Victoria II: A House Divided

[Weezer]

So, I just bought V2:AHD from Gamestop for 10 dollars (the sale is still going on now, here's the link, it's pretty much the whole Victoria series, pretty worth it IMHO) and I was wondering if anyone else around here plays. I know the Playground has a decent sized EU and CK contingent, so I bet there are at least a few who play V2. Any advice for someone just starting out who is very familiar with the other Paradox grand strategy titles? I already decided to install the POP Demand mod, it seems to be one of those mods that are pretty necessary.

[psilontech]

here's the link

No it isn't. :smallwink:

Anyway, I've been seriously considering getting into one of the Paradox games, but haven't found it in me to shell out the cash for one yet.

$10 for the whole series isn't bad so I might have to consider it. Mind putting the link in there?

[Grif]

No it isn't. :smallwink:

Anyway, I've been seriously considering getting into one of the Paradox games, but haven't found it in me to shell out the cash for one yet.

$10 for the whole series isn't bad so I might have to consider it. Mind putting the link in there?

I would recommend starting with EU III first though, if you can. Vicky II is known to have an even steeper learning curve than even EU III or CK II. Almost on par of Hearts of Iron III, if memory serves.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

VicII I'd put 2nd as best PDS game, after CKII.

[Weezer]

Oops, sorry, here's the actual link: http://www.impulsedriven.com/products/ESD-IMP-W3303

[Weezer]

(excuse the double post...)

I had the chance to play it for about an hour last night, and I've only one thing to say about it:By god it's complex. I spent pretty much that whole time just looking through the menus and trying to figure out where things are. Definitely the most unapproachable of the Paradox games I've encountered. Hopefully I'll get more time to really dig in tonight, but I doubt it.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

You don't actually have to REALLY pay attention to most of the production or economic windows. It's broad strokes. You just do things like lower and raise taxes and tarrifs, the economy will mostly deal with itself based on your small guidances. The game isn't about micromanaging like HOI3 is. It's about GUIDING not LEADING a nation. It's much more realistic in that way, I think.
Rather than being "I'm going to switch to a communist dictatorship", you have to slowly nudge your nation until, in the late-game, you have a large amount of poor, unhappy communists, enough to take over your country in rebellion.

Pick a medium power to start with: Belgium, Netherlands, Brazil, Japan, Portugal, or Spain. The really small nations you can end up feeling like you can't affect much, and the Great Powers are overwhelming at first. Great Britain is terrifying to try and keep track of everything.

I had a Belgium game as my first real game which involved playing France, Great Britain, and Prussia against each other, and trying to grab as much of Africa as I could. Ended up getting caught up in the Great Wars, on the losing side. Lost my empire. Oops.

[Murska]

I've found that a starter game as Two Sicilies or Sardinia-Piedmont aiming to unify Italy is very nice. You get to start as a manageable power and if things go well you'll easily become a Great Power, you'll have your share of wars and you'll have colonization opportunities. An eternal France-Austria alliance can get frustrating though.

[Closet_Skeleton]

Pick a medium power to start with: Belgium, Netherlands, Brazil, Japan, Portugal, or Spain. The really small nations you can end up feeling like you can't affect much, and the Great Powers are overwhelming at first. Great Britain is terrifying to try and keep track of everything.

I'd actually recommend playing Prussia first. They have a pretty obvious to see goal. Once you succeed with that you can have fun being time displaced Hitler and just conquer as much stuff as you want.

Sardinia Piedmont or Two Sicilies have the same 'unify the nation' goal but are a lot harder than Prussia unless Garibaldi does all the work for you.

The Civil War Scenario is an okay way to learn how big wars work. But not very good if you actually want to survive as the Confederacy. Apart from that the only real point is if you're too lazy to play the first 30 years as Romania, Italy or the Ottomans.

First game I played was the United States of Central America. I managed to do absolutely nothing except conquer bits of Columbia and fail to defend my ally Mexico against the expansionist USA of doom.