Playstyles

[Resurr3ction]

I have not played CK2 for some time now and even though it's very good game which I enjoyed thoroughly I am actually more drawn back to EU3 than CK2. I thought about it and wondered why that is. And then it occured to me that it's because of severely limited playstyles in CK2 in comparison to EU3.

In EU3 there were many viable tactics usually available for all nations even outside Europe. For example one could stay OPM and focus on trade or technology or both. Such a mini-state could easily fend off even BBB or Austrian white blob with monetary and technological supremacy which was awesome. Other way was focusing on PUing every feudal nation in the neighbourhood and absorbing half the world through inheritance. Or go for colonies... The biggest strength in my opinion in EU3 is that the choices you got are rarely good / bad but they always depend on your situation and playstyle.

CK2 is very different in this respect. It contains almost only good / bad events and choices where one outcome is superior to the other in all cases or almost all. For example having bad traits or accumulating all seven vices is extremely punishing endeavour while going only for virtues makes the game almost too easy. Tyranny is virtually *never* a viable way to rule. The usual goal - becoming powerful enough to withstand any enemy or be able to take on any enemy - can be achieved via only one way - expanding. As Christian you must spread your family all over (and you even get the prestige bonus for it) while as Muslim you want to keep your family as small as possible. One can easily imagine how this would be done in EU3 - both approaches would have its benefits and penalties and it would depend on you and your playstyle which you prefer. Not in CK2 unfortunately as one way is always superior to other.


I'd like to hear your comments on this issue I see in CK2 but please keep it constructive - "go play EU3 then" type of comment is meaningless really. Pointing to some non obvious aspects of CK2 (or mods) that actually allow for different playstyles is better (and appreciated).

 

[Frozen_Predator]

hmm as a small kingdom you can sometimes become a big player.

during my Venetian game (strategic marriage placing me in multiple barony county with one county less than Venice and then requesting an invasion) I was an important gear in many conflicts between the HRE and ERE by allying whoever was the lesser threat through marriage. this got screwed up by the Golden Horde eating Hungary and repelling most crusades.

and recently I found the joy of Thallasocracy (rule by the sea) in a Navarra game where an inheritance and a good chancellor placed me as king of Ireland, faction rebellions usually need to travel by sea, and none of the Dukes have the ship capacity to transport their spawned doomstack allowing me to destroy them and any faction members in Ireland piecemeal before moving in to siege their depleted realm.

 

[whosthebestcop]

CK2 you are not playing as a nation but as a dynasty. You can seek several routes to increase prestige for you dynasty. War, inheritance & marriage, or intrigue.

You could start as the Duke of York and later become King of Denmark with no land in England at all.

Some games I play independent, sometimes I stay a vassal the entire game, sometimes I only war enough to get around 12-16 counties for my demesne then use marriage/inheritance/intrigue to get my family thrones in other realms, some games I play a Holy Warrior who must extinguish all the Muslims using any means necessary.

I would say focus in on actually playing your dynasty. Not so much like I am the Duke of York I must form England then spread my English ways all over the map. Maybe you want to become the Christian Ruler of Egypt through marriage.

One time I married my daughter matrilineally to the Sultan's son. When he showed up in my court I converted him to Catholic and pressed his claim on Egypt. I then played as my daughters son and became King of Egypt and let me English lands go away.

Or I try and get my dynasties their own realms. Try and get a dozen kingdoms for your dynasty. It gives you allies plus instead of warring to expand you will be able to join your dynasty wars to help them maintain their realm. They will always need help in their realms and it keeps you busy.

You will never run out of heirs and you never know what realm you will be leading. I created Ireland gained Sweden for my cousin. Gained France for my brother. Centuries later France switched to Seniority so France passed to Sweden. Then he died Sweden was primo and France still seniority so I got France. I died and went back to just Ireland about 50 years later. Anything can happen.