Crusader Kings 2

[Omar Nelson B.]

I recommend getting the death causes mod. Really adds I think! Could have been depression, and accident, plague, illness or a festered wound.

[Hilarion]

This has been my craziest and most challenging game yet. As a count in Apulia, I managed to become duke then King of Sicily, but with the Muslim hordes closing in around me I made the tragic mistake of ensuring my survival by swearing fealty to Byzantium. When they enacted Absolute Crown Authority, I hatched a plan to rebel and gain independence by assassinating the ruling emperor and therefore replacing him with his "imbecile" brother. Once I declared independence about 8 other duchies followed suit. I also formed an alliance with Hungary and they agreed to invade. Well, it's been at least 11 years and I'm the last one left. The last eleven years have seen all the other rebellions fail, Hungary wimp out, the Mongols invade and then make peace, and I'm still terrified of the ERE doom stacks that could arrive on my shores at any moment. I got the score up to +91% with the help of Hungary, then it bounced back to 70% when they left the alliance. Now it's at 93% but my reserves and cash supply are exhausted and the ERE is finally at peace with everyone but me and still refuses to recognize my independence. Gulp...

Moral of the story-- NEVER swear fealty to a superior power... take your chances with fighting the Muslims!

[Ketzerfreund]

That's the kind of story that makes this game so awesome! Hang in there!

[Omar Nelson B.]

I, for the life of me, can't hold out in Spain against the Muslims. They are just too united and I just don't make enough cash to maintain Mercs for long enough. Oh well, fun games in Spain for about 50 years no matter what!

[John I Tzimisces]

Does anyone else who plays a duchy or kingdom in de jure imperial byzantine territory ALWAYS vote to increase byzantine crown authority, if you don't happen to be a byz vassal? For instance, I'm the kingdom of italy and sicily, and the byzantine emperor has to ask me to increase crown authority since southern italy is de jure byzantine...well, I'm not his vassal, but I know if anything pisses off vassals, it's stupidly high crown authority...

[hellheaven1987]

I, for the life of me, can't hold out in Spain against the Muslims. They are just too united and I just don't make enough cash to maintain Mercs for long enough. Oh well, fun games in Spain for about 50 years no matter what!

The crucial part of playing an Iberian kingdom is to assassin bunch of other kings at beginning; in that case you would inherit their kingdom and give a solid base against Muslim.

[Big War Bird]

The crucial part of playing an Iberian kingdom is to assassin bunch of other kings at beginning; in that case you would inherit their kingdom and give a solid base against Muslim.

QFT

You gotta get nasty with with your brothers. In my Leon campaign my brothers in Galicia and Castille warred on each other. Galicia won and annexed Castille, but was so weakened that I snatched up both crowns with hardly a battle fought.

[Påsan]

Hi, I have made a review of Crusader Kings 2 in the Review section, don't be too cruel on me

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=529406

[Ketzerfreund]

You're talking to CK2-players. Cruelty is our capital.

[nhytgbvfeco2]

a 7/10?! heresy!

[Manuel I Komnenos]

Personally I'd give it a 10/10 and I'd describe it as the best game Paradox has released so far. But then again, I'm not new to the series and the learning curve didn't have an effect on me. Sometimes I understand how newcomers to the series feel. My first paradox game was Victoria (arguably the most difficult Paradox game ever released) plus it was in French (because I lived in a Francophone country in the year I bought it) a language I didn't understand. You can understand the pain in the arse that game was for me.

[hellheaven1987]

You gotta get nasty with with your brothers. In my Leon campaign my brothers in Galicia and Castille warred on each other. Galicia won and annexed Castille, but was so weakened that I snatched up both crowns with hardly a battle fought.

That would generally attract attention from Muslims however and you probably would end up dead soon or later. It is generally advise try to assassin the kings of other Iberian kingdoms without war and in the same time claim you vassals' land peacefully - wait until religious order show up then you can start pushing south without fear (although generally France and HRE would jump on Iberia around this time too).

[Ferdiad]

Ya maybe the first 20-30 min of each new paradox game is kinda confusing then I get the hang of it. It helps that the UI stays roughly similar.

[Hilarion]

[Ferdiad]

If that doesn't describe CK II nothing does.

[Border Patrol]

Is there any way to keep an angry and larger power from claiming your lands and invading? Oh and does anyone know a way to keep your heirs from being totally awful? My kingdom usually runs pretty fantastically until my heir takes the reigns and half the country rebels.

[Cahoma]

Assassination is the answer to both you questions.

[hellheaven1987]

Is there any way to keep an angry and larger power from claiming your lands and invading?

Be more tougher than them, or if you really have no hope, ask Pope to excommunicate that Christian ruler before summoning religious orders to defend yourself.

Oh and does anyone know a way to keep your heirs from being totally awful? My kingdom usually runs pretty fantastically until my heir takes the reigns and half the country rebels.

Well, the best way is to concentrate the education of your heir on diplomacy and stewardship; you can ignore other traits unless you want a Crusader King. Next find your heir a wife that has high diplomacy or stewardship.

[Manuel I Komnenos]

Is there any way to keep an angry and larger power from claiming your lands and invading? Oh and does anyone know a way to keep your heirs from being totally awful? My kingdom usually runs pretty fantastically until my heir takes the reigns and half the country rebels.

1. ALWAYS educate the child yourself. Best to educate both the first and the second child in case one of them dies prematurely. By doing the job yourself, you ensure that the heir will take the best traits. Go for the green ones and try not to take traits like Cruel and Craven. They are way negative.

2. In the case that your Kingdom is not huge and your vassals are pretty much friendly towards you, go for elective succession. In case your firstborn is a stutter, lisp dwarf hunchback, you can always nominate your second child as the successor. The Elective system also makes your vassals happy, giving them something like +10 or 20 opinion towards you.

3. Even if your heir is mature, it's best to avoid handing him any land. In several games, although he was raised perfectly, he managed to get himself several negative traits while ruling his own county.

[Border Patrol]

Abyssinia is elective gravelkind. I'm trying to find people to help me assassinate my family but no one likes my second king it seems. Not even his wife.