Paradox: WOW!

Jeje2 · February 1, 2002, 05:23

I just found EU2 yesterday.

And what a positive supprice I got when starting the game.
The first startup-screen is on black bottom the text:

This game is dedicated to our fans - The EU2 crew

Seeing that alone convinced me that spending 45 euros was a good investment.
(And that didn't cost Paradox money, but the received feelings are great)

Also in the manual I found a list of about 150 betatesters -> so the startup looks great. Then played the tutorials last night and they too are good, I could have hoped for a little more depth, but they are mainly for new players intended.
A huge improvment still. Also the manual looks to be more of use this time.

Cann't wait to begin my first GC.

(Unfourtanately that will have to wait for quite some time

)

uglyduck · February 1, 2002, 14:28

Dont forget to download the 1.02 Patch.
The 1.03 patch will be out also in a few weeks

Dauphin · February 2, 2002, 15:00

Does this mean it has been released throughout Europe?

Kyle · February 2, 2002, 18:32

Quote:

Originally posted by uglyduck
Dont forget to download the 1.02 Patch.
The 1.03 patch will be out also in a few weeks

Really? I haven't seen anything regarding this (though I may not have been paying attention). They give you any heads up on what's going to be in it?

uglyduck · February 3, 2002, 04:18

That was straight from Johans mouth!

Yes, I know what it is supposed to contain. However Johan doesnt want it publised yet until testing is done - you never know something may not work properly and may need removing and inserting in another patch.
However I can say that the 1750ish crash will be eliminated. At the moment there is a work-a-round for it on the forums. Some other instability/crashes are also fixed.

uglyduck · February 3, 2002, 04:21

Quote:

Originally posted by Sagacious Dolphin
Does this mean it has been released throughout Europe?

No - not yet. Scandinavia has a different publisher.
UBI Soft are releasing in Europe in March. They will also be opening German and French Language forums and mirroring the Paradox English ones. Looks like they may be giving the game a push start publicity wise too........ that will be nice

Dauphin · February 3, 2002, 07:58

I should stop asking that question, the answer is always depressing.

ravagon · February 3, 2002, 19:53

Quote:

Originally posted by uglyduck
Dont forget to download the 1.02 Patch.
The 1.03 patch will be out also in a few weeks

Oh blah.
That'll make it 3 patches sitting on my desktop with no EU2 to go with them.

Oh well. I'll live in hope.

Jeje2 · February 4, 2002, 03:08

Yeah,
played a couple of hours and already I see several problems
(I'll list here just a few - some I had reported about EU already)

The pause key. For a righthanded it is in the worong place. I really would like to define myself which key I bind to what. (Thus making space my pause)
I'm in control of when pause ends. (I hate it when closing a popup restars the clock - totally unacceptable)
Random events every year or so??? (Just way too damm freaking alot) Where can I adjust this? Once every ten yeras is about right IMHO, not this
Financial micromanagement still a pain. (Tried to have a zero every month in budjet -> thus ensuring maximun research. Totally impossible.)

Well, maybe I'll just wait for a few patches. (Damm I really liked EU a lot.)

General Ludd · February 4, 2002, 10:51

Quote:

Originally posted by Jeje2
I'm in control of when pause ends. (I hate it when closing a popup restars the clock - totally unacceptable)

Change the message settings so none of them are "pop-up and pause"

Quote:

Random events every year or so??? (Just way too damm freaking alot) Where can I adjust this? Once every ten yeras is about right IMHO, not this

I don't know about this... I never felt like I was geting too many events, I believe you can turn them off in the options before starting a game, though.

Quote:

Financial micromanagement still a pain. (Tried to have a zero every month in budjet -> thus ensuring maximun research. Totally impossible.

I have no problem keeping it at a steady income of my choice. Being off by a ducat or two isn't going to change much, anyways.

Kyle · February 4, 2002, 14:02

Quote:

Originally posted by uglyduck

However I can say that the 1750ish crash will be eliminated. At the moment there is a work-a-round for it on the forums. Some other instability/crashes are also fixed.

Sweet. That 1750's thing is a pain in the arse.

Shadowstrike · February 4, 2002, 23:24

Quote:

Originally posted by uglyduck
That was straight from Johans mouth!

Yes, I know what it is supposed to contain. However Johan doesnt want it publised yet until testing is done - you never know something may not work properly and may need removing and inserting in another patch.
However I can say that the 1750ish crash will be eliminated. At the moment there is a work-a-round for it on the forums. Some other instability/crashes are also fixed.

Good news indeed. Now just curious, will the game now allow for music from centirues other hten those defined in the game as yet?

Jeje2 · February 5, 2002, 02:35

Quote:

Originally posted by Osweld
Change the message settings so none of them are "pop-up and pause"

Ah, but I do want it to stop the game, so I use pop-up and pause. (btw. I have redifined my message setteings and have none plain pop-up options in use)

When the game pauses I do want to do something, so I should be the only one to unfreeze. (You see in peace I have 1min = 1year - when someone declares war on me a few seconds is a hell of a lot)

Quote:

I don't know about this... I never felt like I was geting too many events, I believe you can turn them off in the options before starting a game, though.

Tried to find it with poor success. Remember that in EU you could turn it off, so were is it in EU2?

uglyduck · February 6, 2002, 01:38

Quote:

Originally posted by ravagon

Oh blah.
That'll make it 3 patches sitting on my desktop with no EU2 to go with them.

Oh well. I'll live in hope.

You and me both! I have the beta but everytime I reformat (every 2 or 3 months) it takes a couple of hours to update it again with all the graphical/map/event/leaders etc changes that have been issued. It just isnt worth it anymore - I am awaiting the UK version or the free one from Paradox - whichever comes first!
Incidentally you only ever need the latest patch. However I always keep them all. That way I can always revert if something goes wrong with a patch.
The 1.03 patch has now been sent to Strategy First.

Kyle · February 6, 2002, 13:45

Quote:

Originally posted by uglyduck

Incidentally you only ever need the latest patch. However I always keep them all.

I've always wondered about that. How can the newest patches have the cumulative fixes, yet not be a much larger file?

uglyduck · February 6, 2002, 14:27

Quote:

Originally posted by Kyle

I've always wondered about that. How can the newest patches have the cumulative fixes, yet not be a much larger file?

OK - Johan (The lead programmer ) answered that long ago. Trying to think... aha! :-

Example: One of the French Leaders has the wrong start dates.

Fix: The French Leader File is replaced. (Note that it is *not* amended but replaced)

.................................................. .................................................. .

Later, after the patch is released, another French Leader has a mistake in it.

Fix: The French Leader file is replaced again with a new one in the next patch.

I am sure that you get the idea. The files are *not* amended but replaced with fixed ones - hence the patches do not really get bigger.

EDIT > Hmm - I have just spotted a flaw in that argument! I reckon I will ask Johan again...........

I know it is something like the above.............

uglyduck · February 8, 2002, 02:28

The 1.03 Patch is out and available for download.

---- Changes done to 1.03 :

******************
* Stability Issues
******************
- Large memory optimizations have been done, reducing the used memory in a grand campaign to about 75% of what it required in 1.02.
- The code have been severly optimized, and should run at about 20% faster.
- Fixed a crashbug that occurred when the AI was trying to retreat with multiple armies.
- Autosave crashes should no longer be disastrous as the previous file is copied to "oldautosave.eug", before being written.
- The infamous 1750 crashbug has been fixed.

******************
* Gameplay tweaks
******************
- You can no longer send missionaries to a province which is under occupation.
- Siege, Fire and Shock modifiers are now in the range from +1/-1.
- A conquered colony will no longer give revolt risks when you colonise it to above 700.
- A bug which caused warexhaustion cap to be set to 0 in most cases have been fixed.
- Provinces will no longer defect while being besieged.
- The logic for province defection has been tweaked to be more likely to defect to countries with same religion and/or culture.
- Vassals are now extremely likely to join your alliance when invited.
- Share Exploration feedback is now given as default into messageboxes.
- A few messages are no longer shown if you haven't discovered those countries.
- Naval domestic policy will now give the bonus again, and not the malus.
- The Religions have been slightly tweaked. CRC and Buddhism improved, Hinduism slightly worse.
- Revoltrisk modifier code have been fixed. If two effects are active at the same time, then they get added together until the duration of the last one.
- Nationalism is now valid outside of europe too.
- The 6 special events (reformation, tordesillas), now have effects listen in the rollover.
- Revised the trade value of goods completely.
- Revolts among american natives will no longer have cavalry.
- New countries created from revolts will now be added to the list of selectable countries in the savegame.
- Mercenary costs are now affected by inflation.
- New revolting countries should now receieve some core provinces.
- Gaining provinces from government collapses will now increase badboy.

***********
* AI Fixes
***********
- Oldstyle badboy wars will now kick in at the highest difficulty level.
- Skyrocketing inflation in Spanish AI should no longer be a problem.
- The AI no longer more likely to accept annexation offers from other AI nations than the player.
- The AI will now also try to improve its military alliance while in war.
- Some improvements were done to the naval transportation AI.
- The AI is now a little bit more agressive in colonial warfare against native nations.
- AI is now less likely to accept annexation, but the amount of years of vassalization is now counted much more positively.
- AI bonuses at higher difficulties should now mostly apply when they at war with player.
- Russian AI will now go after Nogai and Kazak Horde if they are around.
- Portugese AI will now attack Oman more aggressively.
- The AI is now a little bit smarter about not having long colonial wars.
- AI is now a little bit smarter about its resources.
- The AI should now be a little bit quicker about realising when to build new troops.
- The AI is now a little bit better in striking down rebels.
- The AI is no longer interested in completely funding loansharks.

*****************
* Scenario Setup
*****************
- The Fantasia scenario should now work correctly.
- City sizes adjusted in 1419 and 1492, mostly for RotW countries.
- Kazan no longer has Russian state culture.
- Lappland, Finnmark, and other Scandinavian colonies are now correctly protestant.
- The Directory should now be the starting ruler of France in 1795.
- Brabant should no longer have French as state culture.
- China no longer has fortresses in the inland provinces. Mostly to slow it down a bit.
- Corrected some city names in China.
- Perak and Johor cities are now Perak and Johor.
- Random leader names added for most SE Asian nations.
- TUR as revolter should now always have the correct religion and culture.
- Ruthenian state culture removed from Poland. Galizia now has Polish culture.
- Lenapi now have their capital in Susquehanna province. (And thus an extra province.)
- Timurid capital is Samarkand in 1492.
- Lithuania now correctly still exists in the 1492 scenario.
- Russia does not yet exist in the 1492 scenario.
- Monarchs added or modified for Brunei, Uzbek, Dai Viet, Sikhs and Persia.
- Leaders added to Muscovy, Delhi, Malacca, Ayutthaya & Sikhs.
- Countries in the Fantasia scenario now have cultures too.
- Cambodian culture removed. (It is the same as Khmer after all.)
- Bosnia province is now Catholic instead of Orthodox.
- Russia now knows of Gästrikland in 1617.
- The inland provinces of Zanj are now just TPs in all scenarios.
- Vijayanagar weakened, Mysore strengthened.
- Baden is now a vassal of Austria in 1419.
- Austria has a temporary CB on Switzerland in 1419. (Lasts until 1450.)
- Istria is now an Austrian, Hungarian and Croatian core province.
- Venice now starts out at war with Croatia and Hungary in 1419.
- The Meso-American states now have DP quality 1 instead of 10.
- Canton is now the only Chinese CoT in the later scenarios.
- Portugal now holds Macao in the later scenarios.
- Switched Danzig CoT for Astrakhan.
- Dai Viet is now a vassal of China in 1419.
- Oman is now shiite to prevent rampant diplo-annexations.
- The capital of Vientiane corrected in the later scenarios.
- Luang Phrabang and Vientiane switched in 1773 and 1795 scenarios.
- Japanese Sea Zones renamed to be more correct.

*********
* Events
*********
- A few minor problems with the event commands for gaining ships were fixed.
- The 'desertions' command should work fine now.
- The "conversion of heretics" random event will now convert the province to state religion and nothing else.
- The hardcoded time restricts on conquistadors and explorers from events were fixed.
- The duration on the revoltrisk command should now be set properly.
- Dutch revolt events should now work correctly.
- The French "Holy League" event fixed.
- Smyrna and Anatolia should now become Sunni and Turkish with the "City of Men's Desire" event.
- Event 3430 for Russia fixed.
- The Ottoman Serbian Independence event now correctly grants independence to Serbia.
- Portuguese and Venetian fortresses to level 2 in 1419 and 1492.
- "Welsh Act of Union Event" is now correctly marked as happened in 1617 and later scenarios.
- Event 3433 for Russia fixed.
- Russian GNW event very slightly tweaked.
- Two more random explorer events added, triggered by low mercantilism and high naval DP.
- Edict of Tolerance now flagged as happened in the 1700 scenario.
- Spanish event 3156 fixed.
- Courland events tweaked for RUS, SWE, POL and PRU.
- Ottavio Bottigella no longer serves for 148 years.
- Event texts added for two Prussian events.
- Kyushu Daimyo reunification events fixed for Japan.
- Tokugawa's Edict of Expulsion event fixed.
- A big batch of new Chinese events added, courtesy of Demetrios and Håvard.
- A bunch of Korean major and flavour events by Aetius added.
- "Revolt of Mysore" event added for Vijayanagar.
- If Prussia has been annexed by the TO, it will break free when the Order collapses.
- Hussite events for Bohemia adjusted so that Bohemia can convert to protestantism a century early...
- Two events added to Burgundy to worsen their relationship with England. Thanks Demetrios and Håvard!
- Kleves Inheritance event tweaked for Brandenburg (Kleve becomes a core province).
- Events for Annam added, courtesy of Demetrios and Håvard.
- Events for Ayutthaya added, courtesy of Demetrios and Håvard.
- Events for Dai Viet added, courtesy of Demetrios and Håvard.
- Events for Pommerania added, courtesy of Demetrios and Håvard.
- More events for China and Manchuria added, courtesy of Demetrios and Håvard.
- More events for Delhi, Mughals and Timurids added, courtesy of Demetrios and Håvard.
- More events for Muscovy, Persia and Ottomans courtesy of Demetrios and Håvard.
- Numerous event bugs fixed (for the Knights, Spain, Austria and Russia).

*******************
* Generic Bugfixes
*******************
- Some minor problems with banning countries from alliances were fixed.
- Natives can no longer fully burn down fortified colonies.
- No longer should there be possible to have multiple monopolies in the same CoT.
- A bug which caused tutorial windows to not always show its texts was fixed.
- The shield for Gelre is now correct in the menus.
- The small arrows guiding the large movement arrows are now shown in the correct palette.
- The manufactory art in the province view should now always show the correct artwork.
- Domestic Policy effects should now show properly in the rollovers for colonists, missionaries and merchants.
- The shield for french catholics should now look correct in the menu's.
- Natives should now be saved and loaded correctly in Fantasia.
- The rollover information for disabling future leaders from events is now correct.

and lots of other minor bugfixes and scenario tweaks.

__________________
A eux je montre mon derrière!

uglyduck · February 8, 2002, 02:29

Yes it would have been simpler to edit in a new message!
Didnt have anything to say though and it was early morning here

uglyduck · February 8, 2002, 02:32

Sorry about the multipost! It "stuck" whilst sending and I didnt think it had gone. Couldnt delete.

Jeje2 · February 8, 2002, 02:57

Quote:

Originally posted by uglyduck
Sorry about the multipost! It "stuck" whilst sending and I didnt think it had gone. Couldnt delete.

Yeah, double postings just happens.
What you can do next time is to edit one of doublepostings and put in it the info you now put into a new message.

ravagon · February 8, 2002, 05:10

Quote:

Originally posted by Jeje2

Yeah, double postings just happens.
What you can do next time is to edit one of doublepostings and put in it the info you now put into a new message.

Hehe. I think he's probably just about got the record for the longest post ever double-posted though.

And lots of fixes too.

I'm also rather intrigued as to how they managed those memory/cpu issues in a simple (?) patch ...

[Edit: Actually it looks as though its only the cumulative patches (1.01 to 1.02 etc) that don't get bigger. The absolute patches (straight from installation 1.00) do seem to get larger each time.]

uglyduck · February 8, 2002, 14:49

Quote:

Originally posted by ravagon

Hehe. I think he's probably just about got the record for the longest post ever double-posted though.

And lots of fixes too.

I'm also rather intrigued as to how they managed those memory/cpu issues in a simple (?) patch ...

[Edit: Actually it looks as though its only the cumulative patches (1.01 to 1.02 etc) that don't get bigger. The absolute patches (straight from installation 1.00) do seem to get larger each time.]

Considering that Paradox only have 1 full time programmer (Johan) and he is also working on 2 other projects for Paradox and 1 for another company they are co producing with - then the scale of the patch in such a short time is astounding!