Crusader Kings 2 Redux

[Syt]

My personal problem with the game is that it is often a lot of fun for the first 100 years or so, but then it becomes somewhat tedious - maybe it's because it has that sandbox approach, where you set your own goals, but the problem is that once you become powerful (for me, this happens when you create your own empire), there is not really that much to do other than ceaseless expansion - and this, in turn, kills the whole Sim Feudalism feel of the game to me, as you are forced to ignore a lot of messages about "personal lifes" of characters, as otherwise you are getting swamped with them.

I rarely have that problem as I usually start as a count somewhere, and roleplay my characters to a large extent instead of going for max. title/land. That keeps me entertained enough with an overseeable amount of stuff going on and without becoming too hectic. I don't think I've ever started a game as king or emperor.

[Caliga]

My habit is starting games as a Duke and working my way toward a King, which is why I like playing as William the Bastard and Robert Guiscard.  I also apparently really like Normans for some reason.

[Razgovory]

How do you rise up from Count to Duke?

[garbon]

How do you rise up from Count to Duke?

By getting more territory...or by being given a dukedom from your liege?

[Razgovory]

I was thinking of a strategy.

[Viking]

I was thinking of a strategy.

Get money, get soldiers, take shit...

[garbon]

I was thinking of a strategy.

Get money, get soldiers, take shit...

[fhdz]

...profit!

[Viking]

...profit!

at least my step three was more detailed than the traditional

3. ....

[Jaron]

Its very simple. All you need to do is fabricate a claim on a neighbor and then attack them with mercenaries. With mercenaries, even a poor (but frugal) count can field an army of 10k.

[Viking]

Its very simple. All you need to do is fabricate a claim on a neighbor and then attack them with mercenaries. With mercenaries, even a poor (but frugal) count can field an army of 10k.

that is until you run out of cash, get declared on by your mercs and have them take over your county.

[Caliga]

True story: in my current game I saw the Bulgarian Band conquer all of Cyrenaica for themselves.  Eventually the Emir of Alexandria kicked them out, but they held the region for at least a decade.

[Ed Anger]

I saw the Lombard Band take Denmark. Hilarious, since as Sweden it gave me an excuse to take some prime territory.

[garbon]

Its very simple. All you need to do is fabricate a claim on a neighbor and then attack them with mercenaries. With mercenaries, even a poor (but frugal) count can field an army of 10k.

that is until you run out of cash, get declared on by your mercs and have them take over your county.

If you're doing it wrong.

[Jaron]

I've never had mercs do that to me. I'd say if you're not optimistic about finishing the enemy off quickly, save up about 500d.

Ideally, your target shouldn't be far away, shouldn't have a ton of allies who will join, and preferably have the same liege. I don't know if conquering fellow vassals incurs any penalty with your liege, but it does reduce the armies you'll have to face. Am I correct there? I'm assuming if I'm in Duchy A and I try to claim a county that is currently in Duchy B then I'll have to face the county + the ruling duchy.

I find it easy enough to expand that way as almost anyone. I had a Habsburg game where I went around merrily conquering around Switzerland. I recently started a Bourbon game and I've taken over a neighboring county in that way. Most of S. France is ruled by Aquitaine, which makes it quite a bit easier to eat up enemy counties one by one. My duke might throw a hissy if I declare myself the new Duke of Bourbon, but that's about the worst I expect it'll get.