Before the release of Heir to the Throne I couldn´t imagine how to make Europa Universalis 3 better. This add-on delivers a lot of new profound features like the royal dynasties, a new cassus belli system and a national focus option that helps you to develop your provinces. Heir to the Throne is a must-have for every Europa Universalis 3 player!

An excellent deep strategy game, perfect for those who feel that Civ is a little too abstract and are looking for a much more detailed on a narrower section of history. Not for those who are looking for a quick 15 minutes of play now and then, it will take time to get to grips with. The learning curve can be a little steep at first, but once conquered, it will reward your patience.

This is great addition to EU III series. the addition of the heir make the game more interesting.

The ability to recruit advisor that you want is great.

Overall a must have.

This expansion bring EU III to perfection

Excellent addition to EU3! The new political system that enables you to declare war under a number of new situations really adds depth to many of the other political options (royal marriages, vassales, etc) and to the mission objectives. I highly recomend that you pick this up if you like EU3!

The best expansion to date for EU3, new game mechanics and a newer map lead to a more enjoyable and complete experience for EU, a must buy for those who love EU3

A better caus bellis system some new events makes the best game ever made even better. Every expansion in this series is worth it to buy and if you dont own eu3 you should.

What I like most in this expansion is the new Casus Belli system. It makes the game harder, as you have to have a proper CB to expand, not only to spam warnings and guarantees and grab provinces in defensive wars.

Heir to the Throne expands on a Region not done much justice by original Complete. It has solid ground and It's balanced enough. Heirs make an important part, along with Magistrates. Not as ground-breaking as In Nomine, but still good enough.

This expansion is great for the size of it it adds denasties and extensive upgrades to the HRE and add;s depth to the merchant republics through adding new diplomatic features such as trade leagues and trade rights. My last reason I love this mod is the pentarchy event which allows the Orthodox countries mainly the Byzantines to disable the Papacy, and the new cassus-beeli system is great.

An unmissable expansion for EUII, province decissions as well as management of the Holy Roman Empire have been considerably improved.

Some aspects still need to be polished, the ledger is not very useful for province decissions and some aspects can be better explained. Anyway ONe of the best strategy games I have ever played

This expansion, like the previous one, improves EU III very significantly. It added a new Casus Belli system (the price and consequences of making various demands now can vary quite a bit depending on which pre-text or cause was cited at the start of the war). The expansion also improves many of the political elements of the game.

The governments have been modified and altered in several ways and there are new factors such as legitimacy that one must take into account.

I didn't think they would make any new expansion to EU3 after the Complete Edition appeared. I was wrong, and I'm happy about it.

This Addon introduces so much the game lacked before and it balances it quite nicely. The Cassus Belli system, the new Holy Roman Empire and the new Holy See make this a must-have for Eu3 fans.

A must have add-on. The addition of dynasty (which gives a feeling of a very basic continuum of the "Crusader Kings"-game) and the other tweaks gives the original game more depth. Although it doesn't improves all the areas I would have wished for it certainly is a step in the right direction. I do think that Paradox sometimes is a bit to fast at sending out games, merely to be able to make money on all the add-ons they have to make subsequently.

This expansion added enough content to bring me back to EU3. I've played the game many moons ago, but it did not hold my interest for long. Other games by Paradox seemed to grasp my attention (HoI2 and Vicky in specific). Now with the added features such as Casus Belli system and family dynamics it is a worthy time waster. This is some of the best work of Paradox Interactive and they should be proud. With another expansion, Divine Wind, right around the corner, this is a must have for any interested Europa Universalis fan.

A great expansion that adds more realism to the game. I was tired of never knowing what would happen after my leader died. Would there be an heir? Would their be a regency? Now, not only do I know, but I can help control it. Plus the other changes, legitimacy, trade, diplomacy. It's a must have for all long-time players and new starters alike.

This is a worthy adition the collection for a number of reason starting with performance. The game runs much faster than In Nomine which is always a bonus when you are burning of your BB points and generaly letting things progress without your direct imvolvment. The HRE is also much improved offering a wealth of options and strategy that was previously lacking in the model.

Heir to the Throne is a great expansion to an already wonderful game. It is unsurpassed as a historical strategy game. Though it does have a bit of a learning curve, once you get the hang of it, it will entertain you for hours on end. It is by far my favorite game.

I would call this expansion the Crown on EU3 had Paradox not announced yet another expansion to this amazing series. So, Heir to the Throne is simply a jewel in the crown of one of my favorite games - and even though another expansion is coming, it requires this to be playable, so it is still an integral part of the series. If you are new to EU, I highly recommend buying this with the rest of the series before the Divine Wind expansion comes out on 10-14-10 as the new features promise to make EU an even more complex game with a steep learning curve. So, warm up with this and, if you enjoy deep, engrossing games, I promise you'll love it... just clear up your schedule and fire up the coffee machine.

Great addition to EU3. The new casus belli system allows for specific goals when declaring war. Trade leagues add a new game style to play with, as well as making trading in the early game much easier. Magistrates and culture also give more options for managing provinces, even if it's a bit clunky. The heir system is fairly basic. Yet provides details on your next in line, as well as making gaining other nations threw marriage much more manageable.

This game has a fairly long learning curve, even if you have EU Complete. Take tim to read the manual so you know what is going on. There are alot of new events, and situations to deal with. Overall, this game is a thinking man's game, with a superior and stubborn AI. If you like the Europa series, this is a must to complete the game. I will be playing it for a very very long time.

This really is a sublime add-on to an already sublime game. Especially the new CB system adds a lot to the game, especially for war mongers, like me. It becomes a lot easier to declare war against several nations for several reasons: Reconquest (core occupied by another nation), Holy War (different religions), Conquest (mission to occupy a foreign territory) and so on. There are also a few other changes, but in my opinion these aren't that spectacular. To sum up - this expansion surely adds some magnificent features to the game, so if you already own EU3:IN&NA, and you like it, then this is definatly a must-buy, however, if you aren't really fond of the games, this expansion doesn't really add something to change your mind. It's just a very nice add-on.

This expansion adds so much - you CANNOT pass it up. The new Casus belli system has been swooned over in almost every other review, but I repeat - it adds SO much to the game.

Apart from the Casus belli, I really enjoy how the balance has been better worked. France and/or Austria no longer take over the world EVERY game. It also seems easier to break up a big empire back into smaller countries.

In short: I had figured I had played EU3 to the end. And then I bought this last expansion. And now I'm hooked all over again.

An excellent expansion and by far my favorite. I had always wondered how a player could play a country and not know anything about the ruler leading it or who was in line with the throne. The new cassus belli system is also a blast and really helps in creating an in-depth experience. Once you have played this expansion you will wonder how you did without it.

A great expansion that adds a lot of excitement into the game. The specific goals of wars is my favorite addition in any expansion I've played to date. Highly recommended.

This expansion isn't very important because it doesn't add a lot of things. The dinasty mod isn't very exciting and I think that it could be better.

This is a must for anyone who owns EUIII! Firstly, the price may seem a little steep for an expansion considering that it only adds 5 major features of the main game, but each of those five new features have a profound impact on the EUIII experience. The one that really stands out is the "Cultural Tradition" feature; Before in EUIII versions past you'd often get stuck with a plethora of advisors you didn't want or need whereas now, you can pick and choose what advisors you want and when! If you haven't played EUIII before that may not sound like a revelation, but believe me it is!

"If you're fan of EU3 series, then this expansion is a must-buy!"

First I have to warn other gamers that this expansion is add-on expansion, not standalone. So to play it, you need to have EU3 Complete or EU3 + EU3NA(Napoleon's Ambition) + EU3IN(In Nomine).

As name mentions one of the features is there is heir concept with along with dynasty concept. You can see your heir's age, his/her dynasty, how is strong his/her claim to the throne and skills. Also you can see other nations heir information, too...

Enough talking from my side, it's time to begin your journey. ;)

This expansion is by far the best in the series! The new casus belli system is awesome allowing you to go to war for all kinds of reasons. The diplomacy in general is better allowing for more options and decisions. Also the addition of cultural tradition lets you pick what ever advisers you need, instead of periodically checking to see if you can finally get that adviser that you need that's above 1 or 2 stars. Even if you have played EUIII for a while before this expansion, the quality of the additions to the game will make you fall in love with the game again and engulf many more hours of your life.

This has to be, by far, the greatest PC game I have ever played. I purchased Europa III Complete, and I loved it, and poured hours of my life into it, but the Heir to the Throne destroyed that. I may have played the game for days with the total amount of hours put together, and I don't regret a minute of it. Amazing game for any direct control of everything players, but for weaker strategists, pick a easier game

Just buy it.

This expansions just about completes Europa Universalis, as a series.

Adding things like Sphere of Influence, new Casus Belli system, and better AI make this worth the money.

HttT also adds a whole new side of diplomacy never before seen in the series. Relations and infamy have a far greater impact on wars and alliances, and you had better watch your reputation.

Five out of five total, this is a great expansion.

Europa Universalis 3 is one of Paradox's best creations yet.

While I personally don't care for the sandbox way of handling historical gameplay, EU3 manages time and time again to make it exciting and worthwhile.

Heir to the Throne is easily the most important expansion for EU3, and the game definitely feels incomplete without it.

The addition of heirs, legitimacy, and expanded casus belli system makes the game even better than before and totally without peer.

After playing HttT it becomes painfully impossible to go back to regular EU3.

Anyone who enjoys Paradox's work owes it to themselves to buy HttT.

In my opinion, this is really a must have. It adds so much to the game, like dynasty names (not that great in itself, nothing like CK, but you can spread your dynasty, with some luck, and reap some benefits from it), a new casus belli system, e.g. if you have more than 1 reason to go to war with an enemy, you can pick which one you'll use.

simply put if you have EU3 and the other expansions you need this, the amount of additions that this adds are sorely needed

Heir to the Throne is an excellent expansion to an already good game. The improved casus belli system makes war outcomes more logical and encourages the player to devise a proper excuse for their wars instead of simply using any casus belli to seize more land. The dynasty and legitimacy systems make monarchies more enjoyable to play while cultural tradition makes the previously random adviser system more controllable. It improves the game in so many little ways that I cannot imagine going back to earlier versions. If you enjoyed EU3 at all this is worth buying to complete your experience.

EU3: Heir to the Throne is a tremendous expansion that allows the player to take control of any nation in existence between 1399 and 1819 and recreate history in your own vision. Want Novgorod to form Russia and conquer all of Europe? Want to take Sicily and form Italy, or conquer Africa with Athens? Maybe you want to survive as the Aztecs when the Spanish reach the new world, or play a Holy Roman Empire state and try to form Germany or simply survive as a one province merchant state? Beyond the main EU3 game, HTTT offers new features including a Trade League system which makes being a merchant republic far more interesting and a Dynasty system that is fun to look at, but unfortunately doesn't do much to alter how the game works.

If you want to immerse yourself in an alternate timeline, EU3: HTTT just might be the right game for you

Am I the only one who thought... "why do I need ANOTHER expansion?" ...probably not.

BUT once you pick this one up you will forget you ever said that! The addition of the dynastic system adds a whole new level to the game, as does the reboot of several international organizations (namely, the Holy Roman Empire and the Papacy) which really make it much harder (or, if you play your cards right, much easier) to rise to power in Europe and around the world.

Great addition to the vanilla game and the other 2 expansions. I enjoy the new casus belli system and the new provinces and countries they have added. New system of recruiting advisors is very useful as well!

Heir to the Throne expansion just adds even more depth and challenge to one of the best strategy-games out there: Europa Universalis III. Buy this expansion and complete the circle!

A huge expansion to an already excellent game, I simply can't Imagine going back to an older version after getting a taste of some of HTTT new features. Features that seemed mostly unrefined in the older expansions(such as the Personal union or heirs, and Casus Belli by a HUGE degree) Get a major look at and a huge amount of stuff added to them. The New Casus Belli system is a huge improvement, and makes the game that much more strategic, and logical. No longer can you take what you want from any war for any reason. Managaing your Reputation has become a much bigger issue, and its no longer the best idea to simply take as much territory as you can for your war score. It add so much depth that it is almost a brand new game! And Difficulty, as expansion can be majorly curtailed due to the mentioned Casus Belli system. There have been more than a few times where I have been forced close to the Reputation limit due to taking only a small number of provinces I really shouldn't have, where as in earlier expansions Reputation was hardly ever a problem. And of course, Being able to make your own Advisors is a god send. No longer is that Master of Mint a once in a 100 year deal, now when you have specific needs all you have to do is make sure your cultural tradition is up to the task. Its a small change, but one that really increases enjoyment.

I feel like I just have to say it again, Its like an entirely new game!

This expansion is the crowning achievement of the EUIII series. It addes so much to the game and with inclusion of dynasties there is a huge aspect of the game that is opened up for players.

Heirs to the Throne is a great expansion for the original EU III - small in size, but adds a lot of features, such as the new Casus Belli system which makes wars much more interesting, the reformed Imperial system and other stuff. But what call most attention is the new heir/dynasty system, which make royal marriages much more important, since now you got watch out for a chance to enter in a Personal Union or even inherit a kingdom.

All of this make of Heirs to the Throne a must-have you if got EU III.

This expansion makes EU3 a much better game. This expansion is vital to all EU3 players. The best new feature is the casus belli system. Get it.

WOW! The pre-eminent strategy game in my opinion. So many countries to play and different ways to play each one. If you were to get stuck on an island and could only play one, you would never get bored playing this one. The heir to the throne expansion is a must have in my opinion because it adds such an interesting layer to diplomacy and relations. Highly recommend to all.

An expansion which is well worth buying for any Europa Universalis fan. It adds a awesome cases Belli feature to decide what your war is about and makes the game ALOT better.

It adds a Cultural Tab so you can hire the Great Advisors your country will need to prosper and invade. this makes it so much more easier to get good advisors.

Its awesome...

5/5

An expansion definitely worth buying. It has dramatic improvements in almost all areas of the game infrastructure, from the new casus belli (CB) system to the addition of royal dynasties and fixing the advisors system (you can now get exactly the type of advisor you want - at a cost). EUIII In Nomine is a good game - but EUIII with Heir to the Throne is a much better.

Europa Universalis 3: Heir to the Throne builds upon the seemingly unimprovable In Nomine and not only does it better the previous installment... it actually overhauls the entire game!

Key Features:

- Papacy: Reworked the Papacy Screen and mechanism. No longer can we bribe our way to the top, we now have a variable called "Papal Influence" which is affected by our NIs and Sliders... which in turn directly affects our "Cardinal Chance" ... While this more closely resembles real life, it somewhat lacks the struggle spirit the previous model had, being one now pretty powerless to intervene.

- HRE: The HRE is built from the ground up... reworked from scratch! Now the Emperor can enact Imperial Reforms which increase his power over the Empire... to do this he must spend Imperial Influence, which he gan get by doing various actions that aid the Empire's overall welfare.

- Casus Belli System: A new, overhauled Casus Belli System makes it way harder to go on killing sprees all over Europe... You need a proper CB to wage war on a Country, and different CBs mean for different bonuses (say, Reconquest allows for cheap annexations and demanding of territories in which one has got a core, while attacking because of an Insult allows for cheap war indemnities and concessions).

-Spheres Of Influence: Arguably the least useful of the expansion, but worth mentioning nonetheless: This new diplomatic action allows you to project your influence over other countries. Now, this move gives you an Intervention CB on anyone who meddles with any country under your sphere... but that is pretty much it... It does not really add to the overall gameplay, and one can skip it altogether.

-Trade Leagues: Reworked the EU III Market! Now one can choose to join a Trade League (or lead one, for that matter), conceding trading rights in exchange for production rate. It does certainly spice up the Merchant Republics' gameplay.

-Magistrates: Magistrates join the ranks of Spies, Diplomats, etc. as they are the ones who let you enact province decisions and the brand-new Cultural Decisions. These, in turn, may gain you Cultural Tradition, which leads us directly to...

-Improved Advisor system: Tired of having to scour the world for that particular advisor?!? Look no further! With enough Cultural Tradition you can get whatever Advisor you want. As with Military and Naval Tradition, having more means there's a higher chance a good advisor appears.

-Dynasties: Finally Dynasties make it to EU III! However, much to my dismay there is no real advantage of having all of Europe ruled by your cousins... just some random events here and there... but it does improve the overall feeling of the game...

-Successions & Thrones: Well, this part received a massive overhaul... Departing from In Nomine's setup, in which successions and Inheritances were random events you can now actually know which country is likely to be inherited or get into a PU and with who. Moreover, you can now try and claim another country's throne and either wait until the ruler dies (in which case it may very well usher in a War of Succession between two claimants) or wage a war on the target country for its own throne. Beware, though, for countries with which you have Royal Marriages take not very kindly the idea of you expanding at their own expense, and claiming a throne will destroy your relations with other countries.

Finally, a History function was added, so that you may check your country's history without having to exit to the main menu.

Overall, this add-on is a must! The vastly improved HRE, the overhauled Inheritance model, and the built from scratch Casus Belli system are more than enough to justify your purchase. Add to this all the other features and this is a no brainer.

Rather than a last gasp effort, Heir to the Throne is a game-changer. Simply put, you will be playing a different game altogether with the addition of HTTT. I don't know how I would play an already incredible game without it. If you want the full EU3 experience then get this expansion and play it the way it was meant to be played.

Absolutely fantastic expansion. A must have for any EU3 fan. The improved AI makes the game much more challenging and enjoyable. The Casus Belli system is a welcome addition in my mind. You have to use even more strategy when going to war. There are more diplomacy options that give the game more depth and intrigue. Another feature I really like is the dynasty system. Gives more life to the game and the country you're ruling.

I highly recommend this expansion pack, as it makes EU3 much better.

It's hard to review a title such as this without going to some great length. In trying to avoid that, I will focus on this: The new Casus Belli system really adds greater definition and variety to wars, and in general seem to allow for more frequent "just" wars. However, more frequent wars tempt me to overstep my bounds and build up infamy more quickly. It's an interesting balance, and has renewed my love for this classic.

The other options are very welcome as well, but I wanted to keep this short. If you like EU 3, you will love this expansion. Buy it!

At first, I was reluctant to buy this expasion. I had already bought EU3 and the two previous expasions at released and had spent like 80€ in the game, so I didn't want to spend another 20€.

I was wrong. After reading the review at outofeight.info, which gave it 8/8, I decided to give Paradox Interactive my hard earned money and I couldn't be happier.

To sum it up: I had never, ever finished a game of EU3 before. I went up to the middle of the 17th century, but rarely played further. I was bored and didn't have any incentive to keep playing.

But HTTT changes this, first, by adding quite a few features. The first of them, and most important, at least to me, it's the new Cassus Belli system. Now there are 30 types of Cassus Belli, not the generic one we had before. The new system now defines what your objetive will be during the war, and the cost for it. For example, a reconquest CB will let you get back a number of provinces at 0 infamy and 50% peace cost.That alone is good enough to change the scope of the game. No more making a spy mission to get a core and the declare war and get the whole country.

Another thing, and what gives the name to the expansion, is the dynasty system. Now you're part of a ruling family, that has its heirs. Each ruler has a legimitacy rating that depends on the closeness to the previous ruler, and can be modified by royal marriages and advisors. Legitimacy has a global effect, like Prestige, altough not as important. However, if the HTTT is not clear, someone can declare war on you claiming the throne.

Advisors have also changed, now you can pick your cabinet as you see fit, depeding on your culture rating, which, honestly, it's quite easy to keep at 80-100% and keep getting 4 to 6 star rating advisors. Anyway, I like this feature a lot, because you don't have to depend on what lady luck gives you, but on what your country needs.

One final important change is the HRE. Now the HRE has a little more power and, with time, you can join the HRE into a single country. Along the way you have to pass several reforms, spending Imperial Authority. You gain IA by defending members and getting new countries and provinces into the HRE. The reforms give benefits to the current HRE, leading to the formation of the HRE nation.

All in all, an excellent expasion that no EU3 player should let pass.

Just when you thought EU3 was done, there's more: the expansion even the developers didn't think would happen. In Nomine seemed like a finished product, but Heir to the Throne makes EU3 one of the finest Paradox games to date. My personal favorite addition is the Casus Belli system. You're punished severely for not having a casus belli, and also for forcing concessions from you enemies that don't conform with your reason for going to war. The game becomes less of a conquering spree and forces the player to think more strategically about how to obtain casus belli's, whether it be by key alliances or guarantees and warnings.

For those who enjoyed playing Dutch minors and England: rejoice, because Le Blob (AKA France) is no more. France is no longer guaranteed to dominate Europe by the end of the 15th century! Little balance things like this add a lot to the value of this expansion. Another balance feature is the "Dishonourable Scum" Casus Belli. Go over the infamy limit and instantly the whole world gets a free casus belli allowing them to take huge amount of territory for low cost and infamy. An excellent de-blobbing feature that helps (but doesn't eliminate) Europe from being annexed by 3 or 4 nations.

The advisor system has been rehauled. "Cultural Tradition" now governs how good and what kind of advisors you get. Overall takes a lot of randomness out of the situation and makes the player feel more in control: thumbs up.

Magistrates are now required to enact cultural and provincial decisions: no more HRE being completely abandoned after 1650. The Emperor has some time to rectify his situation instead of being instantly de-prestiged. The HRE in general is much better. Infamy penalties for HRE states owning non-core HRE territories make the situation in the HRE much more historical: it took a long, long time to become united into major powers for a reason. The Emperor can also enact decisions to reform the empire, including making the succession hereditary (take that electors!), making the HRE states your vassals, and eventually annexing all the HRE states. That may seem overpowered, but to get that far you need to control your infamy tightly, get lots of Imperial Authority (required to enact the decisions) and be friendly with the HRE states (they won't just give up their freedom to some tyrannical Emperor bent on conquering the world).

One small criticism: pirates are now not able to be modded out. This might seem catastrophic (I thought it might be), but the pirate system is now a lot better. Fleets, depending on their size, can patrol large areas of sea while docked in port. Say goodbye to the legions of light ships and galleys roaming the Eastern North American Seaboard, a few large fleets docked in port will take care of those pirates. Still annoying, though, I always hated the buggers and I always will.

Overall, a great expansion to the EU3 lineup, and a must have for anyone who like EU3 in the first place. Paradox completes its masterpiece with this work of art. Now maybe they can do the same with Hearts of Iron 3. :-)

A good expansion pack, the new system of casus belli makes the game better and more realistic, a bit harder too but it is a good thing because we need new challenge.

The system of Heir is pretty good because it makes our royal family more customize and it is not only numbers.

This is a well thought out expansion and has not failed to impress me. The AI in the game is significantly improved and you will find the additional features compelling. If you have the first three games in Europa Universalis 3, you should definitely buy this expansion to enhance your game play.

A worthy addition to the series, the various additions make the whole experience even better (If that's possible!).

It doesn't add to much in the way of the military, and the timeline hasn't had some huge extension, but things such as trade leagues and, of course, the new casus beli system are truly wonderful additions.

It doesn't add a whole lot, but it's placed just right so that you get more than your money's worth!

The changes in this expansion adds a surprising amount of depth to the game, especially in its early stages. I found it made playing some of the medium or smaller powers a lot more interesting. The cultural tradition system and nation focus allows you better control of your country's development. Your interactions with other countries also gains a lot of depth with the addition of spheres of influence, a new causus belli system and the enhancements to the Holy Roman Empire. The additional trade options are useful if you intend to play as a Merchant republic. Curiously the expansion's naming feature, the dynasty system is actually the one that impacts the game the least. However it still adds a little more depth to the relationship between nations with hereditary rulers. Bottom line is this expansions makes the best strategy game I've ever played even better and well worth it.

Hmmmm... After all the previous commentaries, I have concluded there really is nothing more I can add to be honest. Everything has been said already. This is what I get for coming late to the "party" so to speak.

Anyway, in short if you have EUIII and the other x-packs and you enjoy the game to any serious degree, then this is a MUST HAVE component.

That's a great expansion pack, it improves a lot the gameplay of EU3 NA+IN with a new system for casus belli and finally we have a dinastic system (even though it's not the same of EURome). Still, I reccomend Magna Mundi mod.

Though the game initially felt empty and unpolished at launch, the expansion packs have made it complete and added more content to the game. Heir to the Throne is no exception. With the simplified dynastic system, your rulers come alive and your nation feels dynamic. The new and advanced casus belli system adds to the difficulty of the game, while maintaining a good level of simplicity. With Heir to the Throne, the Holy Roman Empire is expanded and the Holy Roman Emperor is now able to issue acts and laws on behalf of the entire empire, some of which have short term negative effects but long term positive effects, giving an even more expanded feeling of the politics in the game. Overall, Heir to the Throne is a fitting third expansion to Europa Universalis III, and a definite 4/5.

This is the expansion that complete the perfect strategic game for me, with this expansion we improve our diplomatica chances, with better alliances and royal marriageswe can conquer the world more easy. Now a new patch for this game is incoming, the patch 4.2 (is now beta) will improve more the game with a lot of changes.

In my opinion the game have all that we can want for a strategic game, you can play from more than four hundred years with more than two hundred of historical nations. The 3D graphics are very improve for a game in we play on a map.

All players who love strategic game have to probe this game.

Though many of us thought EU3:IN an already complete game, the new features that HttT adds are really worth a last expansion. A dinasty system has been long requested by players and at last we have it, giving a more immersive and personal feel when playing your realm. And of course it has its consequences in your countrie's management!. But the great surprise that HttT brought when announced is the Casus Belli system, which makes wars have a sense and an objective. Not all wars work the same way now, and relations between countries, religious matters, dynastical fights, etc can lead to conflicts with a sense of realism and credibility that none other game can deliver. I wholeheartedly hope that this new system is exported to all Paradox titles.

What a game! This perfectly summarises the end result of months of hard work that has produced THE most polished game which paradox has created as of yet, and, as any paradox gamer will tell you, this is a HIGHLY prestigious title for any game they have produced and alomost all of paradox's titles are of extremely high quality.

The new causus belli system adds so much depth to the game that, when coupled with the new rules on family dynasty's, you will find yourself unable to revert vanilla anymore as the series has evolved since that point to become vastly better and it is now like playing a whole new game.

kudos to paradox on this one

This game is a must have. Currently, there is no other game which better and more realistically portrays socioeconomical dynamics and offers a precise and realistic strategy game over late middle ages to early 19th century period. What's more game does it without subjecting you to tedium, OR, letting only superficial control over your lands. War and casus belli system with its goals is very good and realistic. Overall game is realistic and balanced. Currently this is the level Eu3 has to be, so you should get your Eu3 up to this expansion and play with this.

Whilst Napoleons Ambition and In Nomine were great additions to the main game they mainly added new campaigns and years to play with some fixes and tweaks. This however is meant just for improvements sake and is a must for anyone who owns the main game and the 2 expansions, it just makes it feel complete. The only downside is it feels like you're paying for a patch but these improvements are really worth it.

A definite buy.

A 3rd expansion in the EU3 series, HTTT is certainly an improvement and goes about improving the game mechanics, the two most important ones being the Dynasties addition and the new Casus Belli additions. Dynasties adds more of a historical touch with recognisable families such as the Stuarts, and expands on royal marriages by allowing the player by allowing the player to see the potential benefits or consequences of the royal marriages they form with other nations.

Casus Belli are the next major addition, a largely expanded feature of an original EU3 idea they give brand new reasons and benefits to declaring war giving the player and their enemies more guidance into what they can take in war. Although the possibility of a BB war still does exist and gives a Casus Belli countries can take advantage of.

These are the two major features but there are many other features such as minor UI changes which make all the difference and expansions on the Papacy and the HRE which make a much more fulfilling game.

If you are considering Heir to the Throne I am assuming you already familiar with EU3 in which case this latest expansion adds many new features. My favorite are the dynasties, new CB's and reworked the Hre all of which adds new depth to the game. The CB's help to balance the game by tweaking the demands that the player can make in peavce treaties to be relevant to the CB used to declare war. This latest expansion is well worth the price to those that enjoy the grand strategy game Europa Universalis III.

This expansion adds some interesting features like hereditary dynasties and a more opportunities for expansion trough new casus bellis (more excuses to go that allow you to declare war without negative side effects), also it allows you to recruit advisers instead of just praying for some to show up and finally it adds new historical decisions and infrastructure building programs trough state and local decisions.

I bought mine at 20 dollars and i was a little disappointed again it added some new twists and interesting aspects but it was way over priced, the new 10 dollar price seems fair and it allows you to play the magna mundi mod that greatly enhances the game experience.

I'm not entirely unbiased, I'll have to admit, since I did beta test this.

Suffice to say I bought it the moment it was out, and don't regret it.

EU3 felt complete after In Nomine, and then there's this. No sweeping changes, but all those little change do add up to a whole new game experience.

An unexpected addition to the Europa Universalis 3 family (Paradox had already released a complete collection of EU3), Heir To the Throne brings new gameplay enhancements to an already good game. War and diplomacy have been revamped, along with a dynasty model for the rulers of nations.

While such improvements are always welcome, I feel the game shouldn't have been valued at its original price at the time of release. There's hardly any significant graphics improvements (the biggest thing one notices is a sharper map, splash screen background plus the removal of Terra Incognita) and without realising those aforementioned gameplay additions that came with the expansion, I wouldn't have known I was playing Heir To the Throne. The game also suffered from a few crashes. In summary, the expansion comes up a bit empty, but only a tiny bit.

All in all though, Heir To the Throne is a decent expansion, despite a few flaws.

Definitly a great expansion to EU3. The new CB system and various other improvements really make the game seem to have moe direction and purpose. There are a few balancing issues in my mind though, and it tends to produce slightly more improbable results historically speaking than IN did. That being said, it really adds to the depth of gamplay and I would highly recomend it.

A very good expansion pack. Good, not great. The 20$ price is what keeps it from greatness, still the new features are well designed and useful. The Casus Belli options make warfare easier and more strategic. New peace treaty options mesh with the Casus Belli features to enhance warfare. And if I'm not mistaken, the AI has been improved. It succeeds in making the game more complex, but less complicated. Now if only the few remaining quirks could be ironed out, and a dynasty system (like in Crusader Kings, Rome) added in the game would be perfect...

After playing this game for many hours I have come to the conclusion that, although this game is not properly "polished" as previous titles have been by Paradox. It is very fun! The new war aims bring a much needed feature into the series and the role of Heirs and dynasties is good. However it is not in depth and is only in name i.e. no family trees etc and would have liked much more in this respect. However, whether the price is justified enough is up to you, for me personally I would have preferred the price being lower. Overall good fun product and recommend it to anyone who likes this series and is a good reason to try it if you do not!

This expansion, Heir to the Throne, is simply amazing. The Casus Belli system adds alot of depth to the game and ensures that wars are only fought for their specific goals. It is much easier to run over your infamy limit this time around. The new countries added as well as the formation of the Holy Roman Empire spices things up. Furthermore, it is much easier to get the advisers you want rather than waiting through ones you dont want.

In short, Heir to the Throne is a must buy for any Paradox Interactive fan.

Heir to the Throne is an excellent last expansion for EUIII. Further use of the morale system for armies so they can surrender instead of ping-ponging back and forth across your territories is worth the price alone. The new diplomatic options, dynasties and Culture make the game much more interesting and detailed.

If you have purchased all of the other Europa III expansions than this is really a must have. It feels to me like the icing on the cake. It polishes the already well-made game and adds a very nice casus-belli system. War is better, Diplomacy is better, all manner of additions make this more than worth the money.

This game is a must buy game.

It is really great making the Europa series complete in all directions. It is so great and realistic. You manage society, military and economy of a nation of your choice. You can create the largest empire in the world by diplomatic annexation (royal marriages and good relations etc..) or through the use of your military might. Choose the type of military units that will be your empires backbone.

Choose whether to create an empire through the military occupation of provinces or through a trading empire. Send colonists around the world and spread your religion throughout the globe. Battle holy wars, conquests wars and use your spies to effectively cripple an enemy empire or to create rebel movements around the world who could later cede their province and join your empire. Use your military to subdue opposition to your rule. Support your allies financially and militarily.

Higher the best advisor who are the best of the best of your nations men. they support and back research.

Amazing game highly educational, historically accurate, realistic and great in all ways. I spent long long hours playing it and learned many things too. Great game.

I give it 10 out of 10.

Heir to the Throne is a 'must have' for everyone who likes EU. Dont make a mistake: while In Nomine and Napoleon's Ambition add a lot to the game, its HTTT that makes this game best in EU series and my favourite Paradox's game.

I have to say this finally made it worthwhile to play as a merchant republic. In the past, the lack of royal marriages and subsequently the inability to form vassals, as well as the low priority placed on trade early in the game, made trade republics worthless, or almost so. I love Venice and Novgorod in history, but rarely played either in EU III. Now I am having a ball playing Venice, engaging in trade wars, fighting with Genoa over spheres of influence and so on. My only regret is the lack of an independent Amalfi to round out the traditional rivalry of Genoa, Venice and Pisa.

There are dozens of other improvements as well, the royal families give a hint of the fun I had playing Crusader Kings, though obviously not to the same degree. Still, knowing what nations it is likely I might inherit, where a possible succession war might break out, and so on really adds some reality and adds strategic options.

Before this upgrade I still enjoyed EU III, but I was just as often inclined to play Crusader Kings/Deus Vult or even EU II. Now I play EU III much more frequently. A truly incredible expansion.

For people who like EU3 from before, this expansion is probably going to double the playable time you will have with the game overall.

So many things changed to make the game even more realistic.

Being an emperor does after all mean more than improved stats for your rulers and with this expansion it will finally show!

Now the Holy Roman Emperor can do things like demand religious unity, use imperial authority to improve internal relations, get a legit reason to defend any empire members and if played well you can even use the HRE to unite all of the empire into your nation.

The trade nations such as Venice or The Hansa now will have their historical strength more accurately represented by using the newly implemented trade leagues.

Finally it will make sense to play as a Merchant Republic.

As a final example of the changes in this expansion, now your war actually will have to be relevant to the exact type of casus belli you are claiming to start it.

If someone insults you, that does not really legitimize annexing a nation now does it? Honestly?

Fortunately the same goes the other way around of course.

These are just a few of the many and deep changes in this expansion.

In brief the difference between this expansion and the previous ones is by far greater than what was the case with the previous expansions.

With all the tweaks, additions, and overall improvements, this expansion is a must have. The expanded casus belli system along with the improved AI refresh and enhance the EUIII experience. With the introduction of dynastic elements diplomacy becomes an even more important tool - personal unions and royal marriages are powerful ways of consolidating power.

The new cultural tradition and magistrate system alongside improved trading make the hours of gameplay even more enjoyable and dynamic. Forging your nation's destiny is an interesting affair that even jaded fans will feel has been improved. The countless hours of entertainment added by this expansion is worth it.

Unlike some Paradox releases, this one is relatively optimized and bug-free. Already a patch is on its way to fix some of the few minor issues that affect the game. It is worth getting the game now regardless.

Unsure if the EU3-series of "grand strategy" is too "grand" to start out with?

What has this latest (I dare not say "last") expansion added in terms of game experience?

Why is EU3 HTTT a natural game choice for anyone even remotely interested in history and/or strategy?

To the first Q: Don't hesitate! In my opionion it is a game that will reward anyone who just manages to allocate *some* time to just get started. But don't expect to master every aspect after the first hours of gameplay. I love strategy games like e.g. Civ, but the EU-games and EU3 in particular are like a super-Civ on steroids, adding a lot of realism and historical athmosphere to the gameplay.

My initial error while learning the EU3-games was that I ran it on slow speed and thinking I could control every aspect in all regions. Don't. Once I speeded up a bit, I saw the relation between my actions and game development. Once basic is learned however, you can learn the different game aspects as you go, trying out different options and ponder your next action. I was used to what I now think of as rather simple build-and-collect-resource-sort of simulations. The point of EU3 is not another pretty city or gold, but rather intangibles such as glory, fame, and, well - it is actually quite up to you and your own preferences: You could also choose to conquer a chunk of the world, colonize, claim someone's throne, or just cling on to your local provinces and develop a trade association with your neighbours.

To my second Q: Even more fun! For example: The idea of running costly wars just to wear down your enemies without any other purposes than conquest is boring after a while in most games. The various reasons for occassionally waging war in EU3 HTTT, adds a very pleasant variation. Now that I consider myself somewhat experienced, I must say that just pondering over my next action with the game set to "pause" gives me great pleasure. I must admit,I have never encountered a game earlier that can be as rewarding even when put "on hold". The only game that springs to mind is chess and perhaps the occassional odd board game. But do not make the mistake of thinking that EU3 HTTT can not be fast-paced too! Sometimes I enjoy hitting the pause button - other times I *have to*.

Now, for the third Q: this game is just about all what I expect of a modern game; it has got depth, a huge variety of situations and regions and with many different aspects to consider. The result is history in all its complexity unfolding on the maps and on your screen. In short, it defines "grand" in "grand strategy". Good luck!

Same old same old, but wait it all feels new once again. Don't pass on this expansion even if you supposedly already bought a so called complete EU3 game. I really doubt this game could ever be finished but at least every expansion makes it better, warmly recommended if you like EU3.

In Nomine was a big step for the Europa Universalis III system. The additions in IN were compelling, highly requested, and the game felt smoother, more complex, but no less accessible (well, once you get past the normal EU learning curve). Many felt like In Nomine was the keystone and the best "cap" for a great game. But, surprise surprise, Heir to the Throne has came, like a hidden claimant to the throne, attempting to topple In Nomine from its throne. Does it succeed, or is it just another illegitimate ursurper?

Well, for the most part, Heir to the Throne succeeds but, to continue with this analogy, you should actually view Heir to the Throne as the Heir Apparent to In Nomine, rather than a new king. Why, because the changes to the EU system that HTTT adds BUILD UPON the already strong base created by In Nomine.

One major benefit that is immediately apparent with HTTT are some small but welcome changes to the UI. There are several new alerts, one for countries that have no legitimate heirs and another that appears when you have military upgrades available. "Badboy" know ingame as Infamy, is now instantly show on the main UI, next to the legitimacy of your ruler and the Prestige of your nation - all welcome as part of the main information screen. The declaration of war screen is very clear, giving the different types of Causus Belli available, and showing exactly who is allied with the target (and with you) and how the CB will effect your peace aims. When you gain a new CB against a country, a nice pop-up message appears that gives EXACTLY what that CB entails and what peace costs are effected.

Which leads me to my favorite change in HTTT, the Causus Belli system. The system has been made much more clear and given a rather radical overhaul. Now you have to choose which CB your country will be using for their DoW, a choice which will unlock certain peace treaty options, or make regular peace treaty options more or less expensive. For example, if a rival nation has one of your cores, you can use the reconquest option, which will waive your stability cost (as do all CBs) and allow you to request your core provinces in the peace treaty with no hit to your infamy. Sure, this was the same as in In Nomine, but it is now crystal clear, and the cost for demanding those core provinces is much lower. However, a DoW that uses something like a diplomatic slight (such as a denial of a Call to Arms from an Ally, or a response to an Insult) makes it much harder to get anything more than a simple revocation of cores or a monetary reparation - demands for territory from such a DoW will result in a decent infamy hit and will be full price in the peace score. This does limit the player, but facilitates a realistic war system and creates certain role-playing scenarios, making the game have more character and feel more like a nation sim than a "blob" sim.

Further, the second major addition is the dynastic system. Now kings and que

Heir to the throne adds a lot of things to EU3 of which one of the most important ones is the new casus belli system that gives several options instead of the old generic one; they then give different options.

Together with a whole new dynasty system that does bring ones royalty that step closer, and a novel form of government like the hansa trading leage the Holy Roman Empire and the Papacy have been reformed.

Then there are some small issues like AI, piracy, balancing, bugs etc etc. All in all a worthy upgrade to a good game that will get you the playtime out of your bucks. Paradox Software takes some time to get it perfect but, as with earlier games, this seems to have done it.

After Napoleon's Ambition and In Nomine... was a new expansion for Europa Universalis III needed? According to what I've been playing, definetely yes! Don't look for new scenarios, or an expanded timeline. You won't miss it. New features and improved AI will make you feel like playing EUIII for the fist time. Diplomacy has grown hugely: a completely new war system, improved land combat, 30 different casus belli... If you're a kingdom, dinasty will be a new instrument of 'soft power'; if you're a merchant republic, trade would even more powerful. Controlling the Holy See has been encouraged, and becoming the Emperor of Holy Roman Empire is now being a real power in Europe. New features like cultural issues, a new way of bringing the advisors you really need, and nice improvements in the map... All of it make of Heir to the Throne a real must for Europa Universalis players... and the best start for newbies to the series and Paradox grand strategy. 5/5