Europa Universalis II

[Midgard]

How many nations can you choose from? Which ones?

I've wanted this for a while, I also couldn't find it.

There are hundreds of nations - most, if not almost all significant nations that existed during the time period, including those most people have never heard of, are generally playable, although some are much, much more difficult to play than the others, and many non-European nations (and some minor European ones) may have serious handicaps (bad technology group, meaning lower tech increase speed), less events, etc. Depending on which scenario you play (there are several scenarios with different start dates and conditions included, but there is also a scenario editor that may allow you to create your own, plus, there is a very active mod community with good few dozen excellent mods, if not more, available for free download), the nations are different, and generally correspond to whoever was actually around at the time.

 

[Midgard]

Can you convert your nation? (ie, if you're Byzantium, make the Byzantine Empire become Buddhist?)

It depends. Most conversions are going to be by event (as in the event allowing you to, say, stay Catholic or go Protestant, representing the choice the rulers of your nation actually faced in OTL), but in case of some nations and some religions, you may get an option to switch back and forth. The problem with this is that it costs you A LOT of stability, high revolt risk, and generally, you have to be prepared for a few tough years most of the time if you switch voluntarily, before you get the full benefits of your new religion.

A note of interest is that the game is very easily modable, and you can both write in your own event files, your own countries, and make whatever alterations to the basic scenario that you feel like. So, if you MUST have Buddhist Byzantium with Nubian culture based in Central America and ruled by Pope Martin Luther, you can mod it in - but in game, you are generally (unless by event) not allowed to make completely "wacky" changes that would have had no basis in OTL. Of course, like most of everything in EUII, it is modable.

 

[Hermanubis]

PNG seems possible midgard, yes?

PNG works for me (and you dont really need to resize or anything)

 

[Hermanubis]

Can you convert your nation? (ie, if you're Byzantium, make the Byzantine Empire become Buddhist?)

Byzantium starts out Orthodox, and you get a event that lets you become Catholic if you want (and get Italian culture as well) Catholic countries are allowed to switch between Catholic and Protestant religion at will (I think), so you could become Protestant later on if you really want to, as well…

 

[Alikchi]

Just a note, guys, but Paradox is going to be releasing a savegame converter for its games, so you can play an EUII game to the end, then convert the save game to Victoria, and then convert your Victoria save game to Hearts of Iron 2. Hundreds of years of gameplay.

 

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Right now, the converters are scheduled to be released concurrently with the Victoria expansion, so you'll convert from EUII to Victoria: Revolutions to Hearts of Iron 2: Doomsday.

 

[Soyuz]

Yes, I got EU2 a week ago

You're leading the country, you're not the leader of the country! Oh, wait...
So you're just some kind of a baron that manages everything? And I though I was the King. What was even the point of including that?

The Pope called. He wants his mail-order bride back.
You can have an infinite number of marriages but they all have an expiration date. Huh?

Son, you're just as fat and lousy no matter whom I marry.
The dynasty remains the same regardless of marriage. The ASBs must have done that, I guess.

Sounds kinda stupid. I think it's in the Americas. I give up, where is it?
And the search for that province an enemy offers in peace moves on.

Dammit, troops, we're at war here, not on a camping trip! Oh wait, now we're on a camping trip.
Nothing beats 10000 enemy men camping infront of your castle because they can't withdraw when the war is over.

Ok, I got it, you command troops Monday through Wednesday, I command them Thursday through Saturday and Sunday we both get a day off, whether the country's screwed or not.
What's the point of giving me 2 commanders in the same army group with no way of separating them.

This is the residence of the song shuffler. I'm out at the moment, and will most likely never return, mwahahahaha!
So you're stuck listening to that annoying Norse song over and over.

We're at week 5... and only days away from finishing the set-up!
Was this supposed to come from a board game?

Captain, there seems to be an invisible forceshield preventing us from sailing 50 km further!
Then at level 27 we discover zeppelins and just fly over the edge of the Earth.

You young whippersnappers, I'm the Holy Roman Emperor, not a guy with the long title!
And the point of the title was?

Yes, I do want to know: have you ever seen the rain?
For a game who's design makes it go annoyingly 1 day at a time, they sure have bland weather.

Looky here pa, the treasury fills up by magic!
While the province tax income numbers is totally useless. The ASBs must be giving me money too.

I'm the logic gate handling AI. But don't you get logical with me.
I offer Demark peace requesting all of the territories I conquered (100% on slider). It refuses. Ten seconds later if sues for peace with all the same territories and 250 gold. Huh?

Hi, we're the Paradox software. *shove* Bye!
I guess I have to be thankful for at least the 9 10-minute tutorials.

We want you to manage the economy, but don't do it too much or you'll break it.
I had to move the slider because my income one month was +10 and then the next -10 (huh?). I wanted to keep it at 0, but then the slider greyed out, so I can't move it. Huh?

Ok, our allies are finally here. Time to take the enemy's bullets for them.
Why do my troops always die first from atrition/assualts/battles/seiges when there are my allies in the same area?

This is Paradox software. All your time and money belong to us.
So I have to fast forward for how long for something interesting (war/event) to happen?

I've spent 60% of the time micro-managing the economy, and all I got were these two useless screens.
The navy and army screens (the leftmost buttons at the top) are completely useless. All that information is already presented in the economy sliders screen. Except the sliders (one per each screen). But they put them there so I intentionally forget about them and then wonder why I lost the war.

I'm the logic gate handling AI, but you can call me suicide incarnate.
I'm fighting the Spainish. Naples separates from Spain. I offer Naples an alliance. It refuses. I conquer a lot and sign peace. Naples gets owned.

Hey, I know, let's just take the exact same game, add a few more graphics and sell it again!
Next year Paradox releases Galactica Universalis, where they think 16th century warfare can be applied to space. I blame the guy they got from Empire Earth.

You've just gained a province, all ASBishly, of course.
Dammit, I didn't even know I owned it until I randomly stubled upon it. The ASBs must have done that.

The ASBs were last sighted in Dutch Courland.
Goddammit.

They also have a secret layer in Ottoman Norway.
Those ASBs are utterly unstoppable!

And Napoleon, yeah, he still rises even though the POD is 1419.
Those ASBs must have had a war with the butterflies and won.

 

[Flocculencio]

The Pope called. He wants his mail-order bride back.
You can have an infinite number of marriages but they all have an expiration date. Huh?

Son, you're just as fat and lousy no matter whom I marry.
The dynasty remains the same regardless of marriage. The ASBs must have done that, I guess.

Presumably the Royal Marriage thing involves marrying a minor member of your dynasty to a minor member of theirs.

Ok, I got it, you command troops Monday through Wednesday, I command them Thursday through Saturday and Sunday we both get a day off, whether the country's screwed or not.
What's the point of giving me 2 commanders in the same army group with no way of separating them.

You separate them by splitting the army.

Captain, there seems to be an invisible forceshield preventing us from sailing 50 km further!
Then at level 27 we discover zeppelins and just fly over the edge of the Earth.

Meh. Game balance choice. It's there so that the countries which historically were involved in a lot of exploration get a head start on colonisation.

Yes, I do want to know: have you ever seen the rain?
For a game who's design makes it go annoyingly 1 day at a time, they sure have bland weather.

You can speed up the passage of time, y'know

 

[Midgard]

You're leading the country, you're not the leader of the country! Oh, wait...
So you're just some kind of a baron that manages everything? And I though I was the King. What was even the point of including that?

Ever heard of the Grey Eminence? Besides, if the king pisses you off, you could always mod the King Joe Bloe the Twenty Second with perfect scores in all three abilities that just happens to be immortal...

The Pope called. He wants his mail-order bride back.
You can have an infinite number of marriages but they all have an expiration date. Huh?

A treaty that goes with RM, perhaps? Or, simply an expectation that groom/bride will not live forever?

Son, you're just as fat and lousy no matter whom I marry.
The dynasty remains the same regardless of marriage. The ASBs must have done that, I guess.

Flocc already answered that one.

Sounds kinda stupid. I think it's in the Americas. I give up, where is it?
And the search for that province an enemy offers in peace moves on.

Improved in EUIII.

Dammit, troops, we're at war here, not on a camping trip! Oh wait, now we're on a camping trip.
Nothing beats 10000 enemy men camping infront of your castle because they can't withdraw when the war is over.

Must be before the most recent patch.

Ok, I got it, you command troops Monday through Wednesday, I command them Thursday through Saturday and Sunday we both get a day off, whether the country's screwed or not.
What's the point of giving me 2 commanders in the same army group with no way of separating them.

"Split" and "Reorganize" buttons are your friends...

This is the residence of the song shuffler. I'm out at the moment, and will most likely never return, mwahahahaha!
So you're stuck listening to that annoying Norse song over and over.

Never had that problem.

We're at week 5... and only days away from finishing the set-up!
Was this supposed to come from a board game?

Huh? It doesn't take THAT long to install it...

Captain, there seems to be an invisible forceshield preventing us from sailing 50 km further!
Then at level 27 we discover zeppelins and just fly over the edge of the Earth.

I presume this is to prevent Byzantium from establishing colonian empire in the Americas by 1420. But this setting can be turned off with a very easy modification, which allows all armies and navies to explore, even if they move A LOT slower.

You young whippersnappers, I'm the Holy Roman Emperor, not a guy with the long title!
And the point of the title was?

Ability to move armies through all of the Holy Roman Empire, and a few other things, not to mention victory points.

Yes, I do want to know: have you ever seen the rain?
For a game who's design makes it go annoyingly 1 day at a time, they sure have bland weather.

Do the hurricanes and tropical storms count?

Looky here pa, the treasury fills up by magic!
While the province tax income numbers is totally useless. The ASBs must be giving me money too.

You get money at the beginning of every year. Otherwise, you choose whether or not you take money in cash (and risk inflation) every month, or if you spend it on other projects. I tend not to mint unless I absolutely have to, and live off the yearly incomes.

I'm the logic gate handling AI. But don't you get logical with me.
I offer Demark peace requesting all of the territories I conquered (100% on slider). It refuses. Ten seconds later if sues for peace with all the same territories and 250 gold. Huh?

Was it ruled by 1/2/1 monarch named Hamlet?

Hi, we're the Paradox software. *shove* Bye!
I guess I have to be thankful for at least the 9 10-minute tutorials.

Hey, they got me through, and besides, the forums (which are frequented by Paradox guys) are definitely very helpful.

We want you to manage the economy, but don't do it too much or you'll break it.
I had to move the slider because my income one month was +10 and then the next -10 (huh?). I wanted to keep it at 0, but then the slider greyed out, so I can't move it. Huh?

Did you build armies/navies, or lose that rich province to enemy occupation? There is a rational explanation for everything.

Ok, our allies are finally here. Time to take the enemy's bullets for them.
Why do my troops always die first from atrition/assualts/battles/seiges when there are my allies in the same area?

Now that I do have a pet peeve with... but then, nothing beats stealing someone's sieges with your 500 men army led by a monarch leader.

This is Paradox software. All your time and money belong to us.
So I have to fast forward for how long for something interesting (war/event) to happen?

Pretty much.

I've spent 60% of the time micro-managing the economy, and all I got were these two useless screens.
The navy and army screens (the leftmost buttons at the top) are completely useless. All that information is already presented in the economy sliders screen. Except the sliders (one per each screen). But they put them there so I intentionally forget about them and then wonder why I lost the war.

Support amounts are pretty important for navy and army... also, knowing the tech levels to shoot for, etc etc.

I'm the logic gate handling AI, but you can call me suicide incarnate.
I'm fighting the Spainish. Naples separates from Spain. I offer Naples an alliance. It refuses. I conquer a lot and sign peace. Naples gets owned.

Well, shit happens

Hey, I know, let's just take the exact same game, add a few more graphics and sell it again!
Next year Paradox releases Galactica Universalis, where they think 16th century warfare can be applied to space. I blame the guy they got from Empire Earth.

IMO there are quite a few things different between different Paradox game, once you get over the idea that visually, the engine is very similar... Victoria, HOI, and CK have very different gameplay from EUII...

You've just gained a province, all ASBishly, of course.
Dammit, I didn't even know I owned it until I randomly stubled upon it. The ASBs must have done that.

I presume you did not set ownership changes in your provinces as a pop-up message (it is a default setting though).

The ASBs were last sighted in Dutch Courland.
Goddammit.

They also have a secret layer in Ottoman Norway.
Those ASBs are utterly unstoppable!

They are also the ASBs that helped the Palaiologoi (or, in this case, me) reconquer Basil II's empire by 1453... with a POD in 1419.

And Napoleon, yeah, he still rises even though the POD is 1419.
Those ASBs must have had a war with the butterflies and won.

He can always be modded out though...


What can I say? I love that game!

 

[Superdude]

Europe Universalis 3 will have an entirely reworked system.

 

[Soyuz]

A treaty that goes with RM, perhaps? Or, simply an expectation that groom/bride will not live forever?

Flocc already answered that one.

They should have at least made a random generator for births/deaths/brides/abilities and others.

Must be before the most recent patch.

No, this happens when I jump into a war with a nation that's already at war. So at first I can move through all territories, but when peace is signed, since I'm not really allied with my enemy's enemy during the war, I can't move through their territory.

"Split" and "Reorganize" buttons are your friends...

Never worked for me. They just create a new army with Private Nitwit in charge.

Huh? It doesn't take THAT long to install it...

I was talking about the board game.

You get money at the beginning of every year. Otherwise, you choose whether or not you take money in cash (and risk inflation) every month, or if you spend it on other projects. I tend not to mint unless I absolutely have to, and live off the yearly incomes.

But the amount seems random.

Did you build armies/navies, or lose that rich province to enemy occupation? There is a rational explanation for everything.

Go look at the screenshot. The button's greyed out and I can't move it.

Support amounts are pretty important for navy and army... also, knowing the tech levels to shoot for, etc etc.

The sliders could have been included together with the other sliders.

I presume you did not set ownership changes in your provinces as a pop-up message (it is a default setting though).

Playing the current game as Sweden, I somehow gained Vorpommeran. But I never annexed it myself. Is there an event for that.


Here's my current game:

 

[Jake Featherston]

my favorite scenario was when i annexed all the german provinces, the baltics, poland, russia, parts of siberia, the balkens, and france, while colonising all of N and S America, all as...


Bohemia

 

[Midgard]

They should have at least made a random generator for births/deaths/brides/abilities and others.

It is going to be in Europa Universalis III, accordingly to Paradox forums.

No, this happens when I jump into a war with a nation that's already at war. So at first I can move through all territories, but when peace is signed, since I'm not really allied with my enemy's enemy during the war, I can't move through their territory.

Hmm... never had this problem.

Never worked for me. They just create a new army with Private Nitwit in charge.

When I do split, it always separates the army into equal halves, led by the leaders you have... Reorganize might do what you've just described though.

I was talking about the board game.

But the amount seems random.

Go look at the screenshot. The button's greyed out and I can't move it.

Weird... never seen anything like that. Might be some kind of a bug in the game, or something I hadn't encountered before (although I've been playing it for 2 1/2 years now, so the chances of that are fairly slim).

The sliders could have been included together with the other sliders.

Matter of personal preference, I suppose, and how much it matters to different players... makes little to no difference to me.

Playing the current game as Sweden, I somehow gained Vorpommeran. But I never annexed it myself. Is there an event for that.

Not sure... never played as Sweden (but you might want to check their events file). There are, however, several situations under which you may gain a province without warning - usually, if you are at war with another country, and their government falls (i.e. the rebels capture their capital province), all of their territories your armies have captured automatically revert to you (or to the other countries that control them). I wonder if this is what happened.

 

[Superdude]

You know what is weird? When you give a country extra tech and stuff.

I edited a save game to give Byzantium like 40 land and sea tech, and they managed to do a very good reconquest, destroying the Ottomans and much of the Balkans.

But then they apparently their moral fabric was crushed, and so now more vigorous peoples from Slovakia have broken free and are smashing the Byzantines.

 

[Ghost 88]

@Soyuz there is nothing wrong with the sliders they work as designed. You can change one slider,one position once every 10 years.
A number of your bitches are covered in the Manual located in the Games Files others are WAD,the developers were trying to creat a historic simulation that stayed close to history not an AH, many of the players who post in Paradox's forum note this.

As to support few companies support thier games as well as Paradox does, they recently put out a patch (1.04) for Victoria a game thats been on the market for 3 years and was not considered a sales success,compare that to the Civ franchise 3 patches and finished even if bad bugs remained.

Paradox recently published an expansion for Victoria the next day one of thier developers was in thier forum asking people who spoted a game play bug for save games of it so they could fix the problem,at the same time they gave a temp.edit fix so it could be played til a patch comes out. Compare this to Civ IV who refused for days to admit they had a graphics problem and all but blamed the users of being idiots,and even after providing a fix two months later still claim it was not thier rush to publish piss poor Quaility Control,but the customers stupidity in installing that caused the problem.

 

[Roman Guy]

Are any of you guys on the paradox forums? I am Anarhco Liberal by the way.

 

[Midgard]

Are any of you guys on the paradox forums? I am Anarhco Liberal by the way.

I'm registered at Paradox under the same nick (midgardmetal), but I tend to lurk for the most part; I read the forums, but am not very active there.

 

[Superdude]

AGCEEP gives some good events - In my Burgundy game I have taken the crown of Lotharingia, and now my cores are in East France and West Germany.

 

[Soyuz]

Ok, I have a question. Why does the Teutonic Order's (1419 campaign) morale suck so much? Even if I outnumber the enemy 3-4 times, the battle morale drops like a stone and I lose. But other times this doesn't happen. Is there a scientific explanation for that?

Also, anyone ever played as them?

Also, can someone recommend countries that are fun to play for the Grand Campaign? So far I only found Brandenbourg and Austria fun, and the Teutonic Order, especially if you get over that morale thing.

 

[Midgard]

Ok, I have a question. Why does the Teutonic Order's (1419 campaign) morale suck so much? Even if I outnumber the enemy 3-4 times, the battle morale drops like a stone and I lose. But other times this doesn't happen. Is there a scientific explanation for that?

Also, anyone ever played as them?

Also, can someone recommend countries that are fun to play for the Grand Campaign? So far I only found Brandenbourg and Austria fun, and the Teutonic Order, especially if you get over that morale thing.

Byzantium, Muscowy, Novgorod (both Muscowy and Novgorod can form Russia later on), Austria (because you have it easier than the most), Venice (if you go for hyperteching, economic victory)... England and France can be quite a bit of fun too, as can be the Ottomans (one of my most fun games was as the Ottomans - I guess I felt a bit of guilt over destroying them so many times as the Byzantines).