Not all countries will be playable at launch (Potential first DLC?)

[Ninking]

Well over 100 playable countries, but not all countries are playable. Most of Africa, parts of inner South America, and a few surviving native tribes in North America (including the Lakota, Dakota, and Cree) were not playable. These are "Decentralized Countries." Post-launch, they want to make them playable eventually. But they want to do them right because the gameplay experience should be significantly different. All the Decentralized Countries have names and governments. There are no "uncolonized" provinces, but you can colonize on top of a Decentralized Country without declaring war.

Quoted from here.

Some people might be appalled that not all countries visible on the world map will be playable in 1836, but I think this is a great design choice, as it means we won't be seeing odd events about the Big City Life and such when playing as a state situated along the great lakes of central Africa. Also, that no location is a truly "Empty Land" is a great change which realistically models the locations colonized by the great powers of the time!

 

[terminatordk]

Yea i think they should focus on the uncivs later on

 

[Nostalgium]

I think it's telling that the Decentralized Nations are areas which, in Victoria 2, were empty on the map. Considering they're also where you colonize regularly, with Tension with Decentralized Countries effectively replacing native uprisings a la EU4, I think it's fair to say this is more of a rework of tribal societies that opens for more interesting developments down the line.

 

[Brynjar]

I think this is a great design choice

That depends entirely on how many DLCs they plan to dish out to make them all playable.

 

[Zhetone]

yes this is clearly land that would be colonized in Victoria 2 and there will be a native presence in these lands which is not yet playable, just there to be colonized. I think this reflects a move in EU4 as well to move away from "terra nullius" to having conquerable indigenous peoples. hopefully it adds to the gameplay experience in addition to not implying that no one lived in the areas

 

[Nicolaes]

I do wonder how they are going to represent the Boers in this system, as they would appear inside decentralized countries just after the starting date.

 

[arcain]

I am totally fine with that: concentrate on the "civilized" nations and Great Powers, fill the vast "white spaces" around the world of Vicky II with AI-nations, but only make them playable maybe later on. Let's be honest: When the game releases, no one will start or want to play a tribe in Africa. This is not was this game or the era is about.

 

[Zhetone]

I do wonder how they are going to represent the Boers in this system, as they would appear inside decentralized countries just after the starting date.

could be handled by events or decisions where they just pop up

 

[Kyoumen]

I am totally fine with that: concentrate on the "civilized" nations and Great Powers, fill the vast "white spaces" around the world of Vicky II with AI-nations, but only make them playable maybe later on. Let's be honest: When the game releases, no one will start or want to play a tribe in Africa. This is not was this game or the era is about.

While I am also fine with this, I can and would play an African nation (and there absolutely should be several of those in 1836), and getting away from the "this is not what this era was about" mindset is part of why this decision is exciting to me.

 

[arcain]

While I am also fine with this, I can and would play an African nation (and there absolutely should be several of those in 1836), and getting away from the "this is not what this era was about" mindset is part of why this decision is exciting to me.

I fully understand. But I think it is wise to concentrate on the core of game, which is industrialization and Imperialism, and add the "extra" later on.

 

[Wizzington]

While I am also fine with this, I can and would play an African nation (and there absolutely should be several of those in 1836), and getting away from the "this is not what this era was about" mindset is part of why this decision is exciting to me.

There will for sure be a number of playable African nations on release such as Sokoto, the Ethiopian and Somalian states, etc. We haven't finalized which will and will not be playable at this stage, but we're trying to root it as much in historical research around the level of centralization in those states as we can.

 

[Fulmen]

Yea i think they should focus on the uncivs later on

I just hope they don't make it too sandboxy where it's trivially easy to play an unciv (think: EU4), in singleplayer in particular. Surviving as an unciv and Westernising should be very hard with a few historical exceptions.

 

[Nostalgium]

There will for sure be a number of playable African nations on release such as Sokoto, the Ethiopian and Somalian states, etc. We haven't finalized which will and will not be playable at this stage, but we're trying to root it as much in historical research around the level of centralization in those states as we can.

Off topic, but it's so great to have you back openly. I've missed you ever since the Stellaris forums. <3

 

[crownsteler]

I think it is a great decision. Better focus on make a limited number of countries fun and interesting to play than to do none (or but a few) justice.

I hope Paradox will adopt this approach for future games as well; that all countries should be playable and viable is just a bad approach.

 

[Battlex]

I do wonder how they are going to represent the Boers in this system, as they would appear inside decentralized countries just after the starting date.

Vic 2's hpm has them conquer the African tags by event which then relocate

yes this is clearly land that would be colonized in Victoria 2 and there will be a native presence in these lands which is not yet playable, just there to be colonized. I think this reflects a move in EU4 as well to move away from "terra nullius" to having conquerable indigenous peoples. hopefully it adds to the gameplay experience in addition to not implying that no one lived in the areas

It will be interesting if they continue eu4's direction of having the natives of Australia as countries with armies in the 1,000s

 

[toegut]

as I understand it, "decentralized" are not uncivs, they are literally blank map spaces in vicky 2, which can be colonized. What I'm missing is does the game have uncivs? @Wizzington ? you confirmed that sokoto will be playable from the start, will the gameplay as sokoto be the same as a european country or different?

 

[Prince Ire]

yes this is clearly land that would be colonized in Victoria 2 and there will be a native presence in these lands which is not yet playable, just there to be colonized. I think this reflects a move in EU4 as well to move away from "terra nullius" to having conquerable indigenous peoples. hopefully it adds to the gameplay experience in addition to not implying that no one lived in the areas

Hopefully they'll actually be a distinct experience (if they become playable) and not how they are in EU4 where they play like any other country with a few added restrictions.

 

[Battlex]

as I understand it, "decentralized" are not uncivs, they are literally blank map spaces in vicky 2, which can be colonized. What I'm missing is does the game have uncivs? @Wizzington ? you confirmed that sokoto will be playable from the start, will the gameplay as sokoto be the same as a european country or different?

I'd assume they'll change the name for unciv, but they'll still have to engage in reforms to be on par with Western militaries, although it'd likely be more insututions and less westernisation of eu4

 

[Wizzington]

as I understand it, "decentralized" are not uncivs, they are literally blank map spaces in vicky 2, which can be colonized. What I'm missing is does the game have uncivs? @Wizzington ? you confirmed that sokoto will be playable from the start, will the gameplay as sokoto be the same as a european country or different?

Any country that was an 'unciv' in V2 is likely what we call an 'unrecognized nation' in V3 (basically a state of not being recognized as a potential equal by the European Great Powers which is penalizing mainly in terms of diplomacy and being seen as a legitimate target of conquest by recognized countries).

Those countries generally start with a lower level of technology (the degree to which will vary based on historical research - there are of course differences in the starting technology level of recognized powers too) and might have laws that make it difficult to industrialize but they don't have anything like '-25% to GDP due to being unrecognized'.

 

[Avian Overlord]

There will for sure be a number of playable African nations on release such as Sokoto, the Ethiopian and Somalian states, etc. We haven't finalized which will and will not be playable at this stage, but we're trying to root it as much in historical research around the level of centralization in those states as we can.

What's the current thinking on South Africa and its environs?