EU5 VS Imperator 3D Map

[Sutixela]

I've always hyped about this game since it's announcement and almost always agreed with every feature until now. This is still work in progress and probably it will get a lot of improvements before release, but to be honest, for now, the map looks incredible dull. It's more related to Victoria 3 and CK3 3D maps, which look like plasticine, instead of the realistic Imperator map.

The map projection, the scale and the coastline shapes are fantastic and beautiful, but the map itself, it's colors, topography, details... I'am put off by it.


Also, what the hell you did to my boy Iceland's geography!!!

 

[peteoj]

Eu5 definitely needs better texture work, I don't mind the terrain but the textures look so blurry and lack any details. It hurts even more when you can't see trees from far away like you can in imperator.

 

[TomoYachi]

I hope a dev can comment on if they are planning to improve the textures and terrain before release, obviously this isn't a priority for a successful release however it would be visually very nice. The current look to me seems like what the game should look like when playing on medium to low settings not ultra as was confirmed by Midgeman

 

[Terixis]

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."
-Imperator map design team, probably

 

[TomoYachi]

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."
-Imperator map design team, probably

not sure why Johan didn't take more influence from imperator considering it was his previous project and it's universally understood as the best pdx map

 

[Daniel the Finlander]

The map really was the best part of Imperator. Sometimes when playing the game, I didn’t even do anything besides just admire the different parts of the map. While I never expected Eu5 to have an equally detailed and polished map due to its much larger global scale, PDX could’ve also tried to make Eu5 at least look similar. Nevertheless, Eu5 map is still way better than Ck3 and Vic3 ones.

 

[Diamond2323]

Seconded that the EU5 map is superior to the CK3 and especially the V3 map, but the Imperator map was so gorgeous it really did add an entire element to the game, especially with the Atlas map mode that showed roads and cities. The current map looks too artificial and soft around the coastlines, with some strange looking textures which resemble Civ VI a lot. I think particularly the mountains look pretty similar to Vicky 3, which is a huge negative as mountains in that game look awful and cartoonish. I wouldn't complain if this is the state it released in, but I would be somewhat disappointed because we know that Paradox can do a lot better.

 

[Lady Anarion]

It's important to note the Imperator map had way less geography to create than EUV, which has to simulate the whole world. I imagine the difference in map quality is a mix of performance considerations and manpower hours.

 

[wolf rulez]

In my, probably unpopular, opinion the map as is would be good enough. It is quite the improvement over EU IV. And they said its still work in progress, so it'll be better at launch.

Why do I think so? I've got the impression everything was clearly readable. I knew at a glance what was going on and knew where the strategic points were.
This is what always should come first. A map game needs to make sure said map shows what is needed to be shown.

Is the map of Imperator more beautifull? Arguably yes, but as Lady Anarion pointed out they didn't need to simulatie the entire world.

Would I like a Imperator style map? If it doesn't make the game that much slower, sure. Otherwise, no thanks.


In all fairness, I don't realy care about pretty pictures. The game could run as a literal spreadsheet. As long as it is strategically engaging I would play it.

Adding visuals does improve the overall experience though, and the art team did do a good job. Some touching up and it'll be great.

 

[cjhoser]

Reminds me so much of CK3 and I hate CK3s map so much. It's the worst of any paradox game.

 

[prinscky]

So the map with more details are from Imperator 3? Impressive, hope the EU5 implement it.

 

[Mixxer5]

Reminds me so much of CK3 and I hate CK3s map so much. It's the worst of any paradox game.

It's certainly least GSG of Paradox games. Sadly- it feels like it was the intention to create story engine rather than game with deep mechanics.

I'd say that V3 is the worst, solely due to UI. Meiou and taxes have more readable and accessible interface and it's mod for EU4, doing some really crazy things to the game. I can't understand who thought "yep, this is good, we can release it like this".

That said- however the map looks is secondary to me. What matters most is if the game is complex and interesting enough. In EU4 I almost never spend any time in 3D map mode.

 

[Bubenberg]

It is frightening how much erosion has progressed in Iceland since 1337. According to Paradox, Olympus Mons once stood there, but today only a shadow remains.
How could this have happened? Did armies of ice giants have their quarry there?
Was the Little Ice Age so harsh and the volcanic eruptions so great that the entire landscape was reshaped?
Or did Paradox Tinto rely on the stories of a drunken sailor from the Netherlands, for whom every small hill seems like a high mountain?
We will never know.

 

[Shrike_]

One feature from Imperator that I would love to see would be the tilted globe effect that the map had. Might be hard to pull off on an actual full globe map though.

 

[Polesie Admiral]

Map mod perhaps?

 

[TheTeaFactory]

Reminds me so much of CK3 and I hate CK3s map so much. It's the worst of any paradox game.

yeah, it's hard to exactly put my finger on it but I think it's the bright washed out looking colors compared to imperator or even an older game like ck2 that have a darker and sharp overall color gradient that gives it a more realistic appearance

 

[naelcdw]

I'm a bit miffed that nearly all currently developed Paradox games have adopted a stylized map style. Of the games they're still developing, only HoI4 and possibly HoI5 seem to be sticking with the more realistic approach.

It's just such a wasted opportunity, especially considering how stunning Imperator’s terrain map was and how EU4's map style was more realistic and inline with I:R's style than EU5's, so it's sad to see that EU5 doesn't stick with that style and instead adopt CK3's and Vic3's.

The maps that followed all feel overly saturated and stylized, lacking the realistic color palettes and texturing that made I:R's map so beautiful.

 

[Erbeilas]

It's important to note the Imperator map had way less geography to create than EUV, which has to simulate the whole world. I imagine the difference in map quality is a mix of performance considerations and manpower hours.

Good point. There's definitely way less capacity for bespoke terrain. However, I'd say that much of the current problems are with the textures and the general height- and colourmaps, where scale doesn't matter.

 

[Erbeilas]

I'm a bit miffed that nearly all currently developed Paradox games have adopted a stylized map style. Of the games they're still developing, only HoI4 and possibly HoI5 seem to be sticking with the more realistic approach.

It's just such a wasted opportunity, especially considering how stunning Imperator’s terrain map was and how EU4's map style was more realistic and inline with I:R's style than EU5's, so it's sad to see that EU5 doesn't stick with that style and instead adopt CK3's and Vic3's.

The maps that followed all feel overly saturated and stylized, lacking the realistic color palettes and texturing that made I:R's map so beautiful.

Yes. There's definitely a disconnect between the aesthetic direction Paradox has been taking recently and what the dedicated players and forum-users actually prefer. Why move past Imperator? They hit it out the park and could've easily just coasted on it for the next five years. Though, I know that they're pretty aware of what actually sells, and perhaps the broader audience prefers the more claylike styles of Vic 3 and CKIII.

It was also a separate dev team from Paradox Tinto, which is important to remember.

(But as a personal opinion the HOI4 map is actually revolting to look at lol)

 

[Erbeilas]

One feature from Imperator that I would love to see would be the tilted globe effect that the map had. Might be hard to pull off on an actual full globe map though.

It was only doable since the imperator map is curved and only covers a section of the world, thus the need to have the map revolve around the pole. When you actually have a looping map like EU5, it is impossible to do and redundant to attempt.