But all this fussing about interface and whether or not they got naval supremacy right is ultimately not that important. The most notable thing about Europa Universalis III is that it pretty much told its hardcore fans to keep playing Europa Universalis II, because they’re doing something dramatically different this time. And this is where average non-hardcore guys, guys like you and me, finally have an opportunity to get on board with these epic strategy games.
The first casualty, and a cause of much consternation among the die-hard fanbase, are hard-coded historical events. Instead of anticipating the scripted dissolution of the Ottoman empire, for instance, you’ll have to deal with the possibility of history not playing it by the books. And that assumes you know the books. Those of us who aren’t aware that the Wurttemberg nobility dissolved the parliament in 1591 and thereby precipitated a dramatic 3% rise in inflation won’t be any the wiser when it doesn’t happen.
Instead, EU3 uses a lot of smoke and mirrors and hand waving and under-the-hood calculations to spit out different events for different countries, some of which might actually be unrealistic. Gasp! We’re not talking Harry Turtledove/Sid Meier’s Civilization unrealistic where Poland gets nukes in the 18th century. Instead, we’re talking about the kind of unrealistic that gives a game replayability. This is more of a sandbox than a ride with scripted stops and pre-designated set pieces. You make your own way, and the history you might have known could be entirely absent.
An important part of this new wide-open model are the National Ideas. As your government tech level goes up, you can pick from a list of special abilities with significant military, economic, or cultural implications. Do you bust open your army limit with Grand Army, start founding colonies with Quest for the New World, or boost your tax income with Bureaucracy?
As the timeline progresses and countries get older, they start to distinguish themselves by their National Ideas. There are no criteria for picking different ideas, so one game’s France might be nothing like another game’s France. There’s that terrible unrealism again. In its place is a bit of gaming the system. Landlocked countries, for example, have no use for 20% of the National Ideas that benefit naval powers. And there are only a couple of useful choices early on that you’d be pretty silly – or at least deeply into role-playing your country – to not choose. But it’s a welcome step in a new direction, and Paradox deserves kudos for trying something different and less historically stuffy.
There are new rules for military leaders, army types, and advisors that lend different countries new flavor. Army sizes are reined in, so it’s not as easy to roll over your neighbors. The EU games have always done a great job of putting military action in a political context, and this time around, they’ve pulled off their shrewdest balancing act yet.
There are bits of hard-wired history in the form of rules for the papacy and the Holy Roman Empire. Without any sort of randomization to the map, the thrill of exploration isn’t quite a thrill. You’ll know exactly where to go for slaves or gold, and where the natives are most restless. On the plus side, you now have longer exclusive rights to areas you’ve “discovered”.
The AI is still suspect, and it’ll do odd things that are either stupid or beyond your ken. Or some combination of the two. But the salient fact about the EU games is that you’re competing against the system as much as you’re competing against your neighbors. Scenarios with set goals would have been nice. How hard could it have been to include set pieces where you try to get from point A to point B with a certain amount of prestige, or within a certain amount of time, or by conquering a certain country, followed by a “Congratulations, enter your initials!” or something. Instead, EU3 refuses to offer itself as anything other than a ginormous historical sandbox, aimless and without limits other than its hard cut-off date.
