Thinking about Getting EU3

[Confederate Jeb]

So, I was just browsing the internet (looking for information on another game, to be precise) when I saw some of the footage of EU3 - Heir to the Throne. The campaign stuff looked neat, but I thought I'd ask the "knowledgeable" patrons of TWC to provide more information. So, here are my questions.

- I see that the campaign map has a boatload of features, but how encompassing are they?
- How are battles fought, and what are they like?
- Are the expansions worth purchasing?
- Are the mods for the game worth it as well?

While the graphics (from what I can tell) are nothing like the TW series, graphics don't really matter too much to me, especially since pretty graphics couldn't get me to get over how bugged E:TW was, so much so that I've lost all interest in the series past M2:TW.

Thanks for the help in advance.

[Kamos]

- Fairly comprehensive but other Paradox games can go deeper.
- Two armies engage on the map, you have no battle control like in TW you just move them around on the campaign map. Once the army engages another it's down to math and dice rolls to decide the winner taking into matter troop types, numbers, terrain, commanders, and luck.
- Yes
- Supposedly though I haven't gotten that far.

[Confederate Jeb]

- Two armies engage on the map, you have no battle control like in TW you just move them around on the campaign map. Once the army engages another it's down to math and dice rolls to decide the winner taking into matter troop types, numbers, terrain, commanders, and luck.

Bah auto-resolve. But a good campaign is what I'm looking for; M&B can fill the battle role.

Is it possible to have a hot-seat campaign?

[Kamos]

Hot seat? Live multiplayer is possible since it's all done in real time and it's not turn based. Say you pick England and your brother picks France then you both just play at the same time like any other real time strategy game.

[HansDuet]

Its tough for a beginner. With patience, its all good but nothing like Total War.

Its real time so you can have a multiplayer campaing.

[Confederate Jeb]

Hot seat? Live multiplayer is possible since it's all done in real time and it's not turn based. Say you pick England and your brother picks France then you both just play at the same time like any other real time strategy game.

Cool, though I suppose we'll need it on each of our computers? (when I said hotseat I meant how Kingdoms had it, which is where I get the term from)

Its tough for a beginner. With patience, its all good but nothing like Total War.

Its real time so you can have a multiplayer campaing.

I've got some experience with Real Time campaigns (Star Wars: Empire at War comes to mind), and so long as it isn't a glitch-fest I'd be more than happy to have a good campaign.

[Kamos]

Well there isn't any kind of Kingdoms style hotseat so yeah you'll need it on two computers, not that it's hard or a problem.

[HansDuet]

I was not talking about it being real time when I said it was tough.

[Musthavename]

To understand how multiplayer functions, you have to first understand how time progresses.

Essentially, it's made up of very small turns that happen in pretty much realtime. Every single day something can happen. A player can adjust the speed at which days progress on a scale of 1 to 5 (at will) and can also Pause. Some things are also calculated every month (tech costs, army pay, etc...) and some things are calculated every year (census tax). Hence, in a multiplayer campaign, the host controls the speed at which the days progress (usually 2-3), and any player can Pause if they really need to, or ask the host to slow it down. Hence, everyone plays simultaneously. There's a fairly sizeable multiplayer community, but you'll have to go to the Paradox forums, as these games last a LONG time and are very organised. You can't just drop into the multiplayer lobby and expect a game.

To explain the combat system in a bit more detail, it's all automatic. There's a "shock" phase and a "fire" phase. Each unit type has different shock and fire modifiers, aswell as morale modifiers. Each "phase" lasts for 5 days before alternating. If an army loses all morale, it loses and flees (which almost always happens before all troops are killed). If an army engages in battle with no morale, it's often routed instantly (displayed as the death of all those units). What affects the outcome of battles are firstly, luck (random dice roll, 0-9), the General in charge (a bonus anywhere from 1-6), and terrain modifiers (i.e. cross a river, -1 or 2, attack a mountain, -4). Hence, the tactical bit comes in what battles you go for, and when to move your units about. Attrition is also a BIG factor.

The whole game makes for a pretty epic campaign game. The battles are very basic, but there is still a deal of skill in winning or losing a war. That, and you can play 100 or 200 years and the AI will still put up a fight (unless you've just got very good, in which case, there's always mods like Magna Mundi ), and with all the expansions, it's pretty damn competent. If you want a Paradox game that's more combat based, go for the Hearts of Iron series. If you want something where combat is even more irrelevant and everything else becomes a lot more complicated, get Victoria. If you want arcadey battles, stick to Total War.

Edit: One other thing. In this, you start a war, and you don't exchange any lands (well, bar unfinished colonies), until you meet at the peace table. There's no quick "surge and take all their lands and peace out" akin to Total War.

As for what to purchase. Get EU3 Complete as a minimum. There is no reason to buy EU3 without any expansions. IN in particular (second expansion) really tidied a LOT of stuff up, though I started with complete, so I can't say how annoying some things were in vanilla EU3 from personal experience. If get the game and like it a lot, get HTTT aswell, but otherwise, i'd simply go for Complete.

[HansDuet]

Indeed. Fighting wars is on strategic scale, not tactical.

[Confederate Jeb]

As for what to purchase. Get EU3 Complete as a minimum. There is no reason to buy EU3 without any expansions. IN in particular (second expansion) really tidied a LOT of stuff up, though I started with complete, so I can't say how annoying some things were in vanilla EU3 from personal experience. If get the game and like it a lot, get HTTT aswell, but otherwise, i'd simply go for Complete.

Alright. Would you guys know where to buy it complete? The only place I can find is Amazon...and the last expansion seems to be download online. Which is fine, though I don't trust all those sites.

Indeed. Fighting wars is on strategic scale, not tactical.

Excellent.

Essentially, it's made up of very small turns that happen in pretty much realtime. Every single day something can happen. A player can adjust the speed at which days progress on a scale of 1 to 5 (at will) and can also Pause. Some things are also calculated every month (tech costs, army pay, etc...) and some things are calculated every year (census tax). Hence, in a multiplayer campaign, the host controls the speed at which the days progress (usually 2-3), and any player can Pause if they really need to, or ask the host to slow it down. Hence, everyone plays simultaneously. There's a fairly sizeable multiplayer community, but you'll have to go to the Paradox forums, as these games last a LONG time and are very organised. You can't just drop into the multiplayer lobby and expect a game.

Would it be possible to purchase the game one, but to load it and play it on two computers simultaneously? Similar to how M&B worked I mean; I'm not willing to pay twice for a game, I'd rather make due with only single-player.

[Musthavename]

Alright. Would you guys know where to buy it complete? The only place I can find is Amazon...and the last expansion seems to be download online. Which is fine, though I don't trust all those sites.

I don't know many stores that sell them. I just went and bought the Steam version. If you don't want that, try "Gamersgate". That's Paradox's own digital sale store iirc. I would've bought from there, but they don't take debit cards.

Would it be possible to purchase the game one, but to load it and play it on two computers simultaneously? Similar to how M&B worked I mean; I'm not willing to pay twice for a game, I'd rather make due with only single-player.

Honestly, I don't know. I have no idea if the hard-copy uses a CD check. The Gamersgate version in theory should allow you to install on multiple machines and play them simultaneously, though you would have to play via LAN or direct IP. That, and i'd double check with someone who actually has that version. Though, inn order to get onto the Metaserver (which is where most online games will be conducted), you need to register a serial.

But yeah, there's a LAN feature. I've also played with one friend direct over IP, though we had to use Hamachi because of these weird firewall criteria you have to meet to actually host a game.

[Acco]

Honestly, I don't know. I have no idea if the hard-copy uses a CD check.

The CD isn't required, as I haven't had it in for some weeks now yet am still able to play the game.