Europa Universalis IV Welcomes Your Crusader Kings II Saves

[Earnest Cavalli]

Europa Universalis IV Welcomes Your Crusader Kings II Saves

Developer Paradox Interactive has announced a save game converter for the upcoming Europa Universalis IV which allows Crusader Kings II fans to import their extant European kingdoms into the new game.

Crusader Kings II is easily one of the best games of this generation, assuming we're allowed to judge such things based on how many dozens of hours I've personally spent putting down rebellions, marrying my relatives off to Spanish nobles, and pillaging the Irish coastline with a horde of bearded, Norse death dealers. Like Civilization, it's a strategy title that constantly leaves players wanting to make "one more move," but Crusader Kings II offers far more depth than that title, and single games can span millennia or end in an instant because your character caught VD. Assuming you can avoid syphilis, it would be a shame to lose all those years of progress, wouldn't it?

Fortunately, developer Paradox Interactive is a generous creator, and has revealed plans to release a save converter for the upcoming Europa Universalis IV that should translate your current Crusader Kings II progress into a unique starting point for the newer release. Have a look at the official description:

Early adopters will also receive a new Saved Game Converter for Crusader Kings II, which will read the details of a saved game from a Crusader Kings II and convert that into a game that can be played in Europa Universalis IV. Fans of Crusader Kings II will be able to maintain the empires they have established and guide them through the age of exploration in an all-new strategic experience, continuing their personal stories of expansion and conquest.

This works out nicely as Europa Universalis IV and Crusader Kings II focus on roughly the same geographical areas, with the former taking place shortly after the canonical end of Crusader Kings II. Between the two games, this should allow players to have a hand in the development of Europe throughout a nearly 1,000 year span that ends shortly before the dawn of the modern age.

Are there caveats? Yes. Currently Paradox is only offering this saved game converter to those who pre-order Europa Universalis IV. However, those who do pre-order the game, will also receive a gratis copy of Crusader Kings II which, again, is awesome. Both of these bonuses and Europa Universalis IV will come available for pre-order on August 1.


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[SerBrittanicus]

This works out nicely as Europa Universalis IV and Crusader Kings II focus on roughly the same geographical areas, with the former taking place shortly after the canonical end of Crusader Kings II. Between the two games, this should allow players to have a hand in the development of Europe throughout a nearly 1,000 year span that ends shortly before the dawn of the modern age.

Well I guess Europe is in EU4, but so is the rest of the world, so I would call it a bit generous to say they concentrate on the same geographical area. All I want to know is if this converter will also convert dynasty names, so if you use that dlc that lets you make your own dynasty in ck2 will you be able to bring that dynasty over to EU4?

 

[New Frontiersman]

Kickass! I've wanted one of these for forever now! Now I can maintain my empire for centuries to come!

Ugh. I have to preorder though? That kind of stinks. I really would have rather waited for a price drop. On the other hand they'll probably release it for DLC later. I'm definitely going to at least consider preordering it though.

 

[Abomination]

Damnit, Paradox, that's just too tempting now.

Fine, I'll pre-order - ya bastards.

 

[Corven]

Quick Question, is this game the same as CK2 just set in a different time period?

 

[mastermarty]

Quick Question, is this game the same as CK2 just set in a different time period?

It has the same core mechanics, but focuses more on national politics, not personal politics. It's a bit more "standard" grand strategy.

 

[SerBrittanicus]

Quick Question, is this game the same as CK2 just set in a different time period?

Well some aspects are the same, but it is pretty different. In CK2 you take control of a dynasty, focus more on individual character and then manage your family and try to gain power and whatnot. In the EU series you take control of an entire nation instead and have a lot more focus on nation spanning events - I wouldn't be surprised if some of the character elements from CK2 made it into EU4 though.

I don't know if the dev diaries will help explain the difference, but here is the link if you want to take a look http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?629770-Europa-Universalis-IV-Development-Diaries-Archive.

 

[DEAD34345]

In the course of this one article I became instantly sold on buying EU4, and then completely changed my mind moments later. They had me at importing Crusader Kings 2 saves, and lost me at pre-orders only. Paradox is usually a pretty decent publisher, but restricting a feature like that in order to force people to buy before the game is even out is just too much of a dick move for me to let slide.

I'll probably pick it up a few months later, when Steam does a sale for the entire game rather than the first couple of pieces.

 

[Hochmeister]

Damn you Paradox! If their games weren't so darn good I'd despise them for practices like this. It'll probably come out as a DLC months later, along with a half dozen expansion packs. I'm going to pre-order EU4 now just for the sheer awesomeness of a 950 year campaign, but their business strategy is clearly geared towards fleecing us.

Thank God for Steam sales.

 

[Burnhardt]

So in order to import my Crusader Kings 2 dynasty's/empires, I'll need to pre-order. I don't and I miss out. But to soften the blow that causes they're going to also give me another copy of Crusader Kings 2.

I didn't bother pre-ordering Bioshock Infinite because I didn't want a third copy of the original Bioshock, so no thanks Paradox.

 

[FFHAuthor]

About damn time Paradox puts a converter in their games rather than leaving the fans to do the hard work for them, only taken them about eight years of complaints...

 

[Fulbert]

About damn time Paradox puts a converter in their games rather than leaving the fans to do the hard work for them, only taken them about eight years of complaints...

They did have a cpnverter in their CK-EU2-Vic-HoI2 line. It turned out sort of buggy and stupid, so I presume they didn't want to be bothered with it again for the newer installments.

Still, while I'm very happy that they decided to reintroduce this idea in CK2-EU4(-Vic3-Hoi4?), their decision to release essential pieces of funtionality as DLC does reek of bullshit. First Ruler Designer for CK2, then this. I mean, what next, game saving feature itself? "Cheetah speed"? And what happens when they release Victoria 3, will we have to purchase a separate EU-Vic converter as well?

 

[Strazdas]

Oh, wow, finally paradox has got the rigfht idea. you got a bunch of games that have different timeframes, conenct them into one llong truly great game over the history of civiliation. you know, liek civilization. but better. sincei ts paradox, and thier know their stuff. now all i need is ability to take the spaceship from civilziation and make it land in apha centauri.......

In the course of this one article I became instantly sold on buying EU4, and then completely changed my mind moments later. They had me at importing Crusader Kings 2 saves, and lost me at pre-orders only. Paradox is usually a pretty decent publisher, but restricting a feature like that in order to force people to buy before the game is even out is just too much of a dick move for me to let slide.

I'll probably pick it up a few months later, when Steam does a sale for the entire game rather than the first couple of pieces.

COnsidering Paradox officialy supported massive modding community, im sure the ocnverter will be free of charge as a mod weeks after the release.

 

[Kahani]

On the one hand, that's fairly cool. On the other hand, most games of CK2 will either finish with the player absolutely dominating the known world, or dead. Neither of those are going to be a particularly fun way to start a game of EU.