Absolute Crown Authority strangling the game

[N Katsyev]

So in my first game with the Aztecs we've reached a point where the world is basically 4 giant empires:
The Aztec Empire controlling France, Britannia and Scandinavia
The HRE controlling Germany, Italy, North Africa and Mali (!!!)
The ERE controlling Greece, Anatolia, Crimea and the Holy Land
Ilkhanate controlling Persia, Russia and Arabia
Aside from a couple little statelets in Iberia and Egypt, that's it, that's the world and they all have absolute crown authority. I started the game as the Count of Bergenshus, rose to be King of Norway and Sweden in time for the GH and Aztecs to split my realm between them got knocked down to count and finally wrested my Duchy back. None of these Empires are vulnerable though and the only hope is to be part of the more advantageous* one to watch time fly by under absolute crown authority which they all maintain pretty comfortably. It seems horribly broken and sad.

*defined by the one which is least likely to randomly strip my titles

 

[unmerged(599111)]

Marry one of their Princesses and Assassinate your way to an Empire. If that doesn't work losing with your dignity still intact (without being vassalized) works just as well.

 

[unmerged(26764)]

The problem is you got busted down to a small state by end game, which is rough. It's not a game design problem, but more of a "you had a bad game" problem. And a restart might be wise.

BUT: This is what you can do. Join one of the empires. Conspire with factions to put someone else on the throne. Win that war. The new claimant always starts with limited crown authority. Bingo. Expand.

 

[N Katsyev]

The problem is you got busted down to a small state by end game, which is rough. It's not a game design problem, but more of a "you had a bad game" problem. And a restart might be wise.

BUT: This is what you can do. Join one of the empires. Conspire with factions to put someone else on the throne. Win that war. The new claimant always starts with limited crown authority. Bingo. Expand.

Yep, this latter point is exactly what I'm planning to do. The game design flaw I feel that is present however is that large empires can maintain high crown authority far too easily which I feel should be nigh on impossible except with the best rulers.