Basic question: when to create vassals

[sjh]

I'm playing as Dublin (just getting started w/ the game). I have to duchies (each with two counties). My ruler holds all of the titles. Should I just hang on to them? At what point should I be creating vassals? Just wait until I'm up against the holding limit? Should I give a county to my heir?

 

[Ahaz Flagg]

Up to you really, when playing as Ireland, I take the bottom 7 counties as my demense, and vassalize the northern 6, I destroy or do not create the bottom 3 duchies, and keep the 2 northern duchies as mine. I make all 6 northern counties holdings of lord mayors. Normally done about 1100-1110. Then go for Wales or Scotland. The reason to destroy or not create the bottom is for your peace of mind, people hate when you hold more then two duchie, if you hold the top 2 then a mayor will not create a Republic, that can be painful.

As for heirs each person has their own way, I never let my top 3 heirs leave my holdings ever. They can and will get themselves killed. And I like to make sure they are safe, your milage may differ.

 

[JonStryker]

As you said yourself, you should create vassals as soon as you are over your demesne limit.

Landing your sons has the upside that they will breed more. The prestige malus for unlanded sons is generally negligible. I tend to give all my sons land. If I'm below my demesne limit I usually get some more land (by for example holy warring some backwater country).