...so what's the right way?

[Hraesvilgr]

Okay, I'm lost. I've read through like a dozen threads and I still don't know what I should be doing. I'm doing another clean install of Broken Crescent, starting from nothing installed at all. I have Medieval II and Kingdoms.

Kingdoms and non-Kingdoms BC are identical, correct? So if I'm only using MIITW for BC, is there any point in installing Kingdoms? Also, how patched up should I be for this? And what's the best way to currently install BC 2.02?

I'm sorry, I'm sure I'm repeating this and all of my questions have been answered--somewhere--but there are so many versions and patches floating around, and I've managed to install BC and MIITW the wrong way several times before, so I'd like to have everything right before I start this time.

[wudang_clown]

If you use only M2TW and only for BC, then your M2TW have to be patched to 1.3 version.
It's quite good way to install BC 2.02, if you don't use any other mods.

If you use other mods with Kindoms, however, then you don't have to worry about patching to 1.3 version, because Kingdoms expansion automatically patch M2TW to 1.4. Then, eventually, you have to patch M2TW+Kingdoms to 1.5, if a mod requires it.

There are some troubles with M2TW Gold Edition (I have separate M2TW and Kingdoms, so I don't know, how is it), but you can refer to these instructions and these instructions.

Also, if you unpacked M2TW with the unpacker tool (you must install Kingdoms to have the unpacker) then you must install BC manually.