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Hey All - I posted my EU IV First Impressions - Check it out @ The Strategy Wargamer

Hmmm....

So it is all awesome eh? Nothing like the rather crappy 3rd iteration at release, where tonnes of options were missing compared to the second game, looked terrible next to the 2d graphics of 2 and it wasn't really a EU2 beater until well into the 3rd expansion?

Thanks for the impressions, but without some sort of comparison with the 3rd game, focusing more on the mechanics and UI than the 'special effects', it doesn't tell me anything that rings my bell. The Linux native port is nice though.

ps: The seasons changed in EU1 on the map [;)]

Steam only = no sale, so Paradox games are off my menu from now on I’m afraid. But even if it wasn’t steam only, after reading this line in a review:

Monarch points feel like a sensible evolution of systems that I’ve no doubt were more complicated and confusing in previous titles in the series.

http://www.incgamers.com/2013/08/europa ... -iv-review

It looks like the trend is to dumb things down now to appeal to a larger mass audience on Steam. I still enjoy EU3 and will play that as long as it runs on current operating systems. It looks like Paradox is chasing the masses and their games are going to be less and less appealing to wargamers as more dumbing down occurs in the future.

Jim

Ive played them all from the begining and I enjoy this one as well.  The only thing so far that bothers me is the writing is so small.  With my bad eyes(I wear glasses)Its a real strain to read.  But if your a EU fan I recommend the game.[;)]

From what i can gather it's the best yet..taking the success of CK2 forward. Plus saves from CK2 will be compatible I believe..

ORIGINAL: SapperAstro

Hmmm....

So it is all awesome eh? Nothing like the rather crappy 3rd iteration at release, where tonnes of options were missing compared to the second game, looked terrible next to the 2d graphics of 2 and it wasn't really a EU2 beater until well into the 3rd expansion?

Thanks for the impressions, but without some sort of comparison with the 3rd game, focusing more on the mechanics and UI than the 'special effects', it doesn't tell me anything that rings my bell. The Linux native port is nice though.

ps: The seasons changed in EU1 on the map [;)]

I only played EU 3 a few times. I really couldn't get passed the awful looking map and clunky UI. A game should look good as well as play good. EU IV does this really well.

ORIGINAL: Jim D Burns

Steam only = no sale, so Paradox games are off my menu from now on I’m afraid. But even if it wasn’t steam only, after reading this line in a review:

Monarch points feel like a sensible evolution of systems that I’ve no doubt were more complicated and confusing in previous titles in the series.

http://www.incgamers.com/2013/08/europa ... -iv-review

It looks like the trend is to dumb things down now to appeal to a larger mass audience on Steam. I still enjoy EU3 and will play that as long as it runs on current operating systems. It looks like Paradox is chasing the masses and their games are going to be less and less appealing to wargamers as more dumbing down occurs in the future.

Jim

I think a completely dumb down game would be bad but making sections of the game easier to play is a big +. I really don't want to spend hours learning how to play the game. Most people only have 2/3 hours per week to play games and spending that time learning to play a game isn't ideal. You want the player to pick up the game very quickly and start enjoying the game.

I would probably like EU IV but since it is Steam only I will, most likely, never play it. Unfortunately it is my loss as well as theirs. [:(]

Just so you guys know, once you purchase a Paradox game on Steam, you can launch it without ever opening Steam again. Only reason to open Steam again would be for the updates. My impressions so far: Everything good from EU3, with much, much better UI and mechanics. Just try the demo and you can see all the new stuff for yourself. This is one game where I see myself picking up every single expansion and DLC they throw at it, I love it a lot so far.

They definitely have not dumbed the game down, you just go about doing upgrades and research in a different (more sensible) way. Just because the game is less obtuse and abstract doesn't suddenly mean it's "dumbed down." The new monarch points system gives you points to spend on military, administrative, and diplomatic tasks. You spend administrative points to increase stability, add cores, and research administrative techs. Military points are used to recruit generals/admirals and do other things, diplomatic to do diplomatic and espionage missions, and so on. You get points based on your leader, your advisors, and various other factors. I really like it since it lets you focus on the way you want your nation to progress, rather than the mostly time-based, one size fits all approach from previous games (i.e. 50(?) years to get a new core, waiting x number of months for stability to increase, etc)

My objection is Steam not the games, so no sale thank you very much. Not only don’t you own the game you pay for, Steam is a data-mining service. They are tracking way more than the hours you play a game. They make a fortune selling your data and you have no rights at all to prevent them from gathering whatever they want to gather.

I guarantee they track stuff that has nothing at all to do with games you purchase from them and even if you disable the service tray part of Steam, I bet they are still gathering stuff in the background and it sends the data to Steam servers when you do log in. Heck it probably doesn’t even require a log in it just does it quietly and you never see it.

When I go to see a doctor about my tonsils I expect him to look in my mouth to check things out. Steam goes up your tail-pipe and pokes, prods and massages all your internal organs on the way up.

Jim

I suppose, though there are ways to make sure that there are no processes running in the background that might be gathering info.

ORIGINAL: Jim D Burns

My objection is Steam not the games, so no sale thank you very much. Not only don’t you own the game you pay for, Steam is a data-mining service. They are tracking way more than the hours you play a game. They make a fortune selling your data and you have no rights at all to prevent them from gathering whatever they want to gather.

I guarantee they track stuff that has nothing at all to do with games you purchase from them and even if you disable the service tray part of Steam, I bet they are still gathering stuff in the background and it sends the data to Steam servers when you do log in. Heck it probably doesn’t even require a log in it just does it quietly and you never see it.

When I go to see a doctor about my tonsils I expect him to look in my mouth to check things out. Steam goes up your tail-pipe and pokes, prods and massages all your internal organs on the way up.

Jim

Since the games can be played offline, just turn the modem off.

If it's Steam driven then it is not for me. Twice bitten forever shy.

About 4 years ago I installed it and my laptop got buggerated.
About 3 months ago I tried it again on new laptop - and same result. Now un-installed.

Back to EU1/2/3 - I've got them but never really played them anyway.

But I still haven't really played my Crown of Glory, FoF, Command Ops, AT, JTCS, Spartan, TOAW,etc. Summer's lease hath all too short a date.

Never had any problems with Steam..have no issues with it. Times change and game distribution changed. Steam isn't going anywhere...and really one in a hundred games if that are worth keeping for longer than a couple of years anyway so the "you don't own it" aspect doesn't bother me at all. Things like having to pay insurance for a spaceship you actually paid for when buying the game is something I find offensive..I'm talking to you Star Citizen.

Isn't Paradox going to release a physical DVD disk (boxed) version of Europa Universalis IV? I don't mind Steam, but I always buy the physical version of any game...no digital downloads for me!

Patrick

ORIGINAL: flanyboy

I suppose, though there are ways to make sure that there are no processes running in the background that might be gathering info.

Particularly on Linux - you can see every single process, every single time. There are no 'hidden' steam processes running in the background gathering information.

I haven't read or seen anything suggesting that their going to release it on a hard copy.[:(]

I don't have problems with Steam, BUT recently they popped up a window in which they asked me to accept changes in their privacy(?) policy, basically changes in their EULA. I declined. To my astonishment they blocked access to all of my games, until I accepted. This is definitely a no-no, I think in the EU they will get sued over this subject.


http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/178190/Valve_could_face_charges_in_Europe_over_Steams_user_agreement.php

EU IV is incredible.

How is it incredible?