I have been looking to try to get into Vicky 2 for quite some time. Will definitely look at these videos, thanks for posting!
-
We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
I think age is actually a plus when it comes to learning these games (as long as you have a little experience with strategy games).
Myvery humble opinion is: start with EU4, I think it's the simplest of them all. Watch some videos on the tube (I personally liked Quill18 first playthrough) and start with an easy country. Easy doesn't mean powerful. My suggestion is Portugal.
Myvery humble opinion is: start with EU4, I think it's the simplest of them all. Watch some videos on the tube (I personally liked Quill18 first playthrough) and start with an easy country. Easy doesn't mean powerful. My suggestion is Portugal.
I don't see why its an advantage? Anyways. For CK2 I'd recommend to play as a some independen duke. Learning what to do while under a king can be a bit confusing.
Fabricate claims, learn what to build and when. In time you will also know to play as a vassal and how to get your family on the different thrones. Personally I don't see CK2 as a complex game, perhaps I've just figured it out and see it as easy know.
EuIV is not the same as CK2 though. There's things that are the same and things there isn't. First off there's a bunch of things that will be unfamilliar to you. First off, there's no monarchs that you can play around this, this is all about the "country" and not the personal side of it. This also means that your areas aren't controlled by nobody but you. There's also a technology system that are much more simple yet it isn't. You will learn that Administrative, Diplomative and Military "points" are the real power. They are used to get new tech, buildings, ideas, make peace in wars and a whole lot of other things. Money is still important but not like they were in CK2.
I will personally recommend that you play as Spain in your first game in EUIV, and why? Because they are in a good posistion for a lot of things. You've got some easy wars to win against Granada and the other moors. This means that you don't have a whole lot of waiting time, which can be quite discoraging for new players. Spain also have the oppertunity to become the strongest colonial power, and colonizing is fun. Spain is also a forgiving nation, making some mistakes, even large ones can still be turned around, you just don't have that option with other nations (like Burgundy, venice etc which requires much more experience and skill).
My father plays EU3 exclusively (I'm sure he would branch out to 4 if his laptop could run it). He's 63.
I sunk almost 200 hours into CKII and I still can't figure out what on earth is going on sometimes, every time I think I've grown enough to tackle an ironman game (no saving, you have to deal with all your consequences) I crash and burn horribly because the game does things I just didn't anticipate.
Right now I have a situation where I started as duke of Saxony. I manufactured and pressed a claim for the Bishopric of Hamburg, the bishop disagreed to step down and so I took his temple in a siege and imprisoned him. Now I'm a feudal duke and squat in his bishopric by virtue of holding the capital temple of Hamburg county - which is considered the wrong holding type for a feudal lord like myself so I want to get rid of it eventually without losing control over the county. Fine then so I sneakily kill a baron in Hamburg county and his castle holding is inherited by me. Now I hold the temple and one castle in the county of Hamburg and the temple is no longer considered the capital - the castle and the temple switched places and the castle is considered the new capital. Suddenly I get a message about "Title loss on succession" meaning upon my character's death the castle and the temple of Hamburg county will not be inherited by my successor - which happens to be a girl because I hit a Henry VIII streak. What is going on here, why won't she be able to inherit Hamburg if it is no longer a bishopric, seeing how the castle is now considered the capital? Only the devil knows, CKII will confront you with situation after situation like this that are exceptions to the already complex rules you thought you understood.
I feel EUIV is in many ways less obscure and a much easier as a start to get a foot into the door of paradox titles. Also it has much better interface design, but in its own ways it can be as deep as CKII yet less confusing. You're only to old to learn new things if you think you're too old, but I would still suggest starting with EUIV to ease into this genre.
Right now I have a situation where I started as duke of Saxony. I manufactured and pressed a claim for the Bishopric of Hamburg, the bishop disagreed to step down and so I took his temple in a siege and imprisoned him. Now I'm a feudal duke and squat in his bishopric by virtue of holding the capital temple of Hamburg county - which is considered the wrong holding type for a feudal lord like myself so I want to get rid of it eventually without losing control over the county. Fine then so I sneakily kill a baron in Hamburg county and his castle holding is inherited by me. Now I hold the temple and one castle in the county of Hamburg and the temple is no longer considered the capital - the castle and the temple switched places and the castle is considered the new capital. Suddenly I get a message about "Title loss on succession" meaning upon my character's death the castle and the temple of Hamburg county will not be inherited by my successor - which happens to be a girl because I hit a Henry VIII streak. What is going on here, why won't she be able to inherit Hamburg if it is no longer a bishopric, seeing how the castle is now considered the capital? Only the devil knows, CKII will confront you with situation after situation like this that are exceptions to the already complex rules you thought you understood.
I feel EUIV is in many ways less obscure and a much easier as a start to get a foot into the door of paradox titles. Also it has much better interface design, but in its own ways it can be as deep as CKII yet less confusing. You're only to old to learn new things if you think you're too old, but I would still suggest starting with EUIV to ease into this genre.
EU4 is definitely less obscure. In your case, check your succession laws, maybe you're under pure cognatic in which women can't inherit
That is awesome to know somewhere an AP world history teacher plays these games. I honestly remember learning more for that exam when I took it from the fact that EUIII was just released than I did in the class, at least for that period, of course. Like the way the game presents concepts meant that I could understand concepts I learned from my teacher and understand them by imagining them through a game, which is a great study plan for ADHD.
If my history teacher actually played these games as well...
If my history teacher actually played these games as well...
Bear in mind that age doesn't have much to do with it, I'm in my 20s and I'm still confounded by Paradox games many times 
I have been playing paradox games for the last 12 years and every time I watch a youtube video I learn something I didn't know. I used to try to avoid long tutorial videos but tbh they're the best way to learn the game on a new title you haven't touched before.
Don't forget the AARs (After Action Reports).
There's often "tutorial" AARs where the writers not only explain what they did, but why the did it. Those can be very helpful.
There's often "tutorial" AARs where the writers not only explain what they did, but why the did it. Those can be very helpful.
