Making my Norse empire feudal

[Shabbaman]

I'm playing as Yngling, started in 867. A century later I've painted a large part of Europe in nice Scandinavian blue. Because I'm petty and hold an ancient grudge of big blue blobs I conquered West Francia a generation ago: I did get the decision to become Norman, and then I noticed I suddenly met the feudal reform requisition of having all tribal innovations. Unfortunately I didn't have a high enough tribal authority to reform to feudal. A few years later my heir (my current character) does have the chance to increase tribal authority.

However...

I'm Norse now. I'm not completely sure if my heir reformed to Norman after I (in the previous generation, remember?) conquered West Francia, but if I recall correctly my heir did become Norman and I made the decision to adapt the culture of my capital (in Norway) after his coronation (and because I get to make that decision again now I suspect that somewhere in this story there's an additional generation of Ynlings). But anway, my current character is Norse. And Norse culture needs three more innovations before it can reform. Obviously I could reform to Norwegian now (since the Norse culture split), but that doesn't help me at all since they need three more innovations as well. Adaption speed of Norse exceeds that of Norway as well (why, you ask? Because half of England is Norse and the English development is a lot higher than that of Norway).

And, being Norse and all, and because the king of Aquitaine is somehow (Scandinavian elective...) the heir to the kingdom of Lotharingia (that I conquered a few years back), I decided it was time to invade the kingdom of Aquitaine.

Being Norse and all and king of Aquitaine made me bored, so I looked into the decision to reform to feudal. Still lacking a lot of innovations, obviously. But what I could do:

1. Move my capital to Toulouse or Lyon or something in a nice and warm climate
2. Change my culture to Occitan or French
3. Suddenly I have enough innovations to reform
4. Reform to feudalism
5. Die
6. My heir is still beautifully Norse

My question is, what happens at step #7?

7. My new Norse emperor lives in Toulouse, everybody in the Nordic culture group dislikes me because I'm Norse instead of Norwegian/Swedish/Danish (I suspect this distinction is only there because Paradox is from Sweden), everybody else in my empire, including those in my capital, hates me because I'm from a different culture group.

Or is #7 something I didn't foresee? What happens if I'm from the Norse culture, at the head of an Occitan feudal empire?

 

[DorostheConquer]

Norman > French - you get all Norse innovations (particularly longboats) AND all French innovations, as well as allowing you to form English later, for even more tech and even more power.

But...

What happens if I'm from the Norse culture, at the head of an Occitan feudal empire?

Nothing much. If you're the wrong religion, then your enserfed peasants will be storming Le Chateau Blanc faster than the Feudal Ministry of Truth can placate them, but right religion + wrong culture is not such a big deal. You can also culturally enrich all the Occitans into Norse, starting with the best developed provinces you control directly first.

 

[Shabbaman]

Norman > French - you get all Norse innovations (particularly longboats) AND all French innovations, as well as allowing you to form English later, for even more tech and even more power.

Yes, but then I'd have to plan this a bit better in advance. But I guess I could still depose my nephew, the king of West Francia.

Nothing much. If you're the wrong religion, then your enserfed peasants will be storming Le Chateau Blanc faster than the Feudal Ministry of Truth can placate them, but right religion + wrong culture is not such a big deal.

I don't completely follow you here. Yes, the catholic peasants dislike me, and so do my vassals. But I can still convert them, right? It's not as if the catholics have much fervor left, with their holy sites being mostly Norse nowadays... But culture doesn't favor specific religions, does it?

 

[Marijn]

That's a nice avatar

 

[DorostheConquer]

I don't completely follow you here. Yes, the catholic peasants dislike me, and so do my vassals. But I can still convert them, right? It's not as if the catholics have much fervor left, with their holy sites being mostly Norse nowadays... But culture doesn't favor specific religions, does it?

Are you pagan, or Catholic?


If you're not Catholic, then you'll be facing regular insurrections from your wrong religion + wrong culture counties.
Wrong culture vassals are a little more rebellious and give you a little less (Taxation-is-Theft) than right culture vassals, but it's not too bad.
Wrong religion vassals are noticeably more problematic, unless you've got the Syncretic tenet.
Wrong religion + wrong culture stacks penalties, and causes the most problems for peasants and vassals alike.


However, vassals are easier to convert than counties. Counties will only convert after several years of concentrated deplatforming; vassals will convert as soon as you ask them (if they like you enough), or they can be removed and replaced with right religion vassals, if you have enough crown authority.

 

[Shabbaman]

Are you pagan, or Catholic?


If you're not Catholic, then you'll be facing regular insurrections from your wrong religion + wrong culture counties.
Wrong culture vassals are a little more rebellious and give you a little less (Taxation-is-Theft) than right culture vassals, but it's not too bad.
Wrong religion vassals are noticeably more problematic, unless you've got the Syncretic tenet.
Wrong religion + wrong culture stacks penalties, and causes the most problems for peasants and vassals alike.


However, vassals are easier to convert than counties. Counties will only convert after several years of concentrated deplatforming; vassals will convert as soon as you ask them (if they like you enough), or they can be removed and replaced with right religion vassals, if you have enough crown authority.

I understand what you mean. I'm reformed asatru. Yes, the penalty for having the wrong religion is bad. I've managed to dodge major insurrections so far, my vassals so far seem to be doing a good job at converting those pesky catholics to asatru. Thanks!