Crusader Kings II - Paradox Entertainement (02/12)
- Thread starter Tellus
- Start date
It is handy if you have the Mongol invasions on, I remember a game when I had just turned Byzantium into Rome and the Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan himself attacked me BUT he had 100 threat and his Empire was targeted by EVERY SINGLE NATION IN THE WORLD!
For a while I barely had to do anything at all, Catholic, Muslim, Hindu, Pagan, Organized, Tribal, they all declared war on the Mongols and sent their forces to fight in my defense.
Which was good since Rome was pretty exhausted from the whole 'let's Make Rome Great Again' thing.
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Seems a tad hypocritical to use Threat mechanic againist your enemies, yet complain when it happens to you. Additionally, the threat mechanic is an important tool that stops the Mid-Late game, from being a complete snooze-fest.
I wasn't complaining, I was noting that sometimes the threat mechanic can assist you.
I know you where not complaining but others where complaining and it annoyed me.
Isaac Beach
Banned
99% sure that's a polar bear. But then again if a horse can be a senator a polar bear can be a courtier!
In a multiplayer game, I was playing as the Bön Tibetan kingdom of U-Tsang in the Old Gods start. The Buddhist Bengali kingdom of Pala declared a holy war against me to seize one of my mountainous border counties. Other Bön pagan rulers rallied to my defense (including a plucky one-holding count who somehow mustered 2k men – I later diplomatically vassalized him), but the much larger and better commanded Palan army beat us off despite our terrain advantage. I didn't notice that in mustering my levies, my king (3 Martial) had replaced one of my better commanders, and he lost a hand in battle for his trouble.
Pala took the targeted province while I retreated, dipped into my treasury and hired mercenaries. Meanwhile, my friend who was playing the Hindu Indian kingdom of Pratihara attacked Pala (and lost badly), but I used the distraction to retake the contested province and siege down Pala's capital. I ended up capturing the king of Pala's heir and only spare son, but this wasn't enough to end the war. Pala merc'ed up his own army and defeated mine, and captured the disputed border province yet again.
I realized I couldn't win, and sued for peace. Pala took the mountainous border province, which was full of Buddhists anyway. However, before I surrendered the province I exacted what revenge I could to make Pala suffer. I horrifically tortured and executed Pala's adult heir and the underage younger son I had captured. I presumably also mailed their body parts back to the king of Pala, but sadly the game couldn't model that.
Years later, one of my daughters came of age and I looked around for a suitable husband. By some extraordinary coincidence, my nemesis the 65-year old king of Pala was a widower and desperate for a male heir to replace the ones I had murdered. I therefore did the only reasonable thing, which was to marry off my daughter to the king of Pala to secure a non-aggression pact, and to remind him of the sons I had killed for the rest of his days...
Pala took the targeted province while I retreated, dipped into my treasury and hired mercenaries. Meanwhile, my friend who was playing the Hindu Indian kingdom of Pratihara attacked Pala (and lost badly), but I used the distraction to retake the contested province and siege down Pala's capital. I ended up capturing the king of Pala's heir and only spare son, but this wasn't enough to end the war. Pala merc'ed up his own army and defeated mine, and captured the disputed border province yet again.
I realized I couldn't win, and sued for peace. Pala took the mountainous border province, which was full of Buddhists anyway. However, before I surrendered the province I exacted what revenge I could to make Pala suffer. I horrifically tortured and executed Pala's adult heir and the underage younger son I had captured. I presumably also mailed their body parts back to the king of Pala, but sadly the game couldn't model that.
Years later, one of my daughters came of age and I looked around for a suitable husband. By some extraordinary coincidence, my nemesis the 65-year old king of Pala was a widower and desperate for a male heir to replace the ones I had murdered. I therefore did the only reasonable thing, which was to marry off my daughter to the king of Pala to secure a non-aggression pact, and to remind him of the sons I had killed for the rest of his days...
Yet another playtrough, since I put my Carolingian Restoration Project on hold. This time around I started in 1066 as Count of Schwyz. Got granted the Duchy of Upper Burgundy early on. Things kinda started from there. My goal for this play trough was to establish a Burgundian Kingdom that spans from the North Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, Kinda what Charles the Bold tried to do IRL. The only tracts of land I still want to add to my kingdom are Flanders and the duchy of Burgundy (Dejure France) and then I've reached my goal. Also in a twist of fate, there hasn't been a Habsburg who holds a title since 1067.
Other interesting things in this playtrough:
Other interesting things in this playtrough:
- William "The Conqueror" losts against Harold of Norway, England's been part of Norway ever since.
- But his decedents managed to win a crusader for Greece after it was invaded by the Suljuks, Making them Kings of Greece.
- The Reconquista has stalled a bit, I guess Gavelkind did it's magic.
- The Republic of Genoa was wiped out by The Duke of Lombardy.
- Due to my Independence Revolt Succeeding, The HRE has really taken some damage. It doesn't help that the emperor declares Tributary wars every 5 years, causing every minor kingdom/duchy to declare a defensive pact against him.
So, the Byzantine capital is in Hungary or Wallachia or something whilst an independent (?) Kingdom of Greece owns Cornwall, Kent, East Anglia and Middlesex? Was that a bizarre inheritance or some wacky crusade shenanigans?
Has anyone played the Game of Thrones mod recently? I'm currently doing a Frey game and I started it a year before the Wo5K's happened and basically it's even crazier than canon, Robert found out about the twincest and killed Cersei and Jaime (but didn't disown the children for some reason) Tywin launched a successful revolt against Robert and OVERTHREW HIM and took the Iron Throne, then died and Tyrion became King and married Margaery Tyrell and fathered a son on her, Dake Lannister.
He became king, legalized SLAVERY, then was overthrown by Willas Tyrell who is currently the King, married to Brienne of Tarth, his heir is Garland the Gallant BUT he is facing a massive revolt led by Arianne Martell to place Lancel Lannister (her latest HUSBAND) on the Iron Throne.
Meanwhile we Frey's have been good little vassals of House Tully and the Iron Throne, our current lord is Tyrion Frey, and with the Tyrells currently on the Iron Throne I named one of his sons Willas. Oh and before Late Lord Frey died his very last child was a boy that I named Joffrey when Robert was still King.
Basically like canon, looking at the Frey family tree lets you see the ever-changing political map of Westeros in each generation.
He became king, legalized SLAVERY, then was overthrown by Willas Tyrell who is currently the King, married to Brienne of Tarth, his heir is Garland the Gallant BUT he is facing a massive revolt led by Arianne Martell to place Lancel Lannister (her latest HUSBAND) on the Iron Throne.
Meanwhile we Frey's have been good little vassals of House Tully and the Iron Throne, our current lord is Tyrion Frey, and with the Tyrells currently on the Iron Throne I named one of his sons Willas. Oh and before Late Lord Frey died his very last child was a boy that I named Joffrey when Robert was still King.
Basically like canon, looking at the Frey family tree lets you see the ever-changing political map of Westeros in each generation.
I am Wondering if anybody has any Suggestions Regarding Strategy for Crusader Kings II they would like to give to me. I am using the lowest Difficulty Setting as I am not an Experienced Player and the DLC I have are The Old Gods, Sword of Islam, Charlemagne, some Music, and the Sunset Invasion, which I have Scheduled for the 1300s and Timur and Genghis Khan at their Historical Dates.
My Plan is to Play as Charlemagne himself, Wessex, Mercia, Northumbria, the Picts, Gwynedd, Mann, Brittany, Denmark, Norway, Tibet, Kiev [to see if I can Complete a Game as a City-State] Moscow [forming Russia will be a Challenge but I expect it's doable], the Byzantines, Norman England [starting 1066 is supposed to be Easy] and, eventually, as Genghis Khan and Timur. Of these Nations which would be the best to Play as First to get to grips with the Game Mechanics?
My Plan is to Play as Charlemagne himself, Wessex, Mercia, Northumbria, the Picts, Gwynedd, Mann, Brittany, Denmark, Norway, Tibet, Kiev [to see if I can Complete a Game as a City-State] Moscow [forming Russia will be a Challenge but I expect it's doable], the Byzantines, Norman England [starting 1066 is supposed to be Easy] and, eventually, as Genghis Khan and Timur. Of these Nations which would be the best to Play as First to get to grips with the Game Mechanics?
Sometimes you lose. Just remember that you can always rebel just like your asshole brother of you get replaced.
The most oft-suggested "tutorial game" is playing in Ireland in 1066.
But of those you listed, much depends on start dates...
- Playing anywhere in Britain in 867 you risk getting mauled by Vikings. Offa of Mercia in 769 might be alright, but I don't venture to the earliest start date too often.
- The Picts, I think you'd have to deal with being tribal and how to feudalise?
- Byzzies might be a bit big and unwieldy.
- Gwynedd, Mann, and Brittany you'll obviously be dealing with bigger neighbours.
- Charlemagne can get a bit wonky with events.
- I'd sorta agree with Norman England being easy, but you might want to go a few years later than 1066 so you don't have to deal with the formidable northern Anglo-Saxon earls Edwin and Morcar. You'll be the biggest faction in the British Isles, there's rather easy expansion opportunities in Wales and Ireland, and your biggest concern will be trying to hold your own against France on the continent.
- Denmark in 1066 is pretty okay- IIRC you only have a couple vassals (one of whom is your son?) and there are Holy War opportunities along the Baltic. Though you have to be careful with elective succession, and your starting character has oodles of children (and organising their education and marriages can be tedious).
Charlemagne can get quite difficult because he grows very large very fast thanks to the events. From what I remember of all my playthroughs starting as him, you're already at your vassal limit the moment you inherit Middle Francia/Austrasia from Karloman. The Saxon Conquest doesn't help and let's not even talk about the mess you're in for if you choose to invade Italy. Even if you do your best to make your way to an Empire title (the Empire of Francia is easier to do than the HRE BTW), I think you remain in a pretty shaky position for quite some time.
Conclave didn't help in that regards with Council Power factions that pop up and become strong incredibly fast. In other words, you'll be giving a lot of power to your council early on unless you have the balls and/or the means to fight a Civil War. And let's not even forget the fact you start on Gavelkind, which is always a mess... And switching to Elective is actually pretty risky.
Of course, if you manage to overcome all of that, you will find yourself with the means and power to do as good as Charlemagne did OTL if not better. But getting to that part is pretty hard and frustrating...
Do you Recommend Norman England, then, for Starters, or Denmark? Oh and what are your Verdicts on Kiiev, Moscow, Genghis Khan and Timur?
Anybody got any Thoughts on Dealing with those pesky Factions? [Damn you, O Traitorous Council of mine! Civil War seems Inevitable when Playing as Charlemagne, no Matter how Hard I try to get my Nobles to get along with me. ] Can a King form a Faction? And if so how is it done?
Maybe Denmark? Less vassals so it probably has less trouble with factions. As for the rest, I don't really venture into that area of the map too much, but as the Mongols you'll be nomadic, and the Russians have seniority succession.
As for factions, you can make use of the Chancellor's "improve relations" task and the Spymaster's "discourage vassal from joining factions" task. Dishing out gifts and honourable titles can also help a bit. And if you have a vassal who unsalvageably hates you you might want to imprison him if you get an excuse to.
The top level liege can't form or join a faction- so a king can only form or join a faction if he's a vassal under an emperor.