Possible way to abuse the depressed trait?

[Pinstar]

So say your ruler get the depressed trait and you have your succession in order (so dying won't cause too many problems on its own).

Couldn't you, in theory, arrest every vassal who is either too big or who you just don't like. The ones you manage to successfully arrest, banish to take all their titles and gold. Destroy all unwanted kingdom or duchy titles. Once you've loaded yourself up with(or destroyed) all the spare titles and every single vassal in the realm is at -100...kill yourself.

All those nasty opinion penalties die with the old king. The new king can then re-hand out the county titles to individuals whom you like, and nobody is upset for all the 'tyranical' crap the old ruler did. You not only get to keep all the good stuff you want, but you get all the banished gold too.

For those you failed to arrest and rebel... I believe the death of the ruler auto-ends the war. But that would technically give you just cause to revoke a title (vassal rebelled).

I know this sounds gamey as hell but I'm tempted to try it next time my ruler gets depressed. Anyone have any experience with this?

 

[hicisred]

Same concept could be applied to older rulers. But yeah, you're right.

 

[Pinstar]

Same concept could be applied to older rulers. But yeah, you're right.

Having the depressed traits allows you to ensure you have zero time between the act of pissing everyone off and dying. Old rulers can live a surprisingly long time when you don't want them to, and spending a full decade of fighting off vassal revolts doesn't sound too fun.

 

[Galaahd]

It's really gamey. I tend to do it with old rulers, sometimes.

80 years old king? Time to revoke titles bitch!

 

[Fredmonroe]

Can rulers with the depressed trait commit suicide? Or are you simply referring to the fact that it lowers health and makes them more likely to die?

 

[cyrileom]

There is apparently a "commit suicide" option.

 

[TheBigC]

Commit suicide is a Decision, like Grand Hunt or Summer Fair. Though I don't think it triggers a mini-icon on the UI.

 

[Tuerai]

I always Character Create a depressed, wounded, stressed ruler. Also excommunicated if I'm playing a catholic, because it costs like 6 gold if you do it day 1.

 

[belamoor]

I've used to do it all the time, before switching to CK+ to restrict myself. Felt too easy.

You don't even have to have "depressed" trait. Just imprison/banish everyone and appoint completely new vassals - they won't remember anything ! In my last vanillian game as Navara i have profited for 25k gold banishing the whole Iberia, before settling down as an emperor. The downside is that you need tons of piety for both imprisoning and banishing, which, if you are desperate, you can get by constantly revoking/appointing new bishops. If you do that, be sure to watch your prestige, cause you won't be able to destroy any titles after it hits minus value.
It's gamey, but if you are like me, who design superhuman rulers with +80 stewardship, than you won't mind.

 

[TheLionHeart]

I'd say suicide is kind of abuse. If you are in a massive succession war that you are losing just take the easy way out and...poof it's done. Or perhaps you could take my personal favorite way, go on a rampage revoking titles and executing vassals for teh lulz, then suicide.

 

[Achab]

So say your ruler get the depressed trait and you have your succession in order (so dying won't cause too many problems on its own).

There have been other means of disposing your ruler even without the depressed trait around since the start of the game, so the said trait doesnt add any abusive approach which wouldnt be there before.

Nihil novi sub sole.

 

[knppel]

I always Character Create a depressed, wounded, stressed ruler. Also excommunicated if I'm playing a catholic, because it costs like 6 gold if you do it day 1.

Even better is to start as excommunicated Byzantine Emperor. You get it just for the piety. Because, you know, the dude does what you tell him to.

 

[GreatSlayer]

I think it's in for the sole reason of abuse. Either as à tool for completely reforming your realm, or as à way to speedy up à juicy inheritance. It's a bit morbid that you would sometimes be wishing you'd be depressed so you could off yourself, but designers choice and all that jazz. You can't chose when to bed your spouse or lover, but you can chose to say "oh hell with it all!!"
Apparently Paradox believes we're all more uncomfortable dealing with the opposite gender than we are with throwing ourselves off the castlewall into a shallow, rocky mout. I believe some on Paradox is in desperate need of à hug.

 

[Panzram]

Yep, quite a fun little trait. A few games ago my daughter would've made the best heir, but was beside 5 sons. My leader got depressed, so I paused the game, locked up all the male children, executed them, and then killed myself before anyone knew what happened. Nobody held it against the new queen.

Lots of scummy shit you can do with suicide, but at least getting the trait is just dumb luck.

 

[Mods]

It's weird because depressed already gives -1 to health, I always figured that represented suicidal tendencies.

 

[Panzram]

It's weird because depressed already give -1 to health, I always figured that represented suicidal tendencies.

Depressed people have shorter lifespans, if you have less will to live you're more likely to give up the goat than fight when the time comes. I'm just confused when the game tells me that people have "died of depression".

 

[Dearmad]

It's weird because depressed already give -1 to health, I always figured that represented suicidal tendencies.

^^
This.