Best focus for young king of little Kingdom?

[GeorgieBest]

First, diplomacy is hard to level up, in case you finish with less than perfect education. Second, state diplomacy gives very little bonus to opinion about you. Imho it's better to have good traits (diligent+just+brave+kind) than to have high diplomacy stat. Therefore, I usually choose Struggle(martial) or Thrift(business) as childhood focus. Business is easy to level up with Rulership or Business, and Martial... well it's even easier but risky You can end up craven maimed incapable for next 20 years.

I'd recommend to read Education_(Conclave) and Focus wiki articles if you want to fully understand what are you doing with education.

Bit of a necro post here, but what is your opinion on intrigue education and using intrigue as a focus?

 

[shiro the bushi]

Bit of a necro post here, but what is your opinion on intrigue education and using intrigue as a focus?

the intruige focuses are really good for thinning out your realm, the spy on action gives you a better chance of imprisioning people without the tyranny hit. Seduction in my mind is better than straight intriuge, the modifiers from it really help when dealing with the opposite sex and the more lovers you have means the more people to jump on your plots; seduction is especially op when you have a good female character, a ton of heirs from all the late night meet ups with out worrying about legitimization too much the opinion and seduction modifier will affect all niegbooring rulers

 

[furytale]

the intruige focuses are really good for thinning out your realm, the spy on action gives you a better chance of imprisioning people without the tyranny hit. Seduction in my mind is better than straight intriuge, the modifiers from it really help when dealing with the opposite sex and the more lovers you have means the more people to jump on your plots; seduction is especially op when you have a good female character, a ton of heirs from all the late night meet ups with out worrying about legitimization too much the opinion and seduction modifier will affect all niegbooring rulers

What he said but I prefer more money from rulership&business.

 

[GeorgieBest]

the intruige focuses are really good for thinning out your realm, the spy on action gives you a better chance of imprisioning people without the tyranny hit. Seduction in my mind is better than straight intriuge, the modifiers from it really help when dealing with the opposite sex and the more lovers you have means the more people to jump on your plots; seduction is especially op when you have a good female character, a ton of heirs from all the late night meet ups with out worrying about legitimization too much the opinion and seduction modifier will affect all niegbooring rulers

It's interesting that you mentioned how useless the diplomacy education is. I always try to maximise vassal/council opinion, but when I think about it, going for traits gives you a much bigger opinion buff than personal/state diplomacy regardless.

From now on i'm going to try going with a Thrift/stewardship or Struggle/martial education, and using those respective focus afterwards, the business and rulership ones in particular seem very good.

Is an intrigue education essential to get the best out of the intrigue and seduction focuses? I don't know how much your intrigue matters, or whether it is like plots where opinion will triumph anything when it comes to getting plot backers.

 

[LeSingeAffame]

I always go for a Stewardship education and focus (Business if you don't have the trade route open, Rulership otherwise). That allows you to have a very large demesne and tons of gold, which would allow you to beat the Ummayad if they were to attack you (and they probably need that if you want them to break down)