EU4, Vicky 2, or CK2?

[AwesomeKeith]

Now, I know these are all different games, so we're not comparing the way they play. This thread is to just say which is your favorite, and why.

I like Crusader Kings 2 the most, because I like playing as the one character and watching my realm rise and fall over the ages, and it's pretty awesome to see the stories of each character unfold.

 

[Fulmen]

HoI3

 

[OttoVonBismarck'97]

To be honest, I play each one based on my mood, if I want a slow (relatively relaxed) game with some calming music I go for CKII, since it is a bit slower than the rest. The same could be said about Vicky II

If I want to test my tactical skills, and play a tense game full of careful planning with some pounding music I go for HOI3.

If I'm in the mood to expand, colonize and exterminate (aka the moderately-paced one) I go for EUIV, plus I love painting the map

EUIV was my first PDS game, followed by Darkest Hour, EU Rome, CKII, Vicky II, then HOI3, all of which I picked up in the past half year or so, due to the sheer amount of love I have for the games (PDS is now my all-time favorite game company, and the PDS games are my all time favorites)

If I had to choose one though, it would be Vicky 2, because it strikes the perfect balance between internal and external management of your nation (CKII is internal, EUIV and HOI3 are mostly external)

 

[AndroidEmperor]

I like all of them equally, but have played Victoria 2 the least. One thing that really bugs me is the map, I like the EU4 map aesthetically speaking better than the CK2 map, and I absolutely love the HOI4 map.

 

[Pugmak]

I've played EU4 a lot and like it fine. I've played Vicky 2 some and like it fine too.
I haven't played CK2 yet, so like it best since it's still all imagined potential with none of the rough edges of reality intruding.

 

[Stolen Rutters]

EU4.

It used to be CK2, but EU4 eventually improved and surpassed it in my ranking. I'll get back to it eventually. Vicky 2 was immersive and potentially amazing, but it could never compete with EU4 and CK2.

 

[nkibilko]

CK2 is my favorite game of all time, yet it comes with a little irony.

Once upon a time i had no idea what CK2 was, or what who paradox was. One day in 2014, around june, I was browsing Steam for games on sale, when one historical game caught my eye... It was called Europa Universalis 4. It looked nice, although it sounded like the kind of game I've never played before (although i've always been huge into history and geography), it was only $10. After reading some reviews it sounded like a lot of game for a little money, so i decided to buy it.

With EU4 installed i started it up.. I immediately loved the music and art... Then the map came up with all of those starting dates! I chose Poland as a starting point, to learn basics and not worry about a navy so much, or exploration and colonization. I was slightly overwhelmed initially with the interface and all of the things to click on. After about an hour of looking through everything i finally unpaused my game. It sucked me in and i found myself playing late into the night, sometimes even early into the morning. I was hooked. Because of technology these days and how the internet works, i started seeing many more adds for other Paradox games....

Crusader Kings II sounded like it was right up my alley; A medieval time period, with a focus on a single character and that characters Dynasty. I was right. I took to this game like a duck to water. After starting with EU4, this games interface and menus seemed a little more simple. There were a few obvious adjustments i had to make, but they felt natural. I basically stopped playing all other video games once i started ck2, it was crazy, because i play a lot of games. CK2 is just a little more stimulating to my type of imagination i guess. i like to picture those melee confrontations before gunpowder was a thing.

 

[AwesomeKeith]

EU4.

It used to be CK2, but EU4 eventually improved and surpassed it in my ranking. I'll get back to it eventually. Vicky 2 was immersive and potentially amazing, but it could never compete with EU4 and CK2.

'Tis why we need Vicky 3.

 

[I Have Low Eyes]

Vic 2> eu4 > ck2 > hoi
Victoria 2 has a mix of simplicity and complexity making it a compelling experience that feels a bit less gamey than eu4. Plus i love the time period. Great game but limited replay value.

Eu4 arguably has more replay value than vicky. It's fun to paint the map or play evil white man simulator. A fun game that feels like a game.

Ck2 Creates great stories or aars. But damn it's complex and i have trouble having fun in the game. However the wackiness of traits like possession, i love.

Hoi kicked my ass. I tried for 9 hours to understand and just realized it's too much for me. Poland kicked my german ass. I wanted to like it but i can't.

I think eu4 is the best game, yet i prefer vicky.

 

[nkibilko]

Vic 2> eu4 > ck2 > hoi
Victoria 2 has a mix of simplicity and complexity making it a compelling experience that feels a bit less gamey than eu4. Plus i love the time period. Great game but limited replay value.

Eu4 arguably has more replay value than vicky. It's fun to paint the map or play evil white man simulator. A fun game that feels like a game.

Ck2 Creates great stories or aars. But damn it's complex and i have trouble having fun in the game. However the wackiness of traits like possession, i love.

Hoi kicked my ass. I tried for 9 hours to understand and just realized it's too much for me. Poland kicked my german ass. I wanted to like it but i can't.

I think eu4 is the best game, yet i prefer vicky.

It's interesting to me that you describe CK2 being complex to the point of it hindering your enjoyment, and yet have a higher opinion of EU4 than CK2... while i don't disagree that ck2 is complex, i find EU4 to be a much more complicated game than CK2.

My ck2/eu4 experience is inversed... i feel like ck2 is the more simple of the two, and EU4's massive complexities are what keep me from spending so much time with it.

 

[Pyoro]

CK2. Some things about it I don't like, but generally I played it the most for a reason.
Vicky 2, well, I played the nations I like and now I would really need something "new" for playing it again.
EU4 ... dunno, it just seems a bit "too fast" for me. The way provinces are cored and converted compared to EU3. And a bit of a lack of flavor in events and missions. Vanilla anyways, though I'll play a MEIOU game next (don't play CK2 vanilla either so that's only fair...).

 

[yezhanquan]

Of the three, I got EU IV last, but given the time, I would like to play all 3.

 

[Laexio]

i like vicky 2's sound track. love the game. it has its flaws, though.

 

[qer]

Vicky 2 for the mechanics. Really , it is the only pdx game that make internal country development interesting. Being the only one with a realistic economic system ,you know that if you tax your countrymen too much you may hurt the economy, that if you enter a prolonged conflict you may run out of funds. And the pop system is a mechanism that simply overshadow the rest. Of course Vic 2 have boring moments(running a state economy on Russia) or not working well mechanics ( prestige determines who buys from the market first) but it is still my favorite.
About Eu4, I feel it is the more resemblance to table-top games. It is simple and keeps you entertain, but it lacks the depth to be an excellent game like Vic2 or CK2. This lack of depth is seen perfectly during peacetime, which is boring and uninteresting
Finally, I feel that ck2 does things well, but it isn't as good as it could have been. The character system is a really good system and I like it; it add another layer to games as you secure alliances or figth for successions. However , I feel like the rest of the systems are very basic ( no naval combat, over simplistic economic system) that if more developed, would have make the game even more interesting

 

[evilon]

Tbh, Vicky 1

Edit: That said, the rest are awesome too