Does anyone still play EUIII? Maybe even prefers it over EUIV?

[awesomenessofme]

Im not sure that is a good thing - conquering the world should be impossible, it did not happen in real life after all. EU3, and almost every Paradox game, as a historical simulator fails because they are far too easy. Surviving as Frankfurt should be a challenge, as it is ruling the world as Frankfurt is relatively easy.

True enough, I suppose, but EUIV goes the wrong direction. It's not really challenging to conquer the world, from a tactical standpoint, you just have to figure out how to exploit broken, arbitrary game mechanics.
As for the unhistoricity... Well, it's not that impossible that had, for example, GB, begun its expansionism early and kept hold of their American colonies, they would have hit a "point of no return" where all of Europe couldn't stop them, or if Naploleon had beaten back the coalition, he could have kept going to the world. Not the same level as Frankfurt, but most players definitely couldn't WC with them.

 

[awesomenessofme]

But for the record, as crappy as my speed is, EUIV has incredible music. I would say better than EU3.

 

[blsteen]

Still Eu3, I have 4 but haven't played it at all. 3 is what I'm used to with my own mod but I'll get to using 4 eventually

 

[cacra]

True enough, I suppose, but EUIV goes the wrong direction. It's not really challenging to conquer the world, from a tactical standpoint, you just have to figure out how to exploit broken, arbitrary game mechanics.
As for the unhistoricity... Well, it's not that impossible that had, for example, GB, begun its expansionism early and kept hold of their American colonies, they would have hit a "point of no return" where all of Europe couldn't stop them, or if Naploleon had beaten back the coalition, he could have kept going to the world. Not the same level as Frankfurt, but most players definitely couldn't WC with them.

Britain was a laissez-faire nation committed to trade, the annexation of colonies was not desired by government and was often the result of individual actions. Owning the world is simply not profitable, it is far more lucrative to trade to the world and skip on expensive administration fees - the fact that EU3/4 negates this fact is a major flaw.

Napoleon also frequently set up semi-independent states instead of outright annexation.

 

[awesomenessofme]

Britain was a laissez-faire nation committed to trade, the annexation of colonies was not desired by government and was often the result of individual actions. Owning the world is simply not profitable, it is far more lucrative to trade to the world and skip on expensive administration fees - the fact that EU3/4 negates this fact is a major flaw.

Napoleon also frequently set up semi-independent states instead of outright annexation.

I don't really define "WC" as "owning every province in the game", but rather controlling all territory, so Napoleon could fit. As for GB... well, it is alternate history. Something as simple as a different monarch or political party being in power could have caused the British Empire to use its industry and population to start conquering.

 

[UniversalWolf]

Still playing EU3. I've no plans to get EU4, and I wouldn't have even if I didn't consider Steam a poison pill.

 

[1anrs]

Still playing EU3. I've no plans to get EU4, and I wouldn't have even if I didn't consider Steam a poison pill.

Yes, I'll be stuck with the games I currently have as I don't want to use Steam either. Just as well I am not that intense a player and get bored easily...

 

[cotwell]

Napoleon also frequently set up semi-independent states instead of outright annexation.

But EU4 does this for you - whether you like it or not (at least in the new world...)

 

[cotwell]

But for the record, as crappy as my speed is, EUIV has incredible music. I would say better than EU3.

I like the music in eu4 too. But I still like eu3 way better as a game. As a matter of fact, the music is the ONLY thing I like better in 4.

 

[cacra]

But EU4 does this for you - whether you like it or not (at least in the new world...)

The new world was the place where European governments became more oppressive, not less. Trade companies only played a minor role in the development of overseas colonies - when they were important, they were almost always directly controlled by the government.

Creating semi-independent states overseas is ridiculous.

 

[cacra]

I don't really define "WC" as "owning every province in the game", but rather controlling all territory, so Napoleon could fit. As for GB... well, it is alternate history. Something as simple as a different monarch or political party being in power could have caused the British Empire to use its industry and population to start conquering.

The moment Britain started taking huge swathes of territory, it would become uncompetitive and collapse. It is no coincidence that the rapid expansion of the empire coincides with the rapid relative decline of Britain's industry - the taxes needed to fund such a empire need to come from somewhere.

Napoleon got to Moscow and realised he was ridiculously overextended, such over-extension lead to the Louisiana purchase and the numerous truces agreed with the coalitions.

Alternative history is one thing, fantasy another.

 

[awesomenessofme]

The moment Britain started taking huge swathes of territory, it would become uncompetitive and collapse. It is no coincidence that the rapid expansion of the empire coincides with the rapid relative decline of Britain's industry - the taxes needed to fund such a empire need to come from somewhere.

Napoleon got to Moscow and realised he was ridiculously overextended, such over-extension lead to the Louisiana purchase and the numerous truces agreed with the coalitions.

Alternative history is one thing, fantasy another.

Okay, I think I've been explaining this wrong. My problem isn't that WC is harder in EU4, it's that it's done the wrong way. Maybe WC in EU3 was too easy, but I consider that better than an overextension mechanic that punishes huge empires with crippling rebellions just because they pass an arbitrary threshold. It was possible to conquer the world at least semi-realistically in EU3, but in EU4, it's pretty much only possible through gaminess and exploits.

 

[cacra]

I understand your point perfectly, but it is flawed. There is no way to conquer the world 'semi-realisticly.' Such a feat is impossible, it happening dissolves any semblance of realism - as such paradox should endeavour to make a world conquest impossible.

 

[awesomenessofme]

I understand your point perfectly, but it is flawed. There is no way to conquer the world 'semi-realisticly.' Such a feat is impossible, it happening dissolves any semblance of realism - as such paradox should endeavour to make a world conquest impossible.

I get where you're coming from. There are some unrealistic things that I also don't like; for example, the patchwork quilt New World that popped up often in EU3. They fixed that in EU4, but like the conquest restrictions, they did it wrong, by restricting colonization to historical colonizers and the player. A larger point I was trying to make was that EU4 tries to fix problems by adding different ones.

 

[AsdfeZxcas]

I think a WC should be impossible, but not because of arbitary reasons.

 

[cotwell]

Creating semi-independent states overseas is ridiculous.

I agree. It's one of the reasons I do not like or play EU4 (I guess my point wasn't very clear)

 

[cotwell]

I think a WC should be impossible, but not because of arbitary reasons.

But then how am I ever gonna get my megalomania on? Maybe really, really difficult but not impossible?

 

[AsdfeZxcas]

But then how am I ever gonna get my megalomania on? Maybe really, really difficult but not impossible?

Well, you could arge that that is where Eu4 is, except because of arbitary reasons, from what I've heard, anyway.

 

[awesomenessofme]

Well, you could arge that that is where Eu4 is, except because of arbitary reasons, from what I've heard, anyway.

That's pretty much it. In order to core provinces, you spend Administrative Power, generated by your monarch slowly. Based on basetax, uncored provinces give overextension that raises RR, among other things. Once you cross the arbitrary overextension limit of 100%, it's like being over the infamy limit in EU3 (nasty events and everyone gets a CB).

 

[Kovax]

I'm currently playing EUIII, and have no plans to buy EU4. First, the "simpler" and gamier mechanics don't look appealing, and second, I'm not going to deal with Steam.