New to EU

[klesh]

Actually EUII. Just bought it today. I'm about to install it and I am wondering if there is anything I should know to get me up to speed. Patches etc?

I hope this game fills the void from the dissapointing CivIII, but for $19.99 US, how can one go wrong!?!

I look forward to rappin strategy with you all once I get my game up and runnin'.

Happy Civ...er...um... Universalin'!

-FMK.

[Mordoch]

Make sure you download the 1.04 patch, there are different ones for each publisher of the game. The official webiste with alot of information about the game in the forums is right here.

[klesh]

Heh, a step ahead of you there with the forums and website. Looking for patch data now. Different publishers you say? Hmmm, I guess mine would be Paradox (US)? We'll see. Do you suggest the turtorial scenarios for me to get started? There really seems to be alot to learn in this one.

/me drools.

-FMK.

[uh Clem]

Current patch (for North America at least) is 1.04; I think 1.05 is due out in the next week or two.

There are lots of features that are either not explained in the manual or only slightly so. Check the forums at http://www.europa-universalis.com/. They're essential, and you'll learn more there than anywhere else.

I bought EUII when it came out, tried it a bit, thought it was too much to bother with, and put it aside. Then a couple months later, I tried it again and since then it's the only game I've played.

Edit: x-post

[Mordoch]

The publisher for North American is Strategy First, you can find it a the bottom of the page here.

[klesh]

North American patch commin down the pipes now. I'll install, then patch it up, and try a tutorial.

Yes, I have heard that this game is very complicated. That is one thing that I really enjoy about certain games. What I am not so sure about is that this is apparently a RTS game? I have read about the pause and gamepley slowdown feature, but I hope that I do not get rushed. I hate being rushed.

I just need something new to really get into. CivII still holding its own, but CivIII is horrible, imho. Hopefully this can catch my intrests a bit. Though, I wonder why such a short timescale. I might have prefered a bit longer, or at least slide the eras back a little. Finnish with WWI era perhaps.

What are the battles? Are they Civ-esque? How do you controll your units or armies? Do all the units have to be in armies for them to move (at the rate of the slowest unit in that army, of course)? So many questions....ahhhhhhhh. I love getting new badarse games! w00t!!1!

-FMK.

[Mordoch]

The army work is someone abstrated, it is more a game of grand strategy than individual combat. The time scale is someone long if you think about it, the problem with a civ like game is that the differences between different periods of history are not accounted for. The game focuses on a particular period of time so that it can account for the unique traits of that era. The WWI era is an entirely differnt feel than the situation during this period of history, i.e. railroads mean that armies can rapidly be transported from one end of and empire to another. While it is technically an rts game, the fact you can simply pause an issue orders at any time means that you can play the game like it is turn based. A key thing to keep in mind is that the game really is based on history, and knowledge of how things were like in Europe during a particular period can help you determine how the actual game rules operate.

[Mark_Everson]

Originally posted by Field Marshal Klesh
What I am not so sure about is that this is apparently a RTS game? I have read about the pause and gamepley slowdown feature, but I hope that I do not get rushed. I hate being rushed.

Hiya Field Marshal Klesh:

I Hate RTS stuff too, but the pause and speed controls make this pretty much a non-issue for EU2. Hope it works out the same for you.

[klesh]

Hey everybody.


What a steep learning curve eh? Well I have had a few games under my belt now, and am really starting to feel more comfortable with the game.

I've taken a few missions for points, made a few trade agreements and such. Declared war, annex provinces. In general, just feeling more comfortable.

I have been playing on the easiest levels, with mostly the easiest nations but one thing always is seeming to escape me. $$$!! I can never seem to make more than 100-200 ducats per year, which is immediatly used to fill the ranks of a nearby armee that has dwindled in this past year. So there I go, slowly eating up the treasury of whichever nation I start with, till I get down to 0, then I proceed with a stagnant game untill my enemies overrun me.

I have tried placing my merchants about, even aquiring a monopoly here and there. But these never seem you yield much cash. I certainly never have enough ducats to build shipyards, manufactories or any infastructure things.

Any thoughts? I will say that I havent focused at all on colonies or trading depots. I have been busy enough at this time on the Euro continent, fighting and holding my borders... perhaps this is the problem.

-FMK.

[Maniac]

In the beginning it's normal you only earn 100-200 ducats a year and that you have to spend it all on the military (or at least I think so; I'm still playing my first game). The trick is to get 5 merchants in every CoT (not a monopoly! - too hard to keep). That should give you a few 100 ducats per year a few decades after the game's started. Eg, in my Denmark game, normal difficulty and aggressiveness, I now (1515) earn 1300 ducats per year, of which some 40% is due to trade income. (EU Vets, is that a reasonable amount??)

Btw, I think it's normal you can't do much infrastructural works. I'm almost playing a century now, and I've only built 5 tax collectors and fortresses, and merely one 'factory', a Fine Arts Academy in my capital.

[General Ludd]

For money, you have to keep a good balance on how much you want to spend on building military, and maintaining it afterwards - it's best not to build a military larger then your supply limit, unless it is greatly needed.

Next, you have to consider your budget spending and what to invest in, putting money into Trade and Infrastructure will ultimately lead to more money coming in, and you can keep a little bit of the money in your treasurey every month - but be careful not to take too much or your inflation will inrease. (and be sure to invest some in weapons technologies aswell, or you will fall behind)

Finally, you have to consider what infrastructe to build and in which provinces, I tend to build tax collectors and upgrade to chief justice whenever I have a bit of spare money lying around, and mayor's offices only when I have inflation of 1%+ in order to keep my inflation down.

As for the manufactories:

• The Art Ccemdy is the most expensive manufactory, and may also be the most useless one depending on your situation - it's bonus is an investment into stability every month, which is completely wasted if you have a stable country, however, if you have domestic policies (or other factors) that makes it hard to keep your country stable this can be of great help. It's best to build them in capitals.
  
• The Brewery is one of the earlier manufactories you will get access to, and can be of great help in the early game. Aside from the regular income that all manufactories bring in, it provides a bonus to trade investment everymonth - which will ultimately allow you to make monoplies and make trade embargos earlier on in the game, and also increase the efficiency of your merchants. It's best to build them in Wine or Sugar provinces.
  
• Goods Factories, aside from the usual incomes, provide a bonus to Infrastrcute and although you may think this isn't very worthwhile since it is the last improvement you get in the infrastrcture department, it is still very valuable because advances in infrastruce always increses the overall income of your country. (it improves every aspect of your income except for trade revenues) They are best built in Cloth, cotton, or tobacco provinces and are also the cheapest manufactory to build.
  
• Weapons Manufactories are, perhaps, the most practical manufactory you can build. Unlike most of the others, they actually provide two bonuses, firstly they provide a bonus to weapons investment, and secondly they provide a bonus to your army supply limit which allows you to maintain a larger army for a smaller cost. They are best built in copper or iron provinces.
  
• Naval Manufactories are the same as above, only inregard to the navy - their bonus to naval support isn't always as useful, though. They are best built in Fish or Naval Supply provinces.

[General Ludd]

And some other general tips on money making....


Domestic policies can have a lage effect on your income, both directly and indirectly - when changing them be sure to consider the impact that smaller supply limits, higher stabilty costs, ect... can have on your country.

Loaning money to countries can be very profitable - if you have spare money lying around, and can find someone willing to take a loan.

Monopolies in busy CoTs can be extremely hard to keep, if you own the CoT you can make trade embargoes to keep some of the other countries out, or you can focus your efforts on foreign CoTs that don't have alot of european competition - these are usually the biggest and best CoTs to get a monopoly in, but can be very costly to send merchants to. (that can be changed with domestic policies, though...)

[Maniac]

Originally posted by Osweld
And some other general tips on money making....
Loaning money to countries can be very profitable - if you have spare money lying around, and can find someone willing to take a loan.

Yeah, but first you have to upgrade your relations with lots of ducats before they accept a loan. Or not? In any case, I haven't been able yet to get a loan offer accepted. Though I gave up after my first few tries...

[Havard]

Originally posted by Osweld
For money, you have to keep a good balance on how much you want to spend on building military, and maintaining it afterwards - it's best not to build a military larger then your supply limit, unless it is greatly needed.

Could this be the reason for the fiscal problems of the good Field Marshal? Are you within our supportable amount of troops? Paying extra maintenance can be very expensive...

[Shadowstrike]

The supply limit is a fickle problem indeed. Generally, you'll want to have a bit more troops then the supply limit, otherwise, you probably have quality too low. Just keep it within say 10k or so over the supply limit at most and you should be fine (excepting of course playing a micronation)