this post was submitted on 29 Jul 2025
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Was having a shower thought about this this morning after putting in a quick hour into an EU4 run.

I feel like it's odd that I don't follow the whole "This is how you win with "country x"...period" vibe. Other than learning the mechanics, I don't use specific guides because I don't feel like there is one specific "win condition". My entire vibe in any Paradox game is to do weird things and see what happens.

If I switch Portugal to an Autocracy, pick a fight with Castile and then bankrupt myself hiring mercenaries, that's STILL a successful game to me because that's the entire point. History is a series of random events, what happens if "other" random events occur. To me, THAT'S the fun part. Not learning the one perfect strat to conquer the world with "country x". But to play around with different events, knowing that even losing is still a successful game.

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[–] Randomgal@lemmy.ca 4 points 2 days ago

Nah. They are roleplaying games mate.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

There's no "winning" so there's no point in min/maxing.

They're sandbox games, you just go do whatever you want

[–] milkisklim@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

The only perfect way to play the game is to restore Rome.

JK. Just have fun and don't get annexed.

[–] GandalftheBlack@feddit.org 4 points 2 days ago

I mostly play Crusader Kings so min maxing isn't necessarily the best way to enjoy the game in the first place

[–] RightHandOfIkaros@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I never min/max. I don't use combos, I don't look up game info on a wiki. If I cannot discover a mechanic naturally in the game, it may as well not even exist. (The only exception is old games, which came with a physical manual instead of ingame explanations. They get a pass because they are old and storage limitations were very important.)

Min/maxing is the antithesis of fun in gaming to me. Whenever I play Stellaris with a min/maxer, I never have a good time because the AI rubberbands to their power level and immediately declares war on me because I don't min/max.