Crusader Kings II Spirit-all

Robear wrote:

As I play more, I believe the secret to the game's appeal is the stories it creates. This is not dry "...and then massed my armies and invaded Sweden" stuff. This is tales of unexpected heroism, the low-born rising to high places, corruption, betrayal, cliff-hanging escapes and the mighty brought low. And that's where the pleasure comes in.

And that's why it's frickin amazing.

garion333 wrote:
Robear wrote:

As I play more, I believe the secret to the game's appeal is the stories it creates. This is not dry "...and then massed my armies and invaded Sweden" stuff. This is tales of unexpected heroism, the low-born rising to high places, corruption, betrayal, cliff-hanging escapes and the mighty brought low. And that's where the pleasure comes in.

And that's why it's frickin amazing.

Yeah, they really nailed that here. Also in CK but the damn interface was so annoying that it detracted from the stories. CK2 just nails it though. Although, to be honest, you have to put the stories together yourself, which is something most folks cannot or will not do. Which is too bad because they are missing out on a really great game.

I'll be honest. The 'emergent story' aspect of the game you guys are talking about does not interest me that much. I don't think about it at all, in fact. Nevertheless, I still think it is a fantastic game.

I'll be honest. The 'emergent story' aspect of the game you guys are talking about does not interest me that much. I don't think about it at all, in fact. Nevertheless, I still think it is a fantastic game.

ZaneRockfist wrote:

I'll be honest. The 'emergent story' aspect of the game you guys are talking about does not interest me that much. I don't think about it at all, in fact. Nevertheless, I still think it is a fantastic game.

That's too bad, I think you are missing out on half the game. I mean, it works great as a medieval land-owning sim but the characters, their interactions, and the stories that get produced are what makes it instead of it just being a bunch of stats to min/max. But to each his own.

tboon wrote:

Yeah, they really nailed that here. Also in CK but the damn interface was so annoying that it detracted from the stories. CK2 just nails it though. Although, to be honest, you have to put the stories together yourself, which is something most folks cannot or will not do. Which is too bad because they are missing out on a really great game.

I think that's part of my problem with the game. I love the idea of Crusader Kings II but I've been struggling to really find the fun. I'm enjoying trying to create a unified Ireland but it is slow paced and it's rarely clear how to really achieve the goals you've set out for yourself. There are so many names in the game I have a very difficult time remembering who is who and following all the family histories. I also wish there was an easy way to go from someone's portrait to the region they are from so I could put faces to locations on the map (which would really help me out).

I'm going to keep playing but it hasn't been quite as enjoyable as I had hoped.

ZaneRockfist wrote:

I'll be honest. The 'emergent story' aspect of the game you guys are talking about does not interest me that much. I don't think about it at all, in fact. Nevertheless, I still think it is a fantastic game.

That's just what makes the game so awesome. It's a solid strategy game, AND it's a solid emergent story game. Since both aspects appeal to me a lot, it's no surprise that CK2 is one of my favorite games released so far this year!

Dreaded Gazebo wrote:
tboon wrote:

Yeah, they really nailed that here. Also in CK but the damn interface was so annoying that it detracted from the stories. CK2 just nails it though. Although, to be honest, you have to put the stories together yourself, which is something most folks cannot or will not do. Which is too bad because they are missing out on a really great game.

I think that's part of my problem with the game. I love the idea of Crusader Kings II but I've been struggling to really find the fun. I'm enjoying trying to create a unified Ireland but it is slow paced and it's rarely clear how to really achieve the goals you've set out for yourself. There are so many names in the game I have a very difficult time remembering who is who and following all the family histories. I also wish there was an easy way to go from someone's portrait to the region they are from so I could put faces to locations on the map (which would really help me out).

I'm going to keep playing but it hasn't been quite as enjoyable as I had hoped.

When you click on their portrait that should bring up a head and a scroll, click the head to see where they are now.

Farscry wrote:
ZaneRockfist wrote:

I'll be honest. The 'emergent story' aspect of the game you guys are talking about does not interest me that much. I don't think about it at all, in fact. Nevertheless, I still think it is a fantastic game.

That's just what makes the game so awesome. It's a solid strategy game, AND it's a solid emergent story game. Since both aspects appeal to me a lot, it's no surprise that CK2 is one of my favorite games released so far this year!

It is definitely one of my favorites! I cannot wait to see what they end up doing with it. And what the modders end up doing!

ZaneRockfist wrote:

It is definitely one of my favorites! I cannot wait to see what they end up doing with it. And what the modders end up doing!

Yeah, I'm wondering how long it'll take for someone to create a Westeros map/Game of Thrones mod. Or random maps. Still, I'm hoping there will be some good surprise mods too.

I think that's part of my problem with the game. I love the idea of Crusader Kings II but I've been struggling to really find the fun. I'm enjoying trying to create a unified Ireland but it is slow paced and it's rarely clear how to really achieve the goals you've set out for yourself. There are so many names in the game I have a very difficult time remembering who is who and following all the family histories. I also wish there was an easy way to go from someone's portrait to the region they are from so I could put faces to locations on the map (which would really help me out).

Hmmm. I spent a few years in my late teens/early 20's reading every Viking saga I could get my hands on. Once you get the knack of tracking the family relationships in those - it's a necessary skill to really enjoy the stories - the game's characters don't seem so convoluted. I guess I take that for granted.

It's funny because in real life, I'm *terrible* with names.

I love this game. Where else could a 64 year old King arrange a marriage for his grandson with a hot 18 year old, then Marry her twin sister with the bigger... endowments.

Prozac wrote:

I love this game. Where else could a 64 year old King arrange a marriage for his grandson with a hot 18 year old, then Marry her twin sister with the bigger... endowments. :D

Nevada

I started a new game with William I in December 1066, since I have a better understanding of how to calm down vassals now. I successfully sweetened up everyone at the start of the game, so I would not have to deal with huge rebellions.

King William I had a great time romping and stomping, taking back Cumberland from the Scots, and even grabbing one of the Welsh counties. He also fought off a French attempt to claim Maine, and even got Phillipe I to become an ally.

But time passes, and William eventually died, passing the throne to his 10 or 12 year old son, Robert. This triggered a rebellion in central England by one county, which was soon followed by the Duchy of Lancaster and a coalition led by the Duke of Oxford. Panicked, I paid off the Duke of York, only to find that he too was pulled into one of the rebellions by alliance.

I had plenty of money, and through judicious raising of mercenaries, I was able to wear down the rebel armies to a safe point and crush the first (small) rebellion. The second one fell to the same tactics; now I had my huge realm forces back and was going after the third rebellion when I noticed my war score plummeting.

And French troops began to cross the Channel. Phillipe I had died and someone had pulled in his son as an ally. They were taking over my 5 French provinces and starting to land men (about 2500 at a time, seemed like) in Southern England to invest cities.

Now *this* was a challenge. My war chest was slowly emptying, and I still had over a third of England itself in revolt. I strengthened my resolve, started sieging Oxford, and chasing armies around England stomping them, and began to work out how I would deal with an army of 7000 men in France. Not to mention about two years worth of sieges to just put down the rebellion, and that does not include my Duchy of Normandie. A poser, indeed.

Several weeks later, as I was contemplating giving up land to the French, the Duke of Oxford died, apparently in a small skirmish in Dorset, at the age of 32. Everyone put down their weapons and went home, and I now have successfully passed England to the new King Robert, long may he reign.

Love this game.

A timely death if I've ever seen one.

garion333 wrote:

A timely death if I've ever seen one. ;)

Probably a shaving accident

I love these tales, keep 'em coming!

But you still have 7000 French troops to deal with and your claim to lands in Wales is getting stale.

Nope. The French have gone skulking back home. But you're right, the Welsh claim died with William. New Chancellor is scribing away...

Robert I . I like it. Is your claim to Anjou still good or did that also die with William?

I have not checked, but I assume it was passed down.

I'm reading about English history on Wikipedia and it looks like Anjou was more than a little significant in the 1100's. Geoffroy V of Anjou

Gunner wrote:

a righteous war against Norway along with a few conquests against the Norse heathens

FACT: All Swedish actions against Norway are righteous.

Paleocon wrote:

I'm reading about English history on Wikipedia and it looks like Anjou was more than a little significant in the 1100's. Geoffroy V of Anjou

That write-up could almost read like a CK2 AAR.

tboon wrote:
Paleocon wrote:

I'm reading about English history on Wikipedia and it looks like Anjou was more than a little significant in the 1100's. Geoffroy V of Anjou

That write-up could almost read like a CK2 AAR. :)

It really could.

I haven't started playing this for fear that it would consume me, but I'm having lots of fun watching Robear get into it.

Paleocon wrote:

I'm having lots of fun watching Robear get into it.

Hey man, I'm not here to judge.

wordsmythe wrote:
Paleocon wrote:

I'm having lots of fun watching Robear get into it.

Hey man, I'm not here to judge.

snort laugh!

I liked this thread a lot more when I was 150 posts behind and knew that there were more AARs to read.

Dance for me, slaves!

I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around this one compared to other paradox games. So many players too keep my eyes on! Just too many moving parts that could ruin my plans if I'm not careful. Instead of paying attention to my nation, my neighbors and the big 5 or 6 nations who could throw their weight around, i have to watch my realm, my whole familly, my liege, my neightbors, etc etc. Anything I try to do just turns into a big mess.

I can't seem to resist the urge to restart either. I make it through the life of one or two characters, then everything goes pear shaped and I'm out. Maybe I'm just frustrated because I'm terrible at this game, but I really want to like it more than I do right now. I'm definitly going to give it another go, so that says something.

DanyBoy wrote:

I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around this one compared to other paradox games. So many players too keep my eyes on! Just too many moving parts that could ruin my plans if I'm not careful. Instead of paying attention to my nation, my neighbors and the big 5 or 6 nations who could throw their weight around, i have to watch my realm, my whole familly, my liege, my neightbors, etc etc. Anything I try to do just turns into a big mess.

I can't seem to resist the urge to restart either. I make it through the life of one or two characters, then everything goes pear shaped and I'm out. Maybe I'm just frustrated because I'm terrible at this game, but I really want to like it more than I do right now. I'm definitly going to give it another go, so that says something.

If paying attention to all of those bits is too much, I think you can get away with not doing so. Or, at any rate, I've been able to get away with not doing so, while still enjoying myself and being relatively successful. I only pay attention to a few characters at a time, though who is in that group changes frequently. If I have ummarried members of my realm and am not facing anything else, I'll focus on getting them married one at a time (typically, I focus on the males and trying to bring in females with high attributes in the hopes of improving my later council members). If I have some unhappy vassals, they'll get the focus. When I'm looking to expand, my next victims are all I focus on.

I find myself with the 'restart' bug. Sometimes that seems to be a good thing; however, as long as you have an heir, things can always turn around. I think I mentioned above in my Spanish start where all of my children were eventually murdered, and various wars were wiping me out. Fortunately, my evil brother assassinated me, and I then became the much more powerful, evil brother.

Also, just like other Paradox games (and maybe even more so), take the long view. You cannot conquer the world. You maybe can conquer parts of it, but it will take a long time. Set small goals. Fabricate a claim on someone with no allies. Try to set your heir up to get all your stuff. Build up your demesne.

Also, I find playing as a duke to be the sweet spot between options and complexity. There's still a lot you can do (especially when crown authority is low) but there's not too much to manage. I suppose that playing as a small kingdom would be the same way. But, even though I have never tried playing them, I don't really want to play as HRE or France or even England. That's just me though.