I Played Sphere of Influence for 100+ Hours

I Played Sphere of Influence for 100+ Hours | My Victoria 3 Review

Рет қаралды 32,299

Күн бұрын

Wow, it's finally here. Doesn't it feel like we've been waiting forever for this one guys?
Victoria 3's Sphere of Influence DLC is perhaps the most anticipated Paradox product besides EU5/Project Caesar. It was announced a long time ago, and after tragic delays, it's here. It's finally here.
I was blessed to have been given early access to the game, and although that technically makes this review of Sphere of Influence sponsored, I want to be very clear that I have no obligations about what to say. Everything said here is my opinion, and my opinion alone.
That being said, some of my experiences in early access may be different with the coming release, since when the game comes out, there'll be a more updated patch. I do think that most of my gripes and praises for this DLC do still apply across patches, as this review looks more heavily at the design of the DLC.
Bugs can be fixed, but a bad design is a bad design.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing what the community thinks. There's a lot of ill-will for Paradox these days with all the misses they've had, so this DLC really has to knock it out of the park if it wants to be treated well in the community. Time will tell I suppose.
Let me know in the comments if you agree or disagree with my points in the review, and if you're reading this while waiting for the premiere to start, comment below what you're anticipating the most.
Also, if you're watching this premiere, I'll be live playing the DLC on my Twitch channel, and here on KZfaq. Watch whichever one you like.
TWITCH: / tarkusarkusarkusarkusar
I also encourage you to ping me on Discord and ask me any questions you like. I'm open to chatting about the game pretty much anytime:
DISCORD: / discord
Chapters:
Intro: 0:00
Economics: 3:07
Diplomacy: 11:12
The Great Game: 18:07
AI And Performance: 19:04
Conclusion and Rating: 20:58
Music:
Glory to the Queen - Victoria 3 OST
Nader Shah - Europa Universalis 4 OST
The Queen is Actually Amused - Victoria 3 OST
Praise the Lamb - Cult of the Lamb OST
The Drakkars - Crusader Kings 3 OST
Flawless Theory - Endless Space 2 OST

Пікірлер: 178

@Tarkusarkusar 10 күн бұрын

Little comment here: First off, sorry the music was so loud, lol. I think I was rushing to get this video out on time so I messed up the audio balance. Hopefully it's not too bad. Secondly, Paradox did indeed patch many of the bugs I didn't like in the game, and for that, I'm willing to up my score to an 8. This DLC is VERY good and deserves a ton of praise. I do still think steam reviews will be mixed because of the ill-will against paradox, and some of the particular issues in the game though.

@uioongbion2074 10 күн бұрын

I'm glad you post these reviews. However you are sorely lacking viewer engagement. You almost never respond to any comments, nor any helpful chats in your streams. I understand it is your incumbet to decide how to interact with viewers, but why do you promote a disconnect when you actively pretend to not be? Thank you.,

@bijtmntongaf 10 күн бұрын

@@uioongbion2074womp womp

@bcr_light 10 күн бұрын

@@uioongbion2074 you are seriously exaggerating

@Tarkusarkusar 10 күн бұрын

@@uioongbion2074 ???

@zachnar0125 10 күн бұрын

All good! You realized it and we thank you!

@Savvysnek 10 күн бұрын

This is one of the most “love/hate relationship” paradox games for me. It is so underbaked but is still addictive and somehow I’ve put more hours into it than CK3. Maybe it’s just cause the map is prettier lol.

@mememachine6022 10 күн бұрын

ck3 and vic3 are both half baked vastly inferiour sequels so not that big of a statement

@0jacon0ice0 10 күн бұрын

Not defending how underbaked it is, but I hate people acting like vicy2 was better and more developed. Shit was fucking barebones. Also not saying you were just thought it was applicable

@masteriw 10 күн бұрын

@@0jacon0ice0vic2 was fun, this game is quite irritating at times

@user-um2er1pm4h 10 күн бұрын

@@mememachine6022 sure i can understand ck3 being called inferior, but vic3? lmfao. vic 2 is a terrible game in which the only better thing is manual control of armies

@santimarxer5784 10 күн бұрын

I dunno, I don't like having my those Vic2 deathstadks. Neither do I like playing as Mexico and dealing with the USAwhen every single one of their generals has +4 attack/defense at minimum

@pelayla 11 күн бұрын

victoria 3 bros we are so back

@jj0904 10 күн бұрын

Let's gooo

@HearthenRealms 10 күн бұрын

Im that weird kid who never left XD

@guahlg2834 10 күн бұрын

You’ve summoned me

@kims4149 10 күн бұрын

@@guahlg2834I came

@KYOVG 10 күн бұрын

Vic 3 counter-offensive

@leannarda.wilson131 10 күн бұрын

Foreign investment mostly seems angled towards countries like the UK, for building in their colonies. In 1.6, I had many games where Australia and other colonies (Borneo, in specific) weren't building gold mines once the gold fields depleted, making it difficult to turn a profit on those colonial holdings. With the foreign investment mechanic, it circumvents that issue, as you can just build it yourself now.

@Tarkusarkusar 10 күн бұрын

Building in your puppets is not the same thing as foreign investment though imo. Building in puppets makes the goods enter your market, so it feels better to do, but building in another country with whom you don't share a market gives you only the dividends, and leverage on them. It feels underwhelming to me since there's no tangible consequence to having economy control over a country like that in-game.

@chrisyotas5854 9 күн бұрын

@@Tarkusarkusar I thought being economically dependent made the other country get a stronger pro-owner lobby, making it more likely to get them in your market?

@pedrosalvador6341 9 күн бұрын

@@TarkusarkusarThat's the great part about it! If the devs made foreign investment really op, you would invest more in other regions rather than your own. With the current system you need to rationalize where to invest since, besides profits, foreign investment is also a diplomatic tool that will make a country more reliant on you, that's brilliant. It's like a more competitive, intuitive and dynamic version of the "influence"/"sphere of influence" system in Victoria II

@EAfirstlast 3 күн бұрын

@@chrisyotas5854 the numbers for this right now are a little off

@derekskelton4187 10 күн бұрын

The music in the backgrounds gets weirdly loud at some parts

@Dhalucario 9 күн бұрын

I feel like it made me miss half the video tbh

@HearthenRealms 10 күн бұрын

Closing in on 2k hours of this game. Why do I love it so much. IDEK to be honest. I just like how painting the map feels so damn rewarding unlike other 4x'ers IMO. I am so pumped to go home and play this.

@wildbillslunksauce7621 10 күн бұрын

I have loved this game since it came out and I love it now. I don't understand why people don't like it.

@Tarkusarkusar 10 күн бұрын

I also love the game (although at times it is frustrating). I think people's frustrations with the game come primarily from a lack of transparency in some mechanics, and the lack of options you have to build your country and do diplomacy. For me though, I've always enjoyed the game just because it gives something no other Paradox game does with regards to the in-depth economy and society building.

@brandonlyon730 9 күн бұрын

Warfare was a huge turnoff for me even after all the changes they made I still hate this “hands off” approach. I don’t find the economic system fun either, just build stuff and wait, build stuff and wait. And the fact politics is pretty much rng makes it unfun especially with how easily it just triggers an unfair Civil war.

@IHATEGOOGLESOMUCHFUCK 6 күн бұрын

It's just not a good game lol

@stlawstlaw7585 6 күн бұрын

Because it was half-broken, dull, boring, cartoonish 'economic simulator', with not much else. 19th century was incredibly interesting, perfect setting for strategy games, yet they made this Mickey Mouse bs.... Ancient Victoria 2, with all its flaws (and a few mods) is still vastly better game.

@argengama7548 10 күн бұрын

Victoria should have a proper debt system to simulate how investment really worked during the xix.

@FabioGCR 10 күн бұрын

My only hope is that this game not die, the only game that come closer is Anno 1800 but not in the same way

@asheep8019 10 күн бұрын

I totally disagree that foreign investment is pointless. Now I can puppet countries to get their states resources into my market instead of having to conquer their states directly. The ai subjects rarely build the industries my market needs on their own. While yes it is "easier" to just conquer a random chinese state instead, I like to roleplay a bit when I play the game. Puppeting and then massively investing in south american nations as america is far more fun than making them all states in my country. It also feels more historically accurate.

@lateralus6512 10 күн бұрын

I didn’t think V3 was a bad game. I kept hearing about how great V2 was, so I bought it and had a go myself. I found V2 to be underwhelming in comparison. We all like different things, making this mostly subjective. When looking around for an alternative game that does economics, population and politics, I couldn’t find anything better. But if I wanted to play a war game I would play something else, like Imperator Rome for example. V3 really is quite a niche product and I’m surprised it’s as popular as it currently is.

@joshuabogert8893 10 күн бұрын

Yeah, I find Vicky 3 has a better economic simulation than Vicky 2. Not to discount Vicky 2, it was my first and favorite Paradox Game until this update.

@Ryder2010G6 10 күн бұрын

I massively played Vicky 2 before Vicky 3 and as an old fan, I can tell you you re right. Vicky 2 is an amazing game and Vicky 3 built a lot on it. I don t reckon I ll go back to Vicky 2, since Vicky 3 has 10x everything Vicky 2 has. I even like the warfare of Vicky 3

@masteriw 10 күн бұрын

Vicky 3 really is quite bad.

@steppedonmyglasses 10 күн бұрын

Agreed. I play both and i like Vic3 more. Both the economic part and warfare part is better in vic3 imho

@brandonlyon730 9 күн бұрын

@@joshuabogert8893 I don’t see the appeal of vic3’s economic system. You just build stuff and wait, build stuff and wait and for what to get more money to build stuff and wait some more.

@Njordin2010 10 күн бұрын

Subbed because of this detailed review. Loved its structure.

@Sloppygator9309 7 күн бұрын

For me, I’ve got 1k+ hours in EU4, a couple hundred in Vicky 2, a couple hundred in CK3, and a couple hundred in Stellaris. My problem with Vicky 3 is it’s really hard to understand WHY something is happening. Your army splits off in a random direction. Why? Who knows. Your alliance ended with an ally for some reason. Why? Who knows. A colony can’t get market access even though you have a water path to your capital and plenty of convoys. Why? Who knows. I spend more time in the wiki and google than playing the game. The late game lag is absolutely unbearable, and the warfare system just sucks.

@KBJade39 10 күн бұрын

It feels like the foreign investments could be nice for multiplayer. If I am playing with friends it would be a nice way to help each other.

@RickyBobbyNASCARLOVER 8 күн бұрын

When I used to play as Great Britain, I used to annex the Raj/EIC straight away but now with the new mechanics, I think it actually works out better for me to actually manage them and integrate them into my market and still have them autonomously managing their own own stuff.

@tacitregular2852 10 күн бұрын

Line go up. Number green 😊

@thundernorse1098 9 күн бұрын

I hope they make late game fun. Need great war in the game, scramble for africa

@glif1360 4 күн бұрын

I think turning foreign countries into interest groups (if they have enough clout) would be way more interesting than just strait puppeteering.

@Wolfgangersen 10 күн бұрын

Is your mouse cursor not glitching out now during this game? Mines does.

@EskiltheWanderer 7 күн бұрын

Yea, I gotta alt-tab out and back in after launching the game.

@epicorangutan9468 9 күн бұрын

What’s the map mod name

@TheFadZero 10 күн бұрын

The new power blocs are nice, but some bonuses are absurdly strong and it makes the UK absurdly overpowered because they start with many nations in the block and thus can start using the mechanic day 1

@pedrosalvador6341 9 күн бұрын

The UK being incredibly powerful is actually historically accurate so I don't have any complains about that!

@tahmed6052 9 күн бұрын

Not sure I agree with your example of foreign owned industries shutting down if the owning country goes to war with the country the factory is located. The owners aren't actually doing anything to run the day-to-day of the factory, they just provided start-up capital. Why would it magically shut down? See Russia and its Mcdonalds franchises continuing to operate despite McDonalds withdrawing from the country.

@sandman8496 9 күн бұрын

just waiting on the war dlc now

@hydra_gamer5612 10 күн бұрын

i have 571 hours in vic3 and i play all the time but yeah i get bored but i still play all the time

@JamesJefferson1999 9 күн бұрын

hey man can you make the background music louder? I almost heard what you were saying

@morten5906 10 күн бұрын

You need to readjust the music. Way to loud

@Tarkusarkusar 10 күн бұрын

yeah I know. I messed it up in this video cause I was kinda rushing to get it out on time, lol, and I picked music that has a very highly dynamic range.

@mirovini. 9 күн бұрын

@@Tarkusarkusarcould you reupload the video with lower music?

@datdude119 9 күн бұрын

@@Tarkusarkusar Please reupload without the music being so loud, I'm genuinely enjoying the review but the music makes it difficult.

@OneSingleAnt 9 күн бұрын

As someone whos more on the positive/defensive side for V3 I got to say I do enjoy your review/criticisms. They feel very genuine and unbiased in that you not trying to just shit on the game but genuinely see it improve. Hope to see you cover future updates/dlcs

@Orhan6125 7 күн бұрын

Foreign investment is geared toward playing the colonial game, I feel. Before, you can own large swathes of land in Africa and Canada, turn them into colonies, but have no way to spam Rubber plantations and Oil derricks as needed to dominate those key resources when they appear. Now you can do this and supply your own market through the resources of your colonies without having to assume direct control of every bit of colonial land. It's also for fun roleplay as an insanely rich nation like USA. You can now do silly things like fund Liberia just because you want to see an Ameriboo country modeled off your own succeed in Africa as a historical what-if.

@ethanstrong Күн бұрын

Why has victoria 3 lived on and persevered long enough to finally have a successful expansion? Mods. Modders. Mods and Modders.

@ReaperCheaper 9 күн бұрын

The Phone Shall Buzz

@y2cgames243 9 күн бұрын

YES Everything you said is exectly how i feel. You are Stop on!

@afatcatfromsweden 2 күн бұрын

Couldn’t investment be really useful to build up resources you have a shortage of to then import? For example late game oil.

@dima9171 9 күн бұрын

I am still waiting for the combat changes

@raspberryhats 9 күн бұрын

Great review but the music volume overpowers your voice at times

@swedichboy1000 9 күн бұрын

11:45 In typical Paradox fashion, its modifiers untop of modifiers rather than something tangible.

@saffron1627 9 күн бұрын

That's basically all Paradox games, y'know

@BlueGamingRage 6 күн бұрын

@@saffron1627 EU5 looks like it's aiming to buck the trend

@okapijohn4351 9 күн бұрын

I do not recognise the "hate" towards this game! I love it since the beginning. It is one of the deepest and most complex game I have ever played.

@richard1493 7 күн бұрын

Vicky 4 when

@PS-G1 10 күн бұрын

I only play for the line

@zachnar0125 10 күн бұрын

Man I seriously wished I saw your video before I bought it..........

@kryphons9138 10 күн бұрын

music same volume as voice

@Rofflestomper 10 күн бұрын

Don’t let bro cook again 💀

@junechevalier 9 күн бұрын

I tried 1.7 last night, and I can safely say that I liked Vic 3 before, and I LOVE it now! Sure there are things that could be improved but when 1.5 fixes so many things that should have been there from the beginning, 1.6 was a further improvement to the current game, 1.7 is what defines a Victoria game

@buepedersen3065 8 күн бұрын

I feel exactly the same way about it, only I loved it before and love it either more now.

@jonchedgy6654 9 күн бұрын

Hi, could you turn down the music a bit in future. I find it difficult to hear what you are saying.

@LaFonteCheVi 10 күн бұрын

V3 has never been "circling the drain".

@IHATEGOOGLESOMUCHFUCK 6 күн бұрын

2 bad DLCs in a row and 4k active players speaks volumes of the cope

@DEathgod650 10 күн бұрын

Music is too loud.

@Alruwaili11 9 күн бұрын

Vic3 still not ready. I will give it 2-3 years

@idi8822 9 күн бұрын

Line go up

@cafeacupiper 9 күн бұрын

Victoria 3 is a great game. Turn down the music your voice is too quiet

@cafeacupiper 9 күн бұрын

Dude i barely heard what you said bc of the "glory glooory to the queeeen". Turn the music waaaay down

@davidevensende 9 күн бұрын

the game is great

@arkadiuszjuszczak565 10 күн бұрын

Can private sphere close nonprofitable factories yet? If not I'll pass.

@zemasterbenb 10 күн бұрын

If the factory is empty, it will be reduce automatically after sometime.

@zemasterbenb 10 күн бұрын

This is how it's refered in the patch note "Buildings with several unstaffed levels and that are at least 50% privately owned will now autonomously reduce their privately owned levels if they fail to hire for an extended period of time"

@Tarkusarkusar 10 күн бұрын

yes, they do now, as Zemasterbenb explained

@Youcanatme 7 күн бұрын

Its not even been out for 100 hours

@timeprotector4320 10 күн бұрын

I havent played Vic 3 since launch and maybe they changed it from what you said about the public sector investment ? My favourite part about Vic 2 was looking at what my nation was needing and then going to war / diplomatic reasons to get it. Oh my furniture industry is booming but we are importing a lot of wood. Unstable a country using a bloody civil war then either directly invade and take a portion of land or scoop them under my wing as a sphere of influence so I get first dips at that wood. Oh that country that used to be my biggest importer is standing on its own now. Well we cant have that can we time for another invasion :D

@wokealarm6203 10 күн бұрын

this game is more complicated then real life economics you need a masters in economics to understand a smidge in whats going on

@Notphenix 10 күн бұрын

No many things of IRL economy aren't here like currency, central bank, a proper debt system etc

@asapas8 9 күн бұрын

I love this game 3130 times more than EU 4 even If I am a noob and this video is WAY TOO FAST for me to even understand a thing

@Nlwalker487 10 күн бұрын

interesting. I love Victoria 3. I loved it when it came out. But it's mostly the political simulator I like, I guess. I think it's brilliant, honestly. I liked Victoria 2, but I came to it at a time where it needed a mod to play and was just so outdated

@jeffdean8062 9 күн бұрын

Thanks for the review. Can I ask... talk a little more slowly and clearly? Thanks!

@Ryuko-T72 8 күн бұрын

Can you take over as game director? Lmao

@TheGunteraz 9 күн бұрын

"Foreign Investments are trash" - some of us play the game for fun and sometimes it's to have features that add roleplay options - it is fun to build things in foreign countries. Don't be so whiney.

@qazdr6 10 күн бұрын

Music in this video was great

@BlueHawkPictures17 9 күн бұрын

Foreign investment is not useless, its important when you need resources built in other countries without needing to annex them :(

@zachnar0125 10 күн бұрын

AMEN on the what foreign investment should be......... Bought the DLC and am about to try it, was hoping this was the point....... UGH

@jonbathurst953 9 күн бұрын

Vic 3 is a good game why are people hating. The game is mindblowing

@Ryuko-T72 8 күн бұрын

With an unbaked game, releasing an unbaked dlc is sort of criminal. What happened to releasing a good base game and building upon that base?

@benjaminbrown9959 7 күн бұрын

turn music down man your voice is much better

@theblahj 10 күн бұрын

so you hated it???

@Tarkusarkusar 9 күн бұрын

R E A L

@cagrulucyildirimoglu771 17 сағат бұрын

"One of the worst map games...", I am sorry I cannot take your video seriously after that. I only lasted like 20 seconds... Such a terrible take.

@timon20061995 9 күн бұрын

At this point it becomes a pattern that paradox release a fuck up game and let the dev fix it, paradox notice it got fixed gets greedy and fuck it up again.

@tilli1514 4 күн бұрын

It still sucks imo

@kyledebates2149 10 күн бұрын

The new interface alone makes me want to vomit. Why do I need 3 different interfaces to view buildings? Why does the construction tab have to be a separate button altogether? Why do we need an all tab? Can't wait for everything in this alpha level product to be redeveloped while everybody pretends its a finished product.

@saffron1627 10 күн бұрын

There's no way to please y'all. Did you really expect Victoria 2 Remastered?

@kyledebates2149 10 күн бұрын

@@saffron1627 I'd be happy to start with a functional V3 without 5 different menus for the same information.

@Notphenix 10 күн бұрын

Real honestly they should just have 2 tab: "Buildings" and "construction ' also the diplomatic ia is hell The devs really love to terrible ia

@genericwhitemale9566 9 күн бұрын

@@saffron1627we expected a half decent game lmao. Paradox shill.

@saffron1627 9 күн бұрын

@@genericwhitemale9566 You really want to turn everything into a culture war issue, don't you?

@mememachine6022 10 күн бұрын

vic 3 bros soying over vic2 basegame content in a dlc

@flxjhnlrssn 9 күн бұрын

Vic2 bros pointing out the one or two things that aren't carried over into vic3, while ignoring all the new things vic3 has and how almost every system that is carried over is improved over the predecessor. Vic2 was fun in its time, but it's a fucking horrible game in comparison to vic3.

@mirovini. 9 күн бұрын

Like what exactly? Really, the spheres of influence in vic 2 is not different from what the custom unions were in vic 3 (excluding the clickfest against AI) and the power blocs are much different from vic2 spheres of influence. The only thing is the foreign investment, tho in vic 2 is more state foreign investment since capitalist didn't do any foreign investments and the capitalists don't really "own" industries

@mememachine6022 9 күн бұрын

@@flxjhnlrssn new things? You mean the shitty *warfare system? Or the construction system straight out of hoi4? Or the ugly ass 3d models from ck3? Yeah im glad we got that over a real sequel. Vic2 is still the better game easily

@flxjhnlrssn 9 күн бұрын

@@mememachine6022 The main new things are actual simulations of the economy, politics, pops, trade, and so on. With actual gameplay connected to it. Which is an absolutely massive improvement that touches on literally every aspect of the game. And then there's also a non-trivial diplomatic system where both player and AI actions actually matter. And maybe most importantly, streamlined gameplay across the board, especially compared to the insane tedium which was vic2 army management. I understand that people don't like the vic3 warfare system, but holy shit you really can't lift up vic2 as an example of how to do it "right", it's straight up terrible on that front. All the things that people can really criticize vic3 for when compared to vic2 are design decisions, not "worse" systems. Like the army simplifications, or the lack of railroading towards historical events, and so on. No one has "ruined" anything, the designers just prefer things to be a different way than you do. You guys just look like senile old people or something when you go on rants about how much better victoria 2 is. For the vast majority of players, almost everything in vic3 is an improvement over that old broken game. Get over it.

@mememachine6022 9 күн бұрын

@@flxjhnlrssn first army was a tedium but fun. Vic 2 had an actual economy not this weird monstrum with a mass of arbitrary percentages. Like universities in your a random state give 20% migration on your whole country? The warfare isnt a simplification its not existent. How can you even claim its the same system. The diplomacy is also the most basic shit ever. You can turn your rivals into allies by improving relations and you can have the ai turn on your for no discernable reasons. Power blocs are also arbitrary percentages that are just collect this mana to get this upgrade. And talking about tedium. Vic3 is just a tedious click the same 5 buttons every 2 years. You just change up production methods, or unit types.

@fileleutheros2577 9 күн бұрын

It is obvious that you have fallen prey to the multicultaralism meta and cannot understand how revolutionary these changes are. You can play with national supremacy all game long now without problems. You don't need immigrants anymore. You can also play around with slavery. In the past you could indeed conquer other states but it was difficult to employ people there. Now that's no longer a problem. No matter how low their education level is as long as the jobs are not too high class you can do it. That's because the owners of the building can be in your homeland. Also you can build in your vassals. In the past you either had to give the conquered states to vassals to tax them, build in them or core them(if you had multiculti). Now you don't. You can build your nation in europe with peace of mind and then build in your colonial vassals what you lack in resources. Later on when you run out of main culture pops in europe you can just build in the colonies and occasionally build something back home. As long as you build enough troops and navy and have enough building in the colonies you can stay in control. Building military bases with main culture pops in the colonies should have been one of the changes that would be great but it's okay as it is. Also the more backward the colonial government the better. You want industry banned or agrarianism and them serfdom and slavery there too. Land taxation is best taxation. Anyway you get what I mean.

@azurehelix2269 10 күн бұрын

Good thing I don't buy Paradox stuff anymore, always under-cooked products along with under-cooked DLC I'm tired of it. EU5/Caeser is gonna suffer the same fate.