Deep strategy games walk a fine line between complexity and fun. Some nail it, giving you an intricate but rewarding experience. Others just turn into a tedious slog, buried in bad mechanics or design choices that ruin the long game.
What’s the worst mistake a grand strategy or 4X game can make?
What’s the worst mistake a grand strategy or 4X game can make?
- Bad AI – Nothing kills a strategy game faster than an AI that just sits there, never expanding, never threatening, never adapting. A weak AI turns an empire-building game into a solo city-builder. (Looking at you, certain versions of Civilization.)
- Too much micromanagement – Complexity is great until it turns into busywork. If you’re spending more time tweaking individual trade routes than actually making big strategic decisions, something went wrong. (Yes, Victoria 3, we're talking about you.)
- Lack of diplomacy – If the only way to interact with other nations is war, it stops being a strategy game and just becomes a war game. A good diplomacy system makes the world feel alive—without it, it’s just conquest or nothing.
- Unbalanced factions – Some factions being outright better than others kills variety. If there’s only one good way to play, why even have different choices? (Some Stellaris updates have been guilty of this.)