Is national focus now underpowered?

[GAGA Extrem]

I agree that you should not be able to instantly produce pops. But for certain ones like bureaucrats it represents government hiring. So the realistic thing would be to instantly be able to hire as many as you want but then take years for them to become as effective as you want. So the system should model this some way and not make it too easy I agree. But it's good to hear that the devs see this as a problem and will fix it. I'll hold off playing until the next patch.

I agree that "caps" should be possible for beaurocrats, soldiers and officers. But: Every pop needs education, so instant-hiring is not an option.
There are several examples where old-order adminstratives kept their positions after a revolution, simply because there was no one else who could do their job.

 

[Delegate]

Well, I must admit I always found it a bit "gamey" to just turn pops into what I needed instantly. I need some soliders? *click* *click* *click* Here are some for my new 50 brigades.
I think it is good that pop-planning is now a long term goal spanning decades instead of days.
However, that means that pop promotion & demotion has to work properly. And with 2.1, it does not.

Nevertheless, I understand (and respect) that you dislike it. The lack of "direct" influence except for waging war is a problem.
Maybe adding additional depths to political and social-economical aspects of the game would help to compensate this.

True, instantly promoting pops was obviously completely unrealistic, but those pops were the core of vicky1, and without something like that to keep you busy, other things are needed. NF is a good tool for shaping the population, but it is passive. We need things to do besides warring and fighting increasingly irritating influence battles for spherelings. As I said, the pops are the core of the vicky games, and if we can't do what we need to do with them, what is the point of the game?

 

[GAGA Extrem]

Vicky 2 has moved the focus from pops to your nation.
With the new upper house and ideologies, pop management became indirect and the gameply focused more on long-term country developement.

I will be honest: splitting and promoting pops as Belgium was fun in Ricky, but as USA?
Dear god, my merciful hand...

Vicky 2 has a lot of random events where the player has choises and I think by adding some additional event chain, the player could easily be entertaint enough.

 

[Delegate]

Vicky 2 has moved the focus from pops to your nation.
With the new upper house and ideologies, pop management became indirect and the gameply focused more on long-term country developement.

I will be honest: splitting and promoting pops as Belgium was fun in Ricky, but as USA?
Dear god, my merciful hand...

Vicky 2 has a lot of random events where the player has choises and I think by adding some additional event chain, the player could easily be entertaint enough.

I do enjoy flavour events and decisions, but those are limited. I just find the game much less engaging and immersive than I did ricky + vip. I'm really looking forward to when the game is fully developed with more things to do besides sit and wait for long periods of time.

 

[unmerged(153379)]

Well, I must admit I always found it a bit "gamey" to just turn pops into what I needed instantly. I need some soliders? *click* *click* *click* Here are some for my new 50 brigades.
I think it is good that pop-planning is now a long term goal spanning decades instead of days.
However, that means that pop promotion & demotion has to work properly. And with 2.1, it does not.

Nevertheless, I understand (and respect) that you dislike it. The lack of "direct" influence except for waging war is a problem.
Maybe adding additional depths to political and social-economical aspects of the game would help to compensate this.

I agree.

 

[Alerias]

I like the new versatility and the great amount of focus for smaller nations but I admit its not terribly effective anymore.

Since Focuses used to feel 'just right' I dont see cause for a downgrade and effectiveness, and as thus, am inclined to answer Yes to the thread topic.