So I just got this game...

[Valhallas Call]

and it looks totally awesome, but I am also totally lost. Would anyone be so kind as to give me some newbie tips? Also, is it easier to play as a king, duke, or count? Any help would be appreciated, this game looks great but I've been hitting my head against a wall trying to figure it out...

 

[unmerged(84239)]

check this for basic tips:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7vXXKXQSSU&feature=PlayList&p=F7B220E75A31E452&index=0&playnext=1

(and the next 4 parts of course)

 

[unmerged(78999)]

I just got it too, and it's pretty fun. Difficult learning things on the fly, though. I played a short game as Provence to learn the controls, then one as Gwynedd to learn how to really play the game. I'm thinking about starting a new one now, setting the difficulty to normal and really giving it a go.

 

[unmerged(84239)]

and it looks totally awesome, but I am also totally lost. Would anyone be so kind as to give me some newbie tips? Also, is it easier to play as a king, duke, or count? Any help would be appreciated, this game looks great but I've been hitting my head against a wall trying to figure it out...

Well, while you can learn with just about any selectable noble, some are easier then other.
What is needed for a good learning country? (in my opinion of course)
- an able king (good stats, can breed a few kiddos)
- not too much vassals (easier to handle)
- possibly no overlord (while he protects you, sometimes he simply scr.ws you)
- wealth
- no strong enemy in the neighbourhood

This leaves out the big kingdoms (England, Germany, Byzantium), most dukes, and countries in dangerous positions (Iberian kings for example).
Your best bets are strong independent duchies and small kingdoms (or medium sized, with lots of lands for the king).

Try:
- Duchy of Apulia: wealthy, independent, centralized (the best counties are the dukes personal demense), good generals, some counties nearby which are easy to bash (count management is easier, because all are relatives with loyalty bonuses)
- Poland: a young and able king, easy conquests to the east (Lithuania, Baltic), lots of land for the king, few vassals
- scandinavian kingdoms: while they are relatively poor, they are easy to manage and expansion is not hard (finland, baltics)




Basic tips:

Laws:
Every law has bonuses, and every law has a downside. Read the descriptions carefully.

Inheritance:
the safest is salic, since your daughters kid cannot inherit (he can in semisalic). That means that no outsider will inherit your throne. If you are elective, make sure you give your successor enough titles, so that it is 100% sure he will be selected king when your current ruler dies.

budget management:
in the early stages money is hard to come by, but you can help it in 2 ways:
(soft cheat)
- when there is the wedding of the king, the vassals will give you money to organize a party, which you can keep. (royal marriage aid duty) This can be hundreds of ducats, so it is a good idea to marry as many times as possible. (when you have heirs already, marry old women )
- when your eldest daughter marries, you will be given money
- later in the game (60-70 years from scenario start) you can wage wars for money. Attack, they offer peace, take all their money in the peace
- DON'T AFRAID OF DEBT! these are the middle ages, no credit ratings, no Moody's, nothing.
- build things which give you money (smithy, mine, forestry, etc.)


demense management:
The rulers intrigue score decides on how many provinces he can control. If he has more then that, they will produce less and less, the efficiency is going down. Give those counties to others.
The general rule should be to keep the ones which are wealthy (7+ income) and give away the rest.
Be sure to leave a few counties in reserves though! When your heir becomes of age, and you found a good lass for him, arrange the marriage, and make him a landowner! (this will help him to amass a bit of prestige before he takes the throne - vassals like an already proven guy better then a new one)


piety, prestige:

the easiest way to get those is creating bishoprics and winning wars.
When you create a bishopric (you sacrifice a county from your demense) you get 100+ piety, which usually is enough for some time.

When you win a war, and don't ask for everything you can, you get prestige for the things you didn't take. (like you beat the cr.p out of somebody, and ask for nothing. Basicly you humilate him, and show the others around who is the boss around these parts...)

 

[Cuthuthulu]

check this for basic tips:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7vXXKXQSSU&feature=PlayList&p=F7B220E75A31E452&index=0&playnext=1

(and the next 4 parts of course)

The youtube comments for that video makes me cry. (Although that's to be expected from youtube)

 

[Valhallas Call]

- scandinavian kingdoms: while they are relatively poor, they are easy to manage and expansion is not hard (finland, baltics)

I tried out a game as Norway and had a lot of fun with it. The king is young, but he died young (around 49 I think when he died). But while he was king, I took control of the pagan counties up in northern Scandinavia. Then Denmark went on a crusading rampage, and while all their armies where in the Levant, I claimed the title of King of Denmark and took the country almost without a fight

This, I think, was my big mistake:

When your heir becomes of age, and you found a good lass for him, arrange the marriage, and make him a landowner! (this will help him to amass a bit of prestige before he takes the throne - vassals like an already proven guy better then a new one)

I didn't give my eldest son any land, and he eventually ran off to be a courtier in some Swedish county! When my king died, he came back, but he was stressed. A few months later, he became schizophrenic, and killed the Duke of Bergen. Then his wife (one of William the Conqueror's daughters, I was proud of the arrangement) went mad, and declared herself the New Messiah. Shortly thereafter, the new Duke of Bergen (the old one's younger brother, IIRC... and honestly I perfectly understood why he did it!) and several counts rebelled, and then Sweden took the opportunity to invade. It wasn't fun

But now I know!

 

[Veldmaarschalk]

I didn't give my eldest son any land, and he eventually ran off to be a courtier in some Swedish county! When my king died, he came back, but he was stressed. A few months later, he became schizophrenic, and killed the Duke of Bergen. Then his wife (one of William the Conqueror's daughters, I was proud of the arrangement) went mad, and declared herself the New Messiah. Shortly thereafter, the new Duke of Bergen (the old one's younger brother, IIRC... and honestly I perfectly understood why he did it!) and several counts rebelled, and then Sweden took the opportunity to invade. It wasn't fun

Most people consider such things the most fun things of the game.

Just play the game more and you will start to appreciate such things also.

 

[Valhallas Call]

I think I'm getting the hang of it... couple of questions about breeding, though:

Do the base stats of the parents help in any way to determine the base stats of their children?

Do they take an average of the parents' stats or is there some computing that goes into it?

Is it best to have royals marry royals, or would it be better to have your heir marry someone of relatively low blood but who has outstanding stats?

And finally: how do you marry off male courtiers? I've been looking at my court (as King of Naples, created out of Duchy of Apulia) and it's ridiculously small compared to, say, that of the King of France or the King of England. I have several relatively young (18-25) male courtiers who I'd like to get married to enlarge my court, but they don't show up as an option when I offer a marriage.

 

[TempestDK]

I think I'm getting the hang of it... couple of questions about breeding, though:

Do the base stats of the parents help in any way to determine the base stats of their children?

Do they take an average of the parents' stats or is there some computing that goes into it?

Is it best to have royals marry royals, or would it be better to have your heir marry someone of relatively low blood but who has outstanding stats?

And finally: how do you marry off male courtiers? I've been looking at my court (as King of Naples, created out of Duchy of Apulia) and it's ridiculously small compared to, say, that of the King of France or the King of England. I have several relatively young (18-25) male courtiers who I'd like to get married to enlarge my court, but they don't show up as an option when I offer a marriage.

In DV, the only inherited stats are fertility and health.So even a mother and father with prodigy skills can produce stupid children.

The only think that affects the children in a positive (and negative too I guess) way is the education level of certain advisors and the parents. I am not sure of this though.

Depending on your type of game, you can marry as you wish ... there is no downside to marrying a simple courtier compared to a royal. Though marrying into a royal family can be a way to inherit titles, though it can get really complicated.

Some players marry only within certain culture groups, some marry for RP reasons, some marry anyone with good stats.

If my court is small, I often marry young (always young) girls with good stats that I need, so I can get competent advisors. I also marry the girls in-court to breed new courtiers. Once my court is big enough, I often marry immediate family to high fertility girls. Once the court gets too big, I marry the girls out of court to get rid of them.

You can only marry off family members (those with your dynasty name). So all those bachelors at your court are waiting for you to raise some daughters you can marry them to