14 DAY TRIAL // Victoria II is the latest grand strategy title launched by Paradox Interactive, aiming to simulate the complex mix of diplomacy, wars and social upheaval that characterized the period between 1836 and 1936.
The 1900's are upon us and some people are convinced that the sky will fall and that the world is going to end when the century ends.
Me, I'm not too worried about that but I have my share of problems with the new hundred years that is set to dawn: I have no idea if I want to focus on my military research or on the industry side of the tech three.
The game is Victoria II and I am still playing as the Prussians. I have since formed Germany and I am waiting to get my Infamy down in order to be able to conquer some more states out of Russia, the weakest of the major powers around me.
Victoria II is awe inspiring for the first twenty or thirty years, when the Artificial Intelligence is able to keep up with the rebels in its own state and can actively pose a clear threat on the military front and defend its diplomatic space.
Once the 1860's are in it's pretty easy for a skilled human to make sure that his supremacy is unchallenged when playing one of the European majors or one of the medium sized powers like Bavaria.
Researching the industrial and the military techs alternatively, focusing on railroads and the techs that open up Guards regiments and Dragoons, it's pretty easy to get an competitive industry up and running and create a force that can beat almost anything enemies can throw at you.
And then the game, while still engaging, becomes just a race through history, aiming to see what the next tech can offer and how quickly you can take out the entire Russian army with just three groups of your own.
The problems with rebels escalate and offer the threat to any state and Victoria II losses much of its ability to stay close to history. For the player the world might well end in 1900.