Crusader Kings II

[Nefaro]

There has been reports that male characters with the 'homosexual' trait can become pregnant.

Reportedly the biggest issue is the newly revised revolt and decadence systems.  The Indian (and maybe Islamic) areas devolve into endless civil wars with big rebel stacks and there may be some issues in Islam-land too.  This is just what I've read, as I decided to check what was wrong before deciding whether to start a new campaign.

It may not bother you directly, if you're playing as a  European Christian nation.  However, it will inevitably throw the rest of the world into some kind of crazy chaos if the reports are true.  So you may see unusual stuff going on with many of the AI entities.   I can't bring myself to start a new campaign knowing that so much may be out of whack when my game has progressed.

[Martok]

Yeah, that does put a damper on my wanting to fire up the game as well.  Even if/when I'm not being affected directly, I hate the idea of other players (even when they're just AI) having to deal with that sort of crap. 

[Kushan]

Reportedly the biggest issue is the newly revised revolt and decadence systems.  The Indian (and maybe Islamic) areas devolve into endless civil wars with big rebel stacks and there may be some issues in Islam-land too.  This is just what I've read, as I decided to check what was wrong before deciding whether to start a new campaign.

That seemed to be Arubas's biggest complaint with the new patch/DLC. He had a ton of peasant rebellions as he got closer to forming India. To play devils advocate though, the Muslims needed a bit of rebellion added in. The whole Islamic part of the game tends to be one giant unbreakable block.

[Toonces]

Man, I love this game.

The thing I've noticed, though, is that when things go downhill, they go downhill fast.  Maybe there should be a time delay from the time you choose to raise levies and the time they actually show up on the map.  I dunno.  It seems, though, that when a war breaks out troops just spawn everywhere and you have no time to prepare your defenses.

Also, is there some way to get an idea of a leader's ability to raise levies- the amount he can raise- before you declare war and see his troops amassed? 

[undercovergeek]

yeah, there is but im away from PC at mo which is fk all use to you - i think its up near the enemies family tree button, you can click on it and it gives you various options including his troop total and what he can bring to bear with allies etc

home tonight and ill give you the proper guide!

[Toonces]

Ok so I finally finished a campaign (game) of CK2 with a score of 12779.  Is that good?

I started as a minor Duke (Poraj) of Poland and grew my holdings fairly well.  My 3rd in line had 8 kids so I thought I was doing well.  My successor from that, though, only had one damn daughter.  How is that possible?  I even bumped off my wife and remarried to no effect.  Unfortunately, I had married my one daughter off to the King of Scotland.  So I had no heir after my male died.  Playing as the Queen I divorced my King and headed back to Poland, married my Uncle, but was unable to produce another male, despite one or two affairs.  So I eventually died in my mid-40s with no heir and the game ended.

I'm not sure what, if anything, can be done once you end up with a single daughter as your heir.  Maybe if I married a loser matriminealy (sp)?  Few will accept that, but if you go down far enough into the loser pool you can usually find someone.  Maybe that was the key, to marry some loser and hope for a son...

[undercovergeek]

Or legitimise a bastard

[JasonPratt]

Ok so I finally finished a campaign (game) of CK2 with a score of 12779.  Is that good?

That seems good, from what I recall of the comparative score.  O0

When you resign or are forcibly game-ended, you should go to a screen that gives a comparison on the left of how the designers thought other families would score.

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

I see they released a new, big patch today.

I guess I'll try this damned game one more time and see if it finally clicks with me.

[BanzaiCat]

I'm thinking about it too. I remember back at WG, we did some kind of AAR and it was a hell of a lot of fun to write up, though my guy died pretty early on. I can't find the article anywhere, but it's probably close to ten years old at this point.

[JasonPratt]

SDR,

I found that running a very small independent realm, though suicidal, was a good way to ease myself into the mechanics of the game.

[endfire79]

Start with something in Ireland.  Master things there, understand inheritance laws, then progress to something like a duchy of Apulia in Italy.  Enjoy

[sandman2575]

I've always favored Brittany as a good beginner realm. Nice, manageable number of vassals and territories. Independent duke ("petty king" technically), so you can aspire to establish a true kingdom. Not too hard to stay on good terms with France and England, playing them off against one another to avoid conquest by either. Some nice realms in Ireland you can conquer by fabricating claims.

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

SDR,

I found that running a very small independent realm, though suicidal, was a good way to ease myself into the mechanics of the game.

Thanks.  I farted around with Ireland and Scotland previously.  I think I'm OK with the mechanics (although some of the succession laws and intrigue stuff still isn't 100%).  I just never seem to get too into the game.  I just faff about, find a few wives for people, hire some tutors, send off some weasel to manufacture claims or whatnot and then just sit there, waiting and waiting, and waiting for something interesting to happen but nothing ever does.

[JasonPratt]

That being the case, maybe you should go for a larger starting nation now? Maybe the remnants of the Persians, stuck between the Abbasid super-empire, the Indians (and related subcontinentals like the Afghans), the Central Asian hordes, and a touch of the Byz?

Lots of potential threats and target opportunities of various sizes there.

Another possibility might be one of the Scandanavian indies for a smaller less hectic game but still one with more things happening.

Or start farther back as Ireland still smothered in local indies, consolidate the island, and set up some ships to start circle-looping around the rest of Britain over to Scandanavia to counter-invade and shut down the Viking threats? -- the idea being, don't go for the boringly obvious and probably suicidal route of nicking counties from the larger British isle, but build up your powerbase more by taking Iceland, the Faeroes, and assorted similar small islands as a staging ground for whapping Norway? (And/or start trying to colonize west Africa several centuries early?)