So the game is named CRUSADER Kings ...

[MarkShot]

I have looked at the WIKI ... it is not all that clear.

As best I can figure out as Ireland in 1066, I always have a CB against any flavor of Islam and the declaring and capturing is a bit different from intra-faith claims.

Now, there is the "grand event" when The Pope calls for a Crusade. It is this thing that I don't much understand. I as King am supposed to work through the larger mechanics of the Catholic World. The WiKi doesn't say so much. Nor do the DEV Diaries.

There are, at least, 100 quality LP's on YouTube playing as Feudal/Catholic. But there is not single video(s) guide to playing the historic crusades. Of course, within in 10,000 hours of video, there is probably a Crusade or two, but many these LP's are named 'Becoming France Episode 01-70'. Which offers very little insight where some crusade play might appear.

Now, originally, I thought I just made my pledge of money and troops to The Pope and at a certain time (2 years) my troops would march off to The Holy Land. If I wanted there was a big WarScore score board display to update me on what was going on, but I could just stay in Ireland. Now, it seems that my conscious self somehow leaves Ireland with a regent left behind, and I march Irish troop to join the termite swarm crossing Europe.

I am seriously confused ... how this is supposed to work.

Does anyone have a list of 4-5 YouTube entries within in a large LP that demonstrates how the Christian Crusades called by The Pope works. I understand the vassal/liege/defacto/dejure/title hierarchy decently ... but I am totally lost on this aspect. But for most game tutorials, by the time The Crusades roll around "you are on your own, Bud".

Help please? Thanks.

 

[jonjowett]

I don't watch LPs for CK2.

However, in summary, the way Crusades work is:

• The Pope announces a potential Crusade for the kingdom of X
  • Catholics can spend piety to ask the Pope to announce a Crusade for a target of their choice
• Catholics and members of the targeted religion can pledge support for their respective side
  • Catholics can spend piety to re-target the Crusade.
  • Also, 4th Crusade stuff can randomly happen to re-target it.
• If the Catholic strength is <75% of the defender strength on the designated start date, the Crusade fizzles and nothing happens
• Otherwise, the Pope declares the Crusade and everyone who pledged (on both sides) joins as secondary participants
• Catholics must set a Crusade beneficiary, and choose what they want to do with any titles they may receive in the event of a successful Crusade
• Everyone must now individually raise their armies and send them to the target
• If the Crusaders get 100% warscore, the Crusade ends and spoils are distributed
  • The most-participating Crusader gets the majority of the benefits:
    • They can decide who gets the kingdom (they take everything / their beneficiary gets kingdom + other participants get titles in proportion to contribution / Catholic claimant gets kingdom + participants get titles in proportion to contribution)
    • If they aren't selfish, they get a LOT of money, prestige, piety and artifacts
  • Strategy: Get as many of your men killed as possible
    • Army losses have a disproportionate impact on contribution score. Even attrition counts!

More info on the wiki here and in this dev diary.

 

[MarkShot]

Okay. Thank you.

Am I suppose to live a regent in charge or something?

BTW, I am playing around with this and it doesn't look like a war, just a bum rush at some Islamic target? Is that meant to capture history?

 

[MarkShot]

It is just about WS of 100%, since the target Sultanate is larger f***ing Europe?

 

[jonjowett]

Am I suppose to live a regent in charge or something?

You don't actually have to go yourself. If you do go, it's just as a normal commander of your army - no regency required. Yes, that's not very historical, but no other CK2 war requires you to set up a regency, so why would it be needed for Crusades?

It's usually considered worthwhile to go, even if you return a microsecond later after receiving the "Crusader" trait. (Getting the "Crusader" trait for all your commanders, vassals and courtiers is a little bit exploity but very worthwhile, as Crusaders like each other a lot.) If you stick around a bit longer, there are special events that occur if you command troops in the targeted kingdom.

(EDIT: There's even a bloodline for getting 20 more good than bad events while on Crusade, but this is probably the most difficult bloodline in the game. I've literally never seen it, and the only ways I can imagine obtaining it would require centuries of preparation, because you'd need to find a way to make the war last about a decade without the AI ending it. Overall, I think it could only be done if you were the only count+ Catholic/Fraticelli in the world other than the Pope. Only Ashoka and Wicked Saint are of similar difficulty IMO, and I've seen screenshots of other people getting them.)

BTW, I am playing around with this and it doesn't look like a war, just a bum rush at some Islamic target? Is that meant to capture history?

Yeah, if the attackers vastly outnumber the defenders, then it does become a bit of a bumrush. Everyone wants their slice of free land!

It is just about WS of 100%, since the target Sultanate is larger f***ing Europe?

Yes, WS of 100% is all that's required. But the penalty for losing is only 1 de jure kingdom, not the entire realm.

 

[MarkShot]

This one video has it all. Very illuminating.

 

[majdavlk]

crusades work like any other war. you have to take your army and take it to the "holy land"

 

[MarkShot]

At some they changed the mechanic, you must wait to the start date to recruit. This is different from old videos where players would try to beat the crowd down to the target.

 

[jonjowett]

At some they changed the mechanic, you must wait to the start date to recruit. This is different from old videos where players would try to beat the crowd down to the target.

Actually, the most "meta" tactic still involves raising your armies early. The aim is for your ships to arrive at the crusade target on the exact day that the war starts, so you can accumulate the absolute maximum amount of score. If you do this in the best possible way, you can accumulate 100% warscore and 100% contribution before any AI arrive, so your beneficiary gets the entire target kingdom (and you get the entire Crusade war chest). Otherwise, the fact you're there before anyone else means you're more likely to acquire a lot of contribution points, so you're more likely to be highly-placed when it comes to handing out the spoils.

 

[Tsar Monarchist]

I have looked at the WIKI ... it is not all that clear.

Mind you, this is CRUSADER Kings TWO, the fact that it inherited it's title means nothing. CK1 had fewer provinces, simplier design and you could only play Christians, while the only start dates were 1066, 118x and 1337. CK2 expanded it by allowing us to start anytime between 1066-1337 (later adding 936 start date for free). CK3 returned to the idea of starting only at early dates (867 and 1066) with nothing in the middle.

Generally, basic CK2 (without DLCs) has very limited crusading mechanics. Pope declares crusade, you decide to join (or not), fight in Holy Land with your own troops and when the pope ends it, you gain prestige, piety and land/title profits. There is also King of Jerusalem chosen from among participants who were supposed to give their highest support, but I always thought it was meek and not fully understandable.
The whole concept of "holy wars" in general is much better expanded with Holy Fury, one of the latest DLCs, definitely much more interesting. Also, other DLCs allow you to play Muslims and Pagans, expanding many mechanics much further.

Can't tell more because I tried to participate in crusade only once, at the very beginning of game's development. Once I've also organized Great Holy War as reformed pagan. Beside that, I personally hardly find this interesting.