Victoria: An Empire Under the Sun

I recently bought this game, yesterday to be precise (well actually I ordered it from amazon a couple of days ago and it arived yesterday, but that's neither here nor there), and as soon as I started playing it I was astonished by the scale and depth of the thing. It was much bigger and more complex than I expected, even after doing a bit of research into it. I'm afraid to say it, but this game puts the TW series to shame. I can tell this is going to be one of those games that eats into my social life...

Now to get down to the heart of the matter. I remember a thread about this game being here a while back, so I know there some veterans lurking out there somewhere. I've printed off 'November's Brazil Guide' off VickyWiki and that got me started quite well, but I was wondering if there were any other good, preferably concise, guides for new players? Also, which in your opinion are the best countries to start off as being a new player? And one last question, how does one turn those blasted rectangles that represent the armies into the little groups of men that you see in the manual?

Oh, and I almost forgot, what are people's opinions on this stunningly detailed game?

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Originally Posted by thrashaholic

I recently bought this game, yesterday to be precise (well actually I ordered it from amazon a couple of days ago and it arived yesterday, but that's neither here nor there), and as soon as I started playing it I was astonished by the scale and depth of the thing. It was much bigger and more complex than I expected, even after doing a bit of research into it. I'm afraid to say it, but this game puts the TW series to shame. I can tell this is going to be one of those games that eats into my social life...

Now to get down to the heart of the matter. I remember a thread about this game being here a while back, so I know there some veterans lurking out there somewhere. I've printed off 'November's Brazil Guide' off VickyWiki and that got me started quite well, but I was wondering if there were any other good, preferably concise, guides for new players? Also, which in your opinion are the best countries to start off as being a new player? And one last question, how does one turn those blasted rectangles that represent the armies into the little groups of men that you see in the manual?

Oh, and I almost forgot, what are people's opinions on this stunningly detailed game?

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HEY! That's currently my Favorite! ~:cheers:

Discovered VickyWiki? Good.

It'll help to react on the Events as best and also give hinds how to put the taxation.

Maybe we could make a Multiplayer together, since I got DSL for a while. You wanted to find out what happened if Britain and Germany allied and isolated France... I think with us two we can simulate quite realistically.

This game was too much for me.

I honestly tried, but there just wasn't enough explosions or scantily clad women to be enjoyable.

yeah i love this game, go to the victoria forums, there is heaps of great stuff there, it keeps me occupied for hours on end, planning great war strategies, then the strategies being wrecked by a small group of blokes sneaking past, or a lost naval battle.
i really love fighting unified germany, it really is a challenge as any other european power other then russia or england, russia just has nearly limitless manpower and fields millions of men and england has such a good navy its impossible to hit the mainland.
thanks,
dizzy

@thrash.

I love this game too!
Patience is the one thing you will need to get the most out of his game. I can say without shame that it took me a good few weeks to understand this game in any helpful sense...

The brazil guide is a good start, as for other countries...people suggest sweeden or portugal...UK is a handful but you can mess up and still come out all right...

You can afford to set all taxes to 49.9 % and increase tarrifs to pull in more money at the start. I usually research culture, industry and economic techs before army or navy. Culture can give huge prestige bonuses if you invent them first. Higher prestige=easier time in obtaining goods off the world market..

Anyway I could rant for hours, but post again or PM with any questions once you decide who to play next and Ill try and help.

Hmm... Good places to start with:

Portugal, Sweden (really quiet), Belgium (my personal favourite).

In the early game as any european country, your aim is to ally yourself with UK, France, Prussia and/or Russia. After that you can do pretty much anything in terms of expansion as long as you dont piss off any of the above.

Japan is a great place to colonize as it has a huge population and thus cheap "colonial" artillery that is really cost-effective.

Industry and Trade are your most important research areas, and try to keep the "literacy" growth in the positive. Also, in the early game you can forget about crime fighting. What I usually do is set it to 0 for, say 5 years. Then set it ti 100% for a year and then to 0 again. That keeps it under control.

Ah, and also watch your BB rating. If you get too cocky, the big powers will smash you with no hesitation. I still remember my second game with belgium when I was at war with the Uk and all their allies, France, and Prussia.... Nightmare. I had to give up 70% of my colonies and return Livonia, Dublin and the Baltic islands....

Should we play an MP with Valkyrienet? I descworkly want to play with people from the Org.

This game sounds good....does it have a website? If so, could i have the address?

What an excellent choice of game, currently my favourite. :charge:

My suggestion would be to select Belgium and start making steel, this can get you a nice income, to research advances.

Clerks are a useful tool to advances, and can get you that head start you need. build a few factories, all making steel and then sell it on the open market.

For the first few years (20 ish) you should be safe and can go about colonizing and invading land (UK is your ally and they will defend you)

Good luck and have fun ~;)

BTW im up for a multiplay !!!!!

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Originally Posted by ShadesWolf

BTW im up for a multiplay !!!!!

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Great! Want to join me and thrashaholic?

He wanted to play as Britain, while I wanted to play Germany... Which Coutry dod you want? BTW, taking France is very unwise. ~:)

About the Couestion on the Website:

http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/ - Forum

http://victoria.nsen.ch/wiki/index.php/Main_Page - All you need

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Originally Posted by Stefan the Berserker

Great! Want to join me and thrashaholic?

He wanted to play as Britain, while I wanted to play Germany... Which Coutry dod you want? BTW, taking France is very unwise. ~:)

About the Couestion on the Website:

http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/ - Forum

http://victoria.nsen.ch/wiki/index.php/Main_Page - All you need

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Given my relative inexperience, I'm more than happy for someone else to play as the UK. In fact it's probably better if someone else does play the UK, they appear to be the most important faction and I wouldn't want to spoil the game for everyone else by making a complete hash of it.

Maybe it'd be safest for me to take a more minor nation?

I do like the game, although I spent more time playing EU II, than Victoria, and so far spent all my time playing as the British in Victoria. I only bought it about 2-3 months before RTW came out, and once that was released have only played EU II, and BFME, of which BFME was uninstalled after about 2 hours. The Paradox games do have a very strong appeal to me, as I love the scale and depth of their games. The others I have are EU and Crown of the North, although CotN is a much simpler game than the others, as it's not on the same scale.

Now, if only we could actually fight the battles ourselves, they would be able to tempt me right away from the TW series.

On a related theme, has any one played Hearts of Iron, or HoI II, and if so, do they stand up to, or indeed, are they better than EU II and Victoria.

Im curretnly playing as Austria, so that would be good....

What will the starting date be and when do we propose to play ?

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Originally Posted by ShadesWolf

Im curretnly playing as Austria, so that would be good....

What will the starting date be and when do we propose to play ?

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I think every body should say when he has got time, the next Weekends I have a lot of Time. Maybe tomorrow?

But we must arrange who gets which Country?

I want Germany/Prussia or Austria, the Factions where I can act out my Continental Politics.

As thrashaholic has said he doesn't want to take Britain, maybe ShadesWolf?

It is also possible to give him a trainer country if the Britain-Player creates a Dominion and just after it the Host makes a Save, the Host can just then load the Save an thras can choose the Dominion. The Junior-Parnter style might help him to get started.

I'm free most Friday and Saturday evenings from about 8:00 pm (GMT), unless of course I have a lot of college work, so either of them would be fine for me.

I don't mind which country I play, I'll take what I'm given (so to speak). I've had a bit of success with Sweden in the Grand Campaign, so maybe them? I also quite like this idea of playing as a British dominion, although I'd have to have one with a reasonable economy, as I still haven't figured out all the ins and outs of it yet (although I'm getting better).

Finally, I hate to sound impatient by asking the same question twice, but does anyone know how to switch from the little rectangles, that look like envelopes, that represent the armies on the campaign map to the little clusters of soldiers that one sees in all the screenshots and in the manual?

I'm not a graphics fiend, but I would like to spice up the map just a little by changing this, so help would be appreciated. ~:cheers:

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Originally Posted by thrashaholic

Finally, I hate to sound impatient by asking the same question twice, but does anyone know how to switch from the little rectangles, that look like envelopes, that represent the armies on the campaign map to the little clusters of soldiers that one sees in all the screenshots and in the manual?

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You must do this in the Countryselection Screen by clicking Options and choose "No" at the Point "Use accurate Military Symbols". Thats where you can change between those little soldiers and the historical Symbols for Divisions in Wargames by the Staff. ~:)

Are you avarible today at 8 o'clock?

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Originally Posted by Stefan the Berserker

You must do this in the Countryselection Screen by clicking Options and choose "No" at the Point "Use accurate Military Symbols". Thats where you can change between those little soldiers and the historical Symbols for Divisions in Wargames by the Staff. ~:)

Are you avarible today at 8 o'clock?

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Thanks for your answer, I'll check it out.

I'll probably be free tonight at 8:00 (GMT or CET?), but I probably wouldn't be on a regular basis. Sunday is my day to get work that's due for Monday, but I have neglected to do yet, done (very sensible I know ~;) ). My Sunday evening availability is wholly reliant on how much homework I get from college, which is sometimes quite a lot.

Fridays and Saturdays are still best for me, but I'm sure we can sort something out. ~:cheers:

OK guys how does tomorrow night grab you, would could all meet here to arrange things.

I will be available from about 7.30 PM (GMT) for about 4 hours, so should that be enough times, as Ive never played online before, so I dont know what I need to have installed.

I dont mind who I play as.

Austria
Russia
Ottoman

or we could always play the US civil war

US
CSA
Texas
Mexico
etc....

Shall/ do you want me to create a thread in the story forum for this game ?

Hi ShadesWolf,

7:30 tonight is fine by me, and I think you just need Vicky and the patches I suppose to play multiplayer, nothing fancy.

Stefan and I have been corresponding by email, discussing this game, although I wouldn't want to speak for him I think 7:30 tonight is fine by him too.

The theme we discussed was "what would've happened if Germany, Austria and Britain had ganged up on the rest of Europe, particularly France?" so, I agreed to take on the daunting task of Britain, whilst I believe Stefan would like to be Germany/Prussia, so perhaps the obvious choice for you, although I don't want to sound bossy at all, would be Austria to complete the new Triple Alliance.

This game was a really dissapoitment, after playing both EU II and Hearts of Iron i hoped for more but this game turned out to be a micromanaging hell. Whats the fun of building factories and then moving population, managing taxes and then that highly advanced trade. Leaves no time for imperialistic war :charge:

Sorry King Clas,

I must totally disagree. I am of the opposite opinion, because you can buyild factories, trades, move populations and educate populations it is a far better game.

This is what attract me to this game. I enjoy Heart of Irons 1&2 for a pure fight game, but I also like to get my teeth into this.

I started off with Belgium and increased it dramatically, made colonies, captured provinces, but had very little movement in europe.

I then moved onto Holland and this is when it really got interesting....


Holland Europe
http://www.shadesmtw.com/hollandeurope.jpg


Holland Africa
http://www.shadesmtw.com/hollandafrica.jpg


Holland SE Asia
http://www.shadesmtw.com/hollandseasia.jpg

I have now moved onto Austria, which is a far bigger starting empire.


Austrias European Empire
http://www.shadesmtw.com/austeurope.jpg


Austrian Africa
http://www.shadesmtw.com/austafrica.jpg


Austrian SE Asia
http://www.shadesmtw.com/austeasia.jpg


I have had very little problems in empire building, even having a war against the USA for a good ten years of the game, I came out of the war with nothing, they took all my west coast provinces/ colonies.

In europe I am constantly at war with either The Ottomans, Russians or Prussians. The Ottomans are an easy victory and hence me empire expanded to the south. Initially Prussia was also easy, I just have superiority in numbers and camped in Berlin, however, they are now very powerful.

Russia is a differnt matter, I have lost several provinces to Russia, they are just so numerous.....

I have still had the time to build factories and railways, its just a takes planning and time :duel:

PBM thread

PBM first event

So not to hijack this thread, I have setup a thread in the story forum to discuss the online playing game we are trying to setup