Paradox Interactive
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Paradox Interactive (formerly a division of Paradox Entertainment) is a Swedish video game developer based in Stockholm that is known for producing historical strategy computer games. It is also a video game publisher, publishing its own games as well as others through retail channels as well as with their proprietary digital distribution service, GamersGate. The lead game programmer is Johan Andersson.
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[edit] Game characteristics
Each game is marked by the use of standard real-time elements but with an ability to make any and all changes while paused, which provides realism while remaining true to the traditional format of strategy games. The games also demonstrate a commitment to historical accuracy which results in a highly detailed playing experience.
Each game also has a loosely based set of "Victory Conditions" which defines the game winner as accumulating the most "points" by the closing date of the game. These points are abstracted from meeting certain goals during gameplay. Due to the wide-open nature of the game engine, however, it is easy ignore these victory conditions. The games are notable not in the sense of winning by a predifined set of conditions (like a traditional board game) but in being an open game engine (much like other open-ended strategy titles like SimCity and The Sims) upon which the player can define their own victory, or even play without victory in mind. A single game from start to finish represents hundreds of hours of gameplay. For example, it may take a week or more to complete the "Grand Campaign" in Europa Universalis II, to get from 1419-1820. The games all feature shorter scenarios for more focused and shorter game play.
Their games are characteristically extremely complex, with steep learning curves and highly detailed gameplay models. Though they superficially resemble a "conquer the world" game much like Risk, in reality the game models so many aspects of running a nation that conquering the world is, while not impossible, tedious at best. The focus of each game is different, but generally a player must manage economy, trade, internal politics, diplomacy, technological development, and military aspects of a nation. The careful balance between long-term planning and the ability to react to emergent conditions is what makes these games so complex; but also is part of their appeal.
[edit] The Paradox Forums
One of the key features of the Paradox gaming experience is participation in the active Paradox forums. The exceedingly complex nature of the game encourages players to collaborate to improve gameplay. The forums allow players to learn from the experiences of other players. The open-ended nature of Paradox games allows for players to develop unique strategies and approaches to widely different styles of gameplay. The forum provides a means to share these experiences with other players. Besides strategy discussions, the forums feature active modding and fan fiction communities.
Much of the gameplay information used by the engine is contained in uncompressed text and bitmap graphic files. The ability to freely edit these files has allowed an active modding community to develop. The Paradox forum is highly active and provides a way for players and modders alike to collaborate and improve gameplay and develop complex new scenarios for each title. The Paradox game developers are also active in the forums, and incorporate ideas and even contributions from the gameplaying community in ways that many larger gameing companies do not. Europa Universalis: Crown of the North included 2 user created scenarios (the unhistorical "Independent Europe Scenario", and the expanded "Alternative Grand Campaign") that came directly from forum contributors, rather than by game developers. Also, the upcomming Europa Universalis III is being developed in close collaboration with experienced players of the earlier titles through discussions on the forum.
Fan-fiction (called After Action Reports on the forum) provides a way for players to discuss their own gameplay in unique ways with other players. Unlike standard fan fiction, After Action Reports are creative embelishments on actual gameplay. The open-ended engines of these games encourages creatitivity and the goal of writing compelling After Action Reports often allows players to use the game engine in unique and often unusual ways. Impossibly difficult gameplay situations (such as playing as an extremely weak minor nation) or continued play in the face of horendous setbacks (such as losing over half of one's nation in a single war) are enhanced by the creative outlet of After Action Reports. This outlet has kept the players involved in the game in unique ways and serves to expand the replayability of these games.
[edit] Paradox games
- Europa Universalis (I and II): loosely based on the board game of the same name, the first covered the period 1492–1792, and the sequel expanded to cover the period 1419–1819.
- Hearts of Iron: a World War II strategy game dealing with the period of 1936–1948.
- Hearts of Iron II: an expanded sequel to Hearts of Iron.
- Hearts of Iron II: Doomsday: a stand-alone expansion to Hearts of Iron II depicting an alternate history setting of the Cold War and moves game end to 1953.
- Victoria, An Empire Under the Sun: a game about the Victorian era spanning the period 1836–1920.
- Victoria: Revolutions: An expansion to Victoria that improves gameplay and extends the game's end to 1935. Includes built-in converter to Hearts of Iron II: Doomsday.
- Europa Universalis: Crown of the North: an English language version of the Swedish game Svea Rike 3 — the predecessor to Europa Universalis. The game map features only Scandinavia and the Baltic coast. It follows the struggle for dominance of the area between the various factions. This game was released in North America together with a rerelease of Europa Universalis II at version 1.07, with the addition of new scenarios.
- The Two Thrones: a game which is virtually the same as Crown of the North except it is based during the Hundred Years' War so it has a different map (France, the Low Countries, the British Isles, and the northern fringes of Spain) and a few new units.
- Crusader Kings: a game of Medieval strategy running from 1066–1453. Unlike other Paradox games, the player controls not a country, but a dynasty. Crusader Kings games can be exported into Europa Universalis II, allowing the player to continue his campaigns for 400 more years.
- Diplomacy, released 2005. a new version of the classic Diplomacy boardgame. Paradox's stated aim is to provide a more authentic computer-based Diplomacy experience, with a graphical diplomatic interface and a diplomatic AI that builds on Paradox's previous experience with strategic AIs.
[edit] Published games
- Knights of Honor (as publisher): an RTS game by Black Sea Studios, which allows for European conquest during the Middle Ages.
- Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords (as European publisher): a turn-based strategy game by Stardock.
[edit] External link
| Paradox Interactive games | |
|---|---|
| EU line | Europa Universalis | Europa Universalis II | Europa Universalis II: Asian Chapters |
| HOI line | Hearts of Iron | Hearts of Iron II | Hearts of Iron II: Doomsday |
| Victoria line | Victoria: An Empire Under the Sun | Victoria: Revolutions |
| Other | Crusader Kings | Crown of the North | Two Thrones |
| Third party titles | Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords (Europe) | Knights of Honor | Rush for Berlin | Heart of Empire - Rome | Take Command: 2nd Manassas | Perimeter: Emperor’s Testament | Silent Heroes | Sword of the Stars |
| In development | Europa Universalis III |
