Just finished my first game of Victoria 2.
Played as Japan, became a Great Power, ended the game (in 3rd place) with ~7700 score, ~1700 prestige, ~1700 industry, ~4400 military.
Ended with ~700 standing regiments, ~250 ships, awesome leaders (though they were poor in comparison to my mid-game generals and admirals who literally never lost a battle)
Was embroiled in a World War (was also a Great War as originally it was a US/GB confrontation) for the last ~10 years of the game, fought the British Empire, Russia, most Secondary Powers, and the vassals thereof to a standstill to preserve my score till the end of the game.
Instigated a naval arms race with Britain and rivaled them for power by the end of the game (I actually surpassed them at several points, in terms of raw ship numbers [and also firepower], but my naval base upgrades took a while... awesome research and industry allowed me to turn out Battleships at a rate of something crazy like 5-10 a month as I neared the end after I had lost a few ships in the war.)
Acquired half of China, The Philippines, Taiwan, along with most of Vietnam and the Sakhalin islands (Oil man, oil) (~255mil total pop, %79 literacy)
(Also went 30/30, 30/30, 30/30, 27/30, and 25/30 for research)
Other interesting things: Prussia, Russia, and Austria are all communists. China imploded. Malaya formed (those oil-loving, british sphered bastards.) The REAL WWI was essentially fought all over China with the destructive weapons of early WWII and was much bloodier.
EDIT: Also produced 100% of the world's tanks and ~20% of the world's aircraft... so even when I lose, I win!