CK2 simply the best ?

[Solitudian]

I think it's close, but not quite there. For me, it's:

1. Skyrim
2. Oblivion
3. CKII
4. Morrowind
5. The Sims 3

I guess it's evident I'm a pretty big Elder Scrolls fan. Heck, even my username indicates that ...

 

[Calad]

CK2 is definetly one of the best game in my life I had ever played. But like said the problem is that it is too easy and could be deeper. Holding realm together could be more dynamic if laws were more complicated and factions less silly.

 

[Otacon]

CKII is the only game from Paradox Dev Studio that I play at the moment, and I really love it. No time for EU III anymore. But that'll surely change with EU IV, i bet. Besides that, I still love Darkest Hour and will most likely play it forever, since I know of no current or future WW2 game that could replace it. But CKII definitely wins for grand strategy in the medieval era currently. The only other grand strategy I play regularly is Civ IV.

From play-time alone, though, my list for Paradox would look like this:

1. Hearts of Iron 2 / Arsenal of Democracy / Darkest Hour
2. Victoria / Victoria: Revolutions
3. Europa Universalis III
4. Crusader Kings II
5. Victoria II
6. Hearts of Iron III
7. Hearts of Iron I
8. Sengoku
9. EU Rome

 

[ZechsMerquise73]

CK2 is, in my opinion, the best strategy game of all time. Its easy to get into with a mass amount of variety. You can make your own stories, do whatever you want. Its very creative and inspirational. The fact that its a major time sink is both a pro and a con.

I rate games on what kind of emotional impact they have on me. In that category, CK2 does not rank. It is a game, not an experience. But as a game, purely for gameplay, it is one of the best. Tts more of a toy than a work of media. In that regard, no other game comes close. I don't think you can rank games like Final Fantasy 7, Braid, or To The Moon against it.

Its purely stupid to compare it to a first person shooter, a torture/gore porn game, or a racing game. They're apples and oranges.

 

[exin]

1. Crusader Kings 2 (In terms of Grand Strategy this simply offer the best experience I have ever had. It offer the widest variety of tactics to use to expand and play, plus I just can't get enough of it. It is the game I have been the most addicted to in the past 15 years. And this is not counting mods like Elder Kings of AGOT which are complete and awesome overhauls.)

2. Gothic 1, 2 & 3 (The series that made me love gaming, the first game I played was Gothic 1. And for that point in time, it simply dragged me in and made fall in love with the character, the setting, the way it handled things. Ever since these games I still can't play and finish linear games. Gothic spoiled me with its branching story mode. My heart literally broke when Arcania: A Gothic Tale came out, shame as it killed the series for me.)

3. The Witcher 1 & 2 (These games brought me so close to the Gothic Series. While different story, mechanics, everything, the feeling was the same. It made me enjoy RPGs once more, and Witcher 2 was absolutely beautiful both in visuals but even more in story.)

4. Neverwinter Nights (The Castle Management part was simply extremely fun, wish it had more of that. With more games had that feature done in similar and more expansive way. Dragon Age 1 DLC did it in the same way, but more limited, with less features.)

5. CK1, Vicky 1&2, EU 1,2,3 & Rome (Well, I honestly didn't like them as much as I did the previous games on this list, and all of them combined have not occupied my time like CK2 did.)

 

[unmerged(763915)]

1)Doom
2)Dawn of War
3)quake3
4)starcraft
5)dark souls
6)ck2
7)bg2
8)dragon age origins
9)bioshock
10)civ3

Yeah, I'm late to the Grand Strategy party.

 

[classicist]

For myself, CK2 really is up there at the very top, perhaps competing evenly with King of Dragon Pass (a true unsung masterpiece to which I wholly owe my allegiance), CK1, and both Baldur's Gates. Oh and CIV 2 and 3 of course, they were frankly quite formative. All this newer fancy-pansy 3D stuff is, sadly, nothing but glossy surface.

 

[enigmamcmxc]

My brother bought this game and only played it a bit, so I take it he couldn't get into it. He has barely broke into his teens and mostly plays HOI3 so I take it that he found the game to difficult or overwhelming (as a teen, he barely talks to me any more :laugh: ).

I noticed he had it, installed and have only played a little bit of it, but damn I love this game! It has quickly became my favorite paradox game, and I think it is to do with the more human level of the game (no faceless royal family and succession ala EU3, no faceless political system ala Vicky2).

 

[unmerged(751237)]

I have no clue about what my top ten is because I've played dozens of good games and enjoy a well-made game of almost every genre. What I do know, though, is that Oblivion is at the top and CK2 is definitely in the top 20 or 25.

 

[Morwys]

I understand why a lot of people think CK2 is the best strategy game of all time. I personally disagree, I think that title should go to Vicky 2.

 

[Slvrbuu]

Here's my list of favorite games with paradox included.

1) Neverwinter Nights 2
2) Mass Effect 2
3) Skyrim
4) Crusader Kings II.
5) Europa Universalis III
6) Football Manager 2013
7) Rome: Total War
8) Warcraft III
9) Victoria II
10) Sid Meier's Civ IV
11) X3
12) March of the Eagles.

 

[Teije]

Some interesting and diverse lists here... here's mine top in no particular order

Jagged Alliance 2 (the original, of course)
Baldurs Gate 2
Fallout 2
CK2
EUIII
Alpha Centauri (awesome, replayed it last year)
Civ 3 (enjoyed it more than Civ 4, which is also good)
HOMM 3 (best of the series I think)
Silent Storm (underrated I thought)
Might & Magic VII & VIII
Age of Wonders 2 (so well designed/balanced)
Space Rangers 2 (hilarious too)
And going way back... Ultima IV

Apparently I like "2"s...

 

[sreckom92]

Some interesting and diverse lists here... here's mine top in no particular order


Fallout 2


Apparently I like "2"s...

always like to see fellow post-apocaliptic fan
I prefer Fallout 1 to the second part though....

 

[Teije]

always like to see fellow post-apocaliptic fan
I prefer Fallout 1 to the second part though....

It was a tough call actually - I love them both. Replayed them too a couple years ago.

 

[Phibs]

2. Gothic 1, 2 & 3 (The series that made me love gaming, the first game I played was Gothic 1. And for that point in time, it simply dragged me in and made fall in love with the character, the setting, the way it handled things. Ever since these games I still can't play and finish linear games. Gothic spoiled me with its branching story mode. My heart literally broke when Arcania: A Gothic Tale came out, shame as it killed the series for me.)

*Obscene cussing barely identifyable as human speech* How could I forget Gothic on my list?!?!

+1.
It's a shame what they've done to the series. I dare say we'll never see another decent iteration.

 

[exin]

*Obscene cussing barely identifyable as human speech* How could I forget Gothic on my list?!?!

+1.
It's a shame what they've done to the series. I dare say we'll never see another descent iteration.

This is just like Santa Clause man. We know he ain't true, but we still believe the stories because in our hearts we hope that he is.

We know that there will never be another true Gothic game, but heck every time I think of it I still hope for another true Nameless Hero adventure.

 

[Phibs]

This is just like Santa Clause man. We know he ain't true, but we still believe the stories because in our hearts we hope that he is.

We know that there will never be another true Gothic game, but heck every time I think of it I still hope for another true Nameless Hero adventure.

I hear you.
I wonder how much nostalgia plays into it.
As far as I remember the series was never overwhelming in the graphics or ui/control mechanics department.

 

[Vordermark]

After reading the title I thought of the song 'You're the best around' from Karate Kid, the original not the recent jayden smith remake.

I think my 1100 hours logged playing this ck2 is a testament to how much I love it. Definitely my favourite game from 2012.

Top 10 games, aside from ck2, in no particular order.

Jak 2
Civ 3
Rome: Total War
Victoria 2
Galactic Civilizations 2
Making History 2
Eastside Hockey Manager 2007
SimCity 2000
Roller Coaster Tycoon
Football Manager 2012

 

[monsterfurby]

C'mon folks, let's not judge others' personal taste. For me, yeah, CK2 is way on top of the list. Only game that could keep my attention for more than 250 hours (or more than 100, for that matter), ever. Yes, I do have a very short attention span when it comes to games.

 

[unmerged(633987)]

CKII is truely one of my favorite games from Paradox Interactive (and all-time probably)

Not my "favorite ranking list" but the first 10 games coming into my mind:
1.) Hogs of War <--- best game ever! :rofl:
2.) Gothic (2)
3.) Victoria II
4.) SW:Battlefront 2
5.) Anno 1404
6.) TES:Oblivion
7.) Crusader Kings II
8.) Europa Universalis III (pretty sure IV also)
9.) Warcraft III
10.) Civ IV (many people like CivIII more, i took Civ IV because it was the first Civ i play'd )