Europa Universalis 4

A computer game that I have spent a lot of time playing is that of strategy game Europa Universalis 4. The game itself is designed by Swedish company Paradox Interactive. I have over 6000 hours of play time on my Steam account.

The game itself is a historical simulator. You take control of a country/state in the year 1444 and you drive it towards success (or lack of success). The map is made up of provinces a bit like a Risk board but on a scale times a million.

The time period is that of the late Medieval era until the Napoleonic era and the map is that of the entire world. Of course not long into the game there is the Renaissance in Italy and then the discovery of the New World (the America’s), the incorporation of gunpowder and artillery into armies. 

I’m not sure if the game holds particular appeal to a European like myself as European powers were the dominant empires during that era.

Unfortunately the game does include the slave trade and you are able to profit from it although not in a very direct way.

The major powers of 1444 are of course England, France, Castile (Spain), Austria and the Ottomans (Turkey). 

Its funny that I have spent so much time playing this computer game and I struggle to write about what I like about this game. I did a blog post about a role playing shooter called Deus Ex and I really enjoyed writing that.

I guess part of the appeal is the roleplaying aspect. Taking a small power and building an empire across the world and getting rich and then picking on other empires that were previously a threat to you (and are now not as strong).

Some of the most engrossing times I’ve had in this game however is when the AI controlled factions put up a strong fight and your armies are pushed back and you are forced into a prolonged struggle with them. 

I guess the real strength of Europa Universalis 4 is that of diplomacy. Timing in declaring war is very important. The landscape is constantly changing with the AI factions attacking each other and conquering territory and getting stronger.The AI factions seem intelligent and aggressive so the world feels ‘real.’

 In 1444 the world is a very divided place however by 1700 there are massive global empires like Britain and Spain and the Ottomans that have gobbled up loads of land.

Another appeal of this game is the online activity on Youtube and on Reddit. I used to post my Steam achievement screenshots and get upvotes on Reddit and also discuss how to get the more difficult achievements with other users. There are entire Youtube channels dedicated to explaining the tricks and strategies of each country. For example Ludi et Historia etc. These have ‘how to guides’ much like a cooking programme on television that encourage the watcher to try it themselves.

Another thing to note is there are about 25 DLC packs (downloadable content) and there have been 37 patches (not including hotfixes) so its not like a static game that stays the same but a game that has been changing every few months for the last decade.

Ultimately every time I play this game and get really strong I end up getting bored and quitting. I guess the journey or the struggle is where the fun is!

In conclusion I have mixed feelings about Europa Universalis. I’ve spent 6000 hours of my life playing it and not really learned that much from it (apart from place names across the globe) although you could say the same about television or Netflix.