.

[Ian C]

I don't think there's a mystery to it's success:

1. The game worked really well on release and was playable. 

2. It's fun to play. The original was fun too. They kept everything good that was in the original and improved it, not swept it away because of some 'new vision of the game'.

3. It has a savegame Delete Button.

[steve58]

...and  i don't play it. It just sits in my hard drive.  Wonder how many of the 1000000 is like me.

Add me to that list.

Me as well.  I fire it up every so often, but never get very far.  Maybe its time for me to go through UCG's CK2 AAR.

[sandman2575]

I don't think there's a mystery to it's success:

1. The game worked really well on release and was playable. 

2. It's fun to play. The original was fun too. They kept everything good that was in the original and improved it, not swept it away because of some 'new vision of the game'.

3. It has a savegame Delete Button.

Add to that the fact that CKII is visually gorgeous, even more than EUIV. It's just a pleasure to look at the different map modes with all the different crests of kingdoms, duchies, etc. And the UI is pretty darn great when you consider how complex the game is from an organizational standpoint (dynasty lineages, succession lines, 'de jure' territories, and so on).

Really I can't praise CKII enough -- it's a masterpiece.

But I do get why some folks have trouble getting into it. There's an element of "OK, now what?" with all Pdox games I think, given how open-ended they are. There can be a lot of waiting around for something to happen.

[Staggerwing]

How do you guys play CKII? Do you sit down for 15 minutes here and there, pausing (or not, letting it run)? Do you stay in front of your comps for 4-5 hours at a time 2-3 times a week?

[undercovergeek]

How do you guys play CKII? Do you sit down for 15 minutes here and there, pausing (or not, letting it run)? Do you stay in front of your comps for 4-5 hours at a time 2-3 times a week?

youve got to give it a decent run otherwise theres no immerssion - like reading a book for an hour before bed or for 5 mins a time while sat on the toilet - bed time reading gives the book a better chance to grab you

[sandman2575]

How do you guys play CKII? Do you sit down for 15 minutes here and there, pausing (or not, letting it run)? Do you stay in front of your comps for 4-5 hours at a time 2-3 times a week?

I don't think CKII can be very satisfying if you're only dipping into it for 15-20 minutes every few days.  Esp. if you do an early start, like 11th century (or, really hardcore, 9th century), the game evolves over a long span, and not much is going to happen in 15 minutes of real-time play. When I sit down with it I probably play for about 2 hours or so -- it definitely draws me in, and as you're waiting for one of your schemes to pan out, it very much has that "one more turn" feel (it's not TBS, but you know what I mean)...

[RooksBailey]

How do you guys play CKII? Do you sit down for 15 minutes here and there, pausing (or not, letting it run)? Do you stay in front of your comps for 4-5 hours at a time 2-3 times a week?

As the others have said, you can't really get into a game like Ck2 with a short commitment.  I generally play for an hour at a time.  It takes the game some time to start generating all the fascinating permutations that occur when royal families start bumping into each other.  The key to CK2 is to understand that it runs like a real sim at times in that the player doesn't always have something to do.  Instead, you often find yourself just sitting back and watching history unfold one small event at a time.  The fun comes in later - when you get to see how all those small pebbles eventually trigger an avalanche that sweeps the player along with it.

[Toonces]

Broken record here, but I also play 1-2 hours at a time. 

And I wasn't kidding.  This is one of those games where drinking while you're playing enhances the experience.  I like to stay thematic: Scotch when playing Scotland, Jamesons for Ireland, beer for Germany (HRE), wine for Spain, and so on.    O:-)

[Moreb]

Never really was captivated by CKII. Maybe it's the lack of empathy for the virtual characters, but I just never cared enough.

It sits gathering dust with about 40% of my purchases.

[sandman2575]

I'm feeling an urge to fire up a CK2 Scottish campaign in honor of all those Scots who voted "Yes" on the referendum and were disappointed today...  Cue obligatory Braveheart "They can take our land, but they can never take our Freedom!!!" clip here.

Do you have a single-malt of choice, Toonces?  Too many good ones to choose from, although I'm quite keen on Springbank at the moment.  Check it out if you haven't before, great stuff.

[Toonces]

I'm pretty flexible when it comes to Scotch.

I had one called Speyburn that I liked a lot. 

[Wolfe1759]

Broken record here, but I also play 1-2 hours at a time. 

And I wasn't kidding.  This is one of those games where drinking while you're playing enhances the experience.  I like to stay thematic: Scotch when playing Scotland, Jamesons for Ireland, beer for Germany (HRE), wine for Spain, and so on.    O:-)

Cunning plan, whiskey DLC  could be the way to go though I'd suggest Bushmills (White, Black or preferably Green) for Ireland  :)

[Toonces]

^ That sounds like a challenge!   ^-^

[Wolfe1759]

Last man standing slumped snoring over his keyboard  :)

P.S. Toonces and Sandman if you are Laphroigh types and want more peat have a look at The Peat Monster ("says what it does on the tin" to quote an ad) though to be honest I'm more of a lowland malt type myself when it come to whisky rather than whiskey.

[sandman2575]

I'm pretty flexible when it comes to Scotch.

A policy I wholeheartedly endorse.  O0