In Which we talk about Verosimilitude in Video Games

Good morning, dear friend, reader of this present post, at the divagation store! How are you? I pray you are well? How have you been? As for me, I am okay, there has been some insane times, the past 3-4 days have been the longest months of all years I lived. I tried writing before, but at the end of the day, it would not be possible to think clearly. Today, I am on a more stable plan. I am really not sure how to write what happened without turning the whole post both too long, I may mention it, but for now, I wanted to just talk of more trivial things.

I did play some Victoria 3 today! They will be releasing a new dlc in November 5th, adding a series of events and special content catered towards the Russian Empire. I wonder  if it will make the game joyless for the otherwise lovely time I have developing Russia. My default match in Victoria 3 is selecting Russia, passing lasseiz-faire laws, both freedom of trade and economic descentralization, alongside all it comes wirh it, such as abolishing serfdom and expanding religion safeguards. That is how I make such empire thrive and positively explode in growth and glee. I used to do something quite similar with Austria, but their DLC focused on the Austrian Empire made the game with Austria almost like a punishment. Once upon a time, there was France, but its first DLC for the game, focused exactly on that nation, caused it to be one of the worst countries to play as. I pray that they don't ruin Russia, but I personally am not that inclined to bet on this possibility.

I wonder about the difficult balance and cultural split that happens in strategy games. Some of them overlap, but not necessarily: a group wants accuracy to history. Another group wants more friction, some just desire to have easy fun. And inside those groups: some prefer cultural aspects, others the economics, and some just want the war. And so it goes. I think this could be an issue of the Paradox games, or games that are focused on maps and the tables as a whole: they are encouraged to be a piece of everything. If it simulates world and history, then it should have it all on it. I used to think like that, now I am more selective.

I think at the end of the day, a game of those sorts should aim at verosimilitude, rather than realism. By that, I think what I wrote about Anno 117 on my review of it: It is not exactly a carbon copy of ancient Rome, but it is plausible anyway. Since Victoria is not Anno, and has a different proposal, it is harder to follow the approach. It would not be possible to cut on wars as a whole, I would not desire that, but it is a fact the game is more focused on the development of the nation's economy and the societal shifts of the industrial age, rather than in conflicts. And if you add the mod Dawn Of Flavor to it, it focus also on the cultural booms of the age. As such, I think their more abstract approach to armies is an acceptable proposal. It caused huge controversy, given the famoud Victoria 2 had another approach to the army. I think it was a good idea, though, to choose another path.

Now, not everything is ideal in Victoria 3, and some aspects of it even lack the important verosimilitude approach, but at least it did find its audience, such as myself. While I don't like Hearts of Iron, I adore Victoria. 

The issue of realism can cause a game to spiral into its own failure, I think of the now infamous Humankind the game, released in great promise but failing to deliver, and now of Civilization 7, which has the real chance of ending the series as a whole, such was its failure on most fronts. They are developing Humankind 2, as we speak, God knows if it will present any improvement, I should wait and see. Less promising is the annouced update and DLC for Civ7, I don't think that title can be salvaged, much to my lament.

I think this is the key word for today's post: verosimilitude. I would add more, but just briefly talking on thid subject is already causing the post to grow bigger than I was willing to sustain. Just a quick comment on Victoria 3 and its dlc approach. So far, I think I said all I would desire to do, at least for this moment.

And with that, I want to wish you a beautiful weekend!! I should return around next week to share more thoughts and ideas. Feeling a bit sleepy right now, which is frustrating given I slept okay, though, so time to wrap it up. I can only wish you the best! See you again around the weekend or next week, farewell just for now!!