Claims on the Byzantine Empire make no sense

[LordHarromont]

Hey folks

So I am still playing that Merchant republic game and have by now become the biggest empire around. I have even managed to create the Holy Roman empire over 200 years after it was supposed to be created by Charlemagne or his brother. Sadly I am not feudal so I can't get the bonus from the special crown but whatever.

As my next step into owning the whole world I am trying to take over Byzantine Empire. After several marriages, and several generations I managed to get several family members with claims to the BE. One even has a strong inheritable claim, but he is still an infant and my current character is still young and healthy. If all else fails I'll make him or his decedent the next emperor of my Merchant Republic HRE.

But I swear, the claims on the BE make no sense. At one point I was able to press the weak claim of one kinswomen girl on the Byzantine empire and put her on the throne. The BE at the time was run by a 50 plus year old male ruler who wasn't in hiding, comatosed or had some other circumstance that made it so a weak claim was supposed to be pressable. Yet it was and I did.

I can't vassalize an emperor of course so I still don't have the BE. That little girl empress died young after giving birth to a single inbred baby girl so that plan was a bust.

Now the guy I am currently playing also has a weak claim on the BE. The guy currently running the BE is doing fine so it made sense that I wasn't able to press any of my weak claims. Yet suddenly, about a decade later, I can press the weak claim of my brother which shouldn't be possible. Whats infuriating about this is that I can't press MY OWN weak claim which is exactly the same as my brother's. If I could press my own I could finally add the Byzantine territory to my own. And no, neither I, or my brother were born in the purple if that was supposed to make a difference. Nor is the current male ruler of the BE in a regency. Can anyone explain this?



Completely besides the point, but I want to just say how awesome it is to be able to pick just about any family member you want as your heir so long as they aren't already landed. As a very large familly with several branches I can just go to the character finder and go shopping for my next heir. I am even able to pick women now after changing some laws. I have to pay to win the election, of course, but I have over 500k gold in the bank and my monthly balance is almost +600 gold. Needless to say, money is never an issue anymore. I win almost all my wars with mercenaries at this point, just to have something to spent money on it. I already build 10 great works myself and am the owner of the palace in Rome.

 

[FoxyX22]

There may have been a civil war going on over the title that you couldn't see happening. Thats one of the few circumstances where a weak claim can be pressed is if said title is already in dispute. Either that or it was a strange glitch.

Gotta say i am impressed by the idea of a Holy Roman Merchant Empire.

 

[LordHarromont]

There may have been a civil war going on over the title that you couldn't see happening. Thats one of the few circumstances where a weak claim can be pressed is if said title is already in dispute. Either that or it was a strange glitch.

Gotta say i am impressed by the idea of a Holy Roman Merchant Empire.

That might explain why a weak claim can be pressed, but it doesn't explain why I can only press my brother's weak claim and not my own. Putting my brother on the Byzantine throne doesn't get me the territory.

 

[comsnt]

The weak claim can be pressed if the clamaint is second or third in sucession line. Since the ERE is Imperial Elective my bet is that your brother have some votes, puting him in high enough position in sucession line.

 

[Naughtius Maximus]

That would make sense since while nobody can vote for a Patrician, while a courtier with a claim is a fair candidate.

 

[LordHarromont]

The weak claim can be pressed if the clamaint is second or third in sucession line. Since the ERE is Imperial Elective my bet is that your brother have some votes, puting him in high enough position in sucession line.

Thanks. I can now confirm that was indeed the case. And wait, you say nobody can vote for a patrician? So I guess sending gifts to all the voters wouldn't help put me in the spot I suppose. . . *sigh*. Guess I have to wait for a big civil war or continue hoping to eventually get someone with a strong claim as my head MC.

 

[FoxyX22]

Could always just assassinate people until your head MC is a strong claimant.

 

[LordHarromont]

Could always just assassinate people until your head MC is a strong claimant.

Assassinating people won't get me a stronger claim and I just read that they can't vote for me. So how does that help?

 

[FoxyX22]

Assassinating people won't get me a stronger claim and I just read that they can't vote for me. So how does that help?

I guess it doesnt really. Although it is a good way tp blow off frustration.

 

[LordHarromont]

I guess it doesnt really. Although it is a good way tp blow off frustration.

And to get the world to hate you and thus lose the approval of several of your numerous king tier vassals.

 

[FoxyX22]

And to get the world to hate you and thus lose the approval of several of your numerous king tier vassals.

Only if you get caught or discovered. But i do see your point, i just have always been a person that solved problems with snakes.

 

[LordHarromont]

So the game might just have handed me a golden opportunity. My character just received the single most useful trait in the entire game.

Depression.

So how about this. I invite a kinsman who second in line for the Byzantine throne. Declare war to put him on the throne. Declare him my heir. And just as I am about to win the war, commit suicide and have him become the new head of the family.

Would that work or would the war become invalid?

 

[Boodas]

Well I decided to test the scenario myself. Started as Doge Giovanni Dandolo of Venice in 1285. I consoled myself the HRE. I then gave my son and heir Enrico Dandolo a claim to the ERE. Pressed his claim and committed suicide a day later. Enrico inherits the HRE republic and the war continues. Enforce demands and Enrico sits on the throne of the ERE.

 

[LordHarromont]

Well the idea didn't work since a few seconds he arrived in my court he was no longer second in line. Another plan busted.

Not that it mattered. The Byzantine emperor became incapable and I pressed my own weak claim. Won the war. Destroyed the title of Byzantine Empire. And now I own almost half the world. Sorting through all my vassals, handing out titles and transferring vassals, to get myself under the vassal limit is going to be a real pain now.

Bow! Bow before the Grand Prince!