Crusader Kings II - Paradox Entertainement (02/12)

[jmberry]

Originally Posted by HellHound01

I'm going to do a CK2 Game of Thrones AAR.

Anyone have any suggestions as to what scenario I should do?

Aegon's Conquest, as one of the native kings fighting against the invaders

[Krall]

Welp, that's too many responses to reply to individually, but you all said roughly the same thing, so that's okay.

Thanks for the advice - I think I'm getting the hang of some of the mechanics now. I'm also learning not to flip out and ragequit the moment half of my vassals dare to revolt (especially when I still have enough money to hire a mercenary company and steamroll them all! ).

My game's still going well. I managed to get enough provinces to form the Kingdom of Ireland and have warred/diplomanced my way to Ireland's modern borders. I had a bit of trouble when my original ruler - who was very well-loved - died and his son - who was less well-loved - succeeded him, resulting in his younger brother declaring a civil war as a pretender, and *all* my vassals (minus the Earl of Desmond, who is surprisingly supportive for a 10-year-old) joining him (including my son and heir - I don't know what he thought he'd get out of it). Thankfully I had enough money to hire a mercenary band, which was about twice the size of all my vassal's armies combined. Once I won the revolt, the rebels were automatically imprisoned - I let my son go (surely he was just misguided, and also an idiot); ransomed my other, even younger brother (then threw half of his ransom back at him in order to keep him happy); then took the title from the only vassal who wasn't related to me (he'd rebelled before, so I just wanted him gone) and released him, as he was no longer a threat; and ransomed my rebellious brother, but let him keep his title (he's married to a lady with the "Quick" attribute, and I wanted to keep their kids under my control for eugenics purposes).

My brother then immediately reformed the "Prince Wotsisname for King of Ireland" faction. I formed a plot to revoke him of his title, and took ages finding someone who liked me enough to join it. My brother refused to give up his title, so I took it by force. He's now the Steward of the Isle of Man, and refuses to come home with his genetically superior wife. Oh well, I'm sure I'll be able to invite his kids back once he's dead, or marry them back into my realm somehow.

I think my next move is a war to press one of my vassal/courtier's claims on the Duchy of Gwynedd. If I understand the rules correctly, if the person whose claim I'm pressing is already my vassal or is of my dynasty, then they will be my vassal when they gain their new title. At the moment I have a vassal with a weak claim, and a courtier with a weak claim. I've pressed the courtier's claim before, and succeeded, only for them to be shoved out again in a couple of weeks. However, the courtier was married to one of my kinsmen, and her children are of my dynasty, so if they have the same weak claim then I'd prefer to wait for her to die and press their claim instead. Firstly because I'd rather have more vassals with fewer titles, rather than let one vassal concentrate titles and power in themselves, and secondly because it seems mean to press her claim once only to abandon her cause when a more convenient one comes along. There's also the fact that her children would have better relations with me, through being the same dynasty.

I've not been keeping much of an eye on the rest of the world, apart from England - which went from Norwegian, to Danish (apart from Cornwall, which was still Norwegian somehow), to independent, to its current state which can only be properly described as "confused" (as in everyone's revolting against the king, but for conflicting reasons so they're hostile to each other, and Scotland's invading, but most of the rebels are hostile towards Scotland) - but I did take the opportunity to marry my eldest daughter to the Byzantine Emperor. It wasn't a martilineal marriage, but it makes me happy to know that the great empire of Rome may someday be ruled by Hiberno-Greeks.

Anyway, er, sorry for the rambling post. Thanks again for all your advice and help!

[JBO]

Originally Posted by Krall

SNIP

Sounds fun can we get a screen shot?
Also: Did you consider my Finnland idea?

[Sevarics]

I hate using the invite a nobleman option because their family name is always "Of -insert place-"

[Krall]

Originally Posted by JBO

Sounds fun can we get a screen shot?
Also: Did you consider my Finnland idea?

Sure, here's a shot of the British Isles (in addition to all the confusion I talked about before, there's apparently a war for the Norwegian claim on England going on, and Norway *still owns Cornwall*) (sorry about the size):



I had to look back through the thread to find your Finland idea - I'd consider it, but I'm trying to learn the ropes rather than try anything risky. Most of the area's already been claimed anyway, mainly by Sweden and Denmark, but also by the HRE and, er, England... somehow:



Another thing I'd like to ask you fellows about is crusades. There's apparently one going on at the moment - should I get involved? It seems to be going very badly, as the warscore is at about -50%, with Christian armies of about one or two thousand men being killed by stacks of ten and twenty thousand Muslims. Is there a way to get loads of extra soldiers to use in a crusade, or should I sit this one out?

[Kome]

Originally Posted by Krall

Another thing I'd like to ask you fellows about is crusades. There's apparently one going on at the moment - should I get involved? It seems to be going very badly, as the warscore is at about -50%, with Christian armies of about one or two thousand men being killed by stacks of ten and twenty thousand Muslims. Is there a way to get loads of extra soldiers to use in a crusade, or should I sit this one out?

Do what a real crusader king would do.

[Zmflavius]

England might have gotten its chunk of Finland by inheritance from Norway; since it appears that the English crown has chunks held by Norwegians.

With regards to Crusades; after a certain point in the game (should be right about now, actually), Holy Orders start popping up. A Holy Order costs only piety to recruit, but gives you several thousand soldiers when they first appear; three will eventually be available (they do cost gold in upkeep). Bear in mind that Holy Orders can only be employed against non-Christian foes.

If you have the resources of an entire kingdom, you probably should be able to win a Crusade. I'd go for some more expansion to play it safe though.

[JBO]

Some basic ideas: Get Wales while England is still weak. Try getting one of the bigger english duchies too. Once you have the crowns of Ireland AND Wales you should have no problem of prestige anymore. Isle of Man is always neat to have. In my experience in Ireland games it is best to leave scotland alone, unless you already have more then half of England, because the nobles almost ALWAYS revolt for independence, what your Irish nobles take as a signal to revolt for lower Crown authority.
Instead you should try for Bretagne or if you are advanterous one of the Spanish Kingdoms or Sicily.
It is also surprisingly easy as King of Ireland to marry your heir to a princess of France and then to proceed to kill off all her brothers. Wait two Generations and your family rules France!(You are gonna need money to hire mecs against the inevitable french revolts though.)

That reminds me: ALWAYS replace nobility of other cultures with your own as soon as possible. This is how I pacified France when I conquered it as HRE. In the end all of Occitania (and all of Italy) was German!
If you conquer muslim territory give it to vassals with stewardship of 20+. If you don't have those, or you don't want your already powerful vassal to get stronger give the counties to landless lowborn people. High stewardship garantees culture flip and coversion in 7 years or less.

[Ynnead]

Originally Posted by Sevarics

I played the Robert's Rebellion scenario as the Targaryans and after a while of having Rhaegar married to Lyana Stark and popping out baby after baby, hit observe. Let me tell you what, the AI cancelled all of their betrothals to other families and instead went full into the Targaryan incest. Brothers and sisters marrying, uncles and nieces, aunts and nephews, cousins and cousins...even one father and daughter (where the daughter was the child of siblings no less).

All my grand plans of watching the Targaryans inherit the Westerlands, the Reach, Dorne, the Vale, the Stormlands and the North got dashed by the uber incest and cancelled betrothals. Also, when the Iron Throne did inherit the North, the Westerlands, and the Stormlands, try gave it to non-Targaryans. The only land they kept in the dynasty was the Iron Islands (which were eventually overthrown by the Greyjoys) am the Reach (where the mad Lord Paramount Aerys married his daughter and had kids with her).

Have a similar problem. Played as the Conquer. First I was like "Oh this is going to suck." Then I discover Dragons are basically nukes and I win the whole continent in like five battles, so then I was like "well this is going to be boring." that's about the time I discover my heir is betrothal to his daughter. It got worse after they married and the "I've fallen in love with my wife" event triggered quickly. luckily he has a non-incestous (well grandson of incest) heir so whatever the hell this...union produces won't inherit the throne if I'm at least moderately lucky.

[Zmflavius]

Why I love mods



Another silly house name from the Shattered Worlds sub-mod.



Sigh...not again.

[Zireael]

Originally Posted by Ynnead

Have a similar problem. Played as the Conquer. First I was like "Oh this is going to suck." Then I discover Dragons are basically nukes and I win the whole continent in like five battles, so then I was like "well this is going to be boring." that's about the time I discover my heir is betrothal to his daughter. It got worse after they married and the "I've fallen in love with my wife" event triggered quickly. luckily he has a non-incestous (well grandson of incest) heir so whatever the hell this...union produces won't inherit the throne if I'm at least moderately lucky.

Targaryen incest doesn't increase the chance of bad traits (except for lunatic).