Playing Europa Universalis IV on the Steam Machine - video at Gamespot

[Regina]

Shaun McInnis sits down with Shams Jorjani of Paradox Interactive to take a look at Paradox Development Studio´s grand strategy game, Europa Universalis IV, running on the Steam Machine and discusses the future of the platform.
[video=youtube;pJ9jOW7bdbI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ9jOW7bdbI[/video]
http://www.gamespot.com/videos/playing-europa-universalis-iv-on-the-steam-machine/2300-6416959/

cheers,
regina

 

[AQJ]

COOL! Although I must admit that EU4 seems like one of the least console appropriate games imaginable... "You don't need a keyboard" is quite a stretch, without hot-keys I would go mad...

It's nice that it's possible, but I highly doubt that GSG's are one of the things I will be playing on a console any time soon

 

[liamgamer55]

Gtx 80?

 

[Sensational]

You might not need a keyboard but you'll never be as accurate with your thumb as you are with a mouse. It's viable without a mouse but it'll take you a lifetime to play through an entire game.

But, Steam Machines are as compatible with USB keyboards as any other PC, are they not?

 

[liamgamer55]

My thoughts are pretty much that it'll take 2-3x as long to do things with this. Which I guess is ok if you've never played a paradox game before but if you have then using that controller will be a massive pain in the ass.

 

[Will Lucky]

Gtx 80?

It'll be a GTX 780, overkill for EU4 really all things considered .

 

[jockedahl]

I don't think I will ever play a mouse game with a pad like that. Would drive me mad.

But Shams did a really good job of showcasing the game.

 

[Leon_Aditzu]

Good work Sham on presenting the Eu4 too GS, also Shaun(from GS) is known as Crusader Kings 2 fan,
I hope that, paradox will implement others controllers to their games, for the people who already plug their PC on TV.

 

[xyra]

...
But, Steam Machines are as compatible with USB keyboards as any other PC, are they not?

it is linux, so yes and no: basic will always work but some non standard functions will not work . like macros, customizable keys, lcds

 

[pgroves]

Can you use a mouse, at least, on a Steam machine? I don't actually use the keyboard much with EU4, but do assign some of the extra buttons on my Death Adder mouse to pause etc. would be horrible to play with just a console controller, though.

 

[pgroves]

It'll be a GTX 780, overkill for EU4 really all things considered .

I manage to run EU4 respectfully well on Intel 4000HD integrated graphics, so am sure the GTX 780 would have no problems!

 

[Castrolol]

A Steam Machine is just a computer that runs SteamOS (modified Debian) with a Steam logo slapped on the side. It can do anything a regular computer can and (with the exception of the Alienware model) can be upgraded at whim. The basic idea is to offer a cheaper and more powerful alternative to consoles to be used in living room hooked up to a family owned TV. One of the biggest saving points is not having to licence Windows for each unit.
Valve's main purpose with this project is to try and wrestle control from Microsoft which between Windows 8 and the Xbox One have been trying to corner the gaming and multimedia marketplace, something obviously Valve are not too keen on.

The Steam Controller is built to, in theory, be able to play any PC game in the Steam library. The major difference between the Steam Controller and other controllers is the use of two track pads (instead of thumb sticks) which are meant to have much better accuracy and speed so it could better emulate a mouse. It also plans to implement a "workshop" so users can upload different control schemes tailored for each game.
Whether it can achieve those (rather lofty) goals will have to be seen but a current redesign of the controller (moving it more towards a classic controller by removing the touch interface and adding abxy buttons) seems they might be moving away from that philosophy.

 

[Fulmen]

An interesting idea, but honestly not one that works well with PC strategy games, especially grand strategies. Trying to play a serious and long game of EU4 without a mouse and keyboard would take forever and would be nigh impossible in multiplayer.

 

[Tom013]

A Steam Machine is just a computer that runs SteamOS (modified Debian) with a Steam logo slapped on the side. It can do anything a regular computer can and (with the exception of the Alienware model) can be upgraded at whim.

If you're basing this on the original Alienware statement, it was corrected. The Alienware box is merely made too compact to accommodate all parts/be easy to upgrade... you can still upgrade it (not that "you can if you try hard enough" is a great endorsement).

The basic idea is to offer a cheaper and more powerful alternative to consoles to be used in living room hooked up to a family owned TV. One of the biggest saving points is not having to licence Windows for each unit.
Valve's main purpose with this project is to try and wrestle control from Microsoft which between Windows 8 and the Xbox One have been trying to corner the gaming and multimedia marketplace, something obviously Valve are not too keen on.

Haha... yeah. They want that pesky Microsoft out of the way so they can corner the market themselves. Personally, I think Master Newell's outrage at Windows 8 is way overblown, but as long as SteamOS = "more options" and not "only option," I'm happy enough.

I actually am more interested in seeing SteamOS streaming boxes than I am interested in the current crop. My main PC is way more than powerful enough for me to justify a whole new computer (i.e. Steambox), but I wouldn't mind having a cheap machine geared towards streaming from my main box.

 

[unmerged(804580)]

If I could use a wireless keyboard & mouse with this machine then I might want to play on a big screen...

...but then I can just hook up my PC to a big screen. Hmm.

 

[Nikolai]

This is so cool.

 

[TheRevanchist]

You can download key mappings from the Steam workshop? That's pretty sweet.

 

[gnome109]

I manage to run EU4 respectfully well on Intel 4000HD integrated graphics, so am sure the GTX 780 would have no problems!

Yeah for being an integrated GPU it handles most things pretty fairly.

 

[ashbery76]

Gimmick.

 

[steveh11]

Shams has told me that the Steam Box they have is, essentially, a regular computer running the Linux-variant SteamOS, and that the controller is intended to replace Muse and Keyboard. He asserts that a keyboard isn't necessary to play EU4 and that using the controller takes practice but is perfectly possible.

It's for playing in the living room, not in the study. I prefer staying in the study. I will say, though, that the map, on that huge screen, looks pretty amazing.