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how is it obvious?
Very few games keep developing for anywhere close to 10 years, and there is absolute no reason why EU4 would be an exception to that. An extensive cleaning of the code like they have been doing this year would therefore make no sense unless they have started planning what parts of the code they will be reusing for EU5. Add the increased requests for ideas and feedback and it seems pretty obvious to me. Ofcourse, you are free to believe that their current cleanup is just a preparation for another 5 years of EU4 development.
 
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Very few games keep developing for anywhere close to 10 years, and there is absolute no reason why EU4 would be an exception to that. An extensive cleaning of the code like they have been doing this year would therefore make no sense unless they have started planning what parts of the code they will be reusing for EU5. Add the increased requests for ideas and feedback and it seems pretty obvious to me. Ofcourse, you are free to believe that their current cleanup is just a preparation for another 5 years of EU4 development.

Honestly, I think they were just waiting for the game engine came out, more than likely I believe Paradox may have started on EU5, then they decided to build a 64 bit engine, and it got put to the wayside while they built it up, and CK3 happened to manage to get further along in development in that time. I wouldn't be surprised if, in the next two to three years, we not only see EU5, but also a new victoria and HOI, likely at a rate of one release a year, all on the new engine. (also quite plausibly, in game-chronological order)
 
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Very few games keep developing for anywhere close to 10 years, and there is absolute no reason why EU4 would be an exception to that. An extensive cleaning of the code like they have been doing this year would therefore make no sense unless they have started planning what parts of the code they will be reusing for EU5. Add the increased requests for ideas and feedback and it seems pretty obvious to me. Ofcourse, you are free to believe that their current cleanup is just a preparation for another 5 years of EU4 development.


The real question. What comes first EU5 or Vicky3? I think EU5, HOI5, Stellaris 2 and then Victoria 3 in exactly that order.
 
The real question. What comes first EU5 or Vicky3? I think EU5, HOI5, Stellaris 2 and then Victoria 3 in exactly that order.

My bet is Wiz/King are working on V3 or something similar with POP focused mechanics. Johan is still on Imperator and he would probably be the guy directing EU5

HOI5 is the least likely to be released before any of those on your list.
 
My bet is Wiz/King are working on V3 or something similar with POP focused mechanics. Johan is still on Imperator and he would probably be the guy directing EU5

HOI5 is the least likely to be released before any of those on your list.


I hope Wiz is working on Victoria 3 but to be honest I am starting to think it will never be released.
 
It's unfair that Crusader Kings will get a sequel before Victoria. However, if these cheap and cartoonish, almost mobile-gamish, art style and 3D graphics will prevail in next generation of Paradox games, I will stick to the current one.
 
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It's unfair that Crusader Kings will get a sequel before Victoria. However, if these cheap and cartoonish, almost mobile-gamish, art style and 3D graphics will prevail in next generation of Paradox games, I will stick to the current one.
Perhaps it was foolish to not expect CK3 first, it's Paradox's cash cow. I'm sure by this point we all know their primary concern is money.
 
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To be fair, they are a buisness.
Right. It's just a shame that making money and delivering quality products are apparently becoming mutually exclusive in the game industry.
 
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Right. It's just a shame that making money and delivering quality products are apparently becoming mutually exclusive in the game industry.

That's doesn't really apply to CKIII as it's been in development 4 years already. I trust to Doomdark not to rush the game and skimp on the quality at the very least.
 
That's doesn't really apply to CKIII as it's been in development 4 years already. I trust to Doomdark not to rush the game and skimp on the quality at the very least.
I pray to Odin that the game is truly a worthy successor to CK2.
 
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Very few games keep developing for anywhere close to 10 years, and there is absolute no reason why EU4 would be an exception to that. An extensive cleaning of the code like they have been doing this year would therefore make no sense unless they have started planning what parts of the code they will be reusing for EU5. Add the increased requests for ideas and feedback and it seems pretty obvious to me. Ofcourse, you are free to believe that their current cleanup is just a preparation for another 5 years of EU4 development.

As much as I enjoy EU4, it does seem to be winding down as development cycles extend on content creation, they focus on cleaning bugs and QoL features, and generally perform fan service. My guess is if there is indeed EU5 in our near-ish future, the team will focus on filling out as many mission trees as they can while also fixing up areas that have lacked in support like the new world.

I know a lot of people decry that they can't wait for EU5 and get a lot of pushback, but at this point I am convinced it is already underway.
 
My first thought after CK3 was announced was - hey, I have only ~200 hours in CK2 - I didn't play all the regions, get all the achievements, ...
From devs perspective, delaying CK3 was probably harder and harder. CK2 seems to be like wine - getting old in very good way, so actually I accepted the announcement and hope for the best.

I think the same happened with Civ5 → Civ6... (also in terms of more childish portraits...)

Vicky 3? By pure extrapolation, looks like they're working on it since 2015 ;). It's going to be big. And full of sliders!

btw - I really hoped for "One more thing" announcement...
 
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Speaking of EU5 being in development for some time made me imagine how they're working on it, all goes fine, then they see the release of Imperator and go "oh shit..." and start frantically scrap the mana system, hoping nobody would notice it was ever there. It's just a funny scene to imagine :)
 
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My first thought after CK3 was announced was - hey, I have only ~200 hours in CK2 - I didn't play all the regions, get all the achievements, ...
From devs perspective, delaying CK3 was probably harder and harder. CK2 seems to be like wine - getting old in very good way, so actually I accepted the announcement and hope for the best.

I think the same happened with Civ5 → Civ6... (also in terms of more childish portraits...)

Vicky 3? By pure extrapolation, looks like they're working on it since 2015 ;). It's going to be big. And full of sliders!

btw - I really hoped for "One more thing" announcement...
Oh Yes! Sliders! Sliders Everywhere!
 
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Speaking of EU5 being in development for some time made me imagine how they're working on it, all goes fine, then they see the release of Imperator and go "oh shit..." and start frantically scrap the mana system, hoping nobody would notice it was ever there. It's just a funny scene to imagine :)

I don't think the mana system in EU4 is a problem by comparison to I:R. Though that doesn't mean I don't hope for a better system. I have always been frustrated that Ducats mean everything early and nothing later as you simply blob and become always wealthy eventually. I don't think they panic rushed to fix it though. The EU4 community has been outspoken about it for quite some time and they probably clued in before I:R. (Heres hoping at least)
 
In regards to the engine, it HAS already been carried over into the major update of Clausewitz that Stellaris and HOI4 were developed on. I recall quite a bit of discussion about that on the pre-release Stellaris forums. To an extent it seems that CK2 got an unexpected lease of life out of that (and at the time they seemed fairly unsure if it would be possible to use it for CK2), but if you look under the hood you can see that the scripts are still a mishmash of standards, old and new procedures and inconstancies.