MrOuija Posted November 25, 2003 Posted November 25, 2003 Anyone tried this one yet ? Great game, from the makers of the Europa Universalis series. The learning curve is high initially but it's worth it, and at only $39.95
Guest Hans Engström Posted November 27, 2003 Posted November 27, 2003 Gota make sure we get matching versions so we can go online with each other and Jim Martin. Muph plays Texas, Jim can play Honduras and I'll be Great Britain
Guest Murph Posted November 27, 2003 Posted November 27, 2003 I have already decided Texas will annex its original land area, and then take Mexico, and the Caribbean for starters. Then we annex Sweden.
Jim Martin Posted November 28, 2003 Posted November 28, 2003 Honduras, eh? We'll see about that. Just checked BestBuy's website, and they don't even list Victoria. Checked the local Gamestop, and they don't list any in stock though the website says they have some on the way. I begin my week's vacation tomorrow (okay, so I have to put in 8 hours on Sunday night, but other than that, no work til the following Sunday night--and the following weekend is a 4 dayer) so it would be really nice to get this game and do some boning up on it before attempting to take on the evil cabal of Tanknetters. Sh!t, Angie's going to be MIA both tomorrow and Sat. nights doing temp work for the local PBS station, it would be perfect timing to do some hard-core gaming without getting b!tched at for neglecting her. And of course, the game isn't available locally on short notice.... Actually, I do think Germany would be fun to play. Especially the opportunity to engage in a naval arms race vs. Hans... [Edited by Jim Martin (28 Nov 2003).]
Jim Martin Posted November 28, 2003 Posted November 28, 2003 Well, I went ahead and ordered it, with 1 day delivery. I wouldn't count on it getting here til Monday, though.
Guest Hans Engström Posted November 29, 2003 Posted November 29, 2003 I'm trying to get it ordered from the USA so as to avoid the problems that were made apparent when I was all set to challenge Jim at EUII (ie that the Nordic version ships last, with definite differences in coding). We'll see. Probably be here by Christmas.
MrOuija Posted November 30, 2003 Author Posted November 30, 2003 The Scandinavian version (which is in english anyway) shipped first. If anyone is looking for the game in the U.S, Gogamer.com is quick, and seems reliable. Good luck with Texas, you'll be lucky not having half your state annexed by Mexico in the first couple years..
Jim Martin Posted November 30, 2003 Posted November 30, 2003 Mine is supposed to be here by 3pm tomorrow. Pull my shift tonight, come home and maybe rake the lawn, then sleep til it gets here. [Edited by Jim Martin (30 Nov 2003).]
Jim Martin Posted December 1, 2003 Posted December 1, 2003 The reviews I'm reading state that the documentation is horribly inadequate; anyone currently playing who can give advice/insight into the game? How does the world trade model work? I played Hearts of Iron for only a limited time, as I found it to be severely lacking in a number of aspects; one of those aspects was a world trade system which left me frothing at the mouth in frustration. I note that Victoria seems to include a trade AI. Does the Trade AI alleviate the resource shortages I experienced (playing several different nations) in HOI?
Guest Murph Posted December 1, 2003 Posted December 1, 2003 Played Texas, got my *ss kicked by Mexico, no immigration, no army, no industry, no growth. Not very happy with it right now. EU II was more fun.
Jim Martin Posted December 1, 2003 Posted December 1, 2003 Murph,I spent a good amount of a dead midnight shift just now surfine the AAR's posted on Paradox's website. Go to www.paradoxplaza.com and click on "interactive" to take you to the forums for their various games. They have some good insights by people who've already been playing it for a while--including a quick'n'dirty guide to if not winning, at least beating Mexico and giving yourself some time to develop as Texas. From what I've been reading, you really need to just *survive* for a while. Other AAR's talk about what you need in order to develop industry. Check out the Chinese AAR for what a *really* underdeveloped country has to go through... According to FedEx order tracking, my copy is on the truck, on the way for delivery! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!! (rubbing hands together in maniacal glee) Unfortunately, I've promised Angie that I'll burn leaves today. *sigh* even Evil Overlords have to keep promises to the woman.
Guest Murph Posted December 1, 2003 Posted December 1, 2003 Thanks Jim, I'll give it a shot. I have really high hopes for this game. Lupe is in a snit right now over time and money as well, so I have to walk softly.
Michael Peck Posted December 1, 2003 Posted December 1, 2003 I'm waiting until the game is patched. The Victoria forums suggest that the game is like HOI: if you survive the beginning, you'll win the game. Apparently there is a design flaw that allows you to accumulate unlimited money through trading on the world market. I've never played EU2. HOI was my first Paradox game, and I'm very mixed about the system. An hourly scale doesn't work for WWII. They seem to be shoehorning one game engine into widely differing eras. The games would be fantastic if they were turn-based on a daily or weekly scale. Michael
MrOuija Posted December 1, 2003 Author Posted December 1, 2003 The reviews I'm reading state that the documentation is horribly inadequate; anyone currently playing who can give advice/insight into the game? Until you grasp the economic system the game is tedious at first, took me a couple days to get comfortable. The manual is actually the best yet but there are alot of details that aren't covered. Alot of the manual complaints are because, AFAIK every version but the North American one shipped missing a fold out appendix.The trade model has a list of goods produced by a country that are available for the world market. The trade AI is more hassle than its worth IMO, especially in the early game. You can basically set your factories to sell excess commodities or buy stuff you may need, like furniture for instance. -Murph Texas is tough early on ! You may have to trade a province or two for peace. Then later ally with the Union or CSA and get some territory back. Texas (and any North American nation) will get wild immigration as long as you pass a few social reforms. [Edited by MrOuija (01 Dec 2003).]
Guest Murph Posted December 1, 2003 Posted December 1, 2003 How do you do the social reforms? How do I get rid of slavery? Thanks.
Jim Martin Posted December 1, 2003 Posted December 1, 2003 The FedEx truck arrived with my shipment from Electronics Boutique just now. I open the box, to find....A !@#%$^%@#^@#$^@#$@^@#$@& COPY OF FREELANCER!!! WTF, OVER???!!!! So I call EB, tell them to stuff it, I'm sending it back, because my local Gamestop is supposed to have it in today. I call my local GS, and...they don't have it in, it may come in after 4 but they doubt it, though it's on the way. Frikking communists, the lot of them.
Guest Murph Posted December 1, 2003 Posted December 1, 2003 Darn Jim, that sucks. Is there a CompUSA near you? If so give them a call. I'm to 1851, and still around, control all of Texas, but have no population, at -60 military. How do I get population? Breed d*mn you, Breed!
Jim Martin Posted December 1, 2003 Posted December 1, 2003 Our electricity went out this morning for the second time in 2 days, our internet went out for about an hour just after I made my last post, and the wrong game was delivered to me today. I told Angie it's a good thing I don't own any semi-autos, I'd be hunting incompetent people right now.
Guest Murph Posted December 1, 2003 Posted December 1, 2003 1865 and have NO MILITARY, no troops at all, and no prospects of getting any more. Am allied to the US, which is all that is keeping me alive. But I own Colorado and New Mexico outright. How do I boost population and immigration? How do I get an army again? Aaaaiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeee.
Jim Martin Posted December 1, 2003 Posted December 1, 2003 Murph,I don't have the game but from the AAR's I was reading last night, you need to invest in some industries. Did you build factories? Rails? You may need technology in order to build these, and for that you need to boost education funding in order to get research points. To train craftsmen to work in your factories, you'll need paper, which either must be bought on the world market, or made in your own paper mills... Sounded like if you have a booming economy with jobs, the immigrants will come... [Edited by Jim Martin (01 Dec 2003).]
MrOuija Posted December 1, 2003 Author Posted December 1, 2003 How do you do the social reforms? How do I get rid of slavery? Thanks.As long as you are not Laissez Faire (don't remember what party Texas starts out as), you can make social reforms for a steep price in the politics screen. Click that one, and then you should see three 3d buttons, the top being your current party, second voting rights/free press etc., and third social reforms. Unfortunately you can't get rid of slavery except by event. Since that event fires only when Texas is part of the Union, I don't think you can abolish slavery as Texas unless you write your own event. I'm to 1851, and still around, control all of Texas, but have no population, at -60 military. How do I get population? Breed d*mn you, Breed! If I remember correctly Texas starts out with a very low population to begin with. In order for immigration to occur you mainly need two things, jobs, and social reforms. Make sure your workers have good healthcare and a decent working environment. Then make sure you have put up rails and have a few profitable factories. Assuming that every space in your factory isn't filled immigrants should come to fill it. Expand your factories if you need more slots available. 1865 and have NO MILITARY, no troops at all, and no prospects of getting any more. Am allied to the US, which is all that is keeping me alive. But I own Colorado and New Mexico outright. How do I boost population and immigration? How do I get an army again? Aaaaiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeee. There is the fast way and the not so fast way. First you can convert farmers or laborer POPs to soldiers for more manpower instantly. Click one of your big farmer stacks, like 100000 men. Convert them to soldiers and you'll notice that your manpower rating just shot up. You can now recruit new divisions. Another way is to max out defense spending. Your manpower and leadership will grow on their own and you can recruit divisions that way, or store reserves. As Texas you shouldn't really have a large standing army, so recruit what you think you need and store the rest as reserves. Hope that helps.
Guest Murph Posted December 1, 2003 Posted December 1, 2003 Ok. converted lots of farmers to soldiers. Now I went back to an earlier save, and managed to save two divisions of troops. I am investing in factories, but still no immigration. Hmmm, need to tweak it some more. The Victoria site says Texas is one of the tougher countries to play, so I'll take my lumps. On not having the game, sorry, I got mine at the local EB, and they only had one copy, even Best Buy didn't have it. The jury is still out on this game. Save files are HUGE, much bigger than EU II. D/led the latest patch (1.01) and now have some lockup problems, but other than that is about as stable as EU II. Could be video drivers as well. Originally posted by Jim Martin:Murph,I don't have the game but from the AAR's I was reading last night, you need to invest in some industries. Did you build factories? Rails? You may need technology in order to build these, and for that you need to boost education funding in order to get research points. To train craftsmen to work in your factories, you'll need paper, which either must be bought on the world market, or made in your own paper mills... Sounded like if you have a booming economy with jobs, the immigrants will come... <font size=1>[Edited by Jim Martin (01 Dec 2003).]
Jim Martin Posted December 2, 2003 Posted December 2, 2003 Well, I re-ordered it yesterday, and the FedEx tracker says it should be delivered today. Let's see if they sent me the right game this time. Lotsa chores to do again though...gotta love vacations at home.
Jim Martin Posted December 2, 2003 Posted December 2, 2003 I've got it and am playing Texas as well. I have to say I'm unimpressed with the trade AI. I set it to trade using AI, and a couple days later, found that it was not buying paper. Ummmmm...I have 4 factories in Texas, I have no one working in the factories, and I have no craftsmen. Wouldn't that indicate a need for paper to the AI???
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