Crusader Kings 2 Redux

[dps]

You get to see an extra color on the 'government types' map.

That sounds like a 'no'.

Correct, there's no reason to get Horse Lords unless you want to play as a nomad.  In fact, if you don't want to play as a nomad, there's plenty of good reason NOT to get it.  It makes playing anyone anywhere near the nomads extremely difficult.  It you're a truly expert player and want a challenge, that might be a good thing, but I'm still a relative novice.

[Queequeg]

So with Horse Lords on sale... I have zero interest in ever playing as the Mongols/Golden Horde/Magyars/whomever.  Is there any point to buying the expansion then?

Are the trade networks in Vanilla?  They're pretty interesting.

I think the new HIP w Horse Lords is genius, and I wish to God I had a laptop other than a chromebook.

[dps]

Are the trade networks in Vanilla?  They're pretty interesting.

IIRC, the latest patch gives you everything that Horse Lords gives you, except the ability to play as a nomad.  Just to be clear, without Horse Lords, you can still play as the Khazars and other steppe nomads, but you'll have the tribal government type instead of the nomadic government type.  And without Horse Lords, you can't play as the Mongals when they show up. 

Apparently there's a mechanic now that models the Khazars converting to Judaism, but I'm not sure how it works.  As best as I can tell, they now just randomly convert to a non-pagan religion.  So far, I've had games in which they've converted to Sunni, Bhudisst, and Hindu, bot not to Jews so far.

[garbon]

Wow, playing as nomads is ridiculously overpowered!

Also, dps, I think it is the adventurer mechanic. As Tengri Bolghars, I sent my heir out to form a mercenary band and at some point while out and about he became Sunni. Took one generation to get Volga Bolghars to Islamic faith.

[Syt]

I've started a game as High Chief of Pictland. It seems a bit easy, considering you're surrounded mostly by one province minors and Northumbria on whom you have a bunch of De Iure claims.

[dps]

I've started a game as High Chief of Pictland. It seems a bit easy, considering you're surrounded mostly by one province minors and Northumbria on whom you have a bunch of De Iure claims.

That's my current game as well.  And yes, it is a bit easy.  Really, the hardest part is getting more CBs--you aren't really near any religious enemies.

[Syt]

I've conquered all of the De Jure kingdom of Pictland. Plus a province on Ireland. My main problem is that my levies and my allies are usually 1k or 2k short of matching potential targets' and their allies' strength.

It's a bit moot for the moment, though. I've just switched to Feudalism (it's 810 AD), and now my levies are, of course, shit. There's a dangerous faction with 3,000% my army size - I wouldn't mind losing, though, because it's my brother.

[garbon]

Wow, playing as nomads is ridiculously overpowered!

Also, dps, I think it is the adventurer mechanic. As Tengri Bolghars, I sent my heir out to form a mercenary band and at some point while out and about he became Sunni. Took one generation to get Volga Bolghars to Islamic faith.

So I'm starting to re-think whether allowing Islam to spread was my best course of action. I now have most of the Kingdom of Rus and Volga Bulgaria (latter as main title) and have been thinking that I might want to transition to tribal in Poland area. Unless I really propagate Islam though, might make that a dangerous prospect.

Also, at the moment have odd situation where Bolghars still hold some lands independently in the middle of my Volga Bulgaria. I'd had a khagan die when his son was underage (and with no living brothers) and lost the Bolghar tribal title. Instead fell to just strongest clan. Khazars declared war on Bolghars for my lands so took the 'gamey' out of declaring independence which then ended Khazarian war for duchy of Bolghar. Unfortunately, because I've only a weak claim on Bolghar title, we're still two separate states with basically the same color on political map.

[Syt]

In my game the Bolghar Khaganate is Catholic. It's also called "Carpathia."

And the Francian Empire is a shambles after Charlemagne was assassinated in 777 - Karloman's son Pepin the Mad has overseen the gradual breakaway of most vassals.

[Jacob]

I'm annoyed at CKII.

I played a game as an Indian prince, slowly working my way towards creating the Indian super empire title, whatever it's called. After a number of false starts, I eventually pulled it off... but the damn achievement didn't trigger and that had provided the initial reason to play.

When I started playing, I reckoned if I got the first achievement my next goal would be to do the "rule India and Britain as an Indian ruler achievement", but I don't know if I'm willing to put the time in if the achievement won't even trigger.

[Valmy]

I'm annoyed at CKII.

I played a game as an Indian prince, slowly working my way towards creating the Indian super empire title, whatever it's called. After a number of false starts, I eventually pulled it off... but the damn achievement didn't trigger and that had provided the initial reason to play.

When I started playing, I reckoned if I got the first achievement my next goal would be to do the "rule India and Britain as an Indian ruler achievement", but I don't know if I'm willing to put the time in if the achievement won't even trigger.

You have to play on ironman for the achievements to trigger.

[garbon]

I'm annoyed at CKII.

I played a game as an Indian prince, slowly working my way towards creating the Indian super empire title, whatever it's called. After a number of false starts, I eventually pulled it off... but the damn achievement didn't trigger and that had provided the initial reason to play.

When I started playing, I reckoned if I got the first achievement my next goal would be to do the "rule India and Britain as an Indian ruler achievement", but I don't know if I'm willing to put the time in if the achievement won't even trigger.

You have to play on ironman for the achievements to trigger.

So despite all my time in the game, I've basically none.

[Razgovory]

And only an idiot would run a paradox game on Ironman.  Game crash, all your work is reduced to nothing.

[Valmy]

And only an idiot would run a paradox game on Ironman.  Game crash, all your work is reduced to nothing.

Nah it autosaves.

But it tends to screw me because inevitably a pop-up event occurs and I happen to be clicking where an option is and accidentally select something. Oh well no re-load for you!

[Grinning_Colossus]

And only an idiot would run a paradox game on Ironman.  Game crash, all your work is reduced to nothing.

Nah it autosaves.

But it tends to screw me because inevitably a pop-up event occurs and I happen to be clicking where an option is and accidentally select something. Oh well no re-load for you!

Hard reboot.