What do you think the next Grand Strategy game will be?

[KaiserBismarckll]

I apologize is this is the 1,000,000th "wHaT's NeXt?" thread you've seen this week, but I'm gonna ask anyway. While EU4 is aging, I don't think it is done just yet - there seems to be development in it still. CK, HOI, I:R, and Stellaris are all too young to get another game, Vicky 3 looks more and more like a pipe dream every year, and I feel like Imperator: Rome has satisfied the Studio's urges to "branch out" and create a new franchise. It looks like a new game announcement is a ways away. What do you think?

 

[Supersotamies]

its gotta be vic3 or riot.

 

[Rhyus]

We really need Victoria III! We deserve it!

 

[coffeelingfine]

Seriously though, why no Vicky 3?

I've been getting into Victoria 2 recently and it's a very cool game, but just makes me want a new game more in line with PDX's other current titles even more.

 

[MrReaper182]

I want it to be EU5. As much as I love that game the UI looks bad and is really starting to show its age. I think they could do new things with EU5 and make it much more better game and bring in a lot of new players who are turned away from the awful looking UI. V3 is not happening by the looks of things (such a shame) so I'm not going to talk about that.

 

[Supersotamies]

V3 is not happening by the looks of things (such a shame) so I'm not going to talk about that.

of course its gonna happen shut up.

 

[Nordmore]

Rod Humble do lead studio that was formed in Berkley Califonria March 2019, but that might not be that game that we will be told about first, but since he was Head of The Sims Label of EA maybe a Sims clone developd by Paradox Tectonic by the Stockholm studio i do hope for a Cold War type game or Victoira 3 or what it will be rebranded to

 

[Atreides]

Chris King was brought back to Paradox back in the Summer of 2015, was given a title equivalent to Game Director, and was tasked to design SOMETHING.

In Q4 of 2018, having finished whatever work it was that Paradox wanted him to do, King left Paradox and went to work on Empire of Sin. Meanwhile, Wiz was moved from Game Director of Stellaris, to game director of something else.

If Chris' project was Victoria III, Wiz as Game Director makes sense.

Alternatively, Chris' project was scrapped and Wiz was given a brand new project to develop (likely Stellaris II).

It is also possible that Wiz's project is something entirely unrelated. If it is Victoria III, it probably has a 2021 release window. If it is Stellaris II or something new, it probably has a 2022/2023 window.

 

[Tschobo]

EUV or VIC3. Maybe they announce both in the same year (but release one in 2021 and one in 2022). But I give VIC3 the headstart. Why? Because they had the perfect chance to announce a new EU5 with their 20th anniversary. They still have the chance, but I guess they want to fix the current status first.

Afterwards I guess Stellaris II, HOI 5 or a new IP, but most likely Stellaris II. A new IP will take some time (my guess is even around 2025 or later) and depends how deep they want to dive into this. But lets go through the most likely ones:

• Cold-War-Game: I hear that from time to time that some want a Cold-War-Game. But the biggest question is how to pull it off so that many could be interested in it. It is not a typical Warfare-Game per se. The biggest issue there is variance. It shouldn't be a HOI4-Ripoff and it cant be anything that before that. So they would have to tinker with their engine a bit. It would be less of a map-painter and therefore it could be still very niche. It could work nonetheless but it would need an unique perspecitve.
• Fantasy-Strategy-Game: My personal favourite, but with a few issues. First is the direction of the game. Will it be even more roleplaying-akin than CK3 (even with opportunity to play mercenaries, adventurers or region-scourging-horde-lords), or will it be similar to Stellaris or so-on. Only on a planetary basis (with random maps) and with map-painting and so on. Secondly it has to be better than some of the mods existing for current games. If AGOT or the Elder Scrolls-Mod have more flavour, than it will have a rough start.
• Bronze Age Game: Sadly, I see it as pretty unlikely. There is not much of a demand for games set in that time. And it would be risky too. I would love to see one game like that happening (aside of Old World which is in my opinon not that good and doesn't even fit there properly).
• Great-Migration/Fall of Western Rome game (set between lets say 250-600): Another interesting time period. I would love to see the take of Paradox on such a game, especially as it could also be a first deeper dive in unlanded play for paradox aside of Imperator Romes Migratory Horde (where I settled an Estonian tribe in Lybia, it was fun for that time but nothing really unique).

But still my bet is VIC3 - EU5 - Stellaris II - HOI5 - New IP???? in the following 5-7 years (and then CK4)

 

[Kautz]

Vicky 3 or a Stellaris-like fantasy game.

 

[Cuthuthulu]

I would like to see either Vicky 3 or a Cold War game (Not East Vs. West)

 

[Grzegorz Grzybek]

Victoria 3 - can't imagine anything else.
Besides - on 24th May 2021 it'll be exactly 200th anniversary of Queen Victoria's 2nd birthday - would PDX miss such occasion?

 

[Andy_Dandy]

Rod Humble do lead studio that was formed in Berkley Califonria March 2019, but that might not be that game that we will be told about first, but since he was Head of The Sims Label of EA maybe a Sims clone developd by Paradox Tectonic by the Stockholm studio i do hope for a Cold War type game or Victoira 3 or what it will be rebranded to

Not a Sims-clone, but a Colony Sim like Rimworld, with alot of creative freedom, would be cool!

 

[Mr. Capiatlist]

I am worried about Vic III purely from a hype stand-point. I cannot imagine anything delivered will live up to the mythical, amazing, and literally perfect vision of Vic III people have in their minds and the forums will melt down. And my wife will ask, "Why do you do this again?" and I'll sigh and make myself another martini. If I were PDX, and I am decidedly not, I wouldn't touch Vic III with a six-league pole.

 

[Tschobo]

I am worried about Vic III purely from a hype stand-point. I cannot imagine anything delivered will live up to the mythical, amazing, and literally perfect vision of Vic III people have in their minds and the forums will melt down. And my wife will ask, "Why do you do this again?" and I'll sigh and make myself another martini. If I were PDX, and I am decidedly not, I wouldn't touch Vic III with a six-league pole.

This is why they will launch a weak game before it. Just like with Imperator before Crusader Kings 3. The next game will be March of the Eagles 2. And then VIC 3. So no one will assume Victoria III will be a decent game and boom decent Vic III.

Nah, I am messing around. I assume the next one will be actually EU5 or maybe a new IP? Or still VIC III. I wonder.

 

[Shadowstrike]

I suspect that Wiz's project is Victoria III, and that the original plan had been to do an announcement at PDXCon 2020, before that got pre-empted by the pandemic. It doesn't make a great deal of sense for the secret project to be a sequel since the other games are still undergoing active development, and while I can see the possibility that it is a new franchise, there's already kind of a built-in market for Victoria III here.

 

[Atreides]

This is why they will launch a weak game before it. Just like with Imperator before Crusader Kings 3. The next game will be March of the Eagles 2. And then VIC 3. So no one will assume Victoria III will be a decent game and boom decent Vic III.

Nah, I am messing around. I assume the next one will be actually EU5 or maybe a new IP? Or still VIC III. I wonder.

Longterm going forward, EU5 is probably why Johan's Barcelona shop was created. It is possible there is some other project they will be assigned instead, but it doesn't really make any sense why Paradox would do that.

I suspect that Wiz's project is Victoria III, and that the original plan had been to do an announcement at PDXCon 2020, before that got pre-empted by the pandemic. It doesn't make a great deal of sense for the secret project to be a sequel since the other games are still undergoing active development, and while I can see the possibility that it is a new franchise, there's already kind of a built-in market for Victoria III here.

Chris King's project is either nearly done, (Q2/Q3 2021) or it was scrapped. There really is no other logical explanation for that.

We have no actual evidence that Wiz took over said project, other than the timing coincidence that he left Stellaris around the same time that Chris left Paradox. Recent history does tell us that Paradox is willing to run multiple products in design/development at the same time.
At one time, there were 3 unannounced projects - one became Imperator, the other was CK3 and the third was King's project. It is possible that as Imperator was moving to release, they started developing the 'next one' (5 year windows mean you have to do that sort of thing) and THAT is what Wiz is tasked with. (Stellaris II with a 2023 release date, really does make sense long term).

That said, King/Wiz and Victoria III at least to me looks like the most likely scenario.

 

[Kahldris]

I could see stellaris 2 or eu5 making some sense. I would love to see stellaris 2 as that game def needs to be looked at and redone with all they've learned with stellaris. I suspect stellaris 2 would be a very very good game.
Eu5 would be cool as well as while eu4 has some of the best mechanics in a strategy game I've seen it also has some of the worst imo. I feel like taking the best of eu4 and making eu5 would be interesting as well.
Anyway who knows?

 

[Mr.Bajskorv]

I doubt a cold war ever would be done. How would the even do that considering how everybody feels violated this day?
If you would in any way apply Paradox game model to the cold war then you would have to depict all the atrocities and awful thing that happend during that era. Every major political scandal has to be done, by parties and even by people living today.
Do China somewhat historicaly and then you are banned in the China market.

The IRA?
How would you do the Vietnam war?
The Apartheid and the ANC, should Nelson Mandela be a communist terrorist?
Should Lech Walesha be a spy for the communist regime?

I think it could be done years ago, but today i think it to hard if don't wanna recive alot hate, maybe you just wanna do a game, not being the target for NGO, politictians, forum, twitters shitstorm.

If you would make it in a allegory coldwar game in a made up world.

 

[fuser312]

No idea what or how but I am just wondering, can Paradox do something grand with the Warhammer 40K IP?