Dynasties: How big is too big?

[Sergeant Flutter]

In my current game, my dynasty is massive. 400 members living. 1200 in all, iirc.

It's a little large, and there are lots of claims floating around (I intermarry)

Some characters have strong claims on three empires. (Eastern Romuva, Romuva, and Western Romuva. I rule Romuva, my ridiculously distant cousins rule the other two. But, we intermarry often, so they're not so distant.) Babies are born with 1.5k prestige.

Would you ever let your dynasty get as large and powerful as mine? Or would you try to trim the family tree a bit?

 

[Moarice]

This is too big.

 

[Lysistrata]

This is too big.

Dayyum, is that the House of Saud or something?

 

[Moarice]

Dayyum, is that the House of Saud or something?

Dunno, I found it in the Strange Screenshots thread.

 

[Sergeant Flutter]

This is too big.

I don't think most games have that many characters stored overall!

 

[deadhand13]

KAAAAAAAARL!!!

 

[LordDamien]

Dayyum, is that the House of Saud or something?

Good Lord please do not tell me those are the Karlings Numbers...

 

[Dahoota]

IMO there's no such thing as too big, only too small.

Once you hit a critical mass where distant members no longer have claims on your titles, but increase your dynasty prestige and have an opinion bonus, it's all upside. Also as a Republic you can invite distant members to your court to raise your trade post limit then send them away again.

Closer branches/generations are always going to have claims on your titles, changing dynasty size isn't going to do much about that. A small dynasty only increases the risk of extinction.

 

[DocDesastro]

From what I see, the OP plays well. Isn't CK2 all about leading a dynasty until 1492? Sure he will reach that goal. Well done!

 

[Olligarchy]

Depends on what kind of game. For Republics and Muslims having too large a dynasty can be a major pain in the ass, whereas Christians the more the better.

 

[Sergeant Flutter]

Just realize how smug I sounded in the OP! Oops!

Depends on what kind of game. For Republics and Muslims having too large a dynasty can be a major pain in the ass, whereas Christians the more the better.

This is one of the best replies on the thread. Muslims need to have smaller dynasties because of decadence. Yet's t you have more children because of polygamy. It's maddening. That's one of the reasons why I rarely play as Muslims.

 

[Olligarchy]

This is one of the best replies on the thread. Muslims need to have smaller dynasties because of decadence. Yet's t you have more children because of polygamy. It's maddening. That's one of the reasons why I rarely play as Muslims.

Why thank you.

But yes, for Republics you need to keep your fly zipped so your useless layabout children and cousins don't drain your income, whereas for Muslims the drawbacks are... obvious. They suck up your piety by going decadent, have claims on your titles and so forth. Had a fairly fun game as Shia Persia last year, which ended mostly because I got sick of pressing "Straighten" button every 2 minutes on my family members.

 

[Dahoota]

Depends on what kind of game. For Republics and Muslims having too large a dynasty can be a major pain in the ass, whereas Christians the more the better.

I agree with your point about Muslims, but strongly disagree about republics. Having huge amounts of dynasty prestige is very useful and makes securing the election so easy.

Being able to call distant members to your court when you want to expand your trade posts is very useful too - then just land them, kill them, whatever, to clear out your court when you're done. A single holy war will do it - hand out the individual baronies to family members in your court.

 

[Knotz]

Bigness is never a bad thing uknowimsayin.

Seriously though, there is no drawback in having a large dynasty.

 

[Kapitalisti]

Good Lord please do not tell me those are the Karlings Numbers...

Imagine Muslim Karlings...

 

[LordDamien]

Imagine Muslim Karlings...

No I can not imagine that.. Please it already painful they grow as catholics.. But being muslim and a karling..
- Shutter -

 

[Silver Wolf]

From what I see, the OP plays well. Isn't CK2 all about leading a dynasty until 1492? Sure he will reach that goal. Well done!

Unless Europe is hit by that plague from the Elder Kings mod (Knahaten Flu)

 

[Memoryofthelost]

Imagine Muslim Karlings...

Seen Jewish Karlings but never Muslim Karlings. Sounds utterly horrifying.

 

[Silver Wizard]

IMO there's no such thing as too big, only too small.

Once you hit a critical mass where distant members no longer have claims on your titles, but increase your dynasty prestige and have an opinion bonus, it's all upside. Also as a Republic you can invite distant members to your court to raise your trade post limit then send them away again.

Closer branches/generations are always going to have claims on your titles, changing dynasty size isn't going to do much about that. A small dynasty only increases the risk of extinction.

I try to keep my Imperial branch just thin enough not to die out. The other, more distant branches: the more the merrier.

Isn't CK2 all about leading a dynasty until 1492?

*1453

 

[TheTeaMustFlow]

Seen Jewish Karlings but never Muslim Karlings. Sounds utterly horrifying.

Seen a couple, but they were all just sad landless courtiers. A just fate.