Probably, every player, sitting at home in front of the monitor and moving the flags and the army on a virtual map, at least once in his life represented himself as Bismarck or Napoleon. Actually, even the “grandfather” of modern geopolitics Zbignnev Brzezinsky said that the world is nothing more than a platform for a complex strategic game in which the heads of the powers play.

► This person may not be the most influential, but certainly the most widely known political analyst at the turn of the XX and XXI centuries. His work greatly influenced the development of geopolitical concepts around the world.

Then, perhaps, real and virtual generals and presidents will have something in common? Alas, prove that the champion in Counter-STRIKE has the makings of the Commando, and the amateur Civilization – Potentially brilliant manager, it will be difficult. But you can fantasize on this topic.

In the book “The Great Chess Board: the dominance of America and its geostrategic imperatives” Brzezinsky identified four spheres: developed economy, attractive culture, political influence and military power. Superiority in them and provides the state with success in the world arena.

Of all computer strategies, the best idea of ​​these areas is given by the Games of the Swedish studio Paradox Interactive. We will trust the same whose forecasts dream in the nightmares of the inhabitants of the Moscow Kremlin, and on the example of three “Paradox” games, we will see if a simple player can master the “Great Chess Board”.

First manual: europa universalis

Old woman " Europe ", The first and favorite Paradox project, is comparable to the degree of significance for the industry with the legendary" civilization "of Sid Meyer. The authors translated into the language of the computer game not only the real map and real countries and civilizations, but also the corresponding historical context – and significantly simulated the political picture of the world.

► Beauty of the global card is in full swing.

Having spent more than a dozen evenings over the map of Europe of the Renaissance era, even the most stupid schoolboy will pull up history and geography, and older players will receive a more clear idea of ​​the main motives and trends in world geopolitics in the last five centuries. For this one, this game should be recommended as a textbook for the first courses of historical and political science faculties.

Developed e Conom In the fourth part of the series – only one of several attributes of a prosperous state. If earlier the money was the only resource and the main criterion for the success of almost any undertaking of the player, now it was compiled by the company game glasses – administrative, diplomatic and military. Abstract resources that can be “spent” on actions in a particular field. And the money itself could be safely dubbed by "economic glasses", the essence of this would not have changed.

To build a stable economy Professor Wins Casino, it is necessary to invest in subject territories, to maintain trade. And for investments to pay off and earn, the years of purposeful development are needed. If you start a rampant forced industrialization and start to stamp the “houses for the sake of houses”, then very soon you will find that you were lagging behind neighbors who ordered resources more wisely.

It is necessary to alternate extensive and intensive stages of development and, of course, understand why you are doing this, in what positions you want to strengthen the country in a particular decade or century. The habit of thinking with wider categories of time and space is useful for any political manager of the feature that is instilled by "Europe".

► Cardinal Richelieu did not in vain do everything to lime French Huguenots. France was carried away by a colonial race and forgot about household chores.

Culture – Beach of any early -grown conqueror. Suppose you set up the economy and gained an indestructible army that all neighboring states have won for you. Very soon you will find that it will not come out to keep the conquered lands by force. The conquered peoples will not want to work for the invaders and will rebel how in vain. Sooner or later, your economy, most likely, will not be able to support the army, which is stuck from the province to the province, the rebels will quickly regain independence-and it is good if they will not bite away something from your native lands.

Assimilate religious and national minorities is one of the most important tasks of the state. You can do this, eliminating the rebellious fire and sword, or you can accept peoples into a single cultural family and educate mutual tolerance. However, the game cynically makes us understand that the first method is much simpler and more reliable.

Influence – no less effective tool for external expansion than gross force. Why contain an expensive army and have a reputation as an aggressor, if you can use diplomacy and espionage? Not to seize one of the neighbors, but to conclude a military alliance, relax with houses, offer "friendship and protection". After prolonged processing, a small country will surely agree to become your vassal. And after a couple of decades, you can calmly and safely include a neighbor in your power. “No, this is not an annexation that you. This is the formation of a union state. That's right ".

Here is a great example. At the beginning of the 16th century, Russia actively sought to collect all the original Russian lands captured by foreign states during the period of fragmentation and the Golden Horde invasion. One of these states was the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

► some diplomacy tools clearly ahead of their time. Or it is in the twenty -first century that spies act according to the schemes of the age of sixteenth.

It is quite difficult to defeat Lithuania in an open war. It is supported by Poland, with which she consists of a dynastic union. Together they are still surpassing Russia in strength. It is better to open the “Spying” liner and select the “Organization” menu item item. Russian Smolensk will perfectly serve the basis of some "Smolensk People's Republic". If the uprising passes successfully, the province itself will go into the hands of Russia; If not, then, while the Lithuanians are pressed by the rebels, you can pull the troops to the border and hit the other section of the front. Fortunately for Russia (and unfortunately for Lithuania), the mechanism of international sanctions in the game is not implemented.

War – the necessary evil, to which the ruler of the state must be ready. In the Renaissance, there is still no current centralized national states. French, Italian, German and Russian lands are divided into many small principalities, and in order to collect them under one hand, you will have to pour blood. And from the war there is also that simple benefit that the possession of vast rich lands noticeably strengthens the economy.

The game does not imply rich tactical combinations. There are only three types of troops – infantry, cavalry and artillery – and their strength depends on the development of technologies, some management decisions and, of course, on the leadership qualities of generals. A meager set, however, given that we are still in front of us in the full sense of the word, a sophisticated combat simulator here is simply excess.

Final grades (on a five -point scale): _Economy:

_ _ Culture:

_ _Influence:

_ _Armia:

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Second manual: Crusader Kings

► Crusader Kings – The only Paradox series that we can definitely say that the continuation in everything is superior to the original. And the point here is by no means in the schedule.

Crusader Kings covers for almost six hundred years that have come in the era of the "dark centuries" when the ancient civilization of the Mediterranean fell under a barbaric onslaught, and the new discoveries and new culture of the Renaissance were a matter of a distant future. Then the fate of countries and entire continents did not depend on the efficiency of the economy or superiority in technology, but on the will and actions of individual outstanding personalities. Accordingly, the game focuses on the role of the personality of the ruler in the history of the state.

Possibilities economy V Crusader Kings Poor poor. Finances are necessary for two things – to influence the characters you need and pay for troops to defeat unnecessary. In principle, such a system well illustrates the role of money in political games of any century, but as an economic model of the functioning of an entire state, of course, does not withstand criticism.

Culture has about the same meaning and the same features as in Europa Universalis. It is more difficult to manage foreigners and Gentiles, moreover, they regularly rebel. However, assimilation tools in Crusader Kings Alas, players did not give out. For decades, the dominant ethnic group of your power will spread throughout its territory, as happened, for example, on the lands of modern Turkey, which previously belonged to the Greeks-Vizantians.

But it happens vice versa: depending on the dynastic policy, the ruler of the capter can become a part of the people prevailing in the captured areas, as happened with the descendants of Varyag Rurik, supposedly “invited to reign” to Russian lands.

► Greeks – titular nation of the revived Roman Empire. Why not? Eastern Slavs? It seems that there was such a branch of this people. She quickly faded.

Influence – An important tool in the policy of the Middle Ages. Only one of the available gaming techniques described by the example of “Europe” through the “European”. Within the framework of one state, political allies or opponents can be bribed, awarded with a title or lands, involved in intrigue in relation to a third party … Finally, just kill.

Alas, only the latter works in relation to foreigners. Imagine what it would be, if Batu or Timur simply died at the hands of the assassins before the start of their grandiose conquests? And if foreign rulers and nobles could be involved in intrigues in their native country or, on the contrary, create a lobby in other states?

Well, then the game model would come close to reality as much as possible. But such luxury is not given to us in the game.

War and combat successes in Crusader Kings 2 depend on the game characters no less than court intrigue. If you set to command the army of a meek priest, do not wait for great military exploits. With numerical superiority, your holy man may be able to uly, but if he is opposed to a talented strategist, everything will hang in the balance.

The rest of the instruments of influence on military affairs in the game is even less than that of the "older sister" – Europa Universalis. Military technologies all over the game world are developing relatively uniformly, and issues of military construction usually come down to a simple dilemma: is it possible to afford to deploy funds to the cube for the development of the economy, or is it urgent to urgently swell everything that is, to the army, so that the neighbors do not gobble up right here And now.

Final grades (on a five -point scale): _Economy:

_ _ Culture:

_ _Influence:

_ _Armia:

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Third manual: Victoria

►, according to widespread opinion, the later creations of Paradox have an unpleasant feature – games come out terribly raw. Only a bunch of patches and a couple of DLC corrects the case.

If most Paradox games are still “about war” and the economy is secondary in them, then with “ Victoria »The situation is not at all like that. Not an economy for war, but a war for the economy! Otherwise, how to explain the desire of the European powers of the 19th century to send troops to conquer colonies for many miles from their native shores? Exotic goods, industrial resources and new sales markets – this is what was the engine of the political and military machine of Europe of this era.

Economy – This is what it is worth playing in Victoria, her main feature. There is no other game uniting a global strategy and an economic simulator, except that the ancient "imperialism", but Victoria is much more elegant and realistic.

Your subjects are not just a few lines in the description of the province. They want to eat, drink, dress well and live with all possible comfort. Your success in games in the political arena will depend on whether you can fulfill these simple desires.

Money here does not arise from the air simply because you built a conditional house. Each province has its own resource, part of the three or four all complicated production chains. Some goods are needed for the army, others are in industry, others – so that people serving all these chains be satisfied with life. Well, the majority – for everything and at once. You can build a balanced economy, “where everything is,” you will dominate the world, no – well, excuse me.

► Many still prefer old, but better balanced games of the series – for example, the first Victoria.

Culture still plays an important role in state construction. But now it will not be able to manipulate it as easily as in the two previous games. The time period in the game is only a hundred years – an too short time to seriously change the national or religious composition of the population.

Instead, the player is offered to decide how to behave with inevitable minorities. If the ruling party neglected or hostile to representatives of the atytal nations, they will probably want to go somewhere where they will not be oppressed. The population of the country will become more homogeneous and more controlled, but the state will miss the benefits, having lost their jobs that occupied or could occupy those who left. Again everything rests on the economy.

Influence – In this game, unfortunately, so -so. In the second part, the opportunity to force less developed countries to integrate their domestic markets with the markets of your power was added. But in general, a set of diplomatic options is about the same as in the first two parts of European.

War – remedy, not a goal. Victoria is perhaps the only one of the strategies with the military component where the player can reach the triumph without ever. However, the abundance of wars on the planet eloquently indicates that it is not worth neglecting the army. You never know which neighbor will embrace in the head to flood steel fangs and claws about you!

The modern balance of power in the world is built precisely according to this model. The army is a means of mutual deterrence, and if a large state has rocked its military machine, then it is truly a fire-alarm siren and a threat to the whole balance of power … Unless the matter takes place in some kind of god of forgotten Bantustan.

And the one who decides to fall the army into large European showdowns may face very serious consequences. An example is the First World War, which ended with the collapse of the four great empires, including the Russian Empire formally part of the alliance, as well as a global shuffle of cards in a global political situation.

Final grades (on a five -point scale): _Economy:

_ _ Culture:

_ _Influence:

_ _Armia:

► press the button and immediately get a couple of finished and equipped divisions or factories – in reality this does not happen.

Initially, we wanted to include in the material and Hearts of Iron, But they changed their minds. In 2009, an interesting topic appeared on one strategic forum: “We make a mod for demonstrating the country's leadership”. As it turned out, a group of comrades wanted to make it based on an old Hearts of Iron 2 The demo version of the simulator for training, no less, future leaders of the country.

Enthusiasts had truly Napoleonic plans-to simulate on the game engine the process of making decisions in politics, economics, science and industry, as well as their influence on the development of modern Russia.

But these people set themselves an unbearable task. Anyone who played in Hearts of Iron , It will say that this is a simulator of a military strategy that enlightens a little about the history of the Second World War. But the series does not give a full -fledged picture of the world, which includes a bunch of other components.

The construction of a conventional plant, which will give conditional production points for which you can buy soldiers and win the whole world of “For Mother Russia”, is a model too primitive for the real state management simulator. Of course, in 2009, those enthusiasts did not work out. Either they did not reach the "leadership of the country", or did not give out anything sane at all.

* * *

Economics, culture, political influence and military power – four quarters of success in the battle on the "Great Chessboard". How personally you are ready to make judgments about fateful processes that occur somewhere "upstairs", where all our lives and our well-being are seen nothing more than a line in a statistical report?

Each game Paradox Interactive is ready to raise a little curtain, separating the simple layman and Olympians-politicians who are performing the fate of peoples and states. How successful – we analyzed this above.

If you have never seen these games before, but, reading the daily news reports, feel the underlying anxiety, you should play them. Perhaps the games will answer some of your questions. If you are a veteran of global strategies that created more than one great empire, then this text will allow you to look at your favorite toy in a new way and open new depths in it.