Paradox: For the Love of the Game
Though some of you may not know it (in fact, you almost certainly don't - I haven't written many articles yet), gaming is one of my passions. It's how I was first introduced to Extra Credits and their spin-off Extra History, and it rivals history as one of my passions. And of all the games I've played, Paradox is one of the best publishers.
I'm not the biggest Paradox fan of them all, I must admit - I don't own Europa Universalis or Crusader Kings (though I'm considering getting it soon) - I'm more of a Civilization kinda guy, personally.
But I love, love, love, love the Mount & Blade series. I've spent quite a few hours sinking my teeth into Warband and it's cavalcade of expansions and mods, and I'm hoping to get into With Fire & Sword at some point - I love the concept, but dislike how bland the gameplay can be.
What I love about Paradox is it's willingness to try something new and strange: an open-world psuedo-medieval RPG with strong tactical elements? Check. A turn-based medieval strategy game focused on political and diplomatic finagling? Check. Through in a metric buck-tonne of historical accuracy, right down to having Wikipedia links for all the character's names? Triple friggin' check.
I could wax on and on and on and on and on about Paradox and how much I love them, but I'll try and be quick: In a world of Ubisofts, Activisions, and EAs, Paradox is jogging across the tightrope of Indie and AAA, and they're doing a gosh-darn fine job as they go. They aren't a perfect company, and most of their games flop at least a little bit - but they're noble flops that teach us about game design and the industry, and help us prep for the future.
Best of Luck,
King Thomach of the Kingdom of the Nords.
I'm not the biggest Paradox fan of them all, I must admit - I don't own Europa Universalis or Crusader Kings (though I'm considering getting it soon) - I'm more of a Civilization kinda guy, personally.
But I love, love, love, love the Mount & Blade series. I've spent quite a few hours sinking my teeth into Warband and it's cavalcade of expansions and mods, and I'm hoping to get into With Fire & Sword at some point - I love the concept, but dislike how bland the gameplay can be.
What I love about Paradox is it's willingness to try something new and strange: an open-world psuedo-medieval RPG with strong tactical elements? Check. A turn-based medieval strategy game focused on political and diplomatic finagling? Check. Through in a metric buck-tonne of historical accuracy, right down to having Wikipedia links for all the character's names? Triple friggin' check.
I could wax on and on and on and on and on about Paradox and how much I love them, but I'll try and be quick: In a world of Ubisofts, Activisions, and EAs, Paradox is jogging across the tightrope of Indie and AAA, and they're doing a gosh-darn fine job as they go. They aren't a perfect company, and most of their games flop at least a little bit - but they're noble flops that teach us about game design and the industry, and help us prep for the future.
Best of Luck,
King Thomach of the Kingdom of the Nords.