Gamescom 2012 Diary Strategy for the Near Future

I spent the afternoon of the previous Gamescom 2012 day with the development teams at Paradox Interactive and had a look at what they are preparing for the near and medium-term future.

The big announcement from the team is that they are working on Europa Universalis IV, a new installment in the Medieval grand strategy series, and the presentation and the details got me thinking about how their engine and approach could be used to power a near future title in the same style.

Paradox Interactive has covered the Dark Ages, the Middle Ages, the Industrial and Empire periods and even World War II, but they have never moved to present day or to the near future, mainly because they never though the setting was suited to their particular mechanics.

The name of the modern grand strategy game would be: World at Peace (or, if the team is aiming for something more poetic: Ballet of Nations).

I think that the formula could work as long as they replace the idea of countries, which dominate in Europa Universalis, and dynasties, the leading force in Crusader Kings, with treaties and laws and the subtle interplays between them which shape the modern world.

Modern international and internal politics are more legal driven than ever, even if there are situations when either pure force or charisma manage to overcome the carefully built system or checks and balances.

World at Peace would play up the relative stability of the modern world and the near impossibility of widespread conflict by pushing players to create vast alliances and deep covert operations in order to achieve their goals.

War would be handled as an abnormality that the United Nations frown upon and the major powers actively try to stop but would give a winner significant advantages.

The idea might sound a little dry, but the usual Paradox audience would be the best test-bed for a grand strategy that focuses on peace rather than on conflict.

Via: Gamescom 2012 Diary Strategy for the Near Future