Crusader Kings III

[garbon]

Oh yeah, I had just given up all hope for ck3

[Syt]

I've been playing the beta. I can't comment much on the balance, since I rarely pay attention to stats maxing and the likes.

Started as adventurer with diplomatic focus. Travelled for a while through Italy, Germany and France before buying the county of Orléans from the French king who I had befriended.

With strong diplo focus, one male heir, and 7 daughters that secured a number of alliances, I managed to become the Duke of Orléans.

My son nearly lost it all. Three children, all dead after Typhus came through Orléans and my wife past childbearing age. My character was already showing signs of age (you get afflictions like brittle bones, clouded vision etc. that get worse some time after age 40 or 50 or so). A Muslim Bedouin family sought refuge. I asked them to convert and took them in; their daughter bore me a daughter and a son. I paid off the pope to clear my conscience the adulterer trait. I recognized the bastards and died when my heir was 10 or so.

I had married wisely - my new ruler's wife had a claim on the French throne, and with France a shambles (many times), I had the chance to claim the throne for her. She was my soulmate, with 100 mutual relations, but she also had thrown a hissy fit and therefore became my rival. Our son was destined to rule France.

On a journey to the Castilian Empress' anointment/coronation in Rome we received word that she had died under mysterious circumstances (no, we had no hand in this).

My son was now King of France, and I his heir. Vassals being what they are, they didn't like a child king and rose under Prince Hélie, wanting him to abdicate. I joined the uprising and with my son disposed, I inherited the throne.

Afterwards things were rather peaceful, getting people to become my vassals peacefully and expanding the realm till I could proclaim the Empire of Francia. On top, we established a legendary legend. Our son had a claim on the Kingdom of Burgundy that we pressed and we incorporated it (together with Brittany and chunks of Germany - the HRE had fallen to a Danish conqueror 100 years prior) into our realm.

When the Emperor died in 1217, his shy, callous, and gluttonous son didn't impress the vassals. Prince Hélie built a large faction to push his own claim on the Kingdom of France. We could have granted it, but we would have lost our "ancestral lands" in Orléans (and major sources of income). So war it was, with the help of the Duke of Tuscany and various mercenaries. Prince Hélie lost and was beheaded in public. That tamped down any revolts quite a bit. His son hated us, but 10 years later we became best friends at the wedding of Duke Rorge's heir.

It's 1230 and we're finally headed to Rome to be annointed after saving money and piety to convince the pope to do the deed. While passing through Tuscany, the Duke of Tuscany calls us to war in his conquest of Orbetello ... against the pope. Sorry, mate, you're on your own, I have an appointment with the guy, also my army is in Poland under my son's command to help them with a succession dispute. Next time. Maybe.



I'm having fun, but to me at least it seems that the game has not become significantly harder (you may have to turn to mods, still). I have a realm limit of 8 as Emperor without trying too hard. I'm making 30g per month, which isn't huge numbers, but makes money quite easy to come by. I don't like to play in overly exploitative ways but still ended up with an empire within 150 years from start. I even set my army to "auto" unless I'm commanding it myself. The "Ask head of faith for gold" is still OP (I try to use it only when in a pinch, like during war or a major flood). And keeping people in your realm happy is generally still a bit too easy.

I do like the new "aging" traits that get worse till you die, though the notifications of them going up are a bit much?

Also, way too many characters are wearing those hooded cold weather cloaks. I turn them off when I see them, but I'd really like if they were only seen in (actually) cold weather or on nordic characters.

Side note - at some point the 13 year old cousin of my ruler was distraught that his wetnurse had died. One of my possible responses, "Don't worry, we will get you a new one."

[Syt]

Also, one of my body guards. Before (no, he was not gluttonous!), and after Typhus.

[Syt]

And this is me running the HRE in 1260. A lot of the expansion (esp. in the Balkans and Greece) was peaceful vassalization.

[HVC]

Also, one of my body guards. Before (no, he was not gluttonous!), and after Typhus.

The ozempic of the Middle Ages.