Not China as playable area, China as (moddable) off-map title with interaction screen and involvement.
Crusader Kings II - Paradox Entertainement (02/12)
- Thread starter Tellus
- Start date
C R U S A D E R M I N G S
Overall, I dunno how I feel about this. Either it's gonna be absolutely FANTASTIC, or it's gonna backfire pretty badly. IMO there shoulda just been a DLC that was just tons of flavor, and then saved China for the next expansion. But I dunno, we'll have to see how things happen.
Overall, I dunno how I feel about this. Either it's gonna be absolutely FANTASTIC, or it's gonna backfire pretty badly. IMO there shoulda just been a DLC that was just tons of flavor, and then saved China for the next expansion. But I dunno, we'll have to see how things happen.
Crossposting my AGOT gameplay:
TFW you help the Reynes defeat the Lannisters in the Reyne Rebellion start date of the AGOT mod for CK2.
Started as the Red Lion and got a marriage proposal for my niece from Luthor Tyrell of the Reach. Wasn't expecting that. Formed alliance. Called him into war. Defeated Tytos.
Now the Red Lion is the LP of the Westerlands and forced Tytos into wedding Gemma Lannister to his grandson, Kyle Reyne. And all of Kyle and Gemma's kids are betrothed to Targaryens.
Jaehaerys II had additional kids besides Aerys and Rhaelle, who also had more kids. Additionally, Steffon Baratheon died during a jousting tournament leaving only a daughter behind who is betrothed to a Targaryen boy...
Things are on the up and up for House Reyne. Still need to properly wipe out House Lannister from Casterly Rock and Lannisport, though.
Interestingly, Joanna Lannister fell in love with Aerys and keeps popping out bastard kids with him. Tywin has no kids of his own.
TFW you help the Reynes defeat the Lannisters in the Reyne Rebellion start date of the AGOT mod for CK2.
Started as the Red Lion and got a marriage proposal for my niece from Luthor Tyrell of the Reach. Wasn't expecting that. Formed alliance. Called him into war. Defeated Tytos.
Now the Red Lion is the LP of the Westerlands and forced Tytos into wedding Gemma Lannister to his grandson, Kyle Reyne. And all of Kyle and Gemma's kids are betrothed to Targaryens.
Jaehaerys II had additional kids besides Aerys and Rhaelle, who also had more kids. Additionally, Steffon Baratheon died during a jousting tournament leaving only a daughter behind who is betrothed to a Targaryen boy...
Things are on the up and up for House Reyne. Still need to properly wipe out House Lannister from Casterly Rock and Lannisport, though.
Interestingly, Joanna Lannister fell in love with Aerys and keeps popping out bastard kids with him. Tywin has no kids of his own.
I wonder how the Liao Dynasty would be changed by this update (they are the "Empire of Mongolia" in the 1066 start). I hope the Liao (and the Xi Xia, as Minyak is what the Tangut Empire/Xi Xia called itself) get modifiers for their off-map territories (like extra troops and cash). Also, I hope they add the Guiyi Army in the 867 start as well.
Planet of Hats
Donor
More from my big fat Norman campaign.
It's the year 1056 - two years after the end of the 50-year reign of Arnaud the Wise, the grandson of King Gerard of Valland and the son of King Joscelin III. Arnaud seemed destined for trouble when he inherited the throne in 1004 at age 12 after Joscelin III died in his 40s, a victim of his unhealthy lifestyle. With his regent struggling to hold the vast royal demesne and his sister the heir apparent, the nobles of Francia conspired en masse to overthrow Arnaud in favour of the Duke of Luxembourg, even with his vast treasury flung open to treat his vassals with liberal gifts. Only the permanent stationing of the Great Company in Brugge, alongside the retinue of Valland, kept the nobility from taking matters into their own hands.
When Arnaud came of age, he found himself the beneficiary of his father and grandfather's liberal dalliances in the game of inheritance. With Western Europe in chaos as the Wiglafing realms of Aquitaine, Burgundy and Germany competed for dominance and the British Isles torn apart by conflict between the Anglo-Saxons of Asturias and the various petty kingdoms neighbouring them, succession struggles abounded, just as a generation of distant kin of the House of Écarve came of age with fringe claims to be pushed. Over the course of two decades, Arnaud pursued his relatives' claims vigorously. Norman knights marched into Aquitaine to wrest Alsace and Toulouse from the hands of the Wiglafings, into Gascogne to seize that kingdom from a rebellious duke, then into the duchies of Burgundy, Provence, East Anglia and Northumbria, and finally supporting a kinsman's claim to the crown of Gallaecia, pressing claims for members of the family. In between these conquests, he answered the call of Rome to war in Pannonia, leading the charge to wrest the Carpathian Mountains from the hand of the Abauj Khanate and return it to the hands of the Bohemian kings of Pannonia.
By 1024, Arnaud's campaign in the south had progressed sufficiently that, in a grand ceremony in Sluys in the presence of a papal legate, he declared himself Emperor of Gallia and protector of the Saxon March - notably, not Emperor of Francia, for that title was seen as tied to the Frankish people and the descendants of Merovech and Charles, and the men who came from the north to Valland years before had come to view themselves as distinct from the Franks, who had by now long since been shoved into Italy. The name "Francia" thus came to sit in the same category as "Visigothic Kingdom" - a transient title tied to a tribal identity, applied more to Italy these days than to Norman Gaul.
Over thirty years as Emperor, Arnaud warred with the Franks of Italy, who had expanded to conquer most of Ifriqiya, Bohemia and Bavaria. Seeking to break up the Agilolfing family's dominance of the Mediterranean and central Europe, Arnaud supported a claimant to the throne of Italy, breaking that kingdom out from the united kingship. The candidate the Normans installed was overthrown within a year, but the move did successfully prevent the Agilolfings from re-consolidating their crowns under one holder again. A series of wars in Burgundy followed as Arnaud expanded to most of the old Gallo-Roman borders.
In his late 50s but still hale, Arnaud had time - in 1051 - to sail to the Levant with 60,000 men at arms to answer the call of the Second Crusade. With shockingly little effort, Gallic troops seized much of the Holy Land from the Taid Emirate, establishing a Norman foothold in the fractured Middle East. Arnaud wrested the lands around Ascalon from the Farukid Caliphate a year or two later before finally passing in his early 60s and leaving it to his 14-year-old grandson, Arnaud II - his own son having died of cancer at age 30.
It's the year 1056 - two years after the end of the 50-year reign of Arnaud the Wise, the grandson of King Gerard of Valland and the son of King Joscelin III. Arnaud seemed destined for trouble when he inherited the throne in 1004 at age 12 after Joscelin III died in his 40s, a victim of his unhealthy lifestyle. With his regent struggling to hold the vast royal demesne and his sister the heir apparent, the nobles of Francia conspired en masse to overthrow Arnaud in favour of the Duke of Luxembourg, even with his vast treasury flung open to treat his vassals with liberal gifts. Only the permanent stationing of the Great Company in Brugge, alongside the retinue of Valland, kept the nobility from taking matters into their own hands.
When Arnaud came of age, he found himself the beneficiary of his father and grandfather's liberal dalliances in the game of inheritance. With Western Europe in chaos as the Wiglafing realms of Aquitaine, Burgundy and Germany competed for dominance and the British Isles torn apart by conflict between the Anglo-Saxons of Asturias and the various petty kingdoms neighbouring them, succession struggles abounded, just as a generation of distant kin of the House of Écarve came of age with fringe claims to be pushed. Over the course of two decades, Arnaud pursued his relatives' claims vigorously. Norman knights marched into Aquitaine to wrest Alsace and Toulouse from the hands of the Wiglafings, into Gascogne to seize that kingdom from a rebellious duke, then into the duchies of Burgundy, Provence, East Anglia and Northumbria, and finally supporting a kinsman's claim to the crown of Gallaecia, pressing claims for members of the family. In between these conquests, he answered the call of Rome to war in Pannonia, leading the charge to wrest the Carpathian Mountains from the hand of the Abauj Khanate and return it to the hands of the Bohemian kings of Pannonia.
By 1024, Arnaud's campaign in the south had progressed sufficiently that, in a grand ceremony in Sluys in the presence of a papal legate, he declared himself Emperor of Gallia and protector of the Saxon March - notably, not Emperor of Francia, for that title was seen as tied to the Frankish people and the descendants of Merovech and Charles, and the men who came from the north to Valland years before had come to view themselves as distinct from the Franks, who had by now long since been shoved into Italy. The name "Francia" thus came to sit in the same category as "Visigothic Kingdom" - a transient title tied to a tribal identity, applied more to Italy these days than to Norman Gaul.
Over thirty years as Emperor, Arnaud warred with the Franks of Italy, who had expanded to conquer most of Ifriqiya, Bohemia and Bavaria. Seeking to break up the Agilolfing family's dominance of the Mediterranean and central Europe, Arnaud supported a claimant to the throne of Italy, breaking that kingdom out from the united kingship. The candidate the Normans installed was overthrown within a year, but the move did successfully prevent the Agilolfings from re-consolidating their crowns under one holder again. A series of wars in Burgundy followed as Arnaud expanded to most of the old Gallo-Roman borders.
In his late 50s but still hale, Arnaud had time - in 1051 - to sail to the Levant with 60,000 men at arms to answer the call of the Second Crusade. With shockingly little effort, Gallic troops seized much of the Holy Land from the Taid Emirate, establishing a Norman foothold in the fractured Middle East. Arnaud wrested the lands around Ascalon from the Farukid Caliphate a year or two later before finally passing in his early 60s and leaving it to his 14-year-old grandson, Arnaud II - his own son having died of cancer at age 30.
Update from my n00b game as the King of Munster: it's 1166, a century has passed since I started the game as King Murchad of Munster; under the rule of his descendants, King Brian the Wise, King Columb the Strong and King Lorcán the Silent, the Kingdom of Éire has conquered the Isle of Man, the county of Carrick in Scotland and almost all of Wales, except for the county of Gwent, that is held by England.
King Lorcán is a pious man, a member of the Dominican Order with plenty of positive traits and a high Martial score (24); at the ripe age of 60, after the death of his wife, he has married the 16 year old Effie of Atholl, for her (weak) claim on the Kingdom of Scotland. His sister Condál was Queen of France, while his half-sister Sogolon - the product of an affair of King Columb with a Mandé shaman, just like his other half-sister Nafissa - is Queen of Aquitaine.
His successor, Prince Scandlán the Unchaste, is a complete disappointment, except for his ability to charm the skirts off of every woman he meets; as of now, he has three legitimate and two bastard children.
Elsewhere in the world, Libya has been conquered by the Republic of Pisa and is now Catholic, while the Pala Empire has blobbed through eastern India; the Third Crusade for Jerusalem has begun and, just like his father before him, King Lorcán is going to lend his sword to the cause of Christendom.
Edit:
DEUS VULT!
The Byzantines already held southern Palestine - after having lost Anatolia to the Seljuk blob - so I ended up with a rump Kingdom of Jerusalem; since my aim is to unite the Celtic peoples, I think I will gift the Holy Land to my second son and see what happens.
Edit #2: I fucked up. By granting the whole Levant to vassal counts and dukes, I could barely scrape up 1000 soldiers when the Fatimids came back with a vengeance, and the various factions were tearing my kingdom apart. Time to start a new game, guys. I think I'll pick the Kingdom of Aragon: it only rules over one county, but has claims all over eastern Spain, and it's got infidels next door for easy deus vult-ing.
King Lorcán is a pious man, a member of the Dominican Order with plenty of positive traits and a high Martial score (24); at the ripe age of 60, after the death of his wife, he has married the 16 year old Effie of Atholl, for her (weak) claim on the Kingdom of Scotland. His sister Condál was Queen of France, while his half-sister Sogolon - the product of an affair of King Columb with a Mandé shaman, just like his other half-sister Nafissa - is Queen of Aquitaine.
His successor, Prince Scandlán the Unchaste, is a complete disappointment, except for his ability to charm the skirts off of every woman he meets; as of now, he has three legitimate and two bastard children.
Elsewhere in the world, Libya has been conquered by the Republic of Pisa and is now Catholic, while the Pala Empire has blobbed through eastern India; the Third Crusade for Jerusalem has begun and, just like his father before him, King Lorcán is going to lend his sword to the cause of Christendom.
Edit:
DEUS VULT!
The Byzantines already held southern Palestine - after having lost Anatolia to the Seljuk blob - so I ended up with a rump Kingdom of Jerusalem; since my aim is to unite the Celtic peoples, I think I will gift the Holy Land to my second son and see what happens.
Edit #2: I fucked up. By granting the whole Levant to vassal counts and dukes, I could barely scrape up 1000 soldiers when the Fatimids came back with a vengeance, and the various factions were tearing my kingdom apart. Time to start a new game, guys. I think I'll pick the Kingdom of Aragon: it only rules over one county, but has claims all over eastern Spain, and it's got infidels next door for easy deus vult-ing.
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Small survey here, but I'd like to know with which game rules you usually play and why?
To make sure, no one forgets all the possible game rules, here's the wiki page containing the list.
To make sure, no one forgets all the possible game rules, here's the wiki page containing the list.
Whatever the default settings are, though I occasionally turn off defensive pacts (if I want an easy game). And no Sunset Invasion.
I also usually turn off Satanic cults, turn on Dynasty protector (or whatever it is called) and nuke the fridge.
Personnally, here is what I would tend to go with:
Reaper's Due: Major epidemics - Historical
Reaper's Due: Minor epidemics - Default
Mongol Invasion - Historical
Sunset Invasion: Aztec Invasion - Off when I want a "historical" game. 13th Century when I don't.
Turkic Conquerors - Historical
Reaper's Due: Non-epidemic diseases - Default.
Shattered Retreat : On
Defensive Pacts : On
Gender Equality: Default. I could go Historical for realism but I kinda like how the Status of Women works.
Supernatural Events: Off when I go for a "historical" game. On when I don't.
Dynamic De Jure Drift: Restricted. I kinda favor clean borders so I prefer to see the de-jure drift limited to title that border each other.
De Jure Assimilation Duration - Default (100 years). Sometimes considering to go for Long (300 years) but that seems precisely a bit too long...
De Jure Requirement - Default. Not sure if I shouldn't make it required, but at the same time you had plenty of de-jure Kings that had lost their lands historically...
Horse Lords - Nomad stability: Unstable. Makes more sense to me.
Culture Conversion - Combination. I don't know why but I feel it's the more realistic option in the game...
Religious Conversion Speed - Default. I already find it pretty slow, so I don't want to make it slower.
Raiding - Historical. Annoying, but it's meant to be...
Adventurers - Normal. Sometimes considering swithching to Rare because they can be annoying...
Interfaith Marriage - Restricted.
Matrilineal Marriages - On. Could turn them off for Realism, but I feel it's more convenient to have this option to avoid early Game Overs if you're unlucky. Plus, on average, I also tend to marry the women of my dynasty normally if I can't find a suitable husband for a matrilineal marriage... Unless they're likely to be my successors.
Chalemagne: Custom Realms - On. Love the AH aspect of creating a Kindgom that never existed...
Charlemagne: Story Events - On. Because "Historicity".
Vassal Republics - Restricted.
Vassal Theocracies - Restricted.
Invitation to Court - Default.
Diplomatic Range - On. Sometime I hesitate putting it on restricted but it seems already pretty limited.
Provincial Revolts - Normal.
Provincial Revolts - Strength - Normal. They can get ridiculously OP otherwise...
Defensive Attrition - Enabled.
Pagan Reformation - Allowed. For the AH aspect of it.
Regencies - On.
Assassinations - Plots only. I feel it makes more sense...
Way of Life: AI Seduction - On
Way of Life: AI Intrigue - On
Way of Life: Dueling - Default
Release Prisonners After Punishment - On.
Titles Named After Dynasties - On. Confusing at times, but it's flavor.
Cultural Title Name - On. Same as the above.
Demesne size - Default. It's already pretty limited and I already hate the fact I can't pull what the French Kings did in the Middle Age...
Vassal Limit - Default. It already limits the expansion quite a bit.
Grant Independance - Restricted.
Monks and Mystics - Devil Worshippers : Off when playing "Historically". On when otherwise.
Monks and Mystics - Secret Religious Cults: On, because the concept seems logical. Not sure if I shouldn't keep it off though for "historicity".
On a side note, here is what I'd call playing on "Easy mode":
Reapers's Due: Major epidemics - Historical (only have to worry about it when you reach 1345...)
Reaper's Due: Minor epidemics - Fewer (the less illness, the less characters dying)
Mongol Invasion : Off (No Invading Mongols!)
Sunset Invasion: Aztec Invasion : Off (No invading Aztecs!)
Turkic Conquerors: Off (No pesky historical adventurer to ruin your day!)
Reaper's Due: Non-epidemic diseases: Off (The less illnesses, the less characters dying)
Shattered Retreat - Off (It's absence before Conclave tended to make the game more easy because you could destroy army stacks pretty quickly...)
Defensive Pacts - Off. (Nothing to prevent you from expanding when you want)
Gender Equality - All. (You can nominate who you want)
Supernatural Events - On (Doesn't change things much... But they generally give bonuses)
Dynamic De-jure Drift - Default (Nothing changes much, but it makes it easier to keep/acquire new duchies.
De Jure Assimilation Duration - Very Short (10 years). Though I could also see this backfire... But in general, you can keep a duchy for 10 years without troubles.
De Jure Requirement - Default (You can't lose your titles)
Horse Lords - Nomad Stability - Unstable if you're not playing a nomad, Stable if you are.
Culture Conversion - Default. It doesn't put restrictions on anything. Could see Faster Melting Pots being used if you want to see them appear quickly so to play as one.
Religious Conversion Speed - Default.
Raiding - Either Unrestricted or Off depending on your playstyle.
Adventurers - None (They won't bother you at all)
Interfaith Marriage - Open (Makes you able to marry anyone)
Matrilineal Marriage - On (The alternative puts restriction and almost guarantees a game-over if you play a woman)
Charlemagne: Custom Realms - On (Makes it easier to create Kingdoms if you don't have the requirements for an existing one)
Charlemagne: Story Events - On if you play Charlemagne. Off if you don't. Though in all honesty, AI Karl the Great often becomes Karl the Lame.
Vassal Republics - Unrestricted (Limitations? On Easy mode?)
Vassal Theocracies - Unrestricted (See above)
Invitation to Court - Open (You can invited anyone you want)
Diplomatic Range - Off (You can talk to anyone on the map)
Provincial Revolts - None. (Peasants? Pff... Why care about those?)
Provincial Revolts - Strength - Normal (Not that it matters here...)
Defensive Attrition - Off (Your 10k stacks can go anywhere you want them to!)
Pagan Reformation - Player only (The AI will never reform)
Regencies - Off (Even a newborn baby can rule at 100% efficiency!)
Assassination - Direct Action (Click the button and you will assassinate someone... provided the chances are high. But still, needs no amount of planning like plots imply...)
Way of Life: Seduction - Off (The AI will never use the seduction focus)
Way of Life: Intrigue - Off (The AI will never use the Intrigue focus)
Way of Life: Dueling - Unrestricted (No restriction on who you can duel)
Release Prisonners After Punishment - Off (You can wound prisonners AND still get paid for their release!)
Title Named After Dynasties - Off, to better keep track of who owns what.
Cultural Title Names - Off, for the same reason as the above.
Demesne Size - Unrestricted (What do you mean I can't keep everything for myself?)
Vassal Limit - Unrestricted (What do you mean I can't have as many vassals as I want?)
Grant Independance - Unrestricted (Because fuck limitations in Easy mode)
Monks and Mystics - Devil Worshippers - On if you want to play as one. Off if you don't.
Monks and Mystics - Secret Religious Cults - Off if you don't intend to join one. On otherwise.
Reaper's Due: Major epidemics - Historical
Reaper's Due: Minor epidemics - Default
Mongol Invasion - Historical
Sunset Invasion: Aztec Invasion - Off when I want a "historical" game. 13th Century when I don't.
Turkic Conquerors - Historical
Reaper's Due: Non-epidemic diseases - Default.
Shattered Retreat : On
Defensive Pacts : On
Gender Equality: Default. I could go Historical for realism but I kinda like how the Status of Women works.
Supernatural Events: Off when I go for a "historical" game. On when I don't.
Dynamic De Jure Drift: Restricted. I kinda favor clean borders so I prefer to see the de-jure drift limited to title that border each other.
De Jure Assimilation Duration - Default (100 years). Sometimes considering to go for Long (300 years) but that seems precisely a bit too long...
De Jure Requirement - Default. Not sure if I shouldn't make it required, but at the same time you had plenty of de-jure Kings that had lost their lands historically...
Horse Lords - Nomad stability: Unstable. Makes more sense to me.
Culture Conversion - Combination. I don't know why but I feel it's the more realistic option in the game...
Religious Conversion Speed - Default. I already find it pretty slow, so I don't want to make it slower.
Raiding - Historical. Annoying, but it's meant to be...
Adventurers - Normal. Sometimes considering swithching to Rare because they can be annoying...
Interfaith Marriage - Restricted.
Matrilineal Marriages - On. Could turn them off for Realism, but I feel it's more convenient to have this option to avoid early Game Overs if you're unlucky. Plus, on average, I also tend to marry the women of my dynasty normally if I can't find a suitable husband for a matrilineal marriage... Unless they're likely to be my successors.
Chalemagne: Custom Realms - On. Love the AH aspect of creating a Kindgom that never existed...
Charlemagne: Story Events - On. Because "Historicity".
Vassal Republics - Restricted.
Vassal Theocracies - Restricted.
Invitation to Court - Default.
Diplomatic Range - On. Sometime I hesitate putting it on restricted but it seems already pretty limited.
Provincial Revolts - Normal.
Provincial Revolts - Strength - Normal. They can get ridiculously OP otherwise...
Defensive Attrition - Enabled.
Pagan Reformation - Allowed. For the AH aspect of it.
Regencies - On.
Assassinations - Plots only. I feel it makes more sense...
Way of Life: AI Seduction - On
Way of Life: AI Intrigue - On
Way of Life: Dueling - Default
Release Prisonners After Punishment - On.
Titles Named After Dynasties - On. Confusing at times, but it's flavor.
Cultural Title Name - On. Same as the above.
Demesne size - Default. It's already pretty limited and I already hate the fact I can't pull what the French Kings did in the Middle Age...
Vassal Limit - Default. It already limits the expansion quite a bit.
Grant Independance - Restricted.
Monks and Mystics - Devil Worshippers : Off when playing "Historically". On when otherwise.
Monks and Mystics - Secret Religious Cults: On, because the concept seems logical. Not sure if I shouldn't keep it off though for "historicity".
On a side note, here is what I'd call playing on "Easy mode":
Reapers's Due: Major epidemics - Historical (only have to worry about it when you reach 1345...)
Reaper's Due: Minor epidemics - Fewer (the less illness, the less characters dying)
Mongol Invasion : Off (No Invading Mongols!)
Sunset Invasion: Aztec Invasion : Off (No invading Aztecs!)
Turkic Conquerors: Off (No pesky historical adventurer to ruin your day!)
Reaper's Due: Non-epidemic diseases: Off (The less illnesses, the less characters dying)
Shattered Retreat - Off (It's absence before Conclave tended to make the game more easy because you could destroy army stacks pretty quickly...)
Defensive Pacts - Off. (Nothing to prevent you from expanding when you want)
Gender Equality - All. (You can nominate who you want)
Supernatural Events - On (Doesn't change things much... But they generally give bonuses)
Dynamic De-jure Drift - Default (Nothing changes much, but it makes it easier to keep/acquire new duchies.
De Jure Assimilation Duration - Very Short (10 years). Though I could also see this backfire... But in general, you can keep a duchy for 10 years without troubles.
De Jure Requirement - Default (You can't lose your titles)
Horse Lords - Nomad Stability - Unstable if you're not playing a nomad, Stable if you are.
Culture Conversion - Default. It doesn't put restrictions on anything. Could see Faster Melting Pots being used if you want to see them appear quickly so to play as one.
Religious Conversion Speed - Default.
Raiding - Either Unrestricted or Off depending on your playstyle.
Adventurers - None (They won't bother you at all)
Interfaith Marriage - Open (Makes you able to marry anyone)
Matrilineal Marriage - On (The alternative puts restriction and almost guarantees a game-over if you play a woman)
Charlemagne: Custom Realms - On (Makes it easier to create Kingdoms if you don't have the requirements for an existing one)
Charlemagne: Story Events - On if you play Charlemagne. Off if you don't. Though in all honesty, AI Karl the Great often becomes Karl the Lame.
Vassal Republics - Unrestricted (Limitations? On Easy mode?)
Vassal Theocracies - Unrestricted (See above)
Invitation to Court - Open (You can invited anyone you want)
Diplomatic Range - Off (You can talk to anyone on the map)
Provincial Revolts - None. (Peasants? Pff... Why care about those?)
Provincial Revolts - Strength - Normal (Not that it matters here...)
Defensive Attrition - Off (Your 10k stacks can go anywhere you want them to!)
Pagan Reformation - Player only (The AI will never reform)
Regencies - Off (Even a newborn baby can rule at 100% efficiency!)
Assassination - Direct Action (Click the button and you will assassinate someone... provided the chances are high. But still, needs no amount of planning like plots imply...)
Way of Life: Seduction - Off (The AI will never use the seduction focus)
Way of Life: Intrigue - Off (The AI will never use the Intrigue focus)
Way of Life: Dueling - Unrestricted (No restriction on who you can duel)
Release Prisonners After Punishment - Off (You can wound prisonners AND still get paid for their release!)
Title Named After Dynasties - Off, to better keep track of who owns what.
Cultural Title Names - Off, for the same reason as the above.
Demesne Size - Unrestricted (What do you mean I can't keep everything for myself?)
Vassal Limit - Unrestricted (What do you mean I can't have as many vassals as I want?)
Grant Independance - Unrestricted (Because fuck limitations in Easy mode)
Monks and Mystics - Devil Worshippers - On if you want to play as one. Off if you don't.
Monks and Mystics - Secret Religious Cults - Off if you don't intend to join one. On otherwise.
I tend to keep Devil Worshippers off. The AI doesn't really deal all that well with them for religions that don't have any other society, in my experience.
Guys... after my n00b experiences with Munster and Aragon, I think I'm getting decent at this game: I formed the Kingdom of Sicily 57 years ahead of schedule as Robert "the Fox" de Hauteville, and my heir Bohemond has married Matilda di Canossa of all people. Sure, she's older than Bohemond and probably won't have a lot of de Hauteville babies, but she's got very good stats and her land in central and northern Italy is priceless. The peninsula has been unified already, they just don't know it yet.
Now, should I get Sicily inside the HRE in the future, or Tuscany outside of it?
And, why the hell does the HRE (or France) annex the Balearic Islands in every game, flooding them with German nobility? Those jokes about Ibiza being a German colony in all but name must be true.
Now, should I get Sicily inside the HRE in the future, or Tuscany outside of it?
And, why the hell does the HRE (or France) annex the Balearic Islands in every game, flooding them with German nobility? Those jokes about Ibiza being a German colony in all but name must be true.
Planet of Hats
Donor
I play without Conclave. Always. I also don't have Monks and Mystics because I don't care.
I play with all the major epidemics and hordes on Historical, switch off supernatural events, turn off secret cults, turn off shattered retreat, switch off Aztecs and defensive pacts (ahistorical), and set minor epidemics to fewer. Sometimes I'll set adventurers to Rare or de jure drift to Restricted.
Repeatedly being cuckolded by your wives, even when they have a positive opinion of you, can get frustrating.
Not so different from when vassals with highly positive opinion join factions trying to overthrow you or curtail your power if you ask me...