Crusader Kings 2

[TheKenwyne]

Just to note a Game of Throne/Song of Ice and Fire mod has now been released for this game. You have my permission to nerd out.

http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/...ame-of-Thrones

Anyone up for multiplayer? I need allies to help murder ALL THE FREYS

[lazorbeak]

As a big history nerd, this game is incredibly addictive. I've started in a few places and times, but so far my favorite has been a game as King of Aragon started in 1200. The detail that goes into any game start around that time or later is pretty amazing, with larger than life characters like John Marshall, Richard the Lionheart (although he dies just before 1200), John I, the kingdom of Jerusalem (just after the third Crusade), while still having 270 years to play around. As much as I'm tempted to start a 100 years war game, the idea that you're playing against the clock makes it a little less fun.

The GoT mod sounds pretty cool too.

[Nathers7]

The Game of Thrones mod is fantastic for a first release (should see alot more added from the dev team in time), definitely would recommend. Played a great game as the Lannisters over the weekend, decided to support the Targaryens though .

Been using the Prince and Thane overhaul mod for the default game, adds alot more flavour events, traits etc. and helps kill boredom if you're playing as a count.

[bigtplaystew]

Finally got this. Went to go play a game but there are like 30 tutorials lol. So I'm going to finish studying for my big test and take this on later in the week. Im all about a steep learning curve but I cant spend the hours needed to learn a new game of this magnitude right now. In a few days I should have found some time and I'll explore it more.

[Capelli King]

I think i have all the paradox games, but CK 1 was what got me into their game. So when they announced this one i was really happy. This is a huge improvement over the previous version. What i like is the ability to mod everything (but this is not easy to do if you do not know the game mechanics and).

I changed quite a few things such as the end date (my game will never end), plus i made some alterations in rebellions and stuff like that (i cannot be bothered with dealing with rebellions all the time). At the moment my game is in 1200 and i am the Emperor of Byzantine. I have pretty much control over all of the Balkans up to Hungary and all the territory around the Black sea is mine. I have also given the Arabs a good beating, everything up to Persia is mine now, i even took parts of Egypt as well.

[lazorbeak]

If anybody's on the fence on this game, it's $10 on amazon right now as a download, or $12 for a set of Paradox games including CK2.

[bigtplaystew]

OK Im going to play this in an hour or so when I get home. Is it the kind of game I can learn as I play on easy mode or something or do I need to go through all of those tutorials? There's A LOT of them.

[Nathers7]

Originally Posted by bigtplaystew

OK Im going to play this in an hour or so when I get home. Is it the kind of game I can learn as I play on easy mode or something or do I need to go through all of those tutorials? There's A LOT of them.

I would definitely go through a few tutorials if you know nothing at all about the game or even check out a few Let's Play videos from experienced players on youtube, CK2 isn't Paradox's most complicated game (Vicky 1 and 2 probably take the cake) but going in blind will probably bring frustration.

Also make sure to start in a place you can handle, Ireland gets a lot of recommendations for first time players.

[crownsy]

Just downloaded this plus the GOT mod.

A few things

I modded the game of thrones soundtrack in (instructions at website below)

http://crusaderkings-two.wikia.com/w...sader_Kings_II

greatest thing ever!

and two, sign me up for multiplayer! Freys must die!

[D-Lyrium]

Originally Posted by bigtplaystew

OK Im going to play this in an hour or so when I get home. Is it the kind of game I can learn as I play on easy mode or something or do I need to go through all of those tutorials? There's A LOT of them.

Definitely play the basic tutorials. There are three 'levels' of tutorial and 9 tutorial subjects. I'd recommend playing through at least the 9 Basic ones, especially if you've never played any similar Paradox game before. They don't take too long, but if you go in blind lots of things that happen will confuse/annoy you if you don't know why they're happening.

As for who to play as, like Nathers said one of the Irish counts/dukes is probably best for a first game ever, especially Munster or Connacht. Just don't expect world domination within the first decade. Maybe the Duke of Gwynned (in Wales) too, as you get a fairly obvious starting goal (conquering the rest of Wales, which is much easier than conquering the rest of Ireland). After that it gets epic hard, but you can always start a new game once you've done that and got the hang of the game.

If you're familiar with this type of game (IIRC you've played the demo quite a bit, right?), I found being the King of Poland quite fun. It's in what at first might look to be a tricky part of Europe, but most of your neighbours are either tribal pagans, or not too intent on destroying you. Starting as the King of France is often fun, but most of your vassals are too busy squabbling with each other to do anything you say.

I'm not sure if you're English or not, but I'd definitely recommend AGAINST going the patriotic route. As anyone with a passing familiarity with history will know, Harold is royally screwed at this point, and that's... shall we say... accurately simulated. I've seen the AI Harold do well a few times, but as a player I've never managed it. Not with any degree of kingdom left after the wars, anyway. I mean, sure, I've survived but usually I'm left as the Duke of Wessex by the end of it, while the south is French and the north is Norwegian.

[BHK1978]

Originally Posted by Capelli King

I changed quite a few things such as the end date (my game will never end), plus i made some alterations in rebellions and stuff like that (i cannot be bothered with dealing with rebellions all the time).

How were you able to do this?

[bigtplaystew]

Well I just started my first game. I chose the King of Scotland because thats what the game said was easiest. It said the Irish guys were all pretty hard actually. It's all a little overwhelming so I'm just trying to take it all in.

[D-Lyrium]

The Irish dukes are hard in terms of long-term survival and conquering lots of stuff. But easy in terms of having a small demesne to not get overwhelmed by, and short-term survival and conquering possibilities.

It's much easier/quicker to conquer all of Britain playing as the King of Scotland than the Duke of Munster, for instance.

In TEW terms, being a King is like being TCW or SWF in your first ever TEW game, hard to get used to all the ins and outs of the game and while you're still learning you'll probably tank to Cult. But once you know what you're doing it's much easier. Playing as a Duke is like playing as MAW; world domination is way off, but you have a smaller roster and the mistakes you make won't kick your arse as harshly.

Times are interesting as King of Poland at the moment... I gave my latest acquisition - Lithuania - to the missus to keep her happy. Within six months she declared war on Polotsk (Belarus) which is fair enough because in reality it became part of Lithuania in the 1400s. What made it slightly awkward was that the duchess of Polotsk is married to my bastard son.

Don't get me wrong, I have no qualms with going to war with my son. I was going to do that anyway, but AFTER he'd produced offspring and given me a claim to the province myself. I hadn't planned the stupid woman to go to war and claim it for herself.

Women, no patience. ¬_¬

[bigtplaystew]

Excellent analogy. Thanks, man!

[bigtplaystew]

I guess I'm just having a hard time figuring out what to do, how to expand, etc.

Just trying not to treat this like a 4X game.