Will EU4 Be Steam-Big-Picture/gamepad compatible?

[europolis]

Please say yes.
I know its a strategy game, but new trends are coming, and it would be great if Paradox adapted to it. EU games last for years.
Besides, the game is perfectly playable with almots any device, keyboard and mouse are not a requirement.

And i know it can be made to be so, with mouse n' keys emulation. But how hard is it to include gamepad support?

Cheers.

 

[Eh up me duck]

If you think that serious gaming is moving away from computers you've got another thing coming.

 

[nix_nivis]

If you think that serious gaming is moving away from computers you've got another thing coming.

I am ignorant about the capabilities of tablets and the like, but read that many of you are playing CK2 or EU3 on laptops and was amazed that you have the hardware to support all of the computations going on. Can tablets really handle this kind of computing load?

For my part, I upgraded my cpu and mobo in anticipation of EU4 and some of the other 2013 offerings. And even if EU4 doesn't push the processor too hard, I am sure that the equivalent of MEIOU or MM mods will slow things down to a crawl.

 

[artesox]

How can someone play something like CK2 in a gamepad? I rember having a bad time with sim city 2000 on the PSone, I can see it only getting worse with something more complex like a paradox game.

 

[europolis]

How can someone play something like CK2 in a gamepad? I rember having a bad time with sim city 2000 on the PSone, I can see it only getting worse with something more complex like a paradox game.

I remember playing SC on the n64, it wasnt the end of the world, and its comfortable on a couch. Its like having a different mouse to play with.
But the big plus would be making sure it works with big-picture mode on, now-a-day a lot of things are moving to the living room.

Serious gaming is done on computers, but the definition of PC is changing.

 

[Matt714]

Tablets will never become gaming machines because of the battery, of which the technology there is no improvement in sight.

As for the gamepad for EU, wtf. You high bro?

 

[apsycobear]

I am ignorant about the capabilities of tablets and the like, but read that many of you are playing CK2 or EU3 on laptops and was amazed that you have the hardware to support all of the computations going on. Can tablets really handle this kind of computing load?

Since when are laptops considered tablets?

 

[anubisfike]

Since when are laptops considered tablets?

He's saying that since tablets are even worse than laptops he's wondering if tablets could ever be able to support a game like EU3 (or 4).

 

[Teurlinx]

The processing power won't be the biggest issue I think. The problem will be reworking the user interface (ui) for touch / gamepad. I don't see how this could be done easily.

 

[GreatSlayer]

When you've got the recepy for a UI that seamlessly and effectively would allow you to use a gamepad for directing troops over 2000 provinces, while doing fiscal settings, checking on research, ideas, building improvements in your realm, ticking through pop ups and events, and make trade deals around the mediterranian sea and all that In RealTime, then you would not only be what Charles Darwin was for Biologists, but you would be a super-entity or a freak of nature. The expansiveness and magnitude of PI strategy game series seem very ill suited for a gamepad.
Some games is just meant for mouse and keyboard. I assume you can emulate it to some success with Xpad, but I doubt it be either as user friendly or even fun to play. For me personally I think it would just stress me out. I'll have to try it sometime in CKII, mapping the realmtaps to the shoulder buttons, triggers And the crosshair... Come to think of it, it doesn't sound so super-entity like at all. Curser to left analog stick may be crude and unpleasant, but I guess it Could work.

 

[Will Lucky]

It could be done sure, I just don't think you're going to have that interface work well with the Gamepad.

The Clausewitz engine is perfectly capable of rendering high resolutions so no problem hooking it up to your TV, I myself played Hearts of Iron 3 on the 40" TV in my Living Room to see how it worked out and it was fine. I believe the newer versions are much smoother as well when it comes to getting this going.

 

[nix_nivis]

Since when are laptops considered tablets?

I was thinking more about gamepad controllers and the seeming desire to move away from the traditional PC w/mouse and keyboard. I was curious how we would push this desire for portability/accessibility.

Something along these lines:
http://www.technologytell.com/gaming/files/2012/12/archos-gamepad.jpg

Like I said, I am still doing all things Paradox on a full fledged desktop, so it is hard for me to picture the average user as a guy curled up on the sofa with his laptop and a touchpad.

The battery comment seemed like an astute comment on the limiting factor.

Anyway, sorry to derail the relatively simple demand for gamepad compatibility.

 

[Takeo92]

actually lenovo x230 tablet has up to 22+ hours of cell life, so you can play 10 hours without the laptop is out of energy. But the battery itself cost around 250 - 300 dollar and the thinkpad itself isnt cheap too. But you can play all Paradox games with an stylus on touchscreen in tablet mode (very good!).

I do it myself.. but for normal tablets.. forgett it.

 

[Pitt The Elder]

Tablets will never become gaming machines because of the battery, of which the technology there is no improvement in sight.

As for the gamepad for EU, wtf. You high bro?

Actually, batteries aren't really the problem. There's a lot of gradual improvement the battery realm, the problem is that any time somebody builds a better one, the marketers strap it to something with a bigger screen.

 

[Will Lucky]

Intel Haswell and AMD's upcoming APU's make the battery life a non-issue. They are now putting power usage over actual power in a sense. In a generation or two, Tablets will be just as good as gaming than your Desktop, its the main reason why both Intel and AMD have begun investing more into that part of the market. As time goes on they will put more resources into that market over the desktop.

 

[europolis]

It could be done sure, I just don't think you're going to have that interface work well with the Gamepad.

The Clausewitz engine is perfectly capable of rendering high resolutions so no problem hooking it up to your TV, I myself played Hearts of Iron 3 on the 40" TV in my Living Room to see how it worked out and it was fine. I believe the newer versions are much smoother as well when it comes to getting this going.

Yeah EU4 on the big screen! @.@ And the only thing they have to do is make the joystick or whatever the interface offers act like a mouse, and allow shortcuts to be assigned to regular buttons. Like i said, i've done this before, EU doesnt really require anything other than a mouse-like device, and if you get caught, simply pause the game.
Not that a gamepad would be optimal in multiplayer, at least not for me, but its a nice look into the future.
Of course that the interface could be further designed to be even more compatible with gamepads, and Steam community functions(like chat), but thats something else.

 

[Moonbars]

wireless trackball.

 

[Najs]

I tried playing EU3 on a trackpad and felt incredibly handicapped. I can't even begin to fathom how dreadful it would be to game with a gamepad...
What you could easily do with or without "Big screen support" (as if you'd actually need it?) is hook your computer up to your living room TV and buy yourself a wireless mouse and keyboard.

 

[DarkieBabZ]

Please say yes.
I know its a strategy game, but new trends are coming, and it would be great if Paradox adapted to it. EU games last for years.
Besides, the game is perfectly playable with almots any device, keyboard and mouse are not a requirement.

And i know it can be made to be so, with mouse n' keys emulation. But how hard is it to include gamepad support?

Cheers.

You will never be able to enjoy or even play some of the best GSG out there, since controllors are way to simplified or rather, they focus on another aspect of control then using keyboard/mouse.
Infact its so hard to play simple C&C strategy games on consoles IE, that Sony sold a mouse to the console (it even said so on the game cover) if you get my point.

The new trend you are talking about killed alot of newer adaptation of old games or even spiritual successors to old games! since the system revolving controllers almost always equals a dumped down game!
now don't get me wrong I am not a controller hater or something, I personal things some games are meant to be played with a controller, IE. sports games!

But for GSG, no thanks! I don't want them to focus their time on other ways to make menus etc "console/controller" friendly! but this would never happen anyway with the current form of Paradox GSG games.

I reckon it would not be hard to allow you to use the controller as a mouse! but you would have a hard time "trust me"

 

[GreatSlayer]

I reckon it would not be hard to allow you to use the controller as a mouse! but you would have a hard time "trust me"

Aye. Mapped my ps3 controller in xpadder for ckII yesterday, and using the analog stick as a mouse cursor was as akward as c****g at first base. I got a whole new sense of respect for hotkeys though.
I mean, it can be done, but it's just not fun. As Darkie said, there would need to be some serious dumbing down of the games to make it enjoyable.