That Britannia border gore on the real life Russo-Finish frontier is unfortunate.
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Norgesveldet 2.0 – A history of the Norwegian kings
- Thread starter Nikolai
- Start date
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Good observation. Britannia is struggling with almost constant crusades. The moment they win one, another is launched shortly after.
Yeah. They're friendly though. And have more than twice my troop numbers...
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So, you lost Viken, invaded Hungary and married a Nubian?
Alv had an interesting reign, to say the least!
Alv had an interesting reign, to say the least!
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King Alf, you say?
Happy to see you’ve made the Baltic Sea into your personal lake. Hope the empire is able to maintain its cohesion now that it’s so large.
Happy to see you’ve made the Baltic Sea into your personal lake. Hope the empire is able to maintain its cohesion now that it’s so large.
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A time of troubles on the horizon eh?
Sounds like one needs to get some popcorn or other snack of one's choice.
Sounds like one needs to get some popcorn or other snack of one's choice.
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Summed up nicely.So, you lost Viken, invaded Hungary and married a Nubian?
Alv had an interesting reign, to say the least!
Problem is I'm bigger, but still not stronger. And I keep going from say 6 domain to 1 or 2 each new ruler...
Time of troubles, yes. Count on it.
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So, a small update to all on the status of this AAR. I have played from where we are now in the story, in 1255 AD, to the early 1300s. It's five reigns, and it has been the most unfun experience ever. I am constantly hammered by small duchies that field twice to thrice as many men as me, and I have had a positive treasury for a total of 3 or 4 years I think. My income is uberlow, and my troop numbers very small. I as an Empire field 5k men now (having had to delete most of my men at arms due to the constantly reoccuring bug of them not reinforcing but requiring the full cost of reinforcing nevertheless), while the duke of nowhere waging holy wars or de jure wars against me field at least 8-9k, sometimes more. At peace with no retinues raised, I am lucky if I earn 7 gold per month.
I am all for some struggles, but the last few decades have been mostly me getting declared on, losing, getting declared on and losing. I never get the money or troops to withstand the onslaught and since I don't have the money to build up a good men at arms force, my forces are trashed even by smaller armies. It is, put simply, no longer an ounce of fun. Which is sad, because this AAR/campaign started as the most fun I've had with PDS games in ages! Even worse, I watched a video by @One Proud Bavarian today where he as a vassal of the ERE in the late 800s earned like 20+ gold a month. I haven't been close to that since I went into feudalism. It stings. I have no idea what is wrong and how to fix it. From 1286 to 1302 AD I was declared war on ten times, with almost no peace, just losing and losing.
I guess what I'm saying is, this AAR won't last to the 1400s as I planned. It's not going to be a fun story telling about Emperor X who only lost all his wars, period. And next week 1.1 comes, and I doubt the save will be compatible in any case. I will write out what I have, perhaps end with my current Emperor, we'll see. Right now the will to do anything with this story is almost gone, due to the aforementioned troubles. It's okay to lose, but not to this extent. Is Scandinavia really meant to be weaker than a mere German duke when it controls so much as Alv I did above?
I am all for some struggles, but the last few decades have been mostly me getting declared on, losing, getting declared on and losing. I never get the money or troops to withstand the onslaught and since I don't have the money to build up a good men at arms force, my forces are trashed even by smaller armies. It is, put simply, no longer an ounce of fun.
Which is sad, because this AAR/campaign started as the most fun I've had with PDS games in ages! Even worse, I watched a video by @One Proud Bavarian today where he as a vassal of the ERE in the late 800s earned like 20+ gold a month. I haven't been close to that since I went into feudalism. It stings. I have no idea what is wrong and how to fix it. From 1286 to 1302 AD I was declared war on ten times, with almost no peace, just losing and losing. I guess what I'm saying is, this AAR won't last to the 1400s as I planned. It's not going to be a fun story telling about Emperor X who only lost all his wars, period. And next week 1.1 comes, and I doubt the save will be compatible in any case. I will write out what I have, perhaps end with my current Emperor, we'll see. Right now the will to do anything with this story is almost gone, due to the aforementioned troubles. It's okay to lose, but not to this extent. Is Scandinavia really meant to be weaker than a mere German duke when it controls so much as Alv I did above?
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Chapter XIV - Emperor Haldor I (1255-1266)
Emperor Haldor I (1255-1266)
The reign of Emperor Haldor I would see the Yngling dynasty sink into civil war over the Emperorship.
Family
Emperor Haldor I was married to a Byzantine Princess, Elaiodora. Together, they sired five children, none of which would inherit the throne.
Guttorm
Sigrid
Erling
Arne
Erlend
His reign
The first four years of Haldor I’s reign was peaceful. Then the troubles started. In 1259 AD, a liberty faction among his vassals demanded reduced crown authority. Sure to be backed by his ally the Byzantine Emperor, Haldor refused the demands, sending the Empire into civil war. However, no help would come. The Byzantine Emperor heeded the call, but sent no armies up north. Totally outnumbered after a disastrous battle and fleeing for his life, the Emperor had to accept the demands of his vassals in December 1261 AD.
Sensing weakness, the Bavarian king declared holy war for the duchy of Upper Silesia in 1260 AD, and despite heavy fighting, with the war at times going in Haldor’s favor, the war was ultimately lost in 1263 AD.
During this war, a mere count in the kingdom of Africa would declare holy war for the county of Bejaia. Unable to fight in the Mediterranean while fighting in Europe, this war was lost without much of a fight in 1263 AD.
In 1262 AD, even darker clouds gathered. The duke of Pinsk, Wit, declared Haldor’s losses showed that God no longer favored the Ynglings and declared he had a rightful claim to the throne. His words were merely that, however, as most vassals still wanted an Yngling on the throne.
But there were other Yngling claimants. In 1264 AD, the independent king of Africa declared war on Haldor I for control over the Empire. His forces were massive, almost 50% bigger than what Haldor I could muster, but Haldor had his allies in the Byzantine Empire to count on. Together they had almost 50% more forces than the king of Africa.
However, the Byzantines proved to be poor allies. Their armies spread out too thinly and refused to cooperate with their Scandinavian allies, making it all too easy for the king of Africa to defeat the opposing armies, one by one. Africa, it would turn out, did not spread out their forces thin.
Haldor I would not live to see the end of the war, as he died of what was deemed natural causes on August 6th, 1266 AD. He was succeeded by his cousin Eirik I, aged 42.
Aftermath
Having reigned for 11 years, Haldor I had little to show for. He lost much of the authority of his throne early on in his reign and lost all the subsequent wars he was forced into. On his death, his very throne was in play, with the war against the Africans possibly going both ways. His cousin had a hard road ahead of him.
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I guess what I'm saying is, this AAR won't last to the 1400s as I planned. It's not going to be a fun story telling about Emperor X who only lost all his wars, period. And next week 1.1 comes, and I doubt the save will be compatible in any case. I will write out what I have, perhaps end with my current Emperor, we'll see. Right now the will to do anything with this story is almost gone, due to the aforementioned troubles. It's okay to lose, but not to this extent. Is Scandinavia really meant to be weaker than a mere German duke when it controls so much as Alv I did above?
I saw a bit of this happening in my Nigeria run, and my suspicion is that AI vassals aren't great at building up the kind of holdings and doing the kind of development that one would need when transitioning from tribalism to feudalism; and that winds up having a big effect on vassal levies and taxes so that your formerly-tribal empire is going to fall behind other nations. That in addition to your men-at-arms bug, which sounds insanely frustrating.
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All the empires are in trouble now. Your late game issues are troubling. Is it the same for all feudal rulers?
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Yeah, I’ve seen some spectacular, meteoric catastrophes too. Often unrealistically so due to some game flaws/bugs.
Your AAR has been excellent, but there’s no reason for you to burden yourself if the game has become onerous.
Maybe start another one after the patch?
You could start as Ivar the Boneless way out in Suðreyjar and see if you could unify Scandinavia that way. Might be a nice challenge.
Your AAR has been excellent, but there’s no reason for you to burden yourself if the game has become onerous.
Maybe start another one after the patch?
You could start as Ivar the Boneless way out in Suðreyjar and see if you could unify Scandinavia that way. Might be a nice challenge.
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It is insanely frustrating yeah. The game was undividedly fun until feudalism. Then it quickly became a problem, especially as my neighbors continued to get stronger and I regressed or stood still.
No, the catholic realms especially are extremely powerful. And gets increasingly more so, while I don't. Had I had the income I had before feudal, this wouldn't have been a problem at all. The lack of income means I can't compete. I suspect they earn a lot more than me. I field 6k now, fully built up men at arms, which I haven't as I need to delete and don't have the economy to support more than perhaps 1/4th strength anyways, I would probably have double that. Meanwhile, East Francia in the update above had 12k troops. And Britannia 9ver 22k.
Thanks. It's been fun writing, and I won't end it with the update above. But I'm beginning to plan my last chapter... I will definitely start a new AAR with 1.1. Thinking on trying something further south. Perhaps the HRE or a Muslim state? Time will show.
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Well, it sounds like I may have committed myself, but I just meant that it was a neat start.
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Seconding what all the others have said. While I'm sad to see this go, ultimately the key thing is whether you're enjoying yourself as a player and an author. No need to burden yourself on our account if it has gotten to be a genuinely unpleasant experience.
That being said, do keep us in the loop as to what's coming next
That being said, do keep us in the loop as to what's coming next
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@Nikolai, thank you for writing and commenting. What is largest improvement in CK3 over CK2? What is biggest regression in CK3 from CK2? Thank you for reading and I hope that you are feeling better.
Hmm, perhaps you should pay more attention to your personal demesne? Most of the income/troops should come from there. Some economic buildings here and there and you can get good income from your lands. Plus, perhaps, steward increasing the development. The increase is small, but it adds up in the long run?
Ensuring that no vassal gets too strong helps as well.
But reading the decline of Haldor is still fun!
Ensuring that no vassal gets too strong helps as well.
But reading the decline of Haldor is still fun!
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Not at all, I read it as an encouragement.
I will at least write out what I have. Then we’ll see.Seconding what all the others have said. While I'm sad to see this go, ultimately the key thing is whether you're enjoying yourself as a player and an author. No need to burden yourself on our account if it has gotten to be a genuinely unpleasant experience.
That being said, do keep us in the loop as to what's coming next
Thanks man!
I think the best improvement must be the UI. My personal demesne changes more or less entirely each reign, so that quickly became untenable...Hmm, perhaps you should pay more attention to your personal demesne? Most of the income/troops should come from there. Some economic buildings here and there and you can get good income from your lands. Plus, perhaps, steward increasing the development. The increase is small, but it adds up in the long run?
Ensuring that no vassal gets too strong helps as well.
But reading the decline of Haldor is still fun!
At best I keep 1 or 2 counties, more often I lose it all and gain whatever my heir has. Besides, I don’t have the money. The constant warring means I am almost always in the negative. It’s a bad spiral. I started building monetary buildings early on, but I just lost all the gain each time a ruler died. I saw a nice exploit I could possibly use to get back on track on youtube last night though. A bit cheesy, but it tursout you can cancel vassal buildings while being built and gain all their spent money.
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