Paradox Grand Strategy: Tim Cook? How many divisions has he got?

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Funky Valentine: Feb 26, 2014; Dojyaa~an

DrSunshine posted:

It'll be like stellaris but instead of little animated alien portraits, it's little people in funny hats.

Alright here's my 60 bux Paradox.

# ? Oct 30, 2017 21:02

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# ? May 9, 2024 16:29

A Buttery Pastry: Sep 4, 2011; Delicious and Informative!

DrSunshine posted:

It'll be like stellaris but instead of little animated alien portraits, it's little people in funny hats.

As long as we can eat the frogs.

# ? Oct 30, 2017 21:10

MLKQUOTEMACHINE: Oct 22, 2012; Some motherfuckers are always trying to ice-skate uphill

DrSunshine posted:

It'll be like stellaris but instead of little animated alien portraits, it's little people in funny hats.

Pdox could stand to take the Valve method of monetization and go full haberdashery.

# ? Oct 30, 2017 21:22

Meldonox: Jan 13, 2006; Hey, are you listening to a word I'm saying?

DrSunshine posted:

It'll be like stellaris but instead of little animated alien portraits, it's little people in funny hats.

We need to develop jump drive technology before the Kaiser can. God save the Queen.

# ? Oct 31, 2017 00:32

DrSunshine: Mar 23, 2009; Did I just say that out loud~~?!!!

Meldonox posted:

We need to develop jump drive technology before the Kaiser can. God save the Queen.

"Whatever happens, we have got
the tachyon lance, and they have not. "

# ? Oct 31, 2017 00:38

Danann: Aug 4, 2013

Every time you tinker with ship design, it opens up Rule the Waves.

# ? Oct 31, 2017 02:46

Gamerofthegame: Oct 28, 2010; Could at least flip one or two, maybe.

every tech tree will be small except for navy, which will have a poo poo ton of options and ofc a ship designer

everything does .01 differences

# ? Oct 31, 2017 03:08

uPen: Jan 25, 2010; Zu Rodina!

Danann posted:

Every time you tinker with ship design, it opens up Rule the Waves.

Pondering on this I've realized that most of the time I would rather just be playing Rule the Waves.

# ? Oct 31, 2017 04:53

dublish: Oct 31, 2011

uPen posted:

Pondering on this I've realized that most of the time I would rather just be playing Rule the Waves.

That's not really much of a knock on Stellaris.

Rule the Waves is really really good.

# ? Oct 31, 2017 05:11

Beefeater1980: Sep 12, 2008; My God, it's full of Horatios!

DrSunshine posted:

"Whatever happens, we have got
the tachyon lance, and they have not. "

# ? Oct 31, 2017 05:19

Gort: Aug 18, 2003; Good day what ho cup of tea

dublish posted:

That's not really much of a knock on Stellaris.

Rule the Waves is really really good.

One thing I never worked out in that game was how to use destroyers. I play on the most removed rank (admiral? Grand admiral?) and enemy torpedo strikes might as well be acts of god. I have no idea how to make my own ships fire torpedoes - it just happens every so often, usually to little effect.

# ? Oct 31, 2017 08:38

Communist Zombie: Nov 1, 2011

Speaking of Rule the Waves:

Hows RTW doing? Last I heard they put in new system to allow sprite packs for side view addons, and maybe talk of a RTW2? Id ask in the RTW thread but its been archived.
Johan, hows the buying of RTW to add it to the stable of Paradox games going?

# ? Oct 31, 2017 08:50

Groogy: Jun 12, 2014; Tanks are kinda wasted on invading the USSR

DrSunshine posted:

It'll be like stellaris but instead of little animated alien portraits, it's little people in funny hats.

You kid but I would pay for that...

# ? Oct 31, 2017 08:55

Tahirovic: Feb 25, 2009; Fun Shoe

Still waiting for my dog DLC. Yes Groogy, I'll pay for dogs in HoI4.

# ? Oct 31, 2017 08:58

GhostofJohnMuir: Aug 14, 2014; anime is not good

Gort posted:

One thing I never worked out in that game was how to use destroyers. I play on the most removed rank (admiral? Grand admiral?) and enemy torpedo strikes might as well be acts of god. I have no idea how to make my own ships fire torpedoes - it just happens every so often, usually to little effect.

you need to order a flotilla attack, which will set your screen to engage the enemy at close range and increase the chance of torpedo attack. the odds of your destroyers actually launching torpedoes instead of just sitting at point blank range getting blown out of the water is improved by having better torpedo tech and doctrines. i've always kind of meant to do a japan run going all in on destroyers and merchant raiders, but inevitably i end up focusing on giant battleships with huge guns because they're so shiny

# ? Oct 31, 2017 11:09

Gort: Aug 18, 2003; Good day what ho cup of tea

GhostofJohnMuir posted:

you need to order a flotilla attack, which will set your screen to engage the enemy at close range and increase the chance of torpedo attack. the odds of your destroyers actually launching torpedoes instead of just sitting at point blank range getting blown out of the water is improved by having better torpedo tech and doctrines. i've always kind of meant to do a japan run going all in on destroyers and merchant raiders, but inevitably i end up focusing on giant battleships with huge guns because they're so shiny

Yeah, I heard something like that. I can't say I've noticed much difference with flotilla attack enabled or disabled, but I'll take your word for it that it does what you say.

# ? Oct 31, 2017 12:12

Don Gato: Apr 28, 2013; Actually a bipedal cat.; Grimey Drawer

Communist Zombie posted:

Speaking of Rule the Waves:

Hows RTW doing? Last I heard they put in new system to allow sprite packs for side view addons, and maybe talk of a RTW2? Id ask in the RTW thread but its been archived.

Johan, hows the buying of RTW to add it to the stable of Paradox games going?

They're going to buy RTW and make the sequel into Victoria 3: Rule the Waves 2, the exciting first DLC for Vicky 3, focusing entirely on the naval game and adding an in depth supply feature where you have to establish coaling stations all over the world and keep them stocked, lest your powerful dreadnoughts be confined to a home port in a war.

I'd probably buy that tbh.

# ? Nov 1, 2017 08:25

Vivian Darkbloom: Jul 14, 2004

I would love to see a title where you're just some guy in the basement of the military design bureau, deciding where to put the guns on your country's latest dreadnought (or whatever), and you only influence the richly detailed world through your narrowly-conceived job, a kind of trickle-down history from your design moves. I'm not sure there's enough "game" here compared to traditional grand strategy series, but I can dream!

# ? Nov 1, 2017 11:09

Farecoal: Oct 15, 2011; There he go

If we're dreaming, I'd like a grand strategy WW2 game where you're a general, only in charge of a certain army. Try to win the war while contending with the lovely tanks you were sent, your commander giving you impossible orders, and the other generals making awful decisions!

# ? Nov 1, 2017 14:26

Phi230: Feb 2, 2016; by Fluffdaddy

Farecoal posted:

If we're dreaming, I'd like a grand strategy WW2 game where you're a general, only in charge of a certain army. Try to win the war while contending with the lovely tanks you were sent, your commander giving you impossible orders, and the other generals making awful decisions!

Decisive Campaigns Barbarossa is exactly this

# ? Nov 1, 2017 14:38

Darkrenown: Jul 18, 2012; please give me anything to talk about besides the fact that democrats are allowing millions of americans to be evicted from their homes

Well not exactly, since you are in charge of the entire eastern front, but DC:B is a good game and not too groggy. Becoming best buddies with Hitler may cost you your relationship with Trains general, but perhaps it's worth it? :ohdear:

# ? Nov 1, 2017 14:46

Ofaloaf: Feb 15, 2013

DrSunshine posted:

It'll be like stellaris but instead of little animated alien portraits, it's little people in funny hats.

There's already a mod for that. :smug:

# ? Nov 1, 2017 14:48

DrSunshine: Mar 23, 2009; Did I just say that out loud~~?!!!

Ofaloaf posted:

There's already a mod for that.

Snail does not have a tophat, rated 1/5.

# ? Nov 1, 2017 15:10

spectralent: Oct 1, 2014; Me and the boys poppin' down to the shops

It'd be nice if winning a coalition war gave you less infamy or something so you didn't just get repeatedly coalitioned by everyone and spend decades fighting them off. At present time Superchina is fighting it's third containment war in as many years because it annexed ethiopia, with circa fifteen years on the clock until everyone accepts they're not getting through the New Great Wall.

# ? Nov 6, 2017 00:33

Dr. Video Games 0031: Jul 17, 2004

spectralent posted:

It'd be nice if winning a coalition war gave you less infamy or something so you didn't just get repeatedly coalitioned by everyone and spend decades fighting them off. At present time Superchina is fighting it's third containment war in as many years because it annexed ethiopia, with circa fifteen years on the clock until everyone accepts they're not getting through the New Great Wall.

Countries can't coalition other countries they have a truce with, so when winning a coalition war, you're supposed to create really long truce times. There's very little chance of getting re-coalitioned unless you don't get long truce times and don't try to rack up your improve relations modifier.

The AI not being able to handle them feels like a separate issue.

# ? Nov 6, 2017 06:14

spectralent: Oct 1, 2014; Me and the boys poppin' down to the shops

Dr. Video Games 0031 posted:

Countries can't coalition other countries they have a truce with, so when winning a coalition war, you're supposed to create really long truce times. There's very little chance of getting re-coalitioned unless you don't get long truce times and don't try to rack up your improve relations modifier.

The AI not being able to handle them feels like a separate issue.

To be fair, the AI's usually halfway around the world and trying to navally invade, so I can defeat them at sea, or, more likely, piecemeal as they trickle in with massive superiority. Having loads of forts across the russian border is also useful. It's just a terrible idea in general but everyone's lining up to have a pop. It feels kind of zany that France is shipping people halfway around the world to get slaughtered over me annexing an unciv and is willing to do this again five years later.

How can I improve my improve relations modifier? Will that help build influence, too? I'm #2 great power ATM with a massive currency reserve and the army is loving enormous (primarily to fight internal revolt rather than my enemies since I think I've got an army as big as the next three GPs put together), but my trust still trickles up slowly.

# ? Nov 6, 2017 12:38

StashAugustine: Mar 24, 2013; Do not trust in hope- it will betray you! Only faith and hatred sustain.

so i've been reading the dev diaries on stellaris and now im hyped to wait several months and hope they make fleet design less dumb. how's hoi4 going? i got it at release and thought it was all right, but i didn't really like how min-maxy the division designer was and air combat was a garbage fire

# ? Nov 11, 2017 23:01

cool new Metroid game: Oct 7, 2009; hail satan

the ai is still dogshit

# ? Nov 12, 2017 00:09

Agean90: Jun 28, 2008

cool new Metroid game posted:

the ai is still dogshit

its actually gotten worse, at least for italy and germany. ah yes the german warmachine has run out of rifles to give to its troops a full *checks date* six months after beginning operation barbarossa

# ? Nov 12, 2017 01:19

IncredibleIgloo: Feb 17, 2011

So Paradox acquired Triumph studios, best known for the Age of Wonders series, back in June. Has there been any news or hints about what might come from that?

# ? Nov 14, 2017 01:14

AAAAA! Real Muenster: Jul 12, 2008; My QB is also named Bort

IncredibleIgloo posted:

So Paradox acquired Triumph studios, best known for the Age of Wonders series, back in June. Has there been any news or hints about what might come from that?

Paradox has indicated that they have three secret projects going so I would not be surprised if one of them was a new game in that mold.

edit: Although I'm not sure if it was that paradox that did the acquisition so I could be talking out of my rear end.

# ? Nov 14, 2017 01:17

uPen: Jan 25, 2010; Zu Rodina!

Europa Universalis IV: Rome II

# ? Nov 14, 2017 01:23

Funky Valentine: Feb 26, 2014; Dojyaa~an

Europa Universalis IV: Rome II: The Sengoku Wars: Rise of the Svea Rike

# ? Nov 14, 2017 01:54

Kaza42: Oct 3, 2013; Blood and Souls and all that

Funky Valentine posted:

Europa Universalis IV: Rome II: The Sengoku Wars: Rise of the Svea Rike

It's a match-3 mobile game

# ? Nov 14, 2017 01:59

ChikoDemono: Jul 10, 2007; He said that he would stay forever.

Forever wasn't very long...

Kaza42 posted:

It's a match-3 mobile game

I�d play it.

# ? Nov 14, 2017 02:42

Tahirovic: Feb 25, 2009; Fun Shoe

IncredibleIgloo posted:

So Paradox acquired Triumph studios, best known for the Age of Wonders series, back in June. Has there been any news or hints about what might come from that?

Europa Universalis: The Return of Magic and ofc the extra races DLC for it.

# ? Nov 14, 2017 13:54

Eastbound Spider: Jan 2, 2011

ChikoDemono posted:

I�d play it.

instead of gems it's factories and pops

# ? Nov 14, 2017 14:08

V for Vegas: Sep 1, 2004; THUNDERDOME LOSER

Sorry guys, Victoria 3 has been cancelled.

quote:

Interim report January � September 2017

Third quarter 2017

- Revenues amounted to SEK 180.7 (127.2) million, an increase by 42 % compared to the same period last year.

- Operating profit amounted to SEK 52.9 (54.6) million, a decrease by 3 %.

- Profit before tax amounted to SEK 52.6 (54.6) million, and profit after tax amounted to SEK 40.6 (42.3) million.

- Cash flow from operating activities amounted to SEK 70.3 (102.7) million, and cash flow from investing activities amounted to SEK -79.2 (-30.8) million.

- By the end of the period cash and short term placements amounted to SEK 244.3 (215.1) million.

- Earnings per share amounted to SEK 0.38 (0.40) per share.

- Revenue from the third quarter of 2017 are mainly attributable to Stellaris, Cities: Skylines, Cities: Skylines Console, Hearts of Iron IV and Europa Universalis IV.

- Important events in the third quarter

- The acquisition of game developer Triumph Studios was finalized with a transaction date July 7. The purchase price was set to EUR 4 million plus a performance based earnout of up to EUR 21 million, until December 2025.

- Cities: Skylines PlayStation4 Edition was released to PS4.

- Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition was released to PS4 and Xbox One.

- Several expansions were released during the period; Second Wave to Steel Division: Normandy 44, Synthetic Dawn Story Pack to Stellaris and Bastard�s Wound to Tyranny.

- Steam Summer Sale started June 22 and continued until July 5.

- A decision was made to move the release of Battletech to 2018, instead of as previously communicated 2017.

- It was announced that CFO Andras Vajlok has decided to step down from his role and a process to recruit his successor was initiated.

Words from CEO

We can do better!

As we close the third quarter, we do so with 42% growth compared with the same quarter in 2016 and an operating margin of 29%. While this is good, the figures are significantly lower than the same period last year. This is mainly a consequence of negative exchange rate differences, the writing-off of an as yet unnamed project and increased royalty payments. The quarter is yet another example of the fact that some quarters will always look better than others throughout our ongoing operations.

We still managed to see growth in turnover despite the fact that we have actually only had one PC release to full price during 2017. On the other hand, we have released some successful expansions with content and value comparable to other full-priced titles on the market. We have also released some of our current games on consoles. These releases, in addition to earlier releases, are the driving forces behind growth in both revenue and players during the quarter. With all that said, we are still short of giving ourselves a passing grade for what we�ve done so far during 2017. Only one new game per year is just not good enough.

The underlying cause for releasing only one game during 2017 are the many decisions that we made a couple of years ago regarding the improvement of the quality of our games. As a result, we tightened the flow of games to a certain degree, with a clearer focus on improved quality. These last few years have shown that this strategy is paying off, in particular when viewed over time, but the real advantages are yet to be revealed. Now that we have more people and teams in place, we are better equipped to meet future challenges and are working with really great developers all over the world. A quick look at what we already know about 2018 reveals two exciting titles, Surviving Mars and Battletech, in our pipeline.

Looking back at the past quarter, the acquisition of game developer Triumph Studios has been the most significant event. We have spent the last few months integrating the team into our organization. The smoothness of this transition is an indication that we share many of the same views regarding our communities with gamers, our love for game development and the kind of driven people that we have within our respective organizations. Paradox has a lot to offer in terms of size, marketing muscle, contacts, experience and so on. It is clear, however, that the Triumph team too can teach us a few things about our different disciplines.

In Q3 we also became a console publisher �for real.� We previously experimented with consoles but have now released both Cities: Skylines on PS4 and Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition on PS4 and Xbox One. Looking at the suitability for a console version in our game projects is now a natural part of the production process, even if that doesn�t necessarily mean that console versions of our games will automatically be developed.

We have also released a number of expansions during the period. Second Wave for Steel Division: Normandy 44, Synthetic Dawn Story Pack for Stellaris and Bastard�s Wound for Tyranny. The content of Stellaris continues to attract new users while reactivating current players. Expansion sales for Steel Division: Normandy and Tyranny: Bastard�s Wound have been slower but, like most DLCs, have contributed to keeping the game active, in particular in view of the sales campaigns that often accompany the release of new content.

After careful consideration, a decision was made to delay the release of Battletech until 2018. This is something that seems to have been met positively from both gamers who are anxiously awaiting the release and the market as a whole. Even if we are naturally reluctant to delay a game release, it is something that we are willing to accept if we see that it makes good business sense regarding the quality of the product.

As in previous years we had a presence at Gamescom in Germany, one of the world�s biggest gaming conventions that seems to break records year after year. This year more than 350,000 people visited the convention. Our participation consisted of more than 200 meetings with media and our partners and, of course, our annual Paradox Party. This year we also held an informal fan-gathering where we got to meet some of our players. The games that we and our respective developers were able to show the media were Surviving Mars, Battletech, Stellaris: Synthetic Dawn and Tyranny: Bastards Wound. We also gave interviews in connection with the announcement of Cities: Skylines � Green Cities and Crusader Kings 2 � Jade Dragon. The importance of Gamescom as a convention was underlined by the fact that the opening ceremony was attended by none other than Angela Merkel herself.

During this period we also announced the decision of CFO Andras Vajlok to step down from his position, and we have begun the process of finding his successor. Andras and I have worked together for more than six years now and have reached many milestones together. Even if I, from a personal point of view, am sorry that we won�t be working together on a daily basis anymore, I am convinced that every change represents an opportunity. Therefore, I am thrilled to be able to share that we have signed with our new CFO, Alexander Bricca. He has a very relevant background, shares my excitement about our future journey and will start within six months.

I am sure that with Andras� help, we will be able to give our new CFO a great introduction to the Paradox of today, so that he in turn will be able to help us achieve our goals for the future.

Fredrik Wester, CEO