Victoria

Who's tried it, and what are your impressions?

For those wondering what in the world I'm talking about, I'm referring to the computer game Victoria, produced by Strategy First and Paradox Games. It's a strategy game that puts you in control of a nation in the period 1835-1920. You control trade, military forces, diplomatic efforts, colonization, government, and pretty much everything in between. It's a really detailed game, with only a few rough spots. I'd recommend it to this audience, who might appreciate the AH possibilities inherent.
 
Amerigo Vespucci said:
Who's tried it, and what are your impressions?

I've got the game and have played it for a bit. It is very complex and it does take a while to figure everything out. I've downloaded the second patch and haven't quite seen exactly what that changes. My impression so far is that it is a pretty good game. I've played Mexico, US, Great Britain, Spain, Persia and Russia so far. Spain was a pain in the butt because of the Carlist Wars and I gave up early.
 
David S Poepoe said:
Amerigo Vespucci said:
Who's tried it, and what are your impressions?

I've got the game and have played it for a bit. It is very complex and it does take a while to figure everything out. I've downloaded the second patch and haven't quite seen exactly what that changes. My impression so far is that it is a pretty good game. I've played Mexico, US, Great Britain, Spain, Persia and Russia so far. Spain was a pain in the butt because of the Carlist Wars and I gave up early.

I got the second patch, too, but since I haven't played the unpatched version, I can't comment on it. I'm still on my first game, just having gotten it for Christmas. I'm playing as the USA, and next game, I think I'll try my hand at a smaller country, maybe the Papal States or Frankfurt am Main.
 

Grey Wolf

Gone Fishin'
Donor
"I think I'll try my hand at a smaller country, maybe the Papal States or Frankfurt am Main"

What on earth do you do as the Papal States ? Let alone a German city state ? I'd be intrigued to see what level of difference in a realistic way you could make ?

If you control the Papal States btw do you get to be Pope too ? That could be cool, issuing weird Papal Bulls !

Grey Wolf
 
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Grey Wolf said:
What on earth do you do as the Papal States ? Let alone a German city state ? I'd be intrigued to see what level of difference in a realistic way you could make ?

If you control the Papal States btw do you get to be Pope too ? That could be call, issuing weird Papal Bulls !

Grey Wolf

I don't think you get to do anything like that. I'm pretty sure that it's just acting as another country, but I'm willing to try.
 
I've been thinking of trying that game. Maybe I'll get my hands on it one day.

BTW, if anyone goes to their website and looks at the forums, they've made some timelines of their games, with intriguing results.
 
Ahhh... Victoria. There is nothing better than a Confederate Empire being built. Or the Mexicans keeping California. Or, my all time favourite... Being the Ottomans and get to Indo-China, via India, and conquer it. And my newest escapade. Trying to conquer the world as England. That is difficult beyond measure. So many revolts (shudders)... But the game is excellent, and only a few flaws. For alternate history, this is a game worth buying. And if need a TL, just be Switzerland and watch the world go by.
 
As said a friend has it and I don't like it. The game is all about micromanagment of minute bits of trade.
I like having micromanagment available but I do not like it being compulsary or your nation falls apart in a month like with this 'game'.
 
Ya, I crashed my economy quite a few times before I got it working right. But once you utilize the micromanagement you are the supreme ruler of earth. Although the Constinaple-Hanoi railway was quite expensive. If you get a lot of factories and territories, the economy pretty well runs itself.
 
The AI doesn't run the trade very well at all, so I just don't buy or sell anything until I know that I'm running a surplus, and sell about half, or if I'm running short of something, then I'll run a buy order on a fair bit of that. The US is tough to run without cheats at the beginning, but definitely worthwhile. I'm trying to conquer the world as Frankfurt am Main using cheat codes only in the first day to get me up to par. So far, after 25 years, I've got about half of Germany under my control.
 
[Damn, I made a long and nice reply, but all of it was lost because of slow net connection :(]

Well, I have Victoria and I like it a lot. I have only played 2 games though - one as Brazil, on easiest difficulty and AI, to learn. Managed to conquer all South America except Argentina, Chile (my allies) and the British/French/Dutch provinces; all central America except British Belize; California; colonized half of Africa; annexed most of Arabic world. Then the game crashed in 1895.
Another game - as Bavaria. By 1905, I controlled all of Germany except Hannover (1 prov.) and Prussia (1 prov.); also Denmark, Switzerland, Belgium and Netherlands. Krakow too. Had an alliance with Russia and France. And I was the world's leading industrial power.

The problems I see with this game are that the AI never industrializes and never colonizes. In both games, the only nations that have made any new colonies were Britain, Netherlands and Prussia. And only 1 colony each. Otherwise it is nice. Very nice :)
 
Be sure to get the latest patches as well. Paradox is particularly good about patching reported bugs, and I think they're on 1.02 right now, with .03 on the horizon.
 
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