Basically time and time again I fall into a rut where I go long on seniority as soon as possible and then build up a dynasty that is as large as possible scooping up titles as I go and handing out excess ones to placate the patiently waiting. As a French Catholic most the time, sometimes Spanish Catholic when I'm feeling frisky.
I find it pretty fun all things considered and the biggest downsides as far as I've encountered are the following:
1. Dud Heirs. Somehow their gross incompetence didnt prevent them living for 60+ years. Kinslayer and known murderer are messy ways to deal with it.
2. Short reigns and lots of council discontent. Sometimes you'll get a nice 8 to 10 year run out of the player character other times you'll turn over 3 kings in 3 months.
3. Running into loss of titles for inherited kingdoms/duchies when the inheritance laws differ. Can't be overcome easily due to the vassal opinion/10 year reign to change laws.
4. Potentially awful unbreakable incest. When half your betrothal options are dynasty members and you need 2 NAPs to keep the factions small, some dubious choices can be made. And then your PC up and dies and you can't or won't undo those previous betrothals. Even worse when the NPCs are doing this themselves.
5. The impermanence of NAPs from ruler to ruler. All those grandchildren betrothals don't count for squat when the new rulers is part of the dynasty that is halfway across the dynasty tree. You have a conflict of wanting to spread the seed of the dynasty to every corner scooping up titles with your sons and grandsons from countesses and duchesses while also keeping some in the tank to keep the faction heat off your back.
6. Inability to generate children for NAPs unless they've become a widower at some point in their mid 40s. Sometimes you get a genteel old couple that produced a bunch of adult children who wanted nothing to do with kids.
7. Completely unwieldy kingdoms - you can easily go over demesne and vassal limits without good options to transfer vassals or grant landed titles. Your kingdoms might have a base of power but then have far flung counties or duchies that take months to get to if someone comes knocking on the castle door. All those inhereted titles and vassals creates a weird patchwork over time.
8. Your capital might transfer to an inferior county and might be stuck there if the power change happens during a protracted war. Only happens if the heir has a title equal to your own.
9. The Dynasty Tree view isn't large enough.
The upsides are fun though -
1. You'll rarely run into a situation where the game could be over with a few inopportune deaths.
2. You can yield to factions that want to put a kinsman in Kingdom power only to have them croak before changing succession laws thus putting you back into power. Kind of a release valve on hairy situations. Also, you'll get to fight and pillage any faction who wants to change council power which can be nice.
3. Early Mercenary Band push. Early in the game you can reap a huge windfall by putting your 4th or 5th in line in charge of a merc company and maintianing good relations with them. Finally when they take over they'll have a fat purse to play with which can help a protracted war or rebellion or simply getting a jump on building a new holding.
4. Endless matchmaking opportunities with influential countesses and duchesses. This style could be rebranded as a vague Fiddler on the Roof mini game. I actually use all of the 'saved search' slots for the character finder.
5. The satisfaction of knowing your dynasty has made it when they unexpectedly show up as Kings and Queens of places you never imagined.
6. Pope Shenanigans! Having a dynasty member as Pope can sometimes help get a crucial divorce over and done with and sometimes even more. The more dynasty sons with no landed future that exist in the world, the more likely some of them wind up in the clergy pulling strings from a different POV.
7. Wonderful Incest! Sometimes going Appalachian can lock down a few titles for generations to come.
I know everyone has their own wrinkle on playing the game but I really enjoy this one just for the breadth of experience at my fingertips.
I find it pretty fun all things considered and the biggest downsides as far as I've encountered are the following:
1. Dud Heirs. Somehow their gross incompetence didnt prevent them living for 60+ years. Kinslayer and known murderer are messy ways to deal with it.
2. Short reigns and lots of council discontent. Sometimes you'll get a nice 8 to 10 year run out of the player character other times you'll turn over 3 kings in 3 months.
3. Running into loss of titles for inherited kingdoms/duchies when the inheritance laws differ. Can't be overcome easily due to the vassal opinion/10 year reign to change laws.
4. Potentially awful unbreakable incest. When half your betrothal options are dynasty members and you need 2 NAPs to keep the factions small, some dubious choices can be made. And then your PC up and dies and you can't or won't undo those previous betrothals. Even worse when the NPCs are doing this themselves.
5. The impermanence of NAPs from ruler to ruler. All those grandchildren betrothals don't count for squat when the new rulers is part of the dynasty that is halfway across the dynasty tree. You have a conflict of wanting to spread the seed of the dynasty to every corner scooping up titles with your sons and grandsons from countesses and duchesses while also keeping some in the tank to keep the faction heat off your back.
6. Inability to generate children for NAPs unless they've become a widower at some point in their mid 40s. Sometimes you get a genteel old couple that produced a bunch of adult children who wanted nothing to do with kids.
7. Completely unwieldy kingdoms - you can easily go over demesne and vassal limits without good options to transfer vassals or grant landed titles. Your kingdoms might have a base of power but then have far flung counties or duchies that take months to get to if someone comes knocking on the castle door. All those inhereted titles and vassals creates a weird patchwork over time.
8. Your capital might transfer to an inferior county and might be stuck there if the power change happens during a protracted war. Only happens if the heir has a title equal to your own.
9. The Dynasty Tree view isn't large enough.
The upsides are fun though -
1. You'll rarely run into a situation where the game could be over with a few inopportune deaths.
2. You can yield to factions that want to put a kinsman in Kingdom power only to have them croak before changing succession laws thus putting you back into power. Kind of a release valve on hairy situations. Also, you'll get to fight and pillage any faction who wants to change council power which can be nice.
3. Early Mercenary Band push. Early in the game you can reap a huge windfall by putting your 4th or 5th in line in charge of a merc company and maintianing good relations with them. Finally when they take over they'll have a fat purse to play with which can help a protracted war or rebellion or simply getting a jump on building a new holding.
4. Endless matchmaking opportunities with influential countesses and duchesses. This style could be rebranded as a vague Fiddler on the Roof mini game. I actually use all of the 'saved search' slots for the character finder.
5. The satisfaction of knowing your dynasty has made it when they unexpectedly show up as Kings and Queens of places you never imagined.
6. Pope Shenanigans! Having a dynasty member as Pope can sometimes help get a crucial divorce over and done with and sometimes even more. The more dynasty sons with no landed future that exist in the world, the more likely some of them wind up in the clergy pulling strings from a different POV.
7. Wonderful Incest! Sometimes going Appalachian can lock down a few titles for generations to come.
I know everyone has their own wrinkle on playing the game but I really enjoy this one just for the breadth of experience at my fingertips.
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