Crusader Kings 2 Redux

[Zanza]

With demesne troops, retinue, Varangian guard, your loyal vassals and if need be more mercenaries you should be able to destroy an uprising, no? The Byzantine Emperor has huge income, so you can build more and more demesne buildings and retinues so your advantage over your vassals grows. You could also create the Kingdom of Anatolia and hand it to your son. That will give you a massive super-loyal vassal.

[garbon]

I never create kingdoms as Byz as it isn't good if say your next ruler doesn't have a son ready to take on that mantle, then negative vassal malus as they want the title.

But yeah, I think Byzantines is really just about righting the ship when you first get it as then you should also make bank for paid mercenaries when all your other sources of troops fail.

[celedhring]

With demesne troops, retinue, Varangian guard, your loyal vassals and if need be more mercenaries you should be able to destroy an uprising, no? The Byzantine Emperor has huge income, so you can build more and more demesne buildings and retinues so your advantage over your vassals grows. You could also create the Kingdom of Anatolia and hand it to your son. That will give you a massive super-loyal vassal.

I have already crushed one revolt, but they are now back in it with 150% of my power and counting 

I chose a post-Manzikert date to make it more fun, so I'm not that big and powerful (yet). I'm super-rich though, I guess I could make do with mercenaries... I just want to steady the ship at home, so I can focus on retaking Asia Minor (I have established a foothold in western Anatolia).

[Zanza]

If you start the Alexiad scenario, you can immediately conquer Georgia and Armenia Minor to get a foothold.

[Tamas]

You guys remind me of my biggest beef with CK2 (or most any grand strategy game in fact): the snowballing effect. The bigger you are the easier the game is, while in fact especially in CK's period the opposite should be true.

I would be so happy to find a mod that remedies this, but so far I have only found ones that made it worse.

[celedhring]

Well, last revolt ended up with pretty much every duke in my realm locked up in my dungeon, that seems to be doing the trick for now

Had forgotten how much I love this game.

[jimmy olsen]

Picked up a few DLCs and started my first save in 2 years. I started as a Greek count and - quite unexpectedly - managed to have the Byzantine Empire title fall on my lap after 30 years and a couple of murders. I'm really having trouble coping with factions though, they seem to have more bite than when I last played this game regularly. I won't be able to keep High Crown Authority for much longer. Any tips? I have a large demesne but all my nobles just band together, even if I keep opinion high.

If you have primogeniture is high crown authority really necessary? Isn't medium good enough?

[celedhring]

Well, they are creating big factions to repeal both, so might as well crush them at the first time of asking.

Plus I still need those beefed up levies for the big wars against the muslims. I suppose I could let it slip once I'm stronger by myself, though.

[Tamas]

Well, they are creating big factions to repeal both, so might as well crush them at the first time of asking.

Plus I still need those beefed up levies for the big wars against the muslims. I suppose I could let it slip once I'm stronger by myself, though.

You have tons of money to hire mercenaries. You don't need anything else. Just roflstomp everything.

[Razgovory]

You guys remind me of my biggest beef with CK2 (or most any grand strategy game in fact): the snowballing effect. The bigger you are the easier the game is, while in fact especially in CK's period the opposite should be true.

I would be so happy to find a mod that remedies this, but so far I have only found ones that made it worse.

I thought there were limits on how many vassals you could have.  Money is far more important than size.  YOu'll want to have 1,000 bucks on hand when the King takes over.  One of things I like is how quickly things can reverse on you.  You can have a really good heir only to see him die right before you do, resulting in dimwitted relative ascending the throne.  Then all hell breaks lose.

[dps]

I thought there were limits on how many vassals you could have. 

Yes, there are, but once you get your realm to Empire level and have high enough technology to institute Imperial Administration, the limits are relatively insignificant.  At that point, your vassal limit, even with a relatively poor ruler, should be at least 45.  Just organize everything into kingdoms and give each vassal more than one kingdom if necessary. 

[Jacob]

Once in a while you can give in to them of the demand isn't too onerous and the timing is bad.

One thing that I've found can work is to send your spymaster to your vassals on the "don't join factions" mission. That works best if you get ahead of the curve a bit - once you're bast 80% or so on troop numbers it's usually too late. Obviously your spymaster needs decent intrigue for that to work.

Another thing I like to do is to revoke titles/ arrest faction members when there is an opportunity. Sure the faction has 110% of my strength, but if I revoke/arrest three of the members it's a lot more manageable to deal with them individually.

[dps]

Once in a while you can give in to them of the demand isn't too onerous and the timing is bad.

For example, usually there'll be a demand to raise council authority very soon after starting a game.  I make a change in another law as soon as I start play, then agree to the demand so I get a "free" law change without waiting 10 years to empower the council to enforce realm peace.  (This assumes a start with a realm where the council isn't empowered at all.)

One thing that I've found can work is to send your spymaster to your vassals on the "don't join factions" mission. That works best if you get ahead of the curve a bit - once you're bast 80% or so on troop numbers it's usually too late. Obviously your spymaster needs decent intrigue for that to work.

Yeah, anymore I use my spymaster for this and have pretty much quit sending him to Constantinople to study tech unless he's someone I want to get rid of or there are no factions worth worrying about.

Another thing I like to do is to revoke titles/ arrest faction members when there is an opportunity. Sure the faction has 110% of my strength, but if I revoke/arrest three of the members it's a lot more manageable to deal with them individually.

This is a good strategy too, but it depends on having a valid reason to arrest/revoke, unless you don't care about tyranny--and if you're in a position to not worry about gaining tyranny, you probably are powerful/wealthy enough you aren't too worried about any factions, either.  Still, no reason not to do it if you have a valid reason.

[celedhring]

Thanks for the tips.

Now I need to deal with the muslims going all Jihad on my arse every 10 years or so since I took most of Anatolia... Although I think I can take care of them if I don't need to deal with my pesky nobles at the same time.

[dps]

Thanks for the tips.

Now I need to deal with the muslims going all Jihad on my arse every 10 years or so since I took most of Anatolia... Although I think I can take care of them if I don't need to deal with my pesky nobles at the same time.

Yeah, that's the real problem with factions--they distract you from doing what you really want to do, which is kick foreign butt.

If you're really having trouble with your vassals, make sure that after any rebellion you don't let them ransom themselves out of prison.  Keep 'em there where they can't cause trouble.  Actually, you might want to consider putting them under house arrest, so that they live on longer as prisoners.