Roleplaying Campaigns

[Bucket of Lithium]

Out of curiosity, I'm wondering how many of the SS players out there regularly play with some element of roleplay in their campaigns; SS features being geared towards realism and making your own ideas possible.

At the moment, I'm testing a new way of playing where I've split my Genoa generals and family members into separate leaders of their own factions, kingdoms or just political groups. Some of my family members are heading off to form Crusader States in their own names, one certain general preferring to become the dread pirate of the Mediterranean and be the leader of my navies. Roleplaying like this has added a whole bunch of new dimensions to my play, and I no longer just want to conquer a certain area or control the map, but give my sub factions dominance over their areas and ideals.

This way of thinking has recently revitalized my entire TW experience, and I ask other campaign roleplayers to come out and share their stories, however bizarre.

[Nightbringer]

something i almost always start out planning to do, but have never managed. you gave me some good new ideas that will hopefully make it mroe possible though!

[luciferleigh]

my rping usually comes in the form of decendants of other factions claiming their ancestral rights, ie, playing as the greeks, having the children of istvan and anna going back to hungary to claim it as their own on behalf of the emperor, or the decendants of my prince, and constance (french princess) having the right to claim france if their royal line fails, despite us being allies, same for most of the factions that i have "x blood" traits with

[markheimdall]

I always try to keep my campaigns as historic as possible (though AI sometimes go absolutely crazy and you see such things like almoravids on scotland and so on... xD) when I get bored of a campaing or finish it I google a little bit and choose my next target, always try to get the same lands as the empire's former glory and historic allies (as far as I am allowed xDD), playing with a very religious campaing is so much fun because of the protection of the pope and the crusades, I always try to give them the realistic crusade target but you know, it's weird to hear that spain captured Acre and so on xDD, if you can claim that Google research before a new campaing is a role playing campaing then GUILTY xDD, btw I also try to keep my royal blood line intact but you know, can't figure out how to keep it really with the engine of the game, sometimes you have the perfect heir and the AI just go all over your tree and choose the housband of your daughter wich totally sucks, but may be historicly accurate xDD)

[Pikemen]

lol, I do this. Ive "created" my own character once (he had his own traits, Portrait, ect.). It adds a new aspect to the game.

[markheimdall]

lol, I do this. Ive "created" my own character once (he had his own traits, Portrait, ect.). It adds a new aspect to the game.

that's very fun indeed, how do you achieve it? is it difficult or simple? could you give us some preview? , that's what I call a true role playing campaing

[Bucket of Lithium]

Keeping the bloodline intact is always fun, but sometimes if a wonderful general enters my tree it can be even greater to see them create a new royal family.

And yeah, I guess any aim that differs from the preset notion of the game can be considered roleplaying.

Though it's darn hard to stop conquesting after a certain point, when your very reliable status drops to dubious really.

[Black_Nebula]

One of the role playing aspects I like to use is the chivalry/dread aspect. If my Faction Leader comes to the crown bearing dread, the generals in his kingdom follow suit, thus bringing an era death and destruction. It is especially fun once the aspect of the kingdom changes and old generals who are stuck in their ways must be rooted out...

I once tried to play a campaign with a Danish King who was obsessed with Hannibal Barka, and tried to use his tactics with viking warriors, interesting to say the least.

[BamaToon]

I try to roleplay my characters depending on their traits. Chivalrous generals try to act honorably in battle and when ruling, while dread generals are cruel SOB's who are hated by friend and foe alike.

I also try to manage my family tree to ensure that the line of succession is inherited properly (since we can't choose our faction heir anymore. Why, oh why, CA?). It often means that only my faction heirs marry and sire offspring while most other generals remain unwed. Occassionally, I will allow a younger son to marry to create a seperate family line, and intermarry the two lines as necessary to ensure that the royal family remains intact. I don't allow adoptions, suitors from outside the family, or men of the hour unless absolutely necessary (like if my 75 year old king has outlived his wife and has no heir).

It's a lot of micromanagement, but it's necessary since I hate seeing my kings scattered all over my family tree. I like seeing them in a nice line down the left-hand side of the tree. It can be a lot of fun to roleplay various family members as well. I once manufactured a civil war based on a low-loyalty brother of a weak king. Since he had low loyalty, I put him in command of an army and marched him off to the frontier territory and left him there until he finally rebelled. I roleplayed it like he was unhappy at his brother becoming king instead of him, so he took his army and left the kingdom. I ended up sending the king himself to meet (and ultimately defeat) his brother in battle. It was a shame to lose him (he was one of my best generals), but I thought it would be realistic based on the situation.

[Kyias]

I always roleplay my camapigns...not for any creepy value but because it gives my family members purpose (IG not RL)

My current Portugese camapign is a fun one. I control most of the Iberian (minus Valencia, Pamplona and traditional aragon territory.) as well as north africa. My princess (oringal) stole an english prince (of english blood).

In My Campaign the Knights of Santiago are in Oporto, and this English interloper is consdiered the "Grandmaster" (it s the only location in the game currently they can be recruited from..) Every decendant, married into or by birth, are required to make the Pilgrimage to Leon for the Santiago trait. Likewise, any Portugese King who wants the Santiago Knights, or their generals and armies, must likewise undertake this pilgrimage.

While the other family lines control different parts of the Iberian and North Africa (with their own sub rules) This aspect has been my favorite thus far. So far as to give each "title" in the order a distinction. Whomever holds Oporto from the Order is the grandmaster, Duke of Leon is the Seneschel, and the Pamplona title (I took before giving it to aragon) is considered the military arm.

While my portugese has a "military Monk" sentiment, I have done other rulesets for other campaigns, each to provide a handicap to my own faction (self imposed) to create more depth.

One of the foremost rules for every campaign I have is this: You cannot conqueror a Kingdom unless you can claim its crown (by blood right, or by religous reasoning.)

[Caesar Clivus]

I always try to keep my faction's bloodline running too. In one of my Novgorod campaigns I was doing very well and was keeping the line of succession all down the left side when my heir was offered a faction's princess as a bride. It was only after they were married did I realise she was already in her 40s and only a few years away from menopause. Hence, she didn't give birth to any kids so when my heir became leader, his brother became the next heir. At least the game kept it in the family

[BamaToon]

I always try to keep my faction's bloodline running too. In one of my Novgorod campaigns I was doing very well and was keeping the line of succession all down the left side when my heir was offered a faction's princess as a bride. It was only after they were married did I realise she was already in her 40s and only a few years away from menopause. Hence, she didn't give birth to any kids so when my heir became leader, his brother became the next heir. At least the game kept it in the family

That's why I change the max age for female marriage to 20 and princess retirement age to 21. That keeps your sons from being married to old maids. From what I've seen, even the non-princess brides presented will be young and fertile instead of menopausal no-charmers.

[Kyias]

That's why I change the max age for female marriage to 20 and princess retirement age to 21. That keeps your sons from being married to old maids. From what I've seen, even the non-princess brides presented will be young and fertile instead of menopausal no-charmers.

You can always double click the princess, or use a spy on her to look at her attributes.

No reason to marry the girl on the spot, just ignore their first offer, get some intel, then decide if she is worthy

[BamaToon]

You can always double click the princess, or use a spy on her to look at her attributes.

No reason to marry the girl on the spot, just ignore their first offer, get some intel, then decide if she is worthy

I guess that's the single video game nerd in me that automatically accepts any offers from a girl. Even if it's a fake princess who wants to marry my fake king.

[Pengo]

Its good to roleplay to some degree. I think most people would pick one general to fight the most and try to raise his stats, doing so you know his name immediately when he's listed in a report, while other name provoke a "which one got scurvy?" response.

Roleplaying the faction for me is best, give them a hatred for another faction and see where it takes the game. For example as England decide all your kings despise the lands of the Moors. Capture their lands and gift them to a friend, then hate somebody else. Or like some faction and try to support them so they win.

It all makes the game more fun rather than just a slog to get that 70th province.

[BamaToon]

Well I wanted to play a Khwarezm migration game, so I started one and moved the sultan and faction heir to Arabia. I destroyed all buildings in my settlements and let them revolt. The other generals I left in the field so they would eventually rebel.

I noticed that the sultan's oldest son had low loyalty as well, so I put him in charge of the army that was left after settling in Arabia and sent him to besiege a nearby rebel city. Sure enough, he too rebelled, and is now marching around with his army in rebel territory. I'm currently building another army under command of the sultan's younger son (and new faction heir) to fight his rebel brother.

I didn't want to lose the heir at first, but later realized that it was the realistic way to roleplay it, and it's made things interesting early on. All of the old territories are gone, either rebelled or given to the Turks as tribute. All the other generals have rebelled, angry that their sultan would abandon their homeland so easily. The rebels are led by none other than the sultan's son himself, in command of a sizeable army.

The rebel son has a son who will come of age in a year, and I'm debating how to roleplay him. Will he go the way of his father and also rebel against his lord and master (and grandfather)? Or will he condemn the actions of his father and remain loyal to the family? I'll see how he turns out and then decide. I'm thinking of keeping the line of succession through the younger son and the older son's line, being a "traitor's line", will never be eligible for the throne, even though by rights the rebel son's son should eventually become sultan. That might play out interestingly enough in the future.

[Pengo]

Awesome! Send the son to kill the father, then make the son the sultan and let him have a son who becomes a rebel too, then as sultan he has to kill his own son. Hollywood couldn't do better.

[BamaToon]

Awesome! Send the son to kill the father, then make the son the sultan and let him have a son who becomes a rebel too, then as sultan he has to kill his own son. Hollywood couldn't do better.

Alas, the son went rebel and was controlled by the CPU. But that is a hell of an idea...

I did have to send his own brother to kill him. Eventually the sultan died and that son is now the sultan.

[XICenturionIX]

Hello guys, I am hoping to resurrect this thread so that I do not have to make a new one. I was wondering if anyone had any useful tips for making it easier to role-play the campaigns out. I always start off trying to do this, but within just a few turns, I am merely just trying to just conquer territory to reach 70th region; thus, ending my game. There are some good tips on this thread, but it just doesn't seem to be cutting it for me. Advice would be much appreciated. Many thanks.

[Leutrim]

First off, fantastic thread. I role play every campaign, commentate everything I do in my head and sometimes, act as the FL before battle, hehe. But seriously, I put so much depth into my game, it'd be pointless not too. I hope in the future, M3TW or R2TW :p, will have something to please us role playing addicts even furthere.