US population in Victoria II HPM
How HPM pop growth fail to portray US population growth due to gameplay mechanics
(Disclaimer: I use HPM and not vanilla due to the unplayability of base vanilla).
Victoria II is a 2010 Grand Strategy game developed by Paradox Interactive where you can play as any Victorian Era countries from 1836-1936. Among many, population and economic mechanics are what make the game one of not the most interesting Paradox game to this date. However, the game massively lacks flavor, with very little events and a tiring mechanic. This, as any Paradox game, has made the usage of mods a necessity to play and have some semblance of fun (the DLC are a must if u don’t want to deal with things like yellow Prussia). HPM is the most popular Victoria II mod: it adds flavor, better mechanics to the overall game and it’s pretty entertaining. However, as much as this game and mod can be praised, something I have noticed is the following: the game population mechanics are gameplay designed rather than historically designed, at least in the case of the US.
For starters, let’s explain some basic population mechanics. These are: the two main types of populations, the factors of non immigration based population growth and immigration lead growth. These will be discussed exclusively in Victoria II HPM context.
First of all, there are two main types of population. The first is the total male adult population. They are the ones you will care about due to the fact they are the one who have jobs and influence your economy. The second group is what I call real population, which is 4 times the number of the male adult population and represents the total population of a country. Take in consideration the game defines the real population according to the adult male one, not the other war around. The population is concentrated in provinces which are grouped in regions. THE MODIFIERS ARE EITHER NATIONAL OR PROVINCIAL, NEVER REGIONAL, and the base numbers should always be looked in province terms.
Male adult population
Real Population:
The factors which influence population growth outside of immigration are four: life rating of the province the population is growing, inventions that rise population growth, reforms in the healthcare system and events. The population growth affects the adult male population modifier and it’s calculated monthly. The first factor is easy: a province has a set number of inhabitants and its monthly increase is calculated by the life rating. The system goes from a 5 to 50 system, but only 30 to 40 benchmark matters. From 5 to 30 population is static. From 31 to 40 it increases: 31 is +0.01%, and 40 is +0.9% . However, this increase not lineal: you can have provinces with 38 life rating and +0.06% growth. Above the 40 life rating point the modifier has no effect. You cannot modify the life rating outside of an event or the code.
Life rating and population growth
Researched technologies affect population growth. They are in the branch of Chemistry and Electricity of the tech tree as inventions. You advance, research and employ them. In sum they add an +0.8% of growth.
The tech three
The effect
Healthcare and healthcare funding are important. You pass reforms which increase population growth. Also, you can fund your administration with a lot of money and get to the final level of healthcare with a +0.09% modifier.
Finally in this category you have events. They rise population growth by a set percentage for a variable period of time. They are either random or set and mostly escape to the player’s control.
Immigration is the number of european, japanese or chinese people who emigrate to the new world, african colonies or Oceania. Some countries have immigration modifiers. The higher your militancy and immigration push are (militancy means angry people in the nation due to a variety of factors) the more immigrants will go to the new world. We have to remark that HPM mods adds massive negative modifiers to countries who are at war -100% immigrant attraction and generally makes it less desirable for pops to emigrate due to the easiness of passing reforms. You require a massive catastrophe in Europe or the westernization and pseudo collapse of China to take advantage of this mechanic in the mod (except for the period 1844-1848 where the game has scripted national tensions in Europe). The immigrants are accounted as adult male population and its flow is monthly.
Emigration from Europe
Immigration to the US
Now that we have the basics we can start explaining why the game population mechanics are gameplay designed rather than historically designed, at least in the case of the US. For starters, there is something important to take in consideration: Victoria II demographics is supposed to increase population growth as time goes on and players developed their respective countries. As have been demonstrated, tech and welfare alone increase population growth by +0.17% monthly by 1880-1900 at earliest. By 1860, for example, you are not able to increase welfare because socialist parties and movements haven’t been able to rise to power and the tech bonus is +0.06%. The normal province of the US has, by that time, 35 life rating and a +0.05-6% modifier. The US also starts with its main cities with a relatively low life rating compared to european ones and only increase by a decision. So we have a +0.11% vs a 0.22% difference in monthly population growth. Real life statistics weren’t this way: US population growth raised between 1830-1860 and declined after that, not increased… and it started to be constant decline in 1880!!!
These modifiers, together with the event: Liberty Enlightens the World, which is triggered in 1890 and adds population growth to some massive provinces (New York, Philadelphia) for some time and the decision of encouraging growth in the steel belt which rises New York and Pittsburg and Philadelphia life rating to 40. You have provinces with a 0.08% extra population growth modifier for some years which reduces to a 0.04% permanent modifier. At the end of the day with all this late game bonus US population growth looks like this:
Also, factors like immigration BARELY affect the game, though the model I use had a pretty crazy war between europeans which actually affected immigration for 6-8 months. HPM immigration has been criticized by being unfair to new world countries due to factors that strongly lower european militancy and make chinese westernization not even present in the game. If we compare US real pop growth vs game population growth we have massive differences (HOWEVER, the start to converge circa the end of the game).
The game reduces US population growth in the early game taking away natural factors (massively fertility rate and irish immigration, which is fairly minimal though considerable in the game). US demographic history is probably my favorite branch of US history and this game did it… good but not perfect. This is all made for improve gameplay experience and balance, though the game is massively unbalanced in the first place. Yet, they are very inaccurate and should be pointed out.
Note: the tables are from a game of Victoria II where I was Iceland in basically a spectator mod. The game had strong resemblance with other games I have had with the US demographics, so I used it as reference. I know I need more data, but playing to get it is extremely tiring.
good post imo