Origins of Europa Universalis?

[Agrippa43]

I'm almost an old guy at age 46, but I grew up in the 70s and 80s playing many types of board strategy and wargames. You remember? The kind with the pretty counters, charts galore, and dice rolls? I still have many of those games in my closet. Of course with the mass development of the personal computer, the board games were put on the back burner.

So did the idea of Europa Universalis emerge from a board game with the same concept? Or was it something more original?

Just curious

 

[Rey]

Yup, board game.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa_Universalis_(board_game)

Europa Universalis is a board game published by Azure Wish Editions and authored by Philippe Thibault. It covers the 1492-1792 period and allows six players to play the various powers of Europe (Spain, France, England, Ottoman Empire, Portugal/Russia, Venice/Holland/Austria).

It was later turned into a video game by Paradox Entertainment under the name Europa Universalis.

 

[Raen]

Yes, EU was originally a board game. And yes, I remember those days (although I never played the EU board game). After the Holocaust, Freedom in the Galaxy (Star Wars ripoff), and Empires of the Middle Ages, all from SPI I believe, were my favorites.

 

[Figus]

I'm almost an old guy at age 46, but I grew up in the 70s and 80s playing many types of board strategy and wargames. You remember? The kind with the pretty counters, charts galore, and dice rolls? I still have many of those games in my closet. Of course with the mass development of the personal computer, the board games were put on the back burner.

So did the idea of Europa Universalis emerge from a board game with the same concept? Or was it something more original?

Just curious

The name is originally from a French Board game that I personally don't know much about. Along with this it started emerging as a game series from their Svea Rike series which was an educational Swedish entertainment game. Svea Rike III was called Europa Universalis: Crowns of the North after they were able to actually create their own version of the board game. Eventually they made EU1 and then they continued on. At least I think that's how it started.

Edit: Ninja'd

 

[Agrippa43]

Yes, EU was originally a board game. And yes, I remember those days (although I never played the EU board game). After the Holocaust, Freedom in the Galaxy (Star Wars ripoff), and Empires of the Middle Ages, all from SPI I believe, were my favorites.

Most of mine were WWII: Squad Leader, Rise of the Third Reich, Pacific War.......And a several American Civil War games

 

[Ordo Impavidus]

Philippe Thibault is Europa Universalis, is AGEOD and is a genius at strategy game making.

 

[AcoG000]

Such humble beginnings for such a great game...

 

[Jeltz]

The name is originally from a French Board game that I personally don't know much about. Along with this it started emerging as a game series from their Svea Rike series which was an educational Swedish entertainment game. Svea Rike III was called Europa Universalis: Crowns of the North after they were able to actually create their own version of the board game. Eventually they made EU1 and then they continued on. At least I think that's how it started.

The original Svea Rike was also based on a board game with the same name. The board game was published by Target Games, which video game division would later become Paradox.

* Board Game Geeks page for Svea Rike
* If you can read Swedish or use Google translate the Swedish Wikipedia page has a lot of information about Svea Rike.

 

[Agrippa43]

Found it! 1993 Edition

 

[Red_warning]

I'm pretty sure Svea Rike pre-dates the board game, but you may correct me on that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa_Universalis:_Crown_of_the_North

View attachment 86478

Edit: actually, it doesn't. But anyhow, Europa Universalis itself is built on the Svea Rike series.

 

[FranzVonG]

Found it! 1993 Edition

View attachment 86477

I have that box in my room... Beautiful, great, complex, completely unplayable boardgame

I love Philippe and his work, but that game has one of the worst manuals in boardgame history (for example, the same mechanic changes name from one page to the other, mostly due to an homemade French to English translation I think), a number of rules and exceptions that's almost impossible to memorize, and a level of chroming that gives very little freedom to the player. Still one of the best game out there to learn to play, you'll just never play it

 

[Elfryc]

Only because I believe this thread lacks a few inescapable titles: saved for months when I was 11, got my first computer, a second hand with something like 50 games.

Amidst these: Populous, Powermonger and Joan of Arc. So much hours of my youth consumed into gaming! Then I dreamed about buying Realms and Utopia, which I never could.

Then, with my first P.C., I discovered this 1st AoE. Played quite a lot, but there was a growing sense of lack for something I couldn't define.

But, one sunny day, when strolling into a shop, I bumped into a white box with Caesar's head. Something strange, bearing the name "Rome" and a quote of Cicero. "Omnium rerum principia parva sunt. Divise & Conquer".

What a shock! Too late, I believe that's now incurable...

Unfortunately, despite numerous house movings, I'm totally unable to find friends playing boardgames or card games save tarot (not even this card game Dominion!).

So, thanks a lot Paradox!

 

[Elfryc]

the same mechanic changes name from one page to the other, mostly due to an homemade French to English translation I think

There's one word for that, instead of two: that's not "bad manual", that's JUSTICE!

 

[Raen]

I still remember the shock I felt when I saw the first EU on the store shelves (yes, younglings, people used to go to places called software stores to buy games). What?? A game actually about European history? Wow. I think I bought it without even reading the box, I couldn't believe anyone had done a game like that. And the rest is...er...history.

 

[Agrippa43]

I still remember the shock I felt when I saw the first EU on the store shelves (yes, younglings, people used to go to places called software stores to buy games). What?? A game actually about European history? Wow. I think I bought it without even reading the box, I couldn't believe anyone had done a game like that. And the rest is...er...history.

Yes! I do remember that as well. You could actually buy the box! And inside was a manual and maybe even a poster or two.

 

[Aleksei]

Ha I had that box, too bad I threw away all my nice boxes years ago.

 

[Hootieleece]

Yes, I remember the days of Board Games and pen and paper. I still have a bunch of them: Gettysburg, Battle of the Bulge, D-Day all by Avalon Hill. I even have PTO by SPI.

I remember buying Rome. My biggest problem was finding people to play with.

So once PC's became powerful enough to actually play Strategy games other than Chess. I bought one and Started with Civ1 and Panzer General.

I found out about EU1 while reading Military History Magazine.....and went to Electronics Boutique to buy it.

I found out about Ageod's ACW in the same magazine about 5 years ago......bought it online but bought a CD-ROM shipped from France. (Didn't trust Digital Download yet)

I am 41, and have had a lifetime love of Military History and EU1 changed my life........

 

[drake000666]

Will got to say that the true origins might be nobunaga's ambitions, it was the first real strategy video game for me and I think for a lot of grand strategy players of today

 

[Hootieleece]

Will got to say that the true origins might be nobunaga's ambitions, it was the first real strategy video game for me and I think for a lot of grand strategy players of today

Sengoku is definitely a descendant.......Nobunaga's Ambition was great. I played many KOEI titles on consoles.

 

[the.ront]

Has anyone played the board game? I'd be tempted to track down a copy of it depending on how fun it is to play.