Crusader Kings 2 Redux

[Martinus]

I am not saying you should actively discourage them from creating duchies - but you do not need to help them.

[Zanza]

In my last game with CK2+, I played the Byzantine Empire, aiming to restore the Roman Empire. I had so many duchy vassals and the mobilization of all those smallish levies annoyed me so much that I started to create kingdom level vassals instead. That made the handling of the levies much easier. It also makes faction wars very tense as you have real opponents and not just flies you swat away.

I always try to create all duchy level titles and hand them out to someone in my family. That increases my prestige directly and my dynasties' prestige indirectly. Maximizing my prestige is one of the main goals I have when playing this game.

[Valmy]

In my last game with CK2+, I played the Byzantine Empire, aiming to restore the Roman Empire. I had so many duchy vassals and the mobilization of all those smallish levies annoyed me so much that I started to create kingdom level vassals instead. That made the handling of the levies much easier. It also makes faction wars very tense as you have real opponents and not just flies you swat away.

Yeah my Byzantine Game ended up with the Empire fracturing into Kingdoms when Emperor Ineptinos I took the throne.  King vassals are pretty scary.

I create duchies when I need the CB.

[Caliga]

My reasoning for wanting to create Duchies ASAP was that I could get even more prestige both for my dynasty and my kids, and also use them to curry favor.  But it did occur to me that I should try to accumulate wealth so my crappy successor to William could actually hand out the Duchies and therefore be the one to curry favor, since he'd need the relationship boost much more than William would.

[Valmy]

My reasoning for wanting to create Duchies ASAP was that I could get even more prestige both for my dynasty and my kids, and also use them to curry favor.  But it did occur to me that I should try to accumulate wealth so my crappy successor to William could actually hand out the Duchies and therefore be the one to curry favor, since he'd need the relationship boost much more than William would.

Yeah but if you hold more than two duchies your vassals get pissed off.  And if you give away a title if you hold any counties in their de jure area they get mad.  Oh and of course if you do hold the duchy title all the counts in that de jure area get mad.  Basically if you are a King having duchy titles is a real pain.

[Queequeg]

King vassals are awesome.  The stakes are super high, and they're totally capable of expanding on their own.  Love it.  Establishing a Byzantine Kingdom of Naples is the first thing I do in almost every Byz game. 

[Queequeg]

Anyone have any Holy Roman Empire suggestions? Thinking of maybe doing Brandenburg over break.  Bohemia always becomes reasonably boring-the HRE cuts off all ties, and there's not a lot of room for expansion or crusading unless you want to dilute Czech purity by conquering Poland. 

[Martinus]

In my games I deleted the HRE file meaning all games start without a unified HRE. It's fun to play a game as one of the HRE duchies there attempting to create a kingdom and then the empire.

Don't recommend Brandenburg though as you are not a part of any creatable kingdom unless you go pagan.

[Valmy]

King vassals are awesome.  The stakes are super high, and they're totally capable of expanding on their own.  Love it.  Establishing a Byzantine Kingdom of Naples is the first thing I do in almost every Byz game. 

Them being awesome is precisely the problem

[Martinus]

My reasoning for wanting to create Duchies ASAP was that I could get even more prestige both for my dynasty and my kids, and also use them to curry favor.  But it did occur to me that I should try to accumulate wealth so my crappy successor to William could actually hand out the Duchies and therefore be the one to curry favor, since he'd need the relationship boost much more than William would.

Yeah but if you hold more than two duchies your vassals get pissed off.  And if you give away a title if you hold any counties in their de jure area they get mad.  Oh and of course if you do hold the duchy title all the counts in that de jure area get mad.  Basically if you are a King having duchy titles is a real pain.

Yeah, I usually just keep the ducal title(s) of my direct demesne and try to hold all counties and castles in it. In early game a single duchy is usually enough to hit the demesne size limit, later on I get another duchy for this purpose.

Btw, it also helps to try and get as many holdings in the province with your capital as possible so that they all benefit from the bonuses from your steward's tax collection etc.

[Solmyr]

So what's the best way to make money? Doesn't seem like there are many ways to do it directly other than building up (which first takes money).

[Valmy]

So what's the best way to make money? Doesn't seem like there are many ways to do it directly other than building up (which first takes money).

Yeah this is the Middle Ages.  You make money with land and taxes.  So you either conquer land or build taxable buildings...or raise taxes.

[Tamas]

So what's the best way to make money?

unpause

[Ed Anger]

King vassals are awesome.  The stakes are super high, and they're totally capable of expanding on their own.  Love it.  Establishing a Byzantine Kingdom of Naples is the first thing I do in almost every Byz game.

If you get a peaceful period, hammer the Muslim in Spain with the Byzantine retinue. My current game, I have the Doukas Despot of Castile ruling that top left hunk of Spain.

[Ed Anger]

So what's the best way to make money?

unpause

tilde button then CASH