3D World

[DarrelHerring]

I was just wondering if I was the only one saddened to see that Europa Universalis IV will have a 3D world like Crusader Kings II instead of just having a 2D map. I mean, there's no way my laptop will be able to run it, and I feel that this change means that people with lower end computers won't be able to play. I also just prefer the way Europa Universalis III looks, I mean, it makes you feel like you're the leader of a nation just sitting in a room and you just have a map to point at and tell people what to do. Maybe I'm just describing it in a bad way, but I think it just looks better. To me, aesthetics are more important than graphics, does anyone else agree?

 

[Mr. Capiatlist]

I was just wondering if I was the only one saddened to see that Europa Universalis IV will have a 3D world like Crusader Kings II instead of just having a 2D map. I mean, there's no way my laptop will be able to run it, and I feel that this change means that people with lower end computers won't be able to play. I also just prefer the way Europa Universalis III looks, I mean, it makes you feel like you're the leader of a nation just sitting in a room and you just have a map to point at and tell people what to do. Maybe I'm just describing it in a bad way, but I think it just looks better. To me, aesthetics are more important than graphics, does anyone else agree?

This argument comes up every time a new game comes out and thankfully the answer seems to be "no". I personally like to see the graphics get better and a company cannot linger in the past because of hold outs, I am sorry to say. Would Skyrim be a better game if it looked like Oblivion? Would Oblivion be a better game if it looked like Morrowind? No. Absolutely not.

As a tech-head I'll also be quick to point out that notebooks (as they are legally called now) are not the best platform for gaming. They are overly expensive, short lifespan, hard to upgrade. That's why I have my trusty desktop which I can upgrade in stages for cheaply.

 

[Grubnessul]

I am saddened it won't have a complete 3d globe

 

[Mr. Capiatlist]

I am saddened it won't have a complete 3d globe

That... that I am okay without. Unless it was just the farthest zoom mode. That might be kind of cool, actually.

 

[Ciccillo Rre]

As a tech-head I'll also be quick to point out that notebooks (as they are legally called now) are not the best platform for gaming. They are overly expensive, short lifespan, hard to upgrade. That's why I have my trusty desktop which I can upgrade in stages for cheaply.

For people like me who keep traveling all the time a notebook is the only way. You need a relatively recent and reliable notebook. With my ASUS i7 I can handle CK2 very well and I think EU4 will be fine for me. But this doesn't mean the devs should not care about some details: pre-multicore support Victoria 2 caused some overheating to my notebook (even if not at the level of Dragon Age Origins when I was having a motherboard issue as well).

 

[Mr. Capiatlist]

For people like me who keep traveling all the time a notebook is the only way. You need a relatively recent and reliable notebook. With my ASUS i7 I can handle CK2 very well and I think EU4 will be fine for me. But this doesn't mean the devs should not care about some details: pre-multicore support Victoria 2 caused some overheating to my notebook (even if not at the level of Dragon Age Origins when I was having a motherboard issue as well).

Soul-crushing cubical work has its advantages, I rarely leave my home base. But yeah, a decently up-to-date one will run it and the increasing support for multi-core technology will certainly help.

 

[WeissRaben]

Wasn't EU3 3D up to DW? Quite a crude 3D, but was already there.

 

[gigau]

When EUIII came out, i thought i would continue playing EUII for the savour of its map.

But, truth be told, the EUIII map has gown on me. And the CK2 3D map is really good-looking. Wouldn't want to go back.


On the other hand, if zooming out to see a spherical map works like the one of Civilization, please forget it. CKII views are much better looking.

 

[Slaxl]

Not that I know what it looks like in Civilisation but what's with the anti-globe map sentiments? The world is an oblate spheroid, so surely any map that replicates that can only possibly be good for accuracy. So long as it doesn't make map modding infinitely more tricky. Plus, as anyone with Google Earth knows it can be fun in itself to just zoom out and try and spin the world as fast as you can. That's a game in itself

 

[RedRalphWiggum]

Sorry you can't run it man, but they can't stay 2D.

 

[Modestus]

And with 2D you cannot have flying seagulls.

I prefer maps to look like maps but to be fair to the EUIV map it does seem to look better then the CKII map which I do not like, a lot of different games are beginning to look alike which is a little sad, I guess people just like their flying birds.

 

[tapewormlondon]

I only started pc gaming about 4 years ago and bought a brand new laptop for a grand. It quickly went from playing the best games at ultra, to now playing them at min.

I didn't know you couldn't upgrade specs and it was a costly error on my part. I now have a high spec desktop and wouldn't look back. Should the game companies have stayed in the past so I could play? Of course not. Im afraid that's the way of these things. Look on the bright side you have a year to save and if you can afford to squirrel away just a bit you can get a machine that will run it no probs.

 

[ANO1453]

There is some 3D it looks, some that is acceptable, and other that is completely unbearable to the eyes. This map seems to be of the nice kind

 

[wolfing]

The way I see it, companies shouldn't hold back just so people can play their games in 5 year old laptops. You start making compromises (as, the same game that plays in today's computer with 8GB should also run in a 5 year old laptop with 1GB). So, if you travel and can only play in an old laptop, then play games that were made when the laptop was newer (play EU: Rome, or CK1 or EU 3) and play EU4 in your home computer.
Besides, the game is still over a year to completion, so even today's required specs will seem even less restrictive when the game comes out (and to tell you the truth, today's required specs are not restrictive at all)

 

[flame7926]

I can play CKII, so supposedly this, on my 5 year old macbook pro. Runs pretty well.

 

[unmerged(431840)]

All Windows games have been 3d since DirectX 8.0 was released in 2000.

Those games that look 2d? They were 3d games where everything was very flat and a special camera was used to give you the illusion of 2d.

So from a technical perspective it has been at least 12 years (likely 13-14 years) since you've played a game that was actually 2d.

 

[svenk91]

My nearly 4 year old desktop has problems with cpu, not the gpu (that was low end for that time as well). The ck2 graphics aren't that demanding (as my laptop has lower gpu specs than the system specs reported on steam).

 

[Te. Kenzo]

God bless 3D Maps

 

[NoobRage]

Seriously, if you dont upgraded you PCs since 8 years ago, thats you problem. The devs only have the obligation to make the game run on 3, maybe 5 year old PCs (and those can run CK 2 just fine). No one cares if you still have a coal-powered wooden PC, gaming industry must go foward and WILL leave you behind if you refuse to spend some dollars on very basic upgrades. And graphics DO matter. I bought DW just for the upgraded graphics, as EU3 Complete`s graphics are terrible. Saying that graphics doesnt matter is like saying size doesnt matter, it just proves you are at disadvantage.

 

[Will Lucky]

EU3 has been out since 2007, if your laptop can't run it then really you should consider buying a new laptop. Because seriously, the devs can't slow down progess to keep up with your old laptop. Its the same factor in general for software.