I read the manual, but it is mostly just describing the UI. I also played the tutorials. Is there a faq, wiki, or something else that really explains the games concepts and mechanics? I'm not a fan of just randomly trying things and learning games by trial and error. Thanks!
Is there a good place that explains the game concepts and mechanics?
- Thread starter robc04
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I am not aware if any apart from discussions in this forum. Perhaps you might browse through the topics and read a selection that seem to be about tactics?
i'd like to add my support for a total newbie guide as well. is there anyone hardcore/helpful enough to maybe make a playguide for total nubs like me, trying to get in to this game? maybe some sort of simple AAR with the steps/buttons you have to click on. thoughts behind your strategy. something really simple would be nice just to get us started. maybe with time something like that will be made? 
i personally havent. you mean like a youtube lets play? link? can you recommend it for total beginners?
Neither of these are anywhere near acceptable. Paradox games are great when you can figure them out, but the utter lack of documentation for it makes it so that the community has to educate POTENTIAL players.
@Paradox you would make a lot more money if you put more effort into focus testing with people that have never played a paradox game. Even for those of us that have played paradox games before, it is very easy to get lost and can be very difficult to understand a game feature when it is vaguely documented at best.
I'll give you an example of how overcomplicated many of your systems are, demense size:
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...nks-authority-tech&highlight=demense+legalism
Theres a tooltip description of how demense works that isn't even correct, see image:
A bunch of math nerds with too much time on our hands worked together and found the formula for max demense size:
Floor( (kingRank + ((rulerStewardship + Floor(wifeStewardship / 2)) / 4) ) * successionModifier) + legalismBonus
99.9% of your players will never understand how demense is calculated because theres no documentation for it except for the incorrect tooltip.
For most other things, there isn't even a tooltip. Me? Hell I'm still playing the demo until I can figure out the different aspects in the game. I don't even know if I'll enjoy the game yet because I only understand like 10% of it at best.
Step your tutorial game up paradox~
This fellow did a decent let's play. He narrates what he is doing as he plays through the game. The only problem is, while he explains what is going on, he buzzes through the menus pretty quickly because he obviously knows what he is doing.
I think it has a tutorial on the main menu. I found it a bit more helpful after going through the whole thing, takes about 30 minutes.
I agree completely here. The tutorials are almost useless.
All that Paradox needs to do is make a second "strategy" tutorial, that walks you through the beginning 20-30 minutes of how a designer of the game would start playing from a starting position. It tells you what to click, why you're clicking it, and the basic strategy behind why.
It would make these games so much more approachable. It took me about seven hours of playing around and reading the forums to wrap my head around even the simplest beginning strategy.
All that Paradox needs to do is make a second "strategy" tutorial, that walks you through the beginning 20-30 minutes of how a designer of the game would start playing from a starting position. It tells you what to click, why you're clicking it, and the basic strategy behind why.
It would make these games so much more approachable. It took me about seven hours of playing around and reading the forums to wrap my head around even the simplest beginning strategy.
^^^^ THIS OH PLEASE THIS ^^^^ It took me donkeys of effort to figure out EU3, have bought Vicky 2 and this game recently, and im completely lost. dont feel like im doing much......I really need a walkthrough of some description.
That is Secret Master's Lets Play - very good for learning - you can click to stop, or rewind, if you wish to see what exactly he is doing in more detai. But if you already went through the tutorial, you should be able to follow it well.
Like I said in the manual thread, the manual is very disappointing, even more so after the great EU3 and HOI3 manuals. This is a strategy game and yet for some reason the most important stuff, the things that will *guide your decisions* are not explained. For example, what are the mechanics behind plots, how are they chosen, why would I ever want to run a plot without 100% backers (I mean, the system is in the game so there must be a strategic choice about taking the risk with less than 100% backers). Combat mechanics are not explained *at all*. The tooltips give the impression that combat is a little deeper than what's implied in the manual.
If Paradox made a conscious decision to produce shorter manual they should cut out the interface tours (these belong inside the game...), installation instructions and the general fluff and focus on the stuff that matters.
If Paradox made a conscious decision to produce shorter manual they should cut out the interface tours (these belong inside the game...), installation instructions and the general fluff and focus on the stuff that matters.
I second that... this lets play is basically and hour of strategy guide... in time I'm sure a CK2 wiki will come out also.
Neither of those explain anything that pretty much a previous Paradox game player would not already know. Almost none of the mechanics are explained at all. It is simply unacceptable as the only way to figure things out are to watch people on youtube or wait for ARR's.
I watched all of Avaults let's play and it was good, but I pretty much think I need a manual to read so I can spend more time on the parts I am not understanding before I move on. I am a pretty decent EU and Vic player, but I have no idea what I am doing with CK right now despite watching a few lets play and reading the minuscule manual.
I gave up on victoria 2. EU3 as well, never fully wrapped my head around it, but more importantly just couldn't get into it. I like CK2 more because you have an identity in your dynasty.
I consider vic 2 to be money down the drain. For me, utterly unplayable, theres no way to get into it without an experienced player tutoring you.
Welcome to my world. I have several Paradox games that have gone unplayed because they don't teach users how to play their games. They will spend all kinds of time creating expansions like Victoria 2:AHD but spend next to no time creating a half decent tutorial. How much effort would it really take a developer to make a video of one game showing a step by step process of what they are doing and why? Not too much in my opinion. But it's like they just expect you to watch "Let's play" videos and read through tons of forum posts instead. That said, I am enjoying the game thus far even though I really don't know what I am doing. I am just going with the trial by fire approach.
Well. there is this CK1 Wiki:
http://editthis.info/CrusaderKings/Main_Page
Methinks we need a CK2 WIKI then.
Somebody ? Never did one myself, dont know how it gets done. Does anybody know or is keen on starting it ?
http://editthis.info/CrusaderKings/Main_Page
Methinks we need a CK2 WIKI then.
Somebody ? Never did one myself, dont know how it gets done. Does anybody know or is keen on starting it ?
I agree that this is one of Paradox's primary failures. I love their games, but learning them is a frustrating chore. I've learned to play HOI2, Vic 2 and EU3 with much difficulty through wikis, forums and repeated failures in-game. Despite much effort and reading, Vic 1 remains beyond me, HOI3 is a confusing mess and I'm still trying to get a grasp on PoN. Now I've bought this game after getting nowhere with CK1 and I see that it's lacking a decent manual. I love the complexity of their games, but they seem to make little effort in instructing their customers in its use. Generally, they leave that up to the community. I'd like their games to see more widespread acceptance, but I don't want them to dumb them down. They just need to invest resources into explaining their product to the people that give them money. An official series of videos would cost almost nothing to produce and could go a long way toward explaining the mechanics and strategies of each game.
My first sentance was that I read the manual
.The manual basically only discusses the UI without getting into much of the detailed concepts or mechanics (i.e. press this button to make a marriage proposal). Figuring out the UI is easy, figuring out the concepts and mechanics would be much simpler if they documented them in the manual.