I've finished updating the thread. The Republics section needs filling, and the Miaphysites, Muslims and all varieties of heretics need some more suggestions as well.
Why You Should Play As Any Particular Character in CK2
- Thread starter generalolaf
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Load as one of the Russian princes and give a random and mediocre guy out of their court a county (for example Beloozero). This is one of the hardest starts I guess, mostly because it all ends at the ducal level. Your liege doesn't have a liege who can give you a duchy just like that. You have to earn it all.
This thread should be stickied.
EDIT: generalolaf, can we copy the first post (with a link back) and put it on CK II Wiki?
EDIT: generalolaf, can we copy the first post (with a link back) and put it on CK II Wiki?
Venice
Enrico I Dandolo, 1192-1205: The fantastically old (in his 90s!) blind (possibly by the Byzantines?) Doge that diverted the 4th Crusade to Constantinople. You can do no such thing in game, but you can still feel free to be a sneaky, profit-minded jerk while wearing your "Crusader" trait proudly.
Enrico I Dandolo, 1192-1205: The fantastically old (in his 90s!) blind (possibly by the Byzantines?) Doge that diverted the 4th Crusade to Constantinople. You can do no such thing in game, but you can still feel free to be a sneaky, profit-minded jerk while wearing your "Crusader" trait proudly.
You didn't even get all of it. That blind ninety year old man fought at the sack of Constantinople. And won. Eat your heart out, John the Blind.
P.S. Enrico wasn't blinded by the Byzantines. He almost certainly lost his sight gradually as the result of a blow to the head.
Which some people say was administered by a Byzantine. It's all second-guessing and conspiracy theories. But exactly the sort of thing that a player wanting a role-playing reason to have a go at Constantinople could latch onto.
I haven't been able to get too deep into the game yet. I get too discouraged failing miserably. But I've long wanted to try to do something with a character, I thought I'd add it here. This presupposes a 1066 start date.
Iceland
Count Sigfus of Vestisland
Let's face it. Vestisland is not what you would call "profitable". Hell, while we're at it, Iceland as a whole kind of sucks at this period, made even more so by that dottering old fool that calls himself a Duke. Ha! He sits complacently on the throne of the northern most landmass in Europe, far out into the seas, content while the world passes Iceland by. The fool. Though this is the age of Snorri, and Christianization of Iceland has been fairly thorough, the old tales boil your young blood, made even hotter by the lack of a good woman in your bed. Yet you are limited, especially since Norway is keen to assert itself over your lands. Perhaps if you wrested control of the throne of Iceland from your liege you could rekindle the Viking spirit which brought your people to the foreboding, jagged shores of the rime-coated island...
Iceland
Count Sigfus of Vestisland
Let's face it. Vestisland is not what you would call "profitable". Hell, while we're at it, Iceland as a whole kind of sucks at this period, made even more so by that dottering old fool that calls himself a Duke. Ha! He sits complacently on the throne of the northern most landmass in Europe, far out into the seas, content while the world passes Iceland by. The fool. Though this is the age of Snorri, and Christianization of Iceland has been fairly thorough, the old tales boil your young blood, made even hotter by the lack of a good woman in your bed. Yet you are limited, especially since Norway is keen to assert itself over your lands. Perhaps if you wrested control of the throne of Iceland from your liege you could rekindle the Viking spirit which brought your people to the foreboding, jagged shores of the rime-coated island...
Unlanded Character, Norway
Tostig Godwinson, 15 September 1066 - The Brother of Harold Godwinson, and the one who, apparently, convinced the Hardrade to invade England even as William of Normandy planned to do so as well. He, according to legend, won over the court of Harald Hardrade, and even lead the Vikings against the Saxons at the battle of Stamford Bridge where he died. Why not land him? I hear that Fareyar (sp?) is nice this time if year... Keep the Godwinsons going strong, even if England falls to the Ynglings or de Normadies!
Holy Roman, Empire (Bohemia, Kingdom of)
Count Ota the Handsome, 15 September - Who is this magnificently handsome man? Well, it's Ota, younger brother to the starting Duke of Bohemia. Sure, you start out with one province in the corner of the realm, but with some luck, good assassinations and perhaps a small war or two, you can quickly take control of the Duchy, or Kingdom, of Bohemia! Not to mention, you're handsome!
Tostig Godwinson, 15 September 1066 - The Brother of Harold Godwinson, and the one who, apparently, convinced the Hardrade to invade England even as William of Normandy planned to do so as well. He, according to legend, won over the court of Harald Hardrade, and even lead the Vikings against the Saxons at the battle of Stamford Bridge where he died. Why not land him? I hear that Fareyar (sp?) is nice this time if year... Keep the Godwinsons going strong, even if England falls to the Ynglings or de Normadies!
Holy Roman, Empire (Bohemia, Kingdom of)
Count Ota the Handsome, 15 September - Who is this magnificently handsome man? Well, it's Ota, younger brother to the starting Duke of Bohemia. Sure, you start out with one province in the corner of the realm, but with some luck, good assassinations and perhaps a small war or two, you can quickly take control of the Duchy, or Kingdom, of Bohemia! Not to mention, you're handsome!
The Duchy of Anjou, France
January 2nd, 1129, Geoffrey Plantagenet:
Play as the founder of the Plantagenet Dynasty and try to claim England from your small duchy! If his bastard trait is removed, which it should be, since he wasn't illegitimate, you can marry Matilda, the Daughter of the still-living Henry I of England. This will give any children born to you a claim on the kingdom of England. If you play your cards right, Henry will die without a male heir, leaving the kingdom to Matilda, who is your new wife. This means that your children will inherit England!
January 2nd, 1129, Geoffrey Plantagenet:
Play as the founder of the Plantagenet Dynasty and try to claim England from your small duchy! If his bastard trait is removed, which it should be, since he wasn't illegitimate, you can marry Matilda, the Daughter of the still-living Henry I of England. This will give any children born to you a claim on the kingdom of England. If you play your cards right, Henry will die without a male heir, leaving the kingdom to Matilda, who is your new wife. This means that your children will inherit England!
He wasn't a bastard, but his bastard trait won't be removed unless Paradox decide to implement proper cadet branches; until then, he needs to be a bastard so he can't inherit his family's Angevin possessions in Jerusalem. This rule has been applied to certain other cadet branch founders, such as Welf Guelph.
I know that. You can easily go into the saved game files and remove the bastard trait. By Jan. 2nd, 1129, he already has the title of Duke of Anjou. I'm just speaking about being able to marry Matilda, as he did historically.
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I feel like there should be a reference to the Crusades Trilogy and the follow-up novel somewhere in there
I feel like there should be a reference to the Crusades Trilogy and the follow-up novel somewhere in there
You feel right.
This could be interesting, but it's like super hard to rule for more than a generation: 35-year-old Muslim lowborn woman...
Egypt, Sultanate of
Queen/Sultana Shajar al-Durr, 1 January 1250 - Maybe the only female Muslim ruler in the game (I haven't found another yet). She is the widow of the last Ayyubid Sultan and later she is to marry the first Mamuluk Sultan. In game she is a low born (which she historically is) so you can't play as her directly, but it's easy to start as someone else, save the game and load the game controlling her (she would be assigned a dynasty then). Since Muslims are not allowed to marry matrilineally, the most important thing to do is to somehow continue your blood line. The only way I can think of currently is to be converted to Miaphysitism...
Egypt, Sultanate of
Queen/Sultana Shajar al-Durr, 1 January 1250 - Maybe the only female Muslim ruler in the game (I haven't found another yet). She is the widow of the last Ayyubid Sultan and later she is to marry the first Mamuluk Sultan. In game she is a low born (which she historically is) so you can't play as her directly, but it's easy to start as someone else, save the game and load the game controlling her (she would be assigned a dynasty then). Since Muslims are not allowed to marry matrilineally, the most important thing to do is to somehow continue your blood line. The only way I can think of currently is to be converted to Miaphysitism...
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