Crusader Kings 2 Redux

[Tamas]

There is a new dev diary for those interested.

It does imply a sort of republic-specific sub-game of wrestling for trade posts and trading zones, which will be sort of cool to have in the game. What it still fails to show me is the answer to "why bother?". Money is the easiest goddamn thing to get in this game.

[Martinus]

Ok, I am thinking of starting a new game, possibly in the HRE or bordering the HRE, and thinking of trying one of the mods that addresses, among others, the HRE OP issues. Which mod would you guys recommend? CK2+ or Project Balance?

[OttoVonBismarck]

The narrative that seems popular these days is the "luck of Europe".  The mongols were unstoppable warriors and if wasn't for the death of Ogdei Khan europe would have fallen like China did.  I'm not sure I buy that.  The Mongols had good soldiers, and talented commanders, but they weren't invincible.  The mongols lost battles just like everyone else did, and Europe was really far away from Mongolia.  All it would take one major defeat, a few costly victories or an outbreak of disease during a siege to really screw them up.  I think they understood this.

The Mongols fared well against European armies typically. I think their armies could have conquered farther west but there were issues. For one their pony herds required proper grassland to feed on, they could operate outside those boundaries but it was less efficient. European castle also made things less convenient for them.

The biggest weakness of the Mongols is they were just really a large band of conquerors and raiders. They never really governed or ruled much that they conquered, instead just making them very lightly controlled tributary states. This meant as time went on they would reap none of the benefits of state centralization and etc, and in fact that made entities like the Horde less able to operate. Politically a core part of what made the mongols successful also made them weak, namely that brothers and relatives would each lead large and effective armies that could spread out in all directions, but then they tended to fight each other for supremacy. Since no ruler is immortal, every time someone died it lead to in fighting. It's not like Ögedei Khan died untimely as a young man, he was 55  years old...in the 13th or any century you don't have that many years left at that point. And with a high statistical likelihood as you get older of getting a disease that requires modern medicine to treat, in the 13th century life expectancy at 55 wasn't great, obviously.

[garbon]

Ok, I am thinking of starting a new game, possibly in the HRE or bordering the HRE, and thinking of trying one of the mods that addresses, among others, the HRE OP issues. Which mod would you guys recommend? CK2+ or Project Balance?

CK2+ is great though I have checked in to see if he straightened out his implementation of factions. Also with him getting hired it'll probably ossify but still good.

[Admiral Yi]

Politically a core part of what made the mongols successful also made them weak, namely that brothers and relatives would each lead large and effective armies that could spread out in all directions, but then they tended to fight each other for supremacy.

You sure about this?  Everyone knows Mongol succession was indeterminate, but I've never heard of actual fighting being involved.

[Faeelin]

It does imply a sort of republic-specific sub-game of wrestling for trade posts and trading zones, which will be sort of cool to have in the game. What it still fails to show me is the answer to "why bother?". Money is the easiest goddamn thing to get in this game.

Do you not build stuff? I'm always broke because I'm pouring cash into my demense.

[Martinus]

It does imply a sort of republic-specific sub-game of wrestling for trade posts and trading zones, which will be sort of cool to have in the game. What it still fails to show me is the answer to "why bother?". Money is the easiest goddamn thing to get in this game.

Do you not build stuff? I'm always broke because I'm pouring cash into my demense.

You just need to build the cash producing buildings early on. After about 10-20 years you will be raking in cash.

[Caliga]

You sure about this?  Everyone knows Mongol succession was indeterminate, but I've never heard of actual fighting being involved.

Didn't the Great Khanate (or whatever the unified empire was called) break up for this very reason?  I thought one of the Khans died and that ended the unified polity for good due to the infighting that resulted.

[Admiral Yi]

Didn't the Great Khanate (or whatever the unified empire was called) break up for this very reason?  I thought one of the Khans died and that ended the unified polity for good due to the infighting that resulted.

Infighting as in jockeying for position, not as in arrows whizzing was my understanding.

[Faeelin]

You just need to build the cash producing buildings early on. After about 10-20 years you will be raking in cash.

So only build city stuff at first?

[Admiral Yi]

Just signed up w/ Steam, downloading the game.

Start with the tutorial I suppose?

Read the manual first?  Has Pdox gotten any better at writing manuals?

[Ed Anger]

I'd just pick a count or duke in Ireland, fiddle with the game until you get the hang of it, then pick somewhere more exciting for the next game.

[sbr]

The tutorial is actually pretty decent for a Paradox game, it should get you started.  Then something out of the way for a bit would be good.

[garbon]

You just need to build the cash producing buildings early on. After about 10-20 years you will be raking in cash.

So only build city stuff at first?

I just build the city / village improvement in my baronies. You get a lot from having that improvement upgraded throughout your demesne.

[Syt]

Probably mentioned before, but GG has the complete CK-bundle (CK1+2 plus all DLC) for €22.50.

http://www.gamersgate.com/DDB-CKC/crusader-kings-collection-bundle