Planning release AAR: What faction?

[Lord Valentine]

Hi there folks!
Some of the veterans might still remember me from the good old CK1 days. Due to the fact that a student’s life is harder than cliché might imply I have made myself quite scarce over the last two years. Anyway I figured the long awaited release of CK2 is as good a time as any to re-enthrall myself in the community. I therefore plan to start a AAR on game release tomorrow
Alas I am a bit torn between several options. Perhaps you folks can help me figure it out.

Option 1: 1066 as Henry IV of the Holy Roman Empire. Solid starting position but quit powerful vassals and a tiny family + elective law. Might be a nice challenge to establish the Empire as a centralized monarchy!
Option 2: 1066 Duke Gospatrick of Lothian. A Scottish duke of (distant) royal descent. Mainly for the nostalgia since my most fun AAR was with this character.
Option 3: 1204 Emperor of the Latin Empire. Mainly for the later startdate and unique starting situation.

Other suggestions obviously also welcome, but I am already biased towards these options and reserve the right to go for one of them anyway.

 

[Landwalker]

I would rule out both of the emperors, personally. For a first-release AAR, I would personally have a couple of criteria:

1) Keep the scope manageable. The empires are certainly interesting entites, but keeping track of everything that makes them tick might be overwhelming for a first-wave AAR, both for readers and players (not you personally, just generally).

2) ... But still pick a faction naturally suited to showcase all of the game's nuances. Counties are all fine and good, but I would't pick them for a first go. Characters in some miserable backwater are fun to succeed with, but don't necessarily have all of the options early on that characters in a more "active" area might.

Based on that, I would either pick a small kingdom, like Denmark or Sweden, or a duchy. Of your three options, I am 100% voting for the Duke of Lothian. If you're entertaining other suggestions, I'd throw in the Duke of Mazovia (brother to the King of Poland, I think), the Duke of Bohemia (the Polish king's brother-in-law), or someone similar. Maybe the Duke of Provence, maybe the Duke of Lombardy; you get the idea.

And if you aren't entertaining other suggestions, Duke Gospatrick all the way!

 

[The Blood Eagle]

IMO most people will be clamoring for a clean method of conquering England in the initial scenario.

Second to that, something heavily diplomatic as the former is more a treatise on warfare mechanics.

 

[dag231]

Castille... its a one-province Kingdom surrounded by power hungry cousins, the Duke of Barcelona, a very ambitious King of France and Muslims to the south who would love to see you die.

 

[The Blood Eagle]

Castille... its a one-province Kingdom surrounded by power hungry cousins, the Duke of Barcelona, a very ambitious King of France and Muslims to the south who would love to see you die.

Indeed, that's a great one, if I remember correctly in the original it was a matter of sneaking a province or 2 away from the Muslims without kicking the hornet's nest while maintaining shaky relations with the other greedy Iberians.

 

[Landwalker]

Castille... its a one-province Kingdom surrounded by power hungry cousins, the Duke of Barcelona, a very ambitious King of France and Muslims to the south who would love to see you die.

Personal criterion #3: Don't make the AAR about how successful you can be in the face of masochism. Make it about showcasing the game, rather than how "1337" you are (or whatever). You'll notice I left out all of Spain above, and this is the reason. Just a good, clean, well-rounded game, not a personal trophy case.

 

[dag231]

gah.. meant Aragon and not Castille.. opening moves are to grab Zaragoza and hopefully Calatayud and Albarrcin... but after that you are literally surrounded by cousins or enemies.

At some point, either the Emirate of Valencia or the Duke of Barcelona will be eying your lands greedily.

Landwalker - Spain is not a case of masochism - its all about playing your alliances correctly and biding your time, which would seem to fit with the criteria.

 

[Actinguy]

Personally, I'll be rebooting my "Butterfly Device" AAR as the Count of Guines. I like to start small and really introduce the characters before trying to move on a Duchy or Kingdom. In this case, my most successful AAR ever (and the recipient of two character awards), my characters never even TRIED to move beyond the county. There was so much intrigue that I didn't need wars to advance the plot.

 

[Landwalker]

Don't get me wrong, I like Spain. I was a big fan of the Duchy of Barcelona in CK1. I'm just not a fan of it for a first-plunge AAR. Part of that is because, at least in CK1, you could sometimes be too much at the mercy of the Muslim factions for continued existence, and partly because of some of the stuff we've heard about France jumping the gun and running the Reconquista on their own. I think Spain would be a great second game, but it strikes me as a little too "on the edge" for the first go.

 

[Sergei Meranov]

Well, I'm going to vote for the Duchy of Lothian. Your High Kings of Alba AAR was one of my all-time favorites.

 

[Beagá]

Either Brabant, or someone in the byzantine empire.

 

[3inar]

Other suggestions obviously also welcome, but I am already biased towards these options and reserve the right to go for one of them anyway.

Mod in yourself and start in a random province of your own choosing and then spread that family name over europe!

 

[CyBSKhan]

Aw yes, please play as the Latin Empire.
I wonder if Baudouin owns the Duchy of Flanders and the County of Hainaut at start, though ?

 

[elDrastico]

Knut Knytling needs to ride again

 

[Fjoelsvider]

without having read your aars - but being interested in reading ck2 aars - i would like to suggest count of desmond (or another opm in ireland).

even though he is just a count its not masochistic or anything. advantages are that you are not in an already existing de jure kingdom, so you dont have anybody messing with your laws.

similarly sized enemies that make for nice storytelling of how to overcome them. no mega powers likely to be interested in you.

gradual difficulty rise. when you got ireland under your yoke, there is scotland. if thats done with there is england.

 

[Heyomif]

Play as the basque, only have queens.

 

[Lord Valentine]

Wow that's quite a response!

Landwalker: Thanks for the detailed advice! I had mostly considered a bigger title because I had quite a good run as Henry IV in the Demo. I got my realm stabilized so far that I even managed to change the succession laws from Elective to Gravelkind. However you have a point that a lower ranking figure might be more fun and enlightening for starters.

dag231: Well that's what makes me somewhat hesitant. Wouldn't want my first AAR attempt in CK2 end in ignominious failure 15 years into the game.

The Blood Eagle: Now that I think of it there is an Iberian scenario that I would find really fascinating: Playing as El Cid after he became ruler of Valencia. Play a legendary character and try to do what he failed: Found a dynasty that lasts through the ages.

Actinguy: Count of Guines? Sounds like fun. I'll be following that!

Sergei Meranov: Thank you! I really appreciate the compliment!

Beagá: Being a huge Byzantinophile (looking back that sounds kind of creepy...) that was actually a temptation. But I think I want to get deeper into the game mechanics before a take on the huge challenge of bringing order to the Empire. Brabant? Hadn't considered that duchy. Could you tell me what makes it a nice starting location and when?

3inar: That sounds awesome and definitely is on my "to do list" but I doubt that I will have the patience to do all the modding once I finally have CK installed. Want to get down and dirty right away.

CyBSKhan: I always thought the Latin Empire was a fun faction for an ahistorical game. We'll see how their starting position turns out in the game.

Draztikus:He most certainly does! However I am too much in awe of an all too well known AAR (and If you don't know it you need to have your head examined) to do that. It would just be blasphemy!

Fjoelsvider: Sounds like an interesting starting position. Nonetheless I think I'd rather start within an established kingdom and plot and backstab myself to the top. Muahaha.

Heyomif: To be honest I don't even know what counties/duchies start out with Basque rulers. Can you enlighten me on that subject?

Good night folks! See you when CK2 is out!

 

[Count Lake]

Just don't take Toulouse, they are mine!

 

[tajerio]

Wow that's quite a response!

Heyomif: To be honest I don't even know what counties/duchies start out with Basque rulers. Can you enlighten me on that subject?

For the Basques, you want to start in Navarra.

 

[Sparticulous]

from your choices. the Latin empire would be the coolest start. A empire that is in ruin from the crusaders' coup.

but on a side note, i think a AAR for the Kingdom of Prester John (Abyssinia) would be cool.