# Looking for game suggestions. Also, Europa Universalis 3 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 22, 2023, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-game-suggestions-also-europa-universalis-3/978589 "2023-01-22T01:18:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-game-suggestions-also-europa-universalis-3/978589/1 "2023-01-22T01:18:10Z")
Tons of value here, two topics in one! OK, getting back into gaming but not so much that I want to improve my rig. Fortunately, I have not been a dedicated gamer for over 30 years, so I don’t care if the game is from 1993, 2003, 2023. There are two types of games I enjoy: 1. Trading simulations. Kind of prefer commodities, not stocks, but both are fine. Don’t necessarily want a business simulation (not looking to run a restaurant or build a corp or design a roller coaster). To be frank, the more spreadsheety, the better. (Is “spreadsheety” a word? It is now!) I really enjoyed Stars!, a 1993 game which was effectively a massive spreadsheet, so the more tables with figures, the better. 2. Space fighting sims. _Simple_ space fighting sims. Not interested in hitting CTRL-Shift-F7 so I can add 20% more power to my rear shields, I’m thinking more along the lines of Subdivision: Infinity, where I just upgrade my ship between missions and go out and kill sh…, uh, stuff. I’m 55 years old, I’m not interested in fighting my controllers like I would have been were I 15. I was thinking Eve Online might fill both of these, but my God, it looks vast and complicated as shit. And I don’t want to spend a year, _more,_ grinding. Ugh. My major platforms are GOG and Steam, if that matters. * * * OK, so this morning bought EU3 from GOG for, like $4 or so. Definitely seems up my alley, but is also amazingly complicated - but, as an old-time _Civilization_ player, in ways I can understand right from the bat. Would love some advice, links, tips and tricks. I started my first game as Philip in Burgandy (1399), really not doing much but seeing what happens as time goes by (Eventually, if you do very little, France takes over, lol), futzing with the controls and testing them out. Enjoy it, but I do have some questions: 1. Should I spend $6 on the Collection Upgrade?: > **[Europa Universalis III: Collection Upgrade](https://www.gog.com/en/game/europa_universalis_iii_collection_upgrade)** > > The Upgrade to the Europa Universalis III Collection adds the following DLCs: > Europa Un 1. How does research work? For the life of me, I can’t find a research tree. Is there one? Yes, I know there is a EU4. EU3 just seemed more my style. And cheaper too. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2023, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-game-suggestions-also-europa-universalis-3/978589/2 "2023-01-23T03:46:32Z")
Paradox’s grand strategy games are the very definition of “spreadsheets with graphics.” If you like EU3, keep an eye out for their other games. The Paradox business model is very much “release one hundred million DLCs,” but their games are solid and collections go on sale fairly often. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2023, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-game-suggestions-also-europa-universalis-3/978589/3 "2023-01-23T04:47:40Z")
Sounds like you need Starsector to me: [https://fractalsoftworks.com/](https://fractalsoftworks.com/) It’s a very good indie 2D space sim that’s based around trading and combat (and making a space empire, but that’s pretty minimal.) The PC spec requirements are extremely minimal. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2023, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-game-suggestions-also-europa-universalis-3/978589/4 "2023-01-24T13:26:21Z")
Thanks, Palooka! For $15, I decided why not. Will try it later this week, appreciate the suggestion. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2023, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-game-suggestions-also-europa-universalis-3/978589/5 "2023-01-24T13:55:48Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > I was thinking Eve Online might fill both of these, but my God, it looks vast and complicated as shit. And I don’t want to spend a year, _more,_ grinding. Ugh. > > My major platforms are GOG and Steam, if that matters. _Elite Dangerous_ via Steam. You don’t have to PvP (open mode) if you don’t want to, you can permanently instance yourself (solo mode) or join like-minded PvE commanders (private group mode). I’m in the largest PvE private group; we got so big that the game had to split us into five (IIRC) regional subgroups. Nine-year-old, nearly 800-post thread here: > [@Elite Dangerous](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-dangerous/707501): > > Anybody else get Elite Dangerous (“Version 1.0.0.0” - boy, that certainly boasts confidence in the product) yet? Apparently, there’s some sort of “group play” / “play with friends” ability, but I’m not quite sure what that means. Does the group have its own separate “area”? Is it part of the “main community universe” (assuming this even exists), but you have the ability to communicate with each other? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2023, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-game-suggestions-also-europa-universalis-3/978589/6 "2023-03-27T13:17:25Z")
I was just on Facebook, where I found this review for _SpaceBourne 2_. A $20 procedurally generated single player space sim which recently entered Early Access on Steam. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/MdlOG5XjKKY/maxresdefault.jpg "Everything You Always Wanted from a Space Game... (But it's Not Starfield)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdlOG5XjKKY)