Victoria 2 - official discussion

**hellheaven1987** · August 12, 2010, 09:04 PM

Official thread for Victoria 2 discussion, feel free to post your comments and tips about the game.

**Argeus the Paladin** · August 12, 2010, 09:15 PM

Hope this isn't as expensive as HoI III. Haven't been able to get it for ages.

$60 price tag? I'll pass for now, thanks.

**hellheaven1987** · August 12, 2010, 09:27 PM

39.99 USD here, arguable a very reasonable price consider CoD6 and SC2 is like 59.99 USD...

**Argeus the Paladin** · August 12, 2010, 09:29 PM

Looks like I'll have to wait for a while then. Doesn't seem like I can buy anything more than $20 for some time.

**eran** · August 13, 2010, 03:04 AM

Do you think they will sell it on steam sometime soon?

**PacSubCom** · August 13, 2010, 04:36 AM

There are a lot of things that have changed compared to Vicky 1. Even if you're familiar with the development diaries.

The first thing you probably have to learn is that the setting of tax a tax slider to 100% is not much of a problem for your population in the beginning of the game. Because now there is tax efficiency. For example the US has 23% tax efficiency in 1836, which means that with a slider to 100%, only 23% of the POP money is collected as taxes, and POPs can mostly still buy their needs with the remaining 77%. Certain technologies increase tax efficiency, so much later in the game, a slider setting of 100% really means all of their money is taken from them. And then they're pissed off!

This might be something you have to wrap your mind around at first, because it is different from any other game. Normally if there is an efficiency like this in a game, money vanishes into some administrative black hole - not so here. Here it just isn't collected, and the population keeps it!

If you're a great power, get countries in your sphere of interest (SOI). The economic advantage of a captive market is tremendous. In Vicky 2 not all of your production is necessarily bought by somebody, so your factories might lose money. In the demo example, getting high population Brazil into your SOI gives you millions of new guaranteed customers, and your factories will have a stable income.

Capitalists need money to build railroads and factories in the state they are residing in. But they get their income only from factories. So in states that don't have factories, how do they cope and collect the capital to build? The answer is: Loans. When the money level in the national bank is sufficient, the bank gives loans to penniless capitalists so that they can build and get their own income. This is the only way how states without industry can industrialize under a laissez faire or interentionist government. Under state capitalism or planned economy, the government (you) can build everything yourself.

Overall a game that promises to be very fun, surprisingly the best unpatched release Pdox ever had probably. In a couple of patches it will be one of the most awesome strategy games ever made.

**Dodge** · August 13, 2010, 10:33 AM

You can't see in the ledger what types of ships other nations have, I never understand why little annoying thing like this seem to happen in sequals. I want a naval arms race and don't want to be pumping out dreadnaughts when Germany unbeknownst to me are only building clipper transports.

**John I Tzimisces** · August 13, 2010, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by PacSubCom

There are a lot of things that have changed compared to Vicky 1. Even if you're familiar with the development diaries.

The first thing you probably have to learn is that the setting of tax a tax slider to 100% is not much of a problem for your population in the beginning of the game. Because now there is tax efficiency. For example the US has 23% tax efficiency in 1836, which means that with a slider to 100%, only 23% of the POP money is collected as taxes, and POPs can mostly still buy their needs with the remaining 77%. Certain technologies increase tax efficiency, so much later in the game, a slider setting of 100% really means all of their money is taken from them. And then they're pissed off!

This might be something you have to wrap your mind around at first, because it is different from any other game. Normally if there is an efficiency like this in a game, money vanishes into some administrative black hole - not so here. Here it just isn't collected, and the population keeps it!

If you're a great power, get countries in your sphere of interest (SOI). The economic advantage of a captive market is tremendous. In Vicky 2 not all of your production is necessarily bought by somebody, so your factories might lose money. In the demo example, getting high population Brazil into your SOI gives you millions of new guaranteed customers, and your factories will have a stable income.

Capitalists need money to build railroads and factories in the state they are residing in. But they get their income only from factories. So in states that don't have factories, how do they cope and collect the capital to build? The answer is: Loans. When the money level in the national bank is sufficient, the bank gives loans to penniless capitalists so that they can build and get their own income. This is the only way how states without industry can industrialize under a laissez faire or interentionist government. Under state capitalism or planned economy, the government (you) can build everything yourself.

Overall a game that promises to be very fun, surprisingly the best unpatched release Pdox ever had probably. In a couple of patches it will be one of the most awesome strategy games ever made.

I think some of the dev diaries made it out as China being a special case with spheres of influence, IE, different regions can fall under the influence of different great powers, and X number of revolutionary movements in the country can remove the influence/spark European intervention...experience that yet or was that an older build?

**hellheaven1987** · August 13, 2010, 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by John I Tzimisces

I think some of the dev diaries made it out as China being a special case with spheres of influence, IE, different regions can fall under the influence of different great powers, and X number of revolutionary movements in the country can remove the influence/spark European intervention...experience that yet or was that an older build?

Not sure. In demo China has a very high counter-foreign influence rate (100% I remember) that it is impossible to influence it. Anyway, China, even without civilized, is still one of top five bad-ass nations...

I guess the only way to influence China is to actually be a neighbour of Chinese...

**hellheaven1987** · August 13, 2010, 01:27 PM

Is the hard-copy of the game actually come out at August 13th? I am under an impression that it would not be out before 23th...

**molonthegreat** · August 13, 2010, 01:58 PM

Do anyone else have trouble with the capitalists and factory building? Because for me their decisions in factory doesn't make any sense and their factories closes just some days after it opened because they can't get any workers. Perhaps Laissez fair isn't balanced enough yet since all other nations just keep passing me in the industrial score since very few of the factories my capitalists build actually stays. Playing as France btw and i also have taxes on zero and high tariffs.

**~~Heavy Weapons Guy~~** · August 13, 2010, 02:32 PM

Can someone post a map of Baltic (Modern territory of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania)? Enough close to see their titles and boundaries.

**REQUIEM** · August 13, 2010, 03:15 PM

I think its awesome that at the end of your campaign you can import your save to hearts of iron 3 and carry on with your empire through the 2nd world war

**hellheaven1987** · August 13, 2010, 03:37 PM

Originally Posted by molonthegreat

Do anyone else have trouble with the capitalists and factory building? Because for me their decisions in factory doesn't make any sense and their factories closes just some days after it opened because they can't get any workers. Perhaps Laissez fair isn't balanced enough yet since all other nations just keep passing me in the industrial score since very few of the factories my capitalists build actually stays. Playing as France btw and i also have taxes on zero and high tariffs.

The best solution is to build a good railroad system, so the resource can actually transport around and your new industry would not close due to resource shortage. The manpower shortage is rather troublesome, but you can at least force your industries to hire non-craftmen if necessary...

National Focus also help, by the way.

**martyr** · August 13, 2010, 04:08 PM

Originally Posted by REQUIEM

I think its awesome that at the end of your campaign you can import your save to hearts of iron 3 and carry on with your empire through the 2nd world war

Negative. That was removed due to them not having enough time.

I'm also guessing they want some awesome stuff for expansions.

**Bolkonsky** · August 13, 2010, 04:52 PM

Originally Posted by Argeus the Paladin

Hope this isn't as expensive as HoI III. Haven't been able to get it for ages.

$60 price tag? I'll pass for now, thanks.

HoI III is $4 on Amazon.

**molonthegreat** · August 13, 2010, 06:07 PM

Originally Posted by hellheaven1987

The best solution is to build a good railroad system, so the resource can actually transport around and your new industry would not close due to resource shortage. The manpower shortage is rather troublesome, but you can at least force your industries to hire non-craftmen if necessary...

National Focus also help, by the way.

Yeah I used all my national focus points on getting craftsmen and after 15 years I had surpassed Britain but Russia is still number one tough, But I have some other issues do anyone know how the hell you get rid off all bureaucrats? because even tough I have my funding on zero those pops keep converting to them anyway and one last question what use do you have off clerks? considering that they can work in the factories and such but it still is few who convert to them because there aren't enough jobs.

Furthermore I must say that it's a great game but it need some fixes, you get to much money I have 2 million pounds and don't know what to do with them but when I checked Britain out they were heavily in debt! Also the colonies assimilate and draw new people a bit fast also like my Algeria has 96 % french population in 1864 and my chinese provinces I got a couple of years ago has over 50 %.

Then there is Russia which is godamn crazy, I see Russian fleets all the time because when they are not fighting in Italy they are fighting the Dutch, The British or the Spaniards, their industry is also scary because it's the biggest in the godamn world and twice as large as britains and at least 100 points bigger then mine.

**God-Emperor of Mankind** · August 13, 2010, 06:46 PM

Played a game as Japan.
Damn westerners, they ruined my country

I wanted the extra research bonus only to see my whole country go up in revolt.

**Saturn** · August 13, 2010, 08:01 PM

I've been messing with it. Honestly, I'm waiting for some patches and I'm more excited to mod the game than anything. There's some awesome stuff that could be done in regards to shaping the game as I want it.

**'Gunny** · August 13, 2010, 08:25 PM

I love it for the most part, i would have preferred a more scripted Unification of Germany and Italy though. China industrialized 6 years in and is now #1 great power.... i like how battles mean more than cpaturing provinces though and pretty much all the other add ons except i wish it were a wee bit more historical (IE no mexico taking over all unclolonized provinces, and has anyone noticed its impossible for US to get washington?