• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
Ugh, this is horrid.

For the record, my plan is to stick with Niketas' line. They still hold a massive demesne, and the Scholai Palatinae have not been diminished at all. He or a descendant are likely to regain the throne.

Though if that goes poorly, I'm not averse to going back to this point and playing from Loukas' line.

Maybe even going back far enough to not use idiotic tactics in those wars. Though I'm not big on that idea.


Though I'd like audience opinions on doing those (if necessary). Yay? Nay?
 
  • 1
Reactions:
Ugh, this is horrid.

For the record, my plan is to stick with Niketas' line. They still hold a massive demesne, and the Scholai Palatinae have not been diminished at all. He or a descendant are likely to regain the throne.

Though if that goes poorly, I'm not averse to going back to this point and playing from Loukas' line.

Maybe even going back far enough to not use idiotic tactics in those wars. Though I'm not big on that idea.


Though I'd like audience opinions on doing those (if necessary). Yay? Nay?

Meh. Holy war like a maniac, install lord bishops and archbishops everywhere. Faction for elective succession in the Empire. Get elected to Emperor. Elective has good bonuses to vassal opinion if you also have large numbers of docile bishops you likely won't have problems getting your heir elected. This is what happened in my Roman game. Someone else technically factioned for elective and down the line I notice I have almost enough votes, so I vote for myself. Boom emperor. Also I might have controlled over half the empire. Loukas also appears to be off your dynasty. A few well placed marriages and daggers should get you to the throne as well. I assume that you lost the majority of your tax paying lord bishop vassals?

It'd be fairly simple to marry into the family repeatedly until you got heirs with claims, you might also have claims already. If so either faction to install yourself as Emperor or wait for someone else to do it. The way things work is everyone hates the current emperor and wants the next dude to have a turn. As you were rebelled against and had your throne usurp the same ilk will rebell and put you on the very throne you lost.
 
  • 1Like
Reactions:
It's a megacampaign game, right? Continue with Niketas' line. You don't have to be that successful in CK2...even after it ends, you still have 500 years. If you're too successful, it'll get boring and tedious in Victoria :)
 
  • 1
Reactions:
I say go with Niketas too. Loukas isn't going to live too long and I think you could squeeze some interesting writing out men trying to convince themselves that their intrigues and ambition coincide with the good of the Empire.
 
  • 1
Reactions:
It's a megacampaign game, right? Continue with Niketas' line. You don't have to be that successful in CK2...even after it ends, you still have 500 years. If you're too successful, it'll get boring and tedious in Victoria :)

Agree. Although in EU3 you'd have to chose a country, hence you can't chose just a couple of provinces from byzantium...

Stick with Niketas, it might lead to an interesting victoria game.
 
  • 1Like
Reactions:
Stay with who you have... and if you don't have the throne by 1399, you can evacuate to another part of the world and sit there as a new nation.
 
  • 1
Reactions:
Right, so I've stuck with Niketas.
 
  • 1
Reactions:
  • 1Haha
Reactions:
27. The Duke
Niketas had lost the Empire to Loukas. But he remained resolute that his branch of the family would become ascendant again. It was not hard to do so. He still ruled a large and rich demesne.

27-1.png


And commanded the full force of the Scholai Palatinae.

27-2.png


And it was not hard to find supporters for his claim to the throne.

27-3.png


But he was imprisoned, and could not press his claim if that was not remedied.

Meanwhile, he helped the Emperor fight against the independence faction. It would not do to regain control of a diminished Empire. During this time, the ruler of the Golden Horde converted to Orthodoxy. This would no doubt make future history interesting.

27-4.png


Niketas died before he could see his plans enacted, leaving his four year old son in rulership.

27-5.png
 
Last edited:
  • 1Love
Reactions:
That child portrait. o_O
 
  • 1Haha
Reactions:
  • 1Like
Reactions:
How careless of Niketas to lose the Empire, get thrown in jail and die. NIketas' heir is a child. That's not a good state of affairs either. You'd expect the emperor to try to revoke the Doux of Thrake to gain control of the Imperial Guard. An orthodox Golden Horde just doesn't sound right - very different.
 
  • 1Like
Reactions:
That child portrait. o_O

Did Paradox add new child portraits in a DLC or patch?

I have all the portrait DLCs. Also a mod with an unhelpful name, that I think was some kind of portrait pack. I don't recall being so rash as to stick its files in the main directories, but I wouldn't put it past me.

How careless of Niketas to lose the Empire, get thrown in jail and die. NIketas' heir is a child. That's not a good state of affairs either. You'd expect the emperor to try to revoke the Doux of Thrake to gain control of the Imperial Guard. An orthodox Golden Horde just doesn't sound right - very different.

If only if Niketas had been less greedy or proud, he might have placated the factions. Or less inept in his war strategy: if he had gone for the leader instead of the followers, he might have averted being forced to surrender.
 
  • 1
Reactions:
28. Regaining the Throne
This was Doux Konstantinos V of Thrace.

28-1.png


His father had lost control of the Empire to another branch of the Doukas family, and then died in the dungeons of his deposer.

Fortunately, the same loyal regent who had led the duchy after the loss remained regent of Konstantinos.

28-2.png


At age six, Konstantinos was sent to be educated by the King of Croatia.

28-3.png


Meanwhile, the Duke of Azerbaijan started a faction to place Konstantinos on the throne. Nikolaos, the regent, pledged Konstantinos' support to this faction. Unfortunately, the Duke soon participated in a war to lower crown authority in the Empire, and the faction disbanded. Konstantinos was technically on the Emperor's side, but the Scholai Palatinae were kept clear of any fighting. Until holdings that were being improved were threatened. Nothing should distract the workers.

28-4.png


Less than a year before Konstantinos came of age, the ruler of the Il-Khanate converted to Orthodox Christianity. The lands to the east were surely to be converted to the truth.

28-5.png


Finally, on June 28, 1278, Konstantinos came of age and took control of his holdings.

28-6.png


He immediately sought a wife (the daughter of a Mongol!) and created a faction that sought to make him Emperor. After he was married, he began working to improve his ability to wage war. It would be a needed skill to reclaim the Empire for his line.

On the 22 of September, 1278, he demanded his faction's claim. Sure, he was the only member. But he had the Scholai Palatinae supporting him. But the Emperor was not cowed. War would decide this issue.

28-7.png


But the Emperor was distracted by his other wars. The Scholae Palatinae made strategic strikes to seize the Emperor's few holdings, and in a very short time, he was forced to surrender. Konstantinos was now Emperor Konstantinos XIV of the Empire!

28-8.png
 
Last edited:
  • 1Love
Reactions:
Excellent. What happened to the Empire's total holdings during the time before he got back the title?
 
  • 1Like
Reactions:
Good job getting back your true place in the cosmos.;)
 
  • 1
Reactions:
both mongol hordes converted to the true faith, amazing. islam is DOOMED in EU3. and will probably be non existant by vicky. btw, great aar. made me pumped to go play some ck2 myself :p
 
  • 1
Reactions: