East vs West

[KurtFF8]

So this upcoming Paradox Interactive computer game looks like it will be quite interesting. It's set in the Cold War and is in the same vein of their other games.

But this screen shot was the most interesting to me

http://www.paradoxplaza.com/sites/default/files/east_vs_west_7.jpg

Not very many video games in today's market represent "Trotskyite counter-revolutionaries"

[Igor]

haha i love the diplomacy icon

[l'Enfermé]

Ahahahahhahaha. I really hope that the game isn't broken like HoI3 when it just came out(huge paradox fan btw, since CK 1).

[Grenzer]

I really love Paradox Interactive, but I sucked at HoI 3. Loved Vicky and Crusader Kings though. Hopefully this should be good.

I wonder who is going to play as Enver Hoxha.

[Yuppie Grinder]

Strategy game with Bukharinite Counter-Revolutionaries? Please take all my money.

[Ismail]

I wonder who is going to play as Enver Hoxha.Well, I have one good guess...

Also the titles of the factions are taken right from HOI3 since the game is still in alpha and seems to be importing most of its stuff for now from that game as placeholders.

[KurtFF8]

Hmm I didn't know those were in HoI3. Granted I haven't really played HoI3 because I just don't feel like I have the time to learn how to in all honesty.

Vicky2 though, now that's a hell of a game.

[Red Commissar]

Yeah, the similarity to HoI is not surprising, the game itself is subtitled "A Hearts of Iron Game".

For comparison, here's the same screen in HoI3:

http://www.armchairgeneral.com/wordpress/wp-content/gallery/hearts-of-iron3/hoi3-politics.jpg

In this game they seem to have more attention to the policies and what not.

They are place holders as mentioned, they'll probably fill them out with the appropriate names later.

I've always wished though we'd have a game that combined the political and economic dimension of vicky with the combat of HoI. Seems though we can't have both though- but maybe this one'll come close. Considering the way the cold war played out, there'll have to be more attention to the politics of a nation.

[KurtFF8]

So there's some new information out on the game now http://www.avault.com/features/paradox-strategy-tour/?page=2 (half way through the page)

And the third page contains some interesting info:



Embargoes are in the game. Embargoes tend to increase prices because of decreased supply of consumer goods. They can also negatively impact the development of your country.
Techs are very interdependent. Tech A might need tech B for Level 2, but might need entirely different tech for Level 3. To avoid micromanagement hell, the AI can be given research goals (i.e. research main battle tanks) and it will get all pre-requisites taken care of for you.
Rebels and insurgents can be supported by foreign countries, and the rebels remember who backed them. Rebels also spread their influence as they are successful, and they rise up in unison. If you declare war on a country whose rebels you support, they join your side.
Spies are a mini-game. You “buy” spy cards with specific capabilities and skills. The agents are sent on missions. Spies can succeed, fail (and die), or be turned into double agents and work for your enemy.
Politics has both policies and laws. Changing laws has a lasting impact on your government form, while policies can be changed easily as needed. Certain leaders have specific policy agendas, and if your country elects or appoints a ruler that favors a certain policy, then that policy might get locked out, preventing you from changing it.
Detection is king in naval warfare. You can’t shoot at something you can’t detect, even if they’re shooting at you. Naval combat ranges might be two or more sea provinces away, especially for those who love their guided missiles.
The land AI can be told to attack along specific vectors. I watched the AI receive orders to invade Finland and encircle the Finnish army.
All army units have manpower, organization and equipment levels. Equipment and manpower are completely separate, and equipment can be given to allies for their use. Proxy wars are a real possibility with this system.
The map has 50 percent more provinces than Hearts of Iron 3. Most of these are in Africa and Asia so that the US and Soviets have some nice places to fight proxy wars.
Modders will be very happy. Spy cards and satellites can be scripted with actions used in any game event. And communities can be easily modded in.
Most interesting moment: Drawing battle plans on the map and watching the AI execute them.

[hetz]

HOI 3 is shit, I want a game like this on Darkest Hour engine.


The map has 50 percent more provinces than Hearts of Iron 3
Well that kinda sucks IMO. Too many provinces.

[KurtFF8]

I think it's going to focus on African provinces considering the anti-colonial struggles of the time.

But I've never really played HoI3 so I'm not sure how it works in that game

[Ismail]

One of the developers actually asked me to supply information 'bout Albania during this period, so yay.

[hetz]

Damn that's awesome. :D

[l'Enfermé]

Even more provinces? Goddammit Paradox.

[Drosophila]

One of the developers actually asked me to supply information 'bout Albania during this period, so yay.

Are they going to pay you for that?

[KurtFF8]

One of the developers actually asked me to supply information 'bout Albania during this period, so yay.

That's fantastic. I hope your contribution adds a lot to the game!

[Ismail]

That's fantastic. I hope your contribution adds a lot to the game!It's Albania so, as much as it is a land of glory and wonderment, probably not.


Are they going to pay you for that?All they asked is for me to provide details on alternative government leaders (for the other ideologies) and officers and whatnot for the military. Not like they said "Ismail, because of your awesome knowledge on Albania, we call on you to get on board as a team member."

[Hermes]

This actually sounds really interesting! I hadn't bothered to keep up with it or anything, so I didn't know what it was turning out like.

[Questionable]

This looks fun but I hope it gives us an unbiased view of the Cold War. Titles like "Backroom Backstabber" and "Ruthless Powermongerer" seem to be giving into the whole "East bad, West good" stereotype.

If they're going to give Stalin those titles they should at least give Western leaders titles like "Imperialist Warlord" or "Reagan-backed Murderer"

[Hermes]

This looks fun but I hope it gives us an unbiased view of the Cold War. Titles like "Backroom Backstabber" and "Ruthless Powermongerer" seem to be giving into the whole "East bad, West good" stereotype.

If they're going to give Stalin those titles they should at least give Western leaders titles like "Imperialist Warlord" or "Reagan-backed Murderer"

Paradox games have always kind of been odd in the East, but Stalin isn't the only one with Backroom Backstabber. As far as I know, they came up with the names first, in HoI 1, and then developed the traits for them. Then they attempted to fit the names onto personalities, etc. If I remember correctly, Baldwin also has backstabber, as well as a few others.

[Questionable]

So this Trotskyite Counter-Revolutionaries are a faction, does that mean there's an actual way for them to gain power? Could it possibly be that Leon Trotsky himself could become leader of the USSR in this game? even as an ML, that would be a pretty amazing game.

[Pelarys]

I'm pretty sure that's going to be one of their main a-historical "subplot" for the USSR. I mean Paradox are not known for being afraid of implementing more or less historically implausible stuff if they're fun.

[GiantMonkeyMan]

So this Trotskyite Counter-Revolutionaries are a faction, does that mean there's an actual way for them to gain power? Could it possibly be that Leon Trotsky himself could become leader of the USSR in this game? even as an ML, that would be a pretty amazing game.
The game starts after ww2 and Trotsky died in 1940. If the game is anything like Victoria then the change of government is relatively easy but if it's like HOI (which I believe is the engine it's based off) then the changing of government is actually rather difficult.

[Questionable]

The game starts after ww2 and Trotsky died in 1940. If the game is anything like Victoria then the change of government is relatively easy but if it's like HOI (which I believe is the engine it's based off) then the changing of government is actually rather difficult.

Hmm...I'm actually pretty awful at these grand strategy games. I would always get really excited to play them because I'm a history buff but the game gives you little or no explanation as to how it actually works, and then it leaves you to run the country by yourself. Maybe I'll finally learn for the sake of this one.

[Hermes]

I kind of wish it had a larger cabinet than just head of state and head of government, to allow for some intrigue/interplay between political parties.

[Yazman]

Hmm...I'm actually pretty awful at these grand strategy games. I would always get really excited to play them because I'm a history buff but the game gives you little or no explanation as to how it actually works, and then it leaves you to run the country by yourself. Maybe I'll finally learn for the sake of this one.

Personally I only really find the Crusader Kings and Europa Universalis games fun. Hearts of Iron 3 is way too railroaded & combat-oriented to really be fun for me, and Victoria 2 just has ridiculously complex economics. CK2 on the other hand is easy to learn by comparison and not railroaded at all. EU3 is a bit more complex and takes a bit of learning but it doesn't have ridiculously complex economics or combat, and unlike Victoria 2 where it takes rebels overthrowing your country to change your political system, or HOI3 where it can take almost the entire length of the game to change your political system, in EU3 it can take a while but you can actually build up to it and it's a reasonably quick process.