Hi, thanks in advance for giving me some pointers. I wont go into GREAT detail, but I will mention a few things. I am not new to Paradox games, I've played EU4, HOI3 and some Vic2. But I'm no expert.
Ok so my CK2 question... I'm really really starting to get the hang of the game except for ONE HUGE PROBLEM. Every game I start, Count in Scotland, Duke in Basque country (forget the exact name) or Duke and Count of Brittany, I get invaded by THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of troops (vikings etc) and my Country can barely manage to raise several hundred troops. What gives? I've even adjusted the laws to make levies more favorable as well. My game falls apart within 10 years, three times in a row.
BTW I paid for ALL DLC.
Please help!
Invasions? As in prepared invasions, host invasions, claimant host invasions? Or invasions as in just "attacked?" Spain is not a good place for a newbie to start, IMO, particularly not a WEAK character in Spain. Brittany is horribly ill advised for a newbie in 867 and not a great place to start as a count in 1066. Scotland's a pretty rough time in 867 too...
So... bottom line? The game is not "balanced" so that everyone is equal. I'd suggest you start somewhere easier.
A common recommendation is Ireland in 1066 -- the counts there are all on equal footing, England has its own problems, Scotland isn't going to be looking your direction for a while, and the Viking invasions are no longer an issue. It can be slow, but that's not necessarily a bad thing for a first timer. Another option is to start as a moderately strong Duke under a much more powerful king. Pick a location your King-to-be won't covet (so not near his capital, for example) and pick someone the same culture as your king. A German Duke in the HRE in 1066 is not a bad way to go. Some French Dukes in either 867 or 1066 work well. If you're interested in playing a Viking, start as one of the Dukes in Denmark, or the power players in Sweden or Norway. They're all strong starts with small enough kingdoms to not go crazy on you immediately (don't expect easy successions as Norse as you grow though...). Another couple options, though I think less attractive for a newbie in terms of learning, is to play in the Byzantine empire (don't start on the Muslim border though) or as an Italian.
There are lots of options across the map, but the ones you named are not newbie starts.