With more than 1,000 hours of playing, I decided to test a Beta for the first time. While I avoid posting, not doing so would defeat the purpose of playing a Beta, so I decided to sum up my thoughts about the changes and the game now based on a test run(s) with Holland (since I played it multiple times and the independence CB changes impact it a lot) and with Portugal (never played it before so I wanted to try an easy colonial expansion).
Overall, I think that the changes made game harder with some changes that are good and some that are bad (QoL wise) and need a rework.
Colonization (Native behaviour and ignoring enforce peace is the worst QoL change by far in my opinion. That being said, it was more competitive between the usual suspects, which is good, though it seemed more random, which is funny/unrealistic)
- Better AI economy management is reflected in more competition (in Caribbean there were three crown colonies twice in early 1500s – Spain, Portugal and me), which did not happen often before. It’s a lot more competitive now which is good.
- However, random AI selection of colonization regions needs addressing to make it more realistic. In two or three games England ended up colonizing Brazil and Colombia (once), while Spain colonized North America. Also, there seems to be limited AI interest in colonizing Africa and Asia (which is good for a human player), but unrealistic. Given their nodes, I think that AI should be prioritized to go to regions directly upstream from their node.
- Natives have however become really annoying, which is the single worst QoL change in 1.33 if you colonize. They declare pointless wars on crown colonies and always refuse enforce peace proposals (this must be an error). In one game I intervened in 4 wars at one point, fighting with 15+ natives. All went to 100%, but in one game I spent 20-30 years fighting them and I almost quit the game more than once.
Independence CB change (much slower and harder, but manageable – with a strong subject nation obviously)
- Makes the game harder, but its kind of manageable. For me, the best strategy was to get Burgundy to release Brabant and Flanders in independence war (instead of taking land), since you avoid complicated outcomes of BI (having to take Breda from Austria or France).
- This change slowed me a lot (long truce so you have to declare on their allies and can take less land), but it has not made the game impossible. However, in a more complicated setting it probably makes the start impossible since we are talking about one of the strongest subject nations.
- On a side note, France seems willing to fight Burgundy again (in 1.33), so they are a sure bet for Dutch independence support in this version. Also, France generally seems stronger and I haven’t seen games where they implode in 1.33 (not that i have done many), unlike in 1.32 where they almost always imploded. This seems to be a result of the change in 100 years war in which they largely eliminate England as threat, which is a good change (I like when the game is somewhat historic even if it is more difficult)
AI unconditional surrender (good)
- This is a great change and it certainly helped end wars sooner. Also, it seems that AI might be a bit more willing to peace out. Overall, it is better, more realistic and a good change.
Forts (needs a bit of change, in my opinion, especially late game because of “Maginot” lines and because it makes rebellions meaningless)
- AI is going crazy with forts, as mentioned often, but it was kind of ok in early game. It slowed things up, but it was not too bad. In HRE you have to wait any way, so you start a war a bit earlier and siege while AE goes away. However, later in the game it made wars really long and painful as one goes through a wall of forts, so I’d say it needs rework (toning down) but it is not as bad as thought it will be in early game.
- However, one aspect that is really bad is that it makes revolts meaningless, since rebels almost never take province (later in the game basically never) and are always attacking (forts).
- Finally, I am not even going to comment the 30 years war (deliberately not saying league war). It can live up to its name... Not that it is unrealistic (from a historic perspective), but it is long.
AI behaviour in wars (needs rework)
- AI is now more consistent in sieging (which is good), but it does not join battles and moves erratically (which is quite bad). As an example, I was in a war with Spain as Holland (with France as an ally). I got into a roughly 20k vs 20k battle and the French 40k stack moved around the battle randomly instead of joining (like in past). Similar thing happened with Portugal when fighting Morocco (with Spain as ally) and a few more times, too. Generally AI movement seemed erratic (going back and forth). It feels that AI was changed to prioritize siege and to ignore battles too much which I think led to this and it needs rework.
- I am not going to mention that AI still sends a lot of its troops to the other side of the world (I always laugh when Knights send army to colonies). No problem
, but no change/improvement there.
Trade range (must be a mistake)
- Its not new, but since colonial nations do not extend trade range any more, I had unallocated merchants and I wondered if it makes sense to colonize at all if one can’t transfer trade power. I assume this is a bug. It is completely unrealistic, so its hard to assume that someone did it on purpose (same applies to vassals not extending trade range etc.).
Bugs
- Ruler / general dies as a general, but not as a ruler and can be rerolled
- When offered to give gold for favours, no favours are earned, but gold goes away
I can go on, but one has to end somewhere. I hope these will help and some of the issues will be resolved.
P.S.
Closure of sale of titles without owning 10% of land loophole is neither unexpected nor unrealistic, but it will still be missed
Overall, I think that the changes made game harder with some changes that are good and some that are bad (QoL wise) and need a rework.
Colonization (Native behaviour and ignoring enforce peace is the worst QoL change by far in my opinion. That being said, it was more competitive between the usual suspects, which is good, though it seemed more random, which is funny/unrealistic)
- Better AI economy management is reflected in more competition (in Caribbean there were three crown colonies twice in early 1500s – Spain, Portugal and me), which did not happen often before. It’s a lot more competitive now which is good.
- However, random AI selection of colonization regions needs addressing to make it more realistic. In two or three games England ended up colonizing Brazil and Colombia (once), while Spain colonized North America. Also, there seems to be limited AI interest in colonizing Africa and Asia (which is good for a human player), but unrealistic. Given their nodes, I think that AI should be prioritized to go to regions directly upstream from their node.
- Natives have however become really annoying, which is the single worst QoL change in 1.33 if you colonize. They declare pointless wars on crown colonies and always refuse enforce peace proposals (this must be an error). In one game I intervened in 4 wars at one point, fighting with 15+ natives. All went to 100%, but in one game I spent 20-30 years fighting them and I almost quit the game more than once.
Independence CB change (much slower and harder, but manageable – with a strong subject nation obviously)
- Makes the game harder, but its kind of manageable. For me, the best strategy was to get Burgundy to release Brabant and Flanders in independence war (instead of taking land), since you avoid complicated outcomes of BI (having to take Breda from Austria or France).
- This change slowed me a lot (long truce so you have to declare on their allies and can take less land), but it has not made the game impossible. However, in a more complicated setting it probably makes the start impossible since we are talking about one of the strongest subject nations.
- On a side note, France seems willing to fight Burgundy again (in 1.33), so they are a sure bet for Dutch independence support in this version. Also, France generally seems stronger and I haven’t seen games where they implode in 1.33 (not that i have done many), unlike in 1.32 where they almost always imploded. This seems to be a result of the change in 100 years war in which they largely eliminate England as threat, which is a good change (I like when the game is somewhat historic even if it is more difficult)
AI unconditional surrender (good)
- This is a great change and it certainly helped end wars sooner. Also, it seems that AI might be a bit more willing to peace out. Overall, it is better, more realistic and a good change.
Forts (needs a bit of change, in my opinion, especially late game because of “Maginot” lines and because it makes rebellions meaningless)
- AI is going crazy with forts, as mentioned often, but it was kind of ok in early game. It slowed things up, but it was not too bad. In HRE you have to wait any way, so you start a war a bit earlier and siege while AE goes away. However, later in the game it made wars really long and painful as one goes through a wall of forts, so I’d say it needs rework (toning down) but it is not as bad as thought it will be in early game.
- However, one aspect that is really bad is that it makes revolts meaningless, since rebels almost never take province (later in the game basically never) and are always attacking (forts).
- Finally, I am not even going to comment the 30 years war (deliberately not saying league war). It can live up to its name... Not that it is unrealistic (from a historic perspective), but it is long.
AI behaviour in wars (needs rework)
- AI is now more consistent in sieging (which is good), but it does not join battles and moves erratically (which is quite bad). As an example, I was in a war with Spain as Holland (with France as an ally). I got into a roughly 20k vs 20k battle and the French 40k stack moved around the battle randomly instead of joining (like in past). Similar thing happened with Portugal when fighting Morocco (with Spain as ally) and a few more times, too. Generally AI movement seemed erratic (going back and forth). It feels that AI was changed to prioritize siege and to ignore battles too much which I think led to this and it needs rework.
- I am not going to mention that AI still sends a lot of its troops to the other side of the world (I always laugh when Knights send army to colonies). No problem
, but no change/improvement there.Trade range (must be a mistake)
- Its not new, but since colonial nations do not extend trade range any more, I had unallocated merchants and I wondered if it makes sense to colonize at all if one can’t transfer trade power. I assume this is a bug. It is completely unrealistic, so its hard to assume that someone did it on purpose (same applies to vassals not extending trade range etc.).
Bugs
- Ruler / general dies as a general, but not as a ruler and can be rerolled
- When offered to give gold for favours, no favours are earned, but gold goes away
I can go on, but one has to end somewhere. I hope these will help and some of the issues will be resolved.
P.S.
Closure of sale of titles without owning 10% of land loophole is neither unexpected nor unrealistic, but it will still be missed
- 14
- 5
