Is this a game for me?

[hardy_conrad]

I keep going back and forth on whether to buy this.

Pros : Decent reviews, some of the Paradox games I've played in the past have really satisfied, and I have a good feeling after watching a few videos (Nimi Nightmare) of people playing it on youtube.

Cons : It does seem a bit on the pricey side, some of the Paradox games I've played in the past (Hearts of Iron III and Stellaris primarily) have really not satisfied, and it looks complicated as heck.

I did play a bit of Crusader Kings II and thought it interesting but neither good enough nor bad enough to weigh in for this either way. Asked about Crusader Kings III a bit elsewhere and apparently it isn't quite so reliant on dlc? Given how much the base game is (not the worst price in the world, don't get me wrong) I'd hate to end up feeling short changed. Probably wouldn't even be having this discussion if I'd only noticed it was on sale pretty recently. Doh!

There's doubtless a selection bias in my asking here, but then again advice is a good thing. Served me pretty well with other games in the past, and definitely not any worse than just winging it on my own, heh. Anyway thanks ahead of time for the input.

[soul like that be capable of]

watch some play through see if you like the gameplay . it really depends how you wanna play. some people want to take over map , some people want to unite kingdom and some want to play 1 person since you can do it now without a kingdom or land .game has so much to offer i believe if you like grand startgey game is for you . yes it expensive if u want to own all DLC but you can get base game and get DLC when they go on sale

[armyissue69]

Maybe IT is NOT for you? then again....maybe it is. IF you are on the fence, put on wish list, wait for a nice sale (probably spring time), and grab it up.

I, as well as many others here, have spent a lot of heart beats of life into this game so....prepare to be frustrated playing....or not playing ... lol

[jpcerutti]

How many hours did you put into the PDX games you did like? Dividing price by hours played is a pretty cut rate way to determine value.

It will be on sale in the future. Wishlist and use the time in-between to watch a few more 'letsplays' to see if you want it or not.

[Abacus]

The game is a dynasty simulator, which has many mechanics that create emergent stories. You play a character, and the subsequent heirs. You have a ton of layers that add to how your characters work. Each person works within a government, religion, and culture.

Check out some more recent review. Even the Roads to power DLC, as it will show you the game's potential. (this DLC expands the general game-play loop, and adds a new government type.)

What is good, is that it is a full game without the DLC (unlike ck 2.)

There is only one DLC that is a "must buy" and the rest are just expansions on what they add free. Roads to Power is the only must have.

[hardy_conrad]

Originally posted by jpcerutti:

How many hours did you put into the PDX games you did like? Dividing price by hours played is a pretty cut rate way to determine value.

It will be on sale in the future. Wishlist and use the time in-between to watch a few more 'letsplays' to see if you want it or not.

Yeah that's actually a very good way of looking at it, thanks. I can think of some decidedly mediocre games I've bought over the years that still gave me enough hours per dollar of distraction, if not necessarily delight, to justify themselves. It's sort of amazing to me anyone bothers going to the movies these days when you compare it to what games have to offer, heh.

The two big Paradox games that I really loved, no reservations, were Hearts of Iron I and II. Hard for me to say how many hours I put into them although it was surely a lot, obviously quite a few years have passed since then.

Getting the base game now and waiting for a sale to grab the dlc makes sense. Or I could just wait a bit if it's likely to go on sale in spring since that isn't super far in the future.

[Yakubian Demon Magick]

it's like CK2 but better and more detailed. if you enjoyed CK2 you would like this

[hardy_conrad]

I did moderately enjoy CK2 but found myself a bit frustrated by certain aspects. For one thing it was absolutely a challenge to get my head around, I'm not sure I ever got the hang of domains and demenses and counties and countries and kingdoms and so on. At least some of those things seemed needlessly complex, like they were making distinctions without a difference. If CK3 is in any way an improvement on that score I'd be thankful. If it isn't, well, time to start exercising the old gray matter I suppose.

Perhaps a bigger concern was something it shared with Stellaris, namely aggressively pushing dlc by referencing content in the base game that didn't actually exist unless you shelled out even more money. In fairness it may not be as bad as I remember, but it was something that stuck out.

At the end of the day the game does only cost as much as a couple decent cases of beer, and my body would thank me for forgoing those. Then condemn me for sitting around playing games all day. But it's used to mistreatment by now.

[Bishi]

This is not my preferred genre of games, grand strategies I mean, but I do enjoy this and Stellaris for being comparatively chill ways to waste time. It's like Football Manager for me, but with knights and princesses (of fashion). Added benefit of sometimes coming across interesting characters, religions, or cultures and giving me something new to read about.

Edit: I would wait for a sale though. I'm not sure what the current budget bundle contains, but I would suggest getting that when you do. Should come with either Royal Court or Tours and Tournaments.

[Run Now]

If you have played some crusader kings two and you don't know, play some more of it and or wait till its on sale as happens a few times a year. Beyond that asking others if you've played the predecessor is a bit silly.

[hardy_conrad]

Sometimes there are big differences between iterations of franchises and sometimes there aren't, like a lot got shaken up between Darkest Dungeon I and Darkest Dungeon II for example. Frostpunk I and Frostpunk II are apparently very different indeed. But yeah, my having experience with the previous version of Crusader Kings does mean I'm not entering in a total vacuum so fair point :)

[HERÓI USTRA]

"is this a game for me" proceeds to block evey single piece of information from its own profile

[I suck at the game :'(]

easily top tier simulator of all time. You don't need DLC to enjoy the simulation and the chaos.
The 'De Jure' system is easy to learn. One box belong in a bigger box belong in an even bigger box.

[hardy_conrad]

In a pinch I could always ask for help here if (when) I get confused. Funny thing, the best gaming experience I had in my life was Project Zomboid and the entire time the guy running the multiplayer server I was on was nagging me to play Crusader Kings III. Actually that was what got me to try Crusader Kings II.

[Ashling]

If you dislike DLCs then I think it might be worth noting that CK2 finished development, it isn't getting any more DLCs, while CK3 is currently being actively developed. CK3 might right now be cheaper than literally buying all of 2's DLCs but it will, probably soon, be more expensive.

If you truly like CK2, and despise live-service games, then maybe give its Royal Collection a shout when it's on sale for 60 USD (probably after trying out the subscription first which lets you test out all the DLC). You get a finished, complete game and won't feel fomo like you might in CK3. Oh, you also don't need CK2's Imperial Collection right away (or at all, really) because it's just cosmetic stuff.

However, it's undeniable that 3 is the more polished (and honestly just nicer looking) game. If you want a modern game which plays well I can't blame you for skipping 2 (you really won't be missing much between the two games. Personally, I played 2 to death as a kid but now I only play 3). Just giving you the thought because it seems like your main issue is the live service aspect of these games rather than the game itself.

(I'd also caution you against buying these games at all because it doesn't sound like you particularly enjoy PDX games. I'd consider their more modern titles to be less strategy games and more sandboxes with strategy elements. There isn't a win condition and you can basically play however you want within the rules).

[hardy_conrad]

It's fair to say I have mixed feelings about Paradox, but having wasted lots of money over the years on trash games I can confidently say theirs is a track record better than most. Were it not for some inexcusable glitches Hearts of Iron III would be reasonable if not outstanding, and Stellaris I'd characterise as mid rather than outright bad.

That said I do appreciate the suggestion of going for Crusader Kings II dlc. Something which had genuinely not occurred to me and is worth pondering.