PDX Games IX: Western Pre-Turkic Empire

[Imperium of Texas]

Should I buy Victoria 2? I’ve heard some things about Victoria 3 not having actual combat which makes it’s predecessor look better. Thoughts?

I'm on the "New Combat System is better" side of things, so I might be slightly biased, but

Victoria 3 does have "actual combat", it has battles like you would in Eu4 or whatnot, you just don't choose where the battles happen. That's my understanding of it.

Well I’ve never played EU4 so I have no idea what that’s like, and I think I prefer to control where the battles happen.

[HISPIDA]

Should I buy Victoria 2? I’ve heard some things about Victoria 3 not having actual combat which makes it’s predecessor look better. Thoughts?

I'm on the "New Combat System is better" side of things, so I might be slightly biased, but

Victoria 3 does have "actual combat", it has battles like you would in Eu4 or whatnot, you just don't choose where the battles happen. That's my understanding of it.

i kind of assume it's like a mix of hoi4's automatic frontline advance system/hoi3's ai front system and the actual battles of eu4/vic2 without the siege mechanic of every game besides hoi/stellaris (well technically stellaris has siege-esque mechanics on inhabited planets but you know what i mean)

[Salus Maior]

Well, the real struggle with the Charlemagne run is starting off right. Once you've settled the initial vassal issues (both in the beginning and after you knock off Karloman) it's pretty easy to get to that point with the claim events.

the biggest problem right now is handling vassals (this is my first real experience with a large empire with big vassals, before this the most i've ever played was uniting romania, a brief playthrough as leon -> jerusalem, and a campaign as the fire nation in the ATLA mod). i plan to invade spain, but i don't have enough male family members to give kingdoms to. the only male family member of my line right now is my son who is currently king of italy and all my other children were girls, including my son's daughter. i'm thinking i wait for charlemagne (er, i guess he's charlesainte) to die for the saint bonus + to get the seduction focus on pepin to have at least 3 sons for the kingdoms of italy, saxony, and maybe burgundy/occitania

also idk if the dominican order is OP or something but charlemagne has all seven virtues, true christian knight, the sacred robe of Jesus, and i have basically all of catholicism in my pocket with the pope as my court chaplain, and i've killed a spawn of satan (who also had cancer but i digress). the biggest issue right now is independence factions (from vassals that like me??? i'm talking the king of occitania who has a 100 opinion of me joining the independence faction) and slavic/germanic revolts (which i'm working on). are they joining independence factions because i'm considered a tyrant?

the small demesne i have (1/6 because im a moron who doesnt understand vassalage too much yet) also kinda sucks but i'm trying to work on it. rn im trying to work on revoking the lands of the former duchy of berry to get a united demesne (in contrast to the very shattered demesne i used to have, i like demesne that are either really close together or entirely contiguous)

Well, the best way to get rid of your internal enemies is to make them your friends. Literally. Carouse with your most powerful vassals and hope you get the friendship event and that'll create a stable realm (even if you don't get the event it's worth it though, considering you'll get a diplo trait if you do it enough and that'll improve your relations anyway). Getting into a monastic order also helps, because you can have better control over your heirs traits and teach them virtues which are a great way to get them elected after you and keep everyone happy with them.

[Lunas Legion]

I'm on the "New Combat System is better" side of things, so I might be slightly biased, but

Victoria 3 does have "actual combat", it has battles like you would in Eu4 or whatnot, you just don't choose where the battles happen. That's my understanding of it.

i kind of assume it's like a mix of hoi4's automatic frontline advance system/hoi3's ai front system and the actual battles of eu4/vic2 without the siege mechanic of every game besides hoi/stellaris (well technically stellaris has siege-esque mechanics on inhabited planets but you know what i mean)

That's what it seems like. I think you might be able to give your front instructions/priorities to advance towards, or to remain on the defensive etc. Also on the 'new combat is better' faction, simply because Victoria 2's combat devolved into a single death battle in a single province which sucked all forces into it like a black hole.

[HISPIDA]

the biggest problem right now is handling vassals (this is my first real experience with a large empire with big vassals, before this the most i've ever played was uniting romania, a brief playthrough as leon -> jerusalem, and a campaign as the fire nation in the ATLA mod). i plan to invade spain, but i don't have enough male family members to give kingdoms to. the only male family member of my line right now is my son who is currently king of italy and all my other children were girls, including my son's daughter. i'm thinking i wait for charlemagne (er, i guess he's charlesainte) to die for the saint bonus + to get the seduction focus on pepin to have at least 3 sons for the kingdoms of italy, saxony, and maybe burgundy/occitania

also idk if the dominican order is OP or something but charlemagne has all seven virtues, true christian knight, the sacred robe of Jesus, and i have basically all of catholicism in my pocket with the pope as my court chaplain, and i've killed a spawn of satan (who also had cancer but i digress). the biggest issue right now is independence factions (from vassals that like me??? i'm talking the king of occitania who has a 100 opinion of me joining the independence faction) and slavic/germanic revolts (which i'm working on). are they joining independence factions because i'm considered a tyrant?

the small demesne i have (1/6 because im a moron who doesnt understand vassalage too much yet) also kinda sucks but i'm trying to work on it. rn im trying to work on revoking the lands of the former duchy of berry to get a united demesne (in contrast to the very shattered demesne i used to have, i like demesne that are either really close together or entirely contiguous)

Well, the best way to get rid of your internal enemies is to make them your friends. Literally. Carouse with your most powerful vassals and hope you get the friendship event and that'll create a stable realm (even if you don't get the event it's worth it though, considering you'll get a diplo trait if you do it enough and that'll improve your relations anyway). Getting into a monastic order also helps, because you can have better control over your heirs traits and teach them virtues which are a great way to get them elected after you and keep everyone happy with them.

well, charlemagne right now has theology focus and is the head of the dominicans, and my heir rn is charitable with a few others i can't remember rn. i have no clue why the kings of saxony/burgundy/occitania are all getting into independence factions considering they all have, at the very least, 40+. the only vassals i think have negative opinions of me are counts but even then they're not strong enough to invite *kings* into their factions are they?

[Lunas Legion]

Well, the best way to get rid of your internal enemies is to make them your friends. Literally. Carouse with your most powerful vassals and hope you get the friendship event and that'll create a stable realm (even if you don't get the event it's worth it though, considering you'll get a diplo trait if you do it enough and that'll improve your relations anyway). Getting into a monastic order also helps, because you can have better control over your heirs traits and teach them virtues which are a great way to get them elected after you and keep everyone happy with them.

well, charlemagne right now has theology focus and is the head of the dominicans, and my heir rn is charitable with a few others i can't remember rn. i have no clue why the kings of saxony/burgundy/occitania are all getting into independence factions considering they all have, at the very least, 40+. the only vassals i think have negative opinions of me are counts but even then they're not strong enough to invite *kings* into their factions are they?

I think kings might have a modifier that makes them far more likely to join an independence faction?

[HISPIDA]

well, charlemagne right now has theology focus and is the head of the dominicans, and my heir rn is charitable with a few others i can't remember rn. i have no clue why the kings of saxony/burgundy/occitania are all getting into independence factions considering they all have, at the very least, 40+. the only vassals i think have negative opinions of me are counts but even then they're not strong enough to invite *kings* into their factions are they?

I think kings might have a modifier that makes them far more likely to join an independence faction?

that... might be it, honestly. let me check.

edit: yep. kings have 50 score added towards joining an independence faction and only 150 is needed to join one. i think what's happened is that because my kings have a lot of non-dejure territory (cuz i suck at managing vassals) that adds 125 to the score and they're kings, so that adds 50, so they get a total of 175 which is 25 over the independence faction limit, and they're also considered mighty vassals, which doubles the score, so they all have 350 towards independence factions.

good to keep in mind.

[HISPIDA]

alright, now that i kinda know what i'm doing for an empire i'm gonna try something else. my usual goal is to form kingdoms but i wanna see how well i can manage hispania. out of the three brothers in northern spain. i usually start with leon, but i've heard castile is easier to get into. which should i go with?

edit: eh, fuck it. i'm going with leon. hope it goes well.

[Bralia]

Tomorrow. 16:00 CEST. Victoria 3 gameplay will be upon us. https://www.twitch.tv/paradoxinteractive

Bring your hammers and sickles.

[Free Ravensburg]

Tomorrow. 16:00 CEST. Victoria 3 gameplay will be upon us. https://www.twitch.tv/paradoxinteractive

Bring your hammers and sickles.

I will be bringing my torch and 2 guns, waving a certain yellow flag

*sees its twitch*

Nvm not going.

[Heloin]

i kind of assume it's like a mix of hoi4's automatic frontline advance system/hoi3's ai front system and the actual battles of eu4/vic2 without the siege mechanic of every game besides hoi/stellaris (well technically stellaris has siege-esque mechanics on inhabited planets but you know what i mean)

That's what it seems like. I think you might be able to give your front instructions/priorities to advance towards, or to remain on the defensive etc. Also on the 'new combat is better' faction, simply because Victoria 2's combat devolved into a single death battle in a single province which sucked all forces into it like a black hole.

That the only strategy real to win battles it’s just make every army 60,000 men half guards half artillery maybe a single hussar unit for attacking armies. The fun side to war in vicky was fucking with the world economy to suck up all the ammunition in the world so no one could fight you.

[Ameriganastan]

I now own Hearts Of Iron IV, based solely on the fact that I'm subscribed to ISorrow and he makes it look fun...I'm going to be terrible at this. I can tell already.

[The Huskar Social Union]

I now own Hearts Of Iron IV, based solely on the fact that I'm subscribed to ISorrow and he makes it look fun...I'm going to be terrible at this. I can tell already.

It begins.


Id recommend playing a minor nation for a few runs to just get used to things then when you feel confident enough move onto a major like Germany or America which are probably the most new player friendly of the big powers.

[Port Caverton]

I now own Hearts Of Iron IV, based solely on the fact that I'm subscribed to ISorrow and he makes it look fun...I'm going to be terrible at this. I can tell already.

Don't forget to nuke the enemy troops

[The Second Hungarian Republic]

I now own Hearts Of Iron IV, based solely on the fact that I'm subscribed to ISorrow and he makes it look fun...I'm going to be terrible at this. I can tell already.

It's definitely a process to learn how to play, one that I DEFINITELY have not finished. Fun though.

[Bralia]

Huskar peed in my mancala board when we were 6. This is why I'm eternally rivaled to him.

[Continental Free States]

Huskar peed in my mancala board when we were 6. This is why I'm eternally rivaled to him.

You know what this memories thing can be pretty amazing on a roleplaying level if it's mainly particularly important events: a character who starts wars often would probably not consider every battle he's fought to be an important one, but the first time you go on a hunt with your father's probably a defining memory, etc.

[The Huskar Social Union]

Huskar peed in my mancala board when we were 6. This is why I'm eternally rivaled to him.

Thats what you get for cheating on me 7000 times, i pre-emptively struck, years in advance to ensure my victory

[Northern Socialist Council Republics]

Huskar peed in my mancala board when we were 6. This is why I'm eternally rivaled to him.

Does that make you feel brave, stubborn, or perhaps wrathful instead?

[Bralia]

Huskar peed in my mancala board when we were 6. This is why I'm eternally rivaled to him.

Thats what you get for cheating on me 7000 times, i pre-emptively struck, years in advance to ensure my victory

5563 times, sweetie. And maybe I wouldn't have cheated on you if you had spent more time on us instead of playing with your balls all day long. Do you even have any idea how badly your circus clown job ruined our marriage?

Huskar peed in my mancala board when we were 6. This is why I'm eternally rivaled to him.

Does that make you feel brave, stubborn, or perhaps wrathful instead?

Vengeful.

[Bralia]

Did not expect an ultra-long stream, I actually have to go now. Victoria 3 is actually looking super chill. I was worried about things to do on a tick by tick and day by day basis, but I think it feels kinda okay. There definitely seems to always be something to worry about economically. I do wish there were way more events, though, V3 is looking extremely barren when it comes to national happenings.

[Free Ravensburg]

Stellaris had a dlc leaked while the livestream happened. Apparently we are getting toxic based life forms, but I don’t know, I just know it happened. The cache has been updated.

Source(s): https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qkREm-Wnbik
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XSwWNPSl52c

[HISPIDA]

just played as a horde for the first time and holy fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck it was so much fun

recreated as much of scythia as i could as alania, unfortunately i died in the middle of a religious war against the old tengri + clans tryna take my shit + foreign raids but it was really fun while it lasted

[The Second Hungarian Republic]

Did not expect an ultra-long stream, I actually have to go now. Victoria 3 is actually looking super chill. I was worried about things to do on a tick by tick and day by day basis, but I think it feels kinda okay. There definitely seems to always be something to worry about economically. I do wish there were way more events, though, V3 is looking extremely barren when it comes to national happenings.

And that's weird because PDX has never released a barren unfun boring game before. Probably just a boring playthrough of it.

[Ameriganastan]

I now own Hearts Of Iron IV, based solely on the fact that I'm subscribed to ISorrow and he makes it look fun...I'm going to be terrible at this. I can tell already.

It begins.


Id recommend playing a minor nation for a few runs to just get used to things then when you feel confident enough move onto a major like Germany or America which are probably the most new player friendly of the big powers.

I just used a random number generator and a list of nations to pick my first. It landed on 27, so I am starting as Ethiopia.