Crusader Kings 2 Redux

[Martinus]

I was thinking of a strategy.

It depends if you are a vassal of a Duke or directly of the King and if the de jure ducal title for your county is already created or not.

If the ducal title you are after does not exist, then it is easier - just get enough counties from the de jure duchy you want to create it (usually 2-3 depending on the size, but there are some, like Alsace, where one is enough) and you become a Duke. Same approach works if the title is held by someone in a different realm - then you can just usurp it.

The problem comes when the ducal title is held by someone in your realm (e.g. your liege). You cannot usurp it without first having a strong claim on the duchy so try to fabricate it (there is usually a plot to do so, too, if your Intrigue is high enough).

Also remember that when you usurp it from someone, they will end up hating you and they will get a claim on it - so if it is the King who holds the duchy, try instead to fabricate the claim on it and then petition him for the title (there is a decision to do so). Furthermore, if you are the King's direct vassal and the King likes you enough, he may actually give you the ducal title on his own - this is especially true if you have a claim on the title, as the AI King would often do it to stop you from hating him. So sending the chancellor to improve your relationship with the King is a good idea, too.

Things to look out for:
- you will probably start with Gavelkind and unable to change it due to low Crown Authority - so make sure you have a contingency plan when you start collecting the counties and then die and it gets split between your sons,
- if you want to create the title, make sure you do it fast enough so your King does not do it first (and if he does switch to plan B, i.e. petitioning him for it).

[garbon]

I don't know why I stupidly never used it before - but the Byzantine free ducal revocation is a god-send for pruning down would be rebellious factions.

Also, I'm finding it much easier if I prevent myself from having any kingdom vassals. There isn't much you can do there but ply them with titles/gold and hope they'll stay loyal.

[garbon]

Hey has anyone tried this mini-mod?  Looks pretty good via the utter randomness of heresies at the moment.

http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?653272-mini-mod-No-more-random-heresies

[garbon]

First dev diary is up

http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?676756-Crusader-Kings-II-The-Old-Gods-Dev-Diary-1-A-Different-Europe

It's time for another cycle of developer diaries on Crusader Kings II and I thought I'd begin by talking about the new start date and giving you a broad overview of the upcoming expansion; The Old Gods. Yes, we're pushing back the earliest possible start date to 867 AD. This is a special bookmark that comes with the expansion (and you will not be able to start at dates between 867 and 1066 without modding.)

Europe is a very different place in 867... Many of the familiar countries have not yet come into being. There is no Hungary, no Poland, no Russian principalities and the British Isles and Scandinavia are full of petty kingdoms. The Carolingians still rule the Franks, but the great Empire of Charlemagne has been divided between four of his descendants. In the Byzantine Empire, a new dynasty has just risen - the House of Makedon - destined to restore some of its former glory. The Muslims are in the middle of a drawn-out crisis as the once enormous Abbasid Caliphate has fractured, with a succession of Caliphs being murdered by their own Turkish generals.

Most importantly, however, the North and East are completely dominated by bustling tribes of unrepentant heathens who remain less than impressed with the White Christ. Why debase yourself before a dead man on a cross when you can loot the riches of his fat clergy instead? Just as the fury of the Northmen descends on the undefended shores of Europe, other, equally pagan threats are on the rise in the steppes of Tartaria. Like the Avars before them, the feared Magyar horse lords are pushing into Europe from beyond the Carpathians. Why is all this more important than the affairs of Christians and Muslims? Because with The Old Gods, all these heathens are finally playable! (But you probably knew that already.  )

Playing a pagan chieftain is at least as different as playing a Muslim. Not only that, there are significant differences between the various heathen religions. Some are aggressive in nature, like the Norse and Tengri beliefs, and some are more defensive, like the Finno-Ugric faith. For example, the warlike Norse will suffer a prestige loss for being at peace for too long, and will need to wage war or set sail to pillage and loot. The Finns don't have this problem, but on the other hand, their vassals will dislike having their troops raised (like Christians). Some faiths get defensive bonuses and larger garrisons in their homelands, some don't, etc. However, they can all potentially be reformed to withstand the allure of the new religions.

In the coming weeks, I will explain the different religions in detail. I will, of course, also talk about other new features, like traversible rivers, new cultures, Zoroastrians, Adventurers, and much more. Stay tuned, and here are some more screenshots to tease and titillate!

[garbon]

From one of the screens looks like there is some river travel - or at least some connected lakes.

[Maximus]

He mentions traversable rivers in that diary. Still no naval combat though, I wonder how one keeps the raiders from slipping up your rivers?

[Solmyr]

Wear a chastity belt?

[Phillip V]

dyke

[The Minsky Moment]

He mentions traversable rivers in that diary. Still no naval combat though, I wonder how one keeps the raiders from slipping up your rivers?

Maybe the way they actually did it in the late 9th century - by putting up booms and obstructions.

[Maximus]

He mentions traversable rivers in that diary. Still no naval combat though, I wonder how one keeps the raiders from slipping up your rivers?

Maybe the way they actually did it in the late 9th century - by putting up booms and obstructions.

How would that be implemented though, as a province-level building? a sea-zone building? And what would it do? defense bonus vs amphibious attacks? That doesn't quite capture it IMO.

Of course I'm not sure how the whole raid mechanic will work(or even if there will be one)

[garbon]

That one screenshot does show the raid mechanic though - on that one showing Netherlands. Country that has that soldier there is only hostile to its target and yet you still have that tooltip mentioning about looting and gold that can be looted / instead of the typical graphic you have for siege of fortress shows that brown bar.

[garbon]

My guess would be to stop it you'd have to have troops there. Similarly I don't think they'll have a mechanism to prevent troops from navigating down the rivers (which they clarified is only for a handful of 'major' rivers) beyond just having troops stationed/ready to fight raiders.

[Syt]

Which rivers did the Vikings navigate, anyways? Seine, Rhine, Elbe, Volga and that other Russian stream . . . . Thames?

[Crazy_Ivan80]

Which rivers did the Vikings navigate, anyways? Seine, Rhine, Elbe, Volga and that other Russian stream . . . . Thames?

they probably sailed on all rivers they could reach.

[Syt]

Major rivers, then.