Three Moves Ahead Three Moves Ahead 641: Europa Universalis 5
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Nov 1, 2025 John Boulding, a seasoned games journalist, and Rowan Kaiser, a veteran commentator on strategy games, dive into the complex world of Europa Universalis 5. They discuss how the game juggles player agency against grand simulation, highlighting issues like infrastructure impact and AI diplomacy's fragmentation of Europe. The duo also critiques mission trees' tutorial gaps and the intricacies of army micromanagement. They explore the fascinating dynamics of dynastic play and the beautiful but fragmented map, concluding that EU5 is a messy yet captivating foundation awaiting fine-tuning.
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Game Is A Moving Target
- Europa Universalis 5 is a living simulation that changes via frequent patches and tuning instead of a fixed release.
- Rowan warns the game's identity now is between what it was and what it will become as Paradox iterates rapidly.
POP Modeling Trades Detail For Scale
- EU5 models population as raw counts and overlays culture and religion rather than simulating individual factory workers.
- That design trades per-person detail for global scale and performance, giving different strategic emphasis than Victoria games.
State Building Comes First
- EU5 makes state-building a primary early-game goal by forcing investment in administration and infrastructure before external expansion.
- You must develop governance, roads, and control before safe large-scale conquest.