Europa Universalis IV - Preorder Bonus DLC Plans

CK 2 was on sale a few weeks ago. You should be able to get it for cheap sooner or later.
 
Joined
Aug 30, 2006
Messages
7,830
Well it will be on sale again sooner or later. It's not like I lack games to play!
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
3,508
"On a sidenote: Did they go nuts with DLC or what!?! "

To be fair, the vast majority of the DLC is purely cosmetic. The sprite packs, shield packs, portrait packs, and music packs do -nothing- but add different graphical and/or musical elements. Unless you get it all in a bundle or for a ridiculous price, I'd safely skip -all- of this.

Then there's the Ruler Designer DLC, which lets you design your own ruler from top-to-bottom (all in-game starting rulers are from history). I guess it's a neat idea, but, again, -completely- optional.

Of the true content DLCs, not even all of them are necessary. Sunset Invasion creates a ridiculous Aztec invasion from the West to counterbalance the fact that the East gets the Mongol invasions. I have the DLC, and I've never even had it on. Most people in the forum consider this DLC more-or-less a joke, although, honestly, it pretty much is. Paradox has basically said, "This one's for fun. Avoid it if you don't want it."

The Islamic DLC lets you play as Muslims, but, otherwise, I don't think it adds anything else. Get it if you want to play as the Muslims. Otherwise, feel free to skip.

The next two are recommended, but the base game still works fine without them. The Rome DLC completely changes the religious system, especially outside of Catholicism. It also adds standing armies/retinues, which is the main reason I'd get this. Otherwise, it just adds a bit of flavor to the Byzantines. The Merchant Republic DLC makes Republics playable and adds a bit of at trade system. I'd get it, though, again, not absolutely central to enjoying the game.

Finally, there's the Old Gods, which just came out, and which adds a couple hundred years, playable pagans, and all kinds of huge new features. This is easily the biggest expansion thus released and the most recommended. Still, you'd enjoy the base game without it.

The content DLCs are generally timed with big content patches, which add a lot of new stuff for free to the base game, so CK2 vanilla hasn't been abandoned or anything. There are even people who argue that vanilla is still the best way to play a typical Christian ruler, though I generally tend to run with most of the content DLC playing.

As for buying it, this stuff is all on mega sale constantly. GamersGate sells its own version, but everywhere else sells the Steam versions. Just keep in mind that you can't mix and match the two, so pick one platform and stick with it. Personally, I had the GG version at release. However, Amazon had a bundle with CK2 and -all- the pre-Old Gods DLC for 10 bucks. So.. I bought that, and I've just been using my Steam copy since. If you're willing to wait, you'll probably get all the DLCs you'd want for a song, though you'd probably be totally happy with the base game and -maybe- 2-3 of the major content DLCs.
 
Joined
Sep 16, 2011
Messages
445
Thanks for the excellent advice!
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
3,508
GhanBuriGhan said:
Thanks for the excellent advice!
Click to expand...

actually, not sure if you can still preorder EU4 since release is Monday, but as one of the bonuses for preordering, you get free CK2 with it. The demo for EU4 is up in Steam if you want to give it a try. As usual, learning curve for these games is higher than your typical Civilization or Total War games so don't get too frustrated the first time you play :)
 
Joined
Sep 23, 2008
Messages
5,645
Location
Tardis
killias2 said:
"On a sidenote: Did they go nuts with DLC or what!?! "

To be fair, the vast majority of the DLC is purely cosmetic. The sprite packs, shield packs, portrait packs, and music packs do -nothing- but add different graphical and/or musical elements. Unless you get it all in a bundle or for a ridiculous price, I'd safely skip -all- of this.

Then there's the Ruler Designer DLC, which lets you design your own ruler from top-to-bottom (all in-game starting rulers are from history). I guess it's a neat idea, but, again, -completely- optional.

Of the true content DLCs, not even all of them are necessary. Sunset Invasion creates a ridiculous Aztec invasion from the West to counterbalance the fact that the East gets the Mongol invasions. I have the DLC, and I've never even had it on. Most people in the forum consider this DLC more-or-less a joke, although, honestly, it pretty much is. Paradox has basically said, "This one's for fun. Avoid it if you don't want it."

The Islamic DLC lets you play as Muslims, but, otherwise, I don't think it adds anything else. Get it if you want to play as the Muslims. Otherwise, feel free to skip.

The next two are recommended, but the base game still works fine without them. The Rome DLC completely changes the religious system, especially outside of Catholicism. It also adds standing armies/retinues, which is the main reason I'd get this. Otherwise, it just adds a bit of flavor to the Byzantines. The Merchant Republic DLC makes Republics playable and adds a bit of at trade system. I'd get it, though, again, not absolutely central to enjoying the game.

Finally, there's the Old Gods, which just came out, and which adds a couple hundred years, playable pagans, and all kinds of huge new features. This is easily the biggest expansion thus released and the most recommended. Still, you'd enjoy the base game without it.

The content DLCs are generally timed with big content patches, which add a lot of new stuff for free to the base game, so CK2 vanilla hasn't been abandoned or anything. There are even people who argue that vanilla is still the best way to play a typical Christian ruler, though I generally tend to run with most of the content DLC playing.

As for buying it, this stuff is all on mega sale constantly. GamersGate sells its own version, but everywhere else sells the Steam versions. Just keep in mind that you can't mix and match the two, so pick one platform and stick with it. Personally, I had the GG version at release. However, Amazon had a bundle with CK2 and -all- the pre-Old Gods DLC for 10 bucks. So.. I bought that, and I've just been using my Steam copy since. If you're willing to wait, you'll probably get all the DLCs you'd want for a song, though you'd probably be totally happy with the base game and -maybe- 2-3 of the major content DLCs.
Click to expand...

Each patch integrates the modifications provided by the DLCs. Save for sunset invasion, not buying the other DLCs is like sitting in the front of a toys store, peeping through the windows.
 
Joined
Mar 29, 2011
Messages
6,265
Speaking of sunset invasion, did anyone else find idea bad and unfitting to whole concept?I hope they don't do similar dlc in EU 4.
 
Joined
May 21, 2012
Messages
1,436
Location
Sto plains
Nameless one said:
Speaking of sunset invasion, did anyone else find idea bad and unfitting to whole concept?I hope they don't do similar dlc in EU 4.
Click to expand...

Yes and no. I didn't buy it initially (I did buy it later for like $1 in one of those Steam sales), but considering it was mostly a paid mod, basically some popup pictures, some flavor text, and a bunch of events, I think it was more like an experiment than anything. I played with it one game and enjoyed watching England and France getting creamed by indians and reading the popups. It was amusing and worth it I think.
 
Joined
Sep 23, 2008
Messages
5,645
Location
Tardis
It might extend into EU as Inca should be a playable side and in all cases, starting with the colonization process that happened in an contrary order will definitively add to EU.

That is if they kept the way in EU. They can choose to ignore the whole of it.
 
Joined
Mar 29, 2011
Messages
6,265
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom