Europa Universalis V!

Jarhead0331 · May 09, 2025, 04:57:59 PM

I had no idea this was in development...

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3450310/Europa_Universalis_V/

DesertFox · May 10, 2025, 02:41:55 AM

I didn't either and I am totally stoked about it. From the little bit of reading I did about it, it sounds like it's going to be somewhat different from the last ones but that has me even more intrigued...

Jarhead0331 · November 04, 2025, 07:48:39 PM

It's out...anybody?

al_infierno · November 04, 2025, 11:09:17 PM

From what I'm reading, it's in better shape than vanilla EU4, HOI4, Vicky 3, etc. But it sounds like it's still got some work to really get where it needs to be. AI in particular is apparently quite bad (surprise, surprise)

If it were $40 I'd go for it, but $60 feels a little steep for a Paradox launching pad towards a better game.

EDIT -- ... turns out I'm weak of spirit. Took the dive. I'll let you guys know what I think.

Strong first impressions so far. I like that they've incorporated mechanics from other games like some of the character traits and some interactions whatnot from Crusader Kings, and some of the market stuff from Vicky 3. Strong presentation and some great tutorial mechanics to ease in newcomers, and tons upon tons of flavor text. Digging it so far.

Jarhead0331 · November 05, 2025, 08:11:59 AM

Good to hear, Al. My feelings were the same. $59.99 is too high. $40 makes it much more of an easy sell. But like you, I'll probably still end up taking the plunge.

devoncop · November 05, 2025, 01:31:41 PM

Quote from: Jarhead0331 on November 05, 2025, 08:11:59 AMGood to hear, Al. My feelings were the same. $59.99 is too high. $40 makes it much more of an easy sell. But like you, I'll probably still end up taking the plunge.

I swore upon all that is holy that I would not buy EU5 until a couple of meaty dlc's had dropped and then get the bundle in a sale...maybe 18 months.

I then started watching some release streams and just transferred the funds into my gaming account (wife proof😉).

As yet I am still dithering ...you two are not helping.🥺

al_infierno · November 05, 2025, 08:02:08 PM

A few hours in and still getting the hang of it, enjoying the hell out of it. It's definitely less pure EU and more of a mix between EU, Vicky, Crusader Kings, and even March of the Eagles (if any of you groggies remember that one). It kind of feels like a Paradox Best Hits, and honestly I'm digging it. Only gotten a few decades in so I haven't seen colonization or revolutions or any of that other fun later-game stuff.

On first bluff, the war system seems vastly improved from the likes of Vicky 3. The supply system is pretty cool -- there are supply lines when you're attacking a bordering neighbor, otherwise you can use ships to help keep troops by the coast supplied, and then build supply depots that you can keep stocked for your armies marching around. It's about what you'd expect for a Paradox game - shuffling the armies around, looking for good matchups, besieging cities, and trying to keep your guys supplied - but I'm enjoying it a lot more than Vicky 3's nonsensical war system, that's for sure.

The market system is a little incomprehensible to me at the moment, so I can't really comment on it, but it has tax sliders for different classes so that makes me happy. There's also a minting slider where you can just start printing out money a la Weimar, but doing so too much increases inflation. It's been a while since I've played EU4, but it definitely feels like there's a lot of Vicky in here with the markets, trade, taxes, building up your economy and subsidizing stuff, etc.

Some negative reviews say that the game is a bit "wide as an ocean, deep as a puddle" which overwhelms at first before becoming pretty straightforward. This would track with my experience so far, but I'm having fun with it, and honestly, I think all Paradox games are best played with RP in mind rather than min-maxing, anyways.

If I have a couple early criticisms to level things out:

- There's only one start date, which was moved back to 1337 for some inexplicable reason. Takes a good while to get into that proper Age of Sail, and you can't just start in 1453 or whenever which bums me out.
- The GUI is kind of terrible... Very cluttered and a bit hard to read and get the hang of compared to Vicky 3, EU4, and CK3.
- Technically, this game is very demanding and might run slow if you're on an older system.

nelmsm · November 05, 2025, 11:17:02 PM

I'd buy this but I'm doubtful my system could handle it very well. Guess I should pull up my specs and ask someone more knowledgeable then I.

al_infierno · November 09, 2025, 04:06:13 AM

This video is on the long side, but this guy is quite thorough explaining the game and showing how it all works as the Mali Empire. They're a fun one to start with since they're out of the way, undeveloped, and have an absolute buttload of money.

glen55 · November 14, 2025, 01:38:52 PM

Quote from: nelmsm on November 05, 2025, 11:17:02 PMI'd buy this but I'm doubtful my system could handle it very well. Guess I should pull up my specs and ask someone more knowledgeable then I.

Ha, good! I can't buy it for a while! I strongly suspect it will age well like the other EUs have.

I make a good salary but I am coming off an expensive divorce, and I haven't bought a new box since 2017, which is unprecedented for me. Yesterday I fired up Anno 117 and got an error message "no supported CPU." Never seen that one before but I reckon it won't be the last time unless I go ahead and upgrade.

Funny thing is a bought a new Nvidia RTX 5080 before the divorce started and it's sitting there in a box because I don't want to buy the rest of the PC.

Tanaka · November 14, 2025, 09:35:48 PM

Quote from: nelmsm on November 05, 2025, 11:17:02 PMI'd buy this but I'm doubtful my system could handle it very well. Guess I should pull up my specs and ask someone more knowledgeable then I.

Yep my computer can barely handle CK3 at this point. I'll be waiting for a better rig and lots of DLC and prices down in the far future...