...

This would be my view as well. Victoria 2 is a better strategy game but it's a rather abstract and bloodless exercise. CK2 is an RPG/Strategy hybrid.

 

[Dezz59]

Victoria 2 with Pops of Darkness mod.

+1, so close to perfection.

 

[Aleppo]

Eu4, and hope that game will be perfeсt in a short time

 

[Thanik]

Vicky 2 with both expansions.

This, and without any mod.

 

[artemis667]

Looking at this thread, I don't think it's an uncommon opinion. Even going more widely, and looking at the 'attitude' of the CK2/V2/EU4/HoI forums, EU4 definitely seems to have the most discontent, V2 is happy but rather quiet, and CK2 is very lively.

Just take that discontent with a pinch of salt. EU4 has, by a large margin, the most let's plays being posted on youtube now, both single player and multiplayer. It has a lot of people who are spending a lot of time playing, but not as much time posting on the forums. The gameplay is continuing to evolve, something which doesn't please everybody, but you can't do that in these genres anyway.
OTOH a game in which nobody is expressing discontent on forums? That's usually because nobody is playing it.