When I look back at the ground covered since the Early Access, I realize that, step by step, we have come a long long way.
Additions to the game since the Early Access
Geostrategic advantages
A national policies system
A regional intelligence system
More actions
More technologies
Living World game mode
An editor
Multiplayer
DLCs extending the timespan from 1945 to 2001
DLC to play as France or China
Geostrategic Advantages:
When you don't know where to start, have a look at these. You can think of them as secondary quests that unlock strong bonuses or one-time effects.
Seasoned players like to use them as opening moves and combine them with their long-term strategies.
National Policies System:
This system really enables you to choose your own path. There is no combination of policies that will work all the time in every environment: you will truly have to be the great helmsman of your nation.
And yes, with this system, it is now possible to save the USSR or make communism work.
I know that players tend to settle on the combination of policies that has worked for them, but there are truly different paths that can work, so I encourage you to experiment outside your comfort zone.
The Regional Intelligence System:
It enables the player to gain bonuses by focusing on a particular type of intelligence operation.
The chosen focus unlocks bonuses and special actions.
This comes at a cost, but when used well, it will help keep the game's momentum in your favor.
More Actions:
I know some new players tend to focus on economic aid and military aid because they seem like the safe strategy. And at low difficulty levels, this may work.
Don't play like that: you will get bored, and you will miss out on all the evil-genius combinations of actions that can make your prestige point count explode.
In this game, to earn points in the long run, you will often have to lose some in the short term: think of it as an investment.
You now have many actions that allow you to do so, especially those provided by the Regional Intelligence Bureaus.
More Technologies & Projects:
You now have more choices, but remember: you don't need to complete every project or research every technology to win. A more aggressive use of your budget can often be more rewarding.
Living World Game Mode:
With this game option enabled, the world becomes more chaotic, and you will have to deal with actions taken by minor and regional powers.
A must-have mode once you are familiar with the game.
(You can disable it if you prefer the two-chess-players feel of the vanilla game.)
An Editor:
The base game is rather easy to understand; the editor, on the contrary, is the realm of hardcore tinkerers.
I recommend joining the Discord for quick help if you intend to create your own scenarios.
If you are even more badass than that, the JSON files can still be modded without using the editor.
Multiplayer:
Multiplayer now covers the whole 1949-1989 time span and you can save your multiplayer games.
However I consider that shorter scenarios may be more suited for multiplayer, so you will find a selection of shorter scenarios to play with your friends.
— — — — —
The base game covers 1949–1989, playing as either the USA or the USSR.
Everything that doesn't fit within this core Cold War setting is included in DLCs.
This way, you can buy only what interests you, while the price of the base game can be kept under $15.
The DLCs, Ranked by the Author:
Pax Americana: I am very proud of this one, and I consider it a must-have. It extends the game through 2001, inclusive. It gives the game a different feel and introduces different challenges.
As the Russian player, you will have to manage the aftermath of the dissolution of the USSR. As the USA, you will play the role of World Police while domestic problems pile up at home.
Grandeur et Illusions: This DLC adds the years 1945–1948 to the game, a period rich in events. (The USSR didn't even have the bomb yet!)
It also adds France.
Playing as France is really difficult, so it is more of an experience for seasoned players.
The East Is Red: The smallest child of the bunch. You get to play as China, which is rather cool. However, you should know that the Chinese scenarios end in 1976, and players generally consider China to be the least replayable country in the game.
That said, according to most players, the experience is a fun one.
Will this game keep having updates in the future?
Considering that the Steam version is the third remake of a game that has been constantly remade and updated since 2014, it's safe to bet that the author will keep updating it in the future.
The next updates will probably consist of small quality-of-life and gameplay improvements, and you can expect a poll at some point to help decide what the next big content update should be.
I hope you will all have a lot of fun with this game!
Maestro Cinetik.