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I too start often in 1205 and in 1337
 
My problems with later starts is that they're often not that well developed and lack historical characters, relationship, etc.

That said, I often start 10.12.1081 even when I'm not playing Byzantium, and also had games started in 1094, 1099, 1100 and 1102.
 
I start in 1255.1.2.
You can guess who I play with. :)
 
I mostly start in 1085 because Castille, Leon and Galicia are united and the Byzantines are weaker, and thus making the muslims stronger in the east and weaker in the west.

Other start date is ~1200 because of the crusader states and more interesting HRE. (Lower Lorraine has collapsed.)
 
That said,in 1205 i like starting as one of the greek successor states and in 1337 as the beyliks of asia minor(expect from the ottomans :p)
 
Haha I am exactly the same, for some odd reason I feel I am missing out, and would be annoyed if the game ended before I had done the things I wanted. In saying that, I have never ever played the game till the end, infact not even to 50 years before the end, maybe I should try some of these other dates out. Not too sure if they work with mods though (Prince and the Thane if anyone knows the anwser.)

Sounds like a great idea, I think it would help a lot... As long as it is taken into consideration that some people like to start out as a count and some as a King...


I suggest exactly 1307. It's basically when the Sultanate of Rum has just broken up, so Anatolia has a lot of minor Sultans and/or beyliks (or whatever they are, I forgot) ready for play, and nearby in the Balkans there are a few competiting states with the Byzantines, so it's basically a free-for-all; Italy is also relatively broken up, with many independent city-states, counties, and duchies. The next few years after 1307 are good too, if you prefer a stronger Ottoman Sultanate rather than one that starts with one province; the years before 1307 aren't as interesting in my opinion because there are less independent Italian duchies and counties as you go back, and there's the big Sultanate of Rum hanging around.
 
I think my first game was in 1066 since that game I never start in 1066 anymore.
 
I like playing obscure, independent counts or two county dukes. I typically set to Jan 1 and then click through a year at a time and pick whatever odd looking independent pops up. I also prefer houses with no other title holders. Count Sigfus is still my fave though (1066-, Vestisland) for reasons I don't really understand.

The Muslim conflict does not interest me near as much as the infighting within Christian kingdoms so I'm usually in Scandinavia or just east of the HRE.
 
I'd say that 95% of the time I start in 1066, but there are some times when I want to take the someone at their strongest(or weakest for that matter) and see what happens. Like taking the Seljuks in ~1070 when their at the strongest or one of the Russian dukes on a date were the Golden Horde is approaching.
 
I like playing obscure, independent counts or two county dukes. I typically set to Jan 1 and then click through a year at a time and pick whatever odd looking independent pops up. I also prefer houses with no other title holders. Count Sigfus is still my fave though (1066-, Vestisland) for reasons I don't really understand.

The Muslim conflict does not interest me near as much as the infighting within Christian kingdoms so I'm usually in Scandinavia or just east of the HRE.

Because he's awesome, that's why. He was my first king ever, having been crowned first Duke of York after a successful invasion of England by Norway. All of the king's kids died (on assassinated by a family member, another fighting rebels), and the two dukes they tried to elect ahead of me died of old age.

Thus, all hail King Sigfus af Oddi!
 
I mostly start at 15 July 1099. First Crusade is over and KoJ is established. And it's fun to play as Crusader states in that time. It's challange to survive against Muslims.
 
I tend to start in 1066; the game takes a few decades to really get rolling anyway, so I don't like to waste time. Plus I like to always start at the same time, because that was I can learn a lot of the opportunities and threats at the start; like how in Hungary, the king is a child and three of the dukes (out of three) all have claims on the crown -and- they're brothers with each other and of the king's dynasty, but not closely related to the king. Essentially, you start with three dukes who hate your guts and want the crown, but love each other.

I guess some other dates might be interesting, but... I guess I'm just used to 1066 by now! I play CK2+ anyway, so not much blobbing going on.
 
There is a large difference between an early and later start dates. I find that 1337 is ridiculously detailed when it comes to children of some dynasties: the Iberian kings have children who lived a month and then died whilst in 1066 they would have been ignored totally because they don't matter.
 
Though I start like 50% of my games in 1066 (sometimes Stamford Bridge, but more often Hastings), I also like starting games at dates, which are interesting for a particular region and/or dynasty.