What's the best Paradox Interactive grand strategy game according to you?

[drru.zip]

Vote on what grand strategy game Paradox is best according to you.

 

[Dristun]

IMO Europa4 struck the perfect balance between dumb and smart and had the most coherent set of game mechanics. Other games felt either too much or just flat out dumb, like HoI4, where I simply didn't understand where the actual "strategy" is - it felt like I'm choosing a rail track at the start of the game and then it's just boring train ride on it for hours, with my entire input relegated to micromanaging units and production.

 

[ShiBDiB]

I've played them all besides vicky (gonna give the new one a try when it comes out) and IR (they abandoned it).

For me it's CK2 > HOI3 > HOI4 > CK3 > Stellaris > EU's

1. CK2 - It's just a complete game with all the DLC's. CK3 improved on a lot of stuff but it still can't compete with CK2.

2. HOI3 - I enjoyed the intricacies that seem to be missing from HOI4. The commander system was a blast as someone who is more macro than micro when it comes to army management.

3. HOI4 - I enjoy launching this and being able to power thru a standard game session at a faster rate than an HOI3 game. Mods like Kaisereich are awesome.

4. CK3 - Improving but I don't know if it's the graphics or what, but I struggle to get into the game.

5. Stellaris - It's fun and is hands down the best space grand strategy game on the market. But the DLC's are too much and things just seem to get lost in the shuffle with feature creep and massive changes from patch to patch.

6. EU - This is CK lite. The DLC is overwhelming and the game still feels lacking compared to CK.

 

[The red spirit]

I would remove Vicky 3 option, it's not launched yet. Can't be the best if it doesn't even exist.

 

[drru.zip]

I would remove Vicky 3 option, it's not launched yet. Can't be the best if it doesn't even exist.

I hear you, although some people have played beta or the dev build since it leaked.

 

[Frick]

I would argue that only EU and HoI are grand strategy games on that list. Stellaris is more 4X, CK is more RPG strategy, Vicky is more sim. I probably had the best time with EU3 and CK2, but they belong in different genres.

6. EU - This is CK lite. The DLC is overwhelming and the game still feels lacking compared to CK.

Technically it's EU RPG. You could even argue that CK is EU lite depending on your tastes.

 

[drru.zip]

I've played them all besides vicky (gonna give the new one a try when it comes out) and IR (they abandoned it).

For me it's CK2 > HOI3 > HOI4 > CK3 > Stellaris > EU's

1. CK2 - It's just a complete game with all the DLC's. CK3 improved on a lot of stuff but it still can't compete with CK2.

2. HOI3 - I enjoyed the intricacies that seem to be missing from HOI4. The commander system was a blast as someone who is more macro than micro when it comes to army management.

3. HOI4 - I enjoy launching this and being able to power thru a standard game session at a faster rate than an HOI3 game. Mods like Kaisereich are awesome.

4. CK3 - Improving but I don't know if it's the graphics or what, but I struggle to get into the game.

5. Stellaris - It's fun and is hands down the best space grand strategy game on the market. But the DLC's are too much and things just seem to get lost in the shuffle with feature creep and massive changes from patch to patch.

6. EU - This is CK lite. The DLC is overwhelming and the game still feels lacking compared to CK.

Ive had a hard time getting into Stellaris. Im unsure what it is but I think it's too different from the other games. It's kinda sad that Imperator Rome failed because I kinda liked it, its not the best but its stil a good game. Victoria 3 seems nice although it crashes a lot, alough not final build so you got to expect that.

 

[The red spirit]

I hear you, although some people have played beta or the dev build since it leaked.

I highly doubt that beta will be like final game.

 

[drru.zip]

I highly doubt that beta will be like final game.

I kinda agree, of course most of the bugs will be gone but I stil don't think it will change visually much. All the menus are there and the map looks great. The only two things I can complain about was the crashes and it's kinda hard to learn, espacially if you wanna do things fast like take over countries but that's the case in most Paradox games.

 

[The red spirit]

I kinda agree, of course most of the bugs will be gone but I stil don't think it will change visually much. All the menus are there and the map looks great. The only two things I can complain about was the crashes and it's kinda hard to learn, espacially if you wanna do things fast like take over countries but that's the case in most Paradox games.

Still it's unreleased game and isn't accessible to as many people as released game. Just remove it from poll.

 

[drru.zip]

Still it's unreleased game and isn't accessible to as many people as released game. Just remove it from poll.

yeah fair enough but I can't edit the poll.

 

[openbox1980]

Hearts of iron 4 is just complete trash, single core game that after 1949 its unplayable. I wouldnt play any of the other games, it seems they all run on the same game engine. I rather play fallout 76 (i dont play this game).

 

[Dr. Dro]

It's hoi4 for me, I'll be honest though, I am incredibly bad at it. Like, horribly so. I actually enjoy watching it a ton more than I enjoy playing it, so often I just let the CPU play itself when I am bored, adding some bias to the country I want to win. LOL

 

[Frick]

Ive had a hard time getting into Stellaris. Im unsure what it is but I think it's too different from the other games. It's kinda sad that Imperator Rome failed because I kinda liked it, its not the best but its stil a good game. Victoria 3 seems nice although it crashes a lot, alough not final build so you got to expect that.

Stellaris is much more 4X than grand strategy.

Hearts of iron 4 is just complete trash, single core game that after 1949 its unplayable. I wouldnt play any of the other games, it seems they all run on the same game engine. I rather play fallout 76 (i dont play this game).

None of their games are "single core" and hasn't been for a very long time. It might slow down (Stellaris used to be almost unplayable past a certain date, before 2.0) but the "it only runs on one core" BS needs to go away.

 

[ShiBDiB]

Hearts of iron 4 is just complete trash, single core game that after 1949 its unplayable. I wouldnt play any of the other games, it seems they all run on the same game engine. I rather play fallout 76 (i dont play this game).

It's a cpu intensive game but like Frick said, not singlecore. Post your specs so we can shame you for complaining while trying to play on a calculator.

Also there's mods out there that help with endgame lag. Some will limit division production, some completely disable the AI in south america (a generally unimportant region in this game), etc..

 

[Vayra86]

Stellaris, but then I didn't play a lot of the other ones in that list.

But yeah. That game wants to tickle ever sci-fi nerd's baddest dreams all the time, and isn't shy about it. Do your thing, it screams at you. Love it.

 

[Calenhad]

Stellaris is just fabulous. Price for the complete game is nuts though.

 

[Chrispy_]

Of everything in that list, I've only played Stellaris and only the base game at that. I'm not voting, obviously. Choosing from 1 of 1 isn't a choice.

Since grand strategy isn't my default genre, I'm more than happy without the DLC because it sounds like the DLC almost ruins it (for someone who isn't into infinite choice and complexity for the sake of challenge)

 

[AusWolf]

Stellaris is nice, though I haven't played the rest, so it wouldn't be fair for me to vote.

 

[openbox1980]

Stellaris is much more 4X than grand strategy.


None of their games are "single core" and hasn't been for a very long time. It might slow down (Stellaris used to be almost unplayable past a certain date, before 2.0) but the "it only runs on one core" BS needs to go away.

It does run on a single core, I have a 12th gen 12900h laptop processor, it doenst run good after 1949, my last laptop had a 11800h, that wouldnt run good after 1947. Good thing I got the game for free.

It's a cpu intensive game but like Frick said, not singlecore. Post your specs so we can shame you for complaining while trying to play on a calculator.

Also there's mods out there that help with endgame lag. Some will limit division production, some completely disable the AI in south america (a generally unimportant region in this game), etc..

My laptop specs, sure.

asus scar 15
i9 12900h
32GB DDR5-4800
15.6-inch WQHD
3080 Ti Laptop gpu
16tb of storage, x2 8tb m.2

I was told, all of the late game lag is from south america.

 

[Frick]

It does run on a single core, I have a 12th gen 12900h laptop processor, it doenst run good after 1949, my last laptop had a 11800h, that wouldnt run good after 1947. Good thing I got the game for free.

Play the game and look in the task manager. It slowing down in late game has nothing to do with how many cores it uses.

 

[openbox1980]

Play the game and look in the task manager. It slowing down in late game has nothing to do with how many cores it uses.

It shows 1 core maxed out at 100%, and maybe 2 more at 20-25%.

 

[Frick]

It shows 1 core maxed out at 100%, and maybe 2 more at 20-25%.

Which game?