Lassitude with Paradox games

[Jeankazuhiza]

Ok, let me explain you this.

I love Paradox games, all this love came out from Hearts of Iron II, i loved when i helped the Republicans to defeat the Nationalist faction, not to mention that this expanded to Europa Universalis III and Victoria 2.

This is also the case with EUIV, CK2 and HOI4.

However, lately, i just feel that whenever i try to play certain country, i don't want to play it. Okay, i try to play with another one, regardless if it's minor or major, or if it's in advantage or disadvantage with another one. I feel that i don't want to play it.

Yep, i'm suffering that one would call a lassitude with certain games. (I didn't use the word burnout because it's associated with certain car-crashing game and it's not what i'm talking about)

Should i stay away from those games for a while?

 

[Alblaka]

Yep, it's, from my perspective, a very common thing to happen in the PDX GTS titles, simply because a single 'run' can take dozens of hours to complete. If you draw your satisfaction in gaming from making complex decisions, laying out plans and seeing it all come together (which is basically the core thought behind most of the titles you mentioned), then obviously doing that several dozen hours in a row might end up creating, as you call it, a 'lassitude'.

Which is why I rotate EU/CK/HoI/Stellaris in term with their DLC releases. Pick one that recently got a patch/DLC, play it for 2-3 weeks until it gets stale, switch to the next. The fact Paradox has 4 such games in active developement, with 2-3 months developement cycles makes that practice perfectly fitting.

 

[Jeankazuhiza]

Yep, it's, from my perspective, a very common thing to happen in the PDX GTS titles, simply because a single 'run' can take dozens of hours to complete. If you draw your satisfaction in gaming from making complex decisions, laying out plans and seeing it all come together (which is basically the core thought behind most of the titles you mentioned), then obviously doing that several dozen hours in a row might end up creating, as you call it, a 'lassitude'.

Which is why I rotate EU/CK/HoI/Stellaris in term with their DLC releases. Pick one that recently got a patch/DLC, play it for 2-3 weeks until it gets stale, switch to the next. The fact Paradox has 4 such games in active developement, with 2-3 months developement cycles makes that practice perfectly fitting.

It looks that in my case, even if i rotate, it becomes quickly stale to me. Maybe, for being such a demanding gamer, i should take a break for strategy games for a while and focus in something else until i want to play them again, or at least when a new DLC comes out.

 

[Fulmen]

All PDX games are too easy in singleplayer and thus can get boring very fast.

Find yourself a good multiplayer group of 15-25 people with a TS and a rule set, then man all the key countries and enjoy. MP is where these games truly shine.

 

[A_Dane]

It looks that in my case, even if i rotate, it becomes quickly stale to me. Maybe, for being such a demanding gamer, i should take a break for strategy games for a while and focus in something else until i want to play them again, or at least when a new DLC comes out.

I've found i get in the same way, I usually quit playing for a few weeks, focusing on other stuff, playing some shooters once in a while, then i can usually come back for a month or how long a playthrough lasts

 

[hwoosh]

All PDX games are too easy in singleplayer and thus can get boring very fast.

Find yourself a good multiplayer group of 15-25 people with a TS and a rule set, then man all the key countries and enjoy. MP is where these games truly shine.

I agree that SP is way too easy, but I have no interest in MP. I really wish PDS could find a way of both making it less rewarding to blob and more interesting not to blob, but that would require a quantum leap from their game model. People have praised EU4's "very hard" mode, but I'm not interested in raising difficulty through merely granting the AI massive buffs—that's no different than the difficulty levels in Civ. I want a game that's tough because of the game rules and the setup alone.

 

[Aeon221]

Difficulty is a game rule...

 

[Covfam]

Stellaris is one of my favorites go to's when taking a break from Hoi4. For a lighter game i sometimes play Wasteland 2 or Company of Heroes 2

 

[Jeankazuhiza]

All PDX games are too easy in singleplayer and thus can get boring very fast.

Find yourself a good multiplayer group of 15-25 people with a TS and a rule set, then man all the key countries and enjoy. MP is where these games truly shine.

I wish i could have friends who play Paradox games, but sadly, i haven't.

 

[General WVPM]

I think everyone who plays a (paradox, but really any) game a lot in a certain timeframe will get bored by it, since you likely will repeat a lot of strategies/tactics.
Once you figure out what to do, when and how, it may simply become a matter or perfecting your execution of your plan, instead of actually planning.

I tend to mod the shit out of games when I want to play them more.

What you can do is play some scenario, great examples of this are the many starting points for CK2 and EU3/4.
Personally I love it when the AI suprises me, like your father and brother murdering you in CK2 or France allying with Russia and striking back at your Prussia before you form Germany in Victoria 2 or Italy/Spain invading France from the rear while you are holding off a blitzkrieg in HOI3/4.

It's most fun when you think you have it all under control and almost get bored with the same well explored and tested plans and then suddenly the AI gives you a real challenge.

 

[GoatMagic]

I agree that SP is way too easy, but I have no interest in MP. I really wish PDS could find a way of both making it less rewarding to blob and more interesting not to blob, but that would require a quantum leap from their game model. People have praised EU4's "very hard" mode, but I'm not interested in raising difficulty through merely granting the AI massive buffs—that's no different than the difficulty levels in Civ. I want a game that's tough because of the game rules and the setup alone.

You should play CK2 with half demesne, half vassal limit, combo culture conversion, slower religious conversion, and 2x provincial revolt game rules. You'll find blobbing is less common and a bit more difficult to pull off. More dynamic games, less of regions being entirely culturally/religiously assimilated. 2x revolt allows unrest to actually mean something without balkanizing the world like 4x + does.

As it stands, the default vassal and demesne limit in CK2 is absurdly large. You can be a duke and hold entire de jure empire territories.

 

[General WVPM]

For ck2 a simple large penalty to levy for other cultures and religion does wonders.