rbk mama Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 I did a search for this and couldn't find anything, so thought I'd submit a very brief review. DS 15 has been raving to me about how great the video strategy game Europa Universalis IV is. Basically you choose a country and play as that country in whichever time period you choose, anywhere from the mid-1400s to the mid-1800s. After taking AP World last year, he feels this should be part of a World History curriculum. The makers have gone to great lengths to provide historically accurate information about each time period. In particular you learn a lot about the balance of power in a region (since this is a strategy game, and you do want to take over the world), but you also learn a lot about culture, leaders, religion, etc. You learn the most about the time period you start in; eventually your own actions will affect the tide of events, so the story becomes less historical. There is a steep learning curve, as the game is quite complicated. According to DS, this is an excellent game for a teen who enjoys strategy games and world history. 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 My ds14 likes to play Civilization with dh. The game you mentioned sounds similar to that. Ds loves history and I did count it as some of his hours for his Ancient Civilizations class. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbk mama Posted August 25, 2015 Author Share Posted August 25, 2015 Yes, it is similar to Civilization but much more detailed. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Yes, it is similar to Civilization but much more detailed. In what way? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Oh ... this is coming my way at Christmastime ... thanks ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamee Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 My boys are Age of Empires fans. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GThomas Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 My kids have been playing Civilization and Age of Empires...we will have to check this out. Thanks! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike in SA Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 DS plays every game in this series, including Crusader Kings (1066-~1400), Europa Universalis (~1400-~1800), Victoria(~1800-1936), and Hearts of Iron (1936-1945). It is possible to string them together to model out later European history in a single gigantic campaign. With mods, some have it going back to Rome, but the quality is not as high with mods. It differs from Civilization in many ways. Civilization does not follow history at all, but drives along a path of likely development. The EU series follow history closely, with all the minor nations, leaders, children, spouses, etc. Politics, marriages, children, and intrigue play a big factor. The one complaint we have about it is the great number of DLC modules needed to play the full game. If you get it, watch for discounts on BundleStars or Humble Bundle. They occasionally have the series on sale, including DLC, for 70-80% off. You just have to watch, and be patient. The full game can cost close to $200, but may drop to $40 or less on occasion. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbk mama Posted August 26, 2015 Author Share Posted August 26, 2015 Thanks Mike in SA for explaining how the game differs from Civilization. DS was explaining that in Civilization, if you play well you can have nuclear weapons in the 17th century; it really is all about technology development. E.U. places much greater emphasis on diplomacy and the balance of power involving several factors. This is where it gets complicated -- the game is continuously keeping track of your legitimacy, power, stability, prestige, manpower, treasury, and several other factors I can't remember. Also, Civilization is played by taking turns. E.U. is simultaneous; while you are making your own decisions, the nations around you are also making decisions. This complicates play (and often requires you to pause the game.) I personally think one of the coolest things about Europa Universalis is the map at the start of the game which allows you to see in fairly small detail how the world changed from year to year. I also think its really cool that you can play as a Native American tribe (the map shows where each people group lived in the Americas, and you can choose from among several to play) -- I think this came from an expansion pack. Again, you can view the map of the Americas and watch the shifting of Native people groups over the years in the same way you can view country names and borders change in Europe, Asia, etc. The historical content is primarily at the start of the game; afterwards your own play disrupts the flow too much to represent actual history (though it still involves historical concepts of that time period.) Other DS, who has not studied as much World History, does not find the game quite as exciting; he feels it is best played when you are more intimately familiar with world events in that time period (mid 1400s to mid 1800s). Its still a fun game, but he doesn't get the same thrill as older DS who loves the little details that tie in with what he has learned about. DS bought the game when Steam was having a 75% off sale. He bought it for $10, and then spent another $10 on expansion packs. The basic version is $40 right now on Steam. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Lynx Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 It's mind-boggling how much my older two children have learned from playing these games. I need to get my younger two hooked ... my older kids (especially my oldest) tended to research every thing they came across in the games that seemed interesting to them. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AEC Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 I'll second both the amazing historical detail of the ParadoxInteractive games (CrusaderKings, Europa Universalis), and the learning opportunity. I enjoy Civilization, but it's not really the same thing. The PI games are extremely detailed and the game mechanics are pretty close to history in many ways. You also have the ability to 'start' at any location/time, and the initial game state matches what the world was (unlike Civilization, CrusaderKings and EuropaUniversalis always use actual world geography). It's also true that they're more exciting if you know something about the time/place you're playing. I recently learned about Mongolian political/military history and was THRILLED to go look at Crusader Kings and find the grand-children if Genghis Khan, with their correctly modeled family history, military holdings, political relationships, etc. One of the most interesting things to do in the games, IMO, is pick a starting point and play 'what if'. What if Ogedei Khan hadn't died young. What if the kings of Eastern Europe had ignored the Pope and sent their armies west instead of east, etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike in SA Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 As promised, it's on sale, maybe today & tomorrow only (though it'll come back around): https://www.humblebundle.com/store/bundle/paradoxinteractive/ 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Can you play these on an iPad, by any chance? That's where all the gaming happens here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 So, do you suggest the Paradox Grand Strategy Collection for 19.99, or something else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike in SA Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 You'll want the DLC for EU IV or CK II. At least, that's what DS says... The others (Victoria and Hearts of Iron) aren't as relevant to European history as CK and EU. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 You'll want the DLC for EU IV or CK II. At least, that's what DS says... The others (Victoria and Hearts of Iron) aren't as relevant to European history as CK and EU. Thanks, Mike. If you have other strategy games that you recommend, I would appreciate it. I used to play Age of Empires when I was traveling 100K+ miles per year. It was great for long flights. My son loves strategy games as well. Anything semi-educational and not uber violent is a plus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 You'll want the DLC for EU IV or CK II. At least, that's what DS says... The others (Victoria and Hearts of Iron) aren't as relevant to European history as CK and EU. I'm the non-gamer in the family - what is "DLC?" Like an add-on module or expansion pack? Okay, I clicked on a few and found that Crusader Kings II: Rajas of India is specifically noted as an expansion pack for Crusader Kings II. So, to play that, I would need to buy Rajas and Crusader Kings II, correct? And if something is not noted as an expansion, it is a game that can be played on its own? Edited to add: if anyone feels inclined to tell me what we would need to order to play the game in modern history, like leading up to WWI and anything past that, it would be lovely and appreciated. Or even what would be 'everything.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 DS plays every game in this series, including Crusader Kings (1066-~1400), Europa Universalis (~1400-~1800), Victoria(~1800-1936), and Hearts of Iron (1936-1945). It is possible to string them together to model out later European history in a single gigantic campaign. With mods, some have it going back to Rome, but the quality is not as high with mods. It differs from Civilization in many ways. Civilization does not follow history at all, but drives along a path of likely development. The EU series follow history closely, with all the minor nations, leaders, children, spouses, etc. Politics, marriages, children, and intrigue play a big factor. The one complaint we have about it is the great number of DLC modules needed to play the full game. If you get it, watch for discounts on BundleStars or Humble Bundle. They occasionally have the series on sale, including DLC, for 70-80% off. You just have to watch, and be patient. The full game can cost close to $200, but may drop to $40 or less on occasion. Okay, I think I'm starting to get it. Europa Universalis is one game in the series that covers 1400-1800; the others are in the same style but cover different time periods, correct? So, for modern history, I would want Victoria and Hearts of Iron, and any expansions that look good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbk mama Posted September 8, 2015 Author Share Posted September 8, 2015 So, do you suggest the Paradox Grand Strategy Collection for 19.99, or something else? DS says this looks like a great deal! https://www.humblebundle.com/store/p/paradoxgrandstrategycollection_storefront He recommends some expansion packs to go with it. He suggests googling for advice about expansion packs; apparently there is a lot of info available about each option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbk mama Posted September 8, 2015 Author Share Posted September 8, 2015 I'm the non-gamer in the family - what is "DLC?" Like an add-on module or expansion pack? Okay, I clicked on a few and found that Crusader Kings II: Rajas of India is specifically noted as an expansion pack for Crusader Kings II. So, to play that, I would need to buy Rajas and Crusader Kings II, correct? And if something is not noted as an expansion, it is a game that can be played on its own? Edited to add: if anyone feels inclined to tell me what we would need to order to play the game in modern history, like leading up to WWI and anything past that, it would be lovely and appreciated. Or even what would be 'everything.' Yes, DLC (downloadable content) refers to the expansion packs. Okay, I think I'm starting to get it. Europa Universalis is one game in the series that covers 1400-1800; the others are in the same style but cover different time periods, correct? So, for modern history, I would want Victoria and Hearts of Iron, and any expansions that look good. Yes, each game covers a different time period. DS was saying that it would be difficult to actually play straight through from Crusaders to Hearts of Iron, as they are separate games -- when you start each one, it will restart everything to look historically like that point in time. DS recommends just googling for information about the expansion packs related to the game you want (Europa Universalis, or Hearts of Iron, or whichever time period game you are interested in). There is a lot of information available about the expansion packs; some are excellent, others are lame and not worth the money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 DS says this looks like a great deal! https://www.humblebundle.com/store/p/paradoxgrandstrategycollection_storefront He recommends some expansion packs to go with it. He suggests googling for advice about expansion packs; apparently there is a lot of info available about each option. I bought this, plus the DLC expansion packs for Crusader Kings and Europa Universalis (per Mike's recommendation). It was about $50 all in, and will probably keep us busy for awhile. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadeOrchidSong Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 What do you need to play this? Computer? DVD player and TV? I am clueless. However, I am going to buy these so that my gaming boys will at least learn history or practice their hsitory knowledge while gaming. They do spend an hour a day gaming anyway. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike in SA Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 Yes, DLC (downloadable content) refers to the expansion packs. Yes, each game covers a different time period. DS was saying that it would be difficult to actually play straight through from Crusaders to Hearts of Iron, as they are separate games -- when you start each one, it will restart everything to look historically like that point in time. DS recommends just googling for information about the expansion packs related to the game you want (Europa Universalis, or Hearts of Iron, or whichever time period game you are interested in). There is a lot of information available about the expansion packs; some are excellent, others are lame and not worth the money. There are "converter" mods that allow you to play seamlessly from one end to the other. Now, it might take an entire year to do so... Yes, DLC: Downloadable content. The DLC packs give you all the important ones in a single go. These games can get real pricey, real quick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike in SA Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 What do you need to play this? Computer? DVD player and TV? I am clueless. However, I am going to buy these so that my gaming boys will at least learn history or practice their hsitory knowledge while gaming. They do spend an hour a day gaming anyway. Ha! They are PC games. They're on steam, so you can probably use a Mac or Windows machine, and possibly even Linux. You'll have to check on Mac or Linux, to be safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 What does "Sexual Themes" means on these types of games? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbk mama Posted September 12, 2015 Author Share Posted September 12, 2015 DS says that in playing EU for about 25 hours, he hasn't seen anything. The ESRB rating mentions brief references to sexual material. It's rated Teen for "Drug Reference, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Themes, Mild Violence ." Sorry I can't find more details for you. Maybe Mike in SA or someone else with more experience can speak to this better. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AEC Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 What does "Sexual Themes" means on these types of games? I've probably played 30 hours of CKII over the last 6 months - I've not seen anything beyond the fact that kings and queens reproduce. <shrug> It's not like there's video to watch or you go trolling for the queens handmaidens or anything. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 We broke the bank and spent $2.49 on the Hearts of Iron base game, lol, as dd said she has limited time to play around with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4ofus Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 If any of you or your kids frequent the site that sells these...could you post here again if they go back on sale? I'd love to get this for my sons for Christmas this year, but the link I followed has it at 99.00 right now. Is that the sale price?? It's been several days since y'all posted the sale, so I'm thinking it's not. I'm off to see if I can be added to an email list that might alert me of sale prices :). Thanks for the rec!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbk mama Posted September 17, 2015 Author Share Posted September 17, 2015 If any of you or your kids frequent the site that sells these...could you post here again if they go back on sale? I'd love to get this for my sons for Christmas this year, but the link I followed has it at 99.00 right now. Is that the sale price?? It's been several days since y'all posted the sale, so I'm thinking it's not. No that's definitely not the sale price!! I can't remember for certain, but I think that "Grand Strategy Collection" linked earlier was $20 when on sale. Keep checking back; I think they go on sale quite frequently. 75-80% off seems typical. And FTR, my DS only owns Europa Universalis 4 and there is plenty just with that to keep you busy for a long time. (Although he tells me that he is interested in Hearts of Iron 4 which is due out soon.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4ofus Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 (edited) RE: EU4 I'm still thinking of this as a Christmas gift and resurrecting this thread to ask a few questions. I've never bought computer games before, only the Wii & Xbox kind that come with a disc to operate. Do I need to make sure I purchase this on the computer it will be played on? If I have 2 sons, do I need to purchase it 2 times, once on each computer? ETA: not to sound dumb, but how do you actually interact with the game? With the mouse & keyboard? Tia Edited December 3, 2015 by 4ofus 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbk mama Posted December 7, 2015 Author Share Posted December 7, 2015 RE: EU4 I'm still thinking of this as a Christmas gift and resurrecting this thread to ask a few questions. I've never bought computer games before, only the Wii & Xbox kind that come with a disc to operate. Do I need to make sure I purchase this on the computer it will be played on? If I have 2 sons, do I need to purchase it 2 times, once on each computer? ETA: not to sound dumb, but how do you actually interact with the game? With the mouse & keyboard? Tia Sorry for the delay in responding. You can purchase through Steam, and so you need to open a Steam account. You can then download the game on any computer using that Steam account. So, no, you do not need to purchase it twice for two computers. However, only one computer can be logged onto the same Steam account at one time. You can easily play the game offline, so that shouldn't be a problem. The only thing they couldn't do is play against each other, which would require both of them to be online at the same time. Yes, you play with a mouse and keyboard. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queserasera Posted December 8, 2015 Share Posted December 8, 2015 Any idea how you would use this along with a world history year? Like specific "assignments" to do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike in SA Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 Any idea how you would use this along with a world history year? Like specific "assignments" to do? Would not suggest. Keep a proper curriculum. This is just a fun way to reinforce the lineages and powers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4ofus Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wordsworth Posted December 15, 2015 Share Posted December 15, 2015 I'm so glad you posted about this; my husband looked into it and we definitely plan to add these to our gaming collection. I personally am an adamant non-gamer (based, increasingly, on...nothing) but he and our older 2 kids will probably enjoy playing these. Is there some efficient way to keep an eye on when these go on sale? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4ofus Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Wordsworth, I haven't figured out a way yet. I just check randomly. Not efficient. No telling what I miss. I haven't bought it yet, because I'm waiting on a sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopskipjump Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Can the kids interact with friends on this game? Sort of like playing Minecraft or something? Or is it predominantly one-player based? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mara61 Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 This is currently on sale through January 4th. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4ofus Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 Yay! I'm so glad I popped on here today! $9.99!! I'm all over this!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 (edited) What age? Could a 12-13 y.o. history-loving gamer handle this? He could use one more present, bonus that it's downloadable. He probably knows more about ancient history at this time than European though. I'll need to figure out if his Surface 3 can play it but it's time to make cookies :) Edited December 24, 2015 by wapiti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbk mama Posted December 28, 2015 Author Share Posted December 28, 2015 Can the kids interact with friends on this game? Sort of like playing Minecraft or something? Or is it predominantly one-player based? You can play one-player or against others online. DS is currently playing with a good friend who lives in another country; I think they are teaming up right now as Spain and France in the 1500s... interesting. What age? Could a 12-13 y.o. history-loving gamer handle this? He could use one more present, bonus that it's downloadable. He probably knows more about ancient history at this time than European though. I'll need to figure out if his Surface 3 can play it but it's time to make cookies :) Probably too late for Christmas buyers, but for those who are still interested -- DS says its extremely complicated, and he is still figuring it out, but a patient 12-13 yo who enjoys complicated strategy games would enjoy this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 What is Steam? I have never gamed, but I want this for us. So you need a regular computer, and what else? How do you get this and get started? (Honest to gosh, I'm totally clueless.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 What is Steam? I have never gamed, but I want this for us. So you need a regular computer, and what else? How do you get this and get started? (Honest to gosh, I'm totally clueless.) Steam is basically an online place you buy and keep games. So you don't get physical copies of the games, but keep them in your Steam account. You go to their site and I believe you have to download their user interface and create an account. You use a regular computer or laptop. I don't know about other devices. It's kinda nice because if something happens to your computer you won't lose the games. It's all web based. And recently they added the feature that you can return games after trying them within a certain time period if you end up not liking them. That's a pretty unusual option. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frogger Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 Thanks for posting. DS has been playing it and seems to enjoy it and I got the idea for a Christmas present here. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3andme Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Thanks to the op for the hat tip on this. Bought the Collection on steam for Xmas and 14 yo ds has been enjoying since then. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wordsworth Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 Europa Universalis is on sale again for 75% off - we just happened upon this sale. It's for Lunar New Year, but it only lasts another...13 hours. Posting this just in case someone else is interested! http://store.steampowered.com/app/236850/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbk mama Posted July 3, 2018 Author Share Posted July 3, 2018 On sale now until July 5th for $9.99: https://store.steampowered.com/app/236850/Europa_Universalis_IV/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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