Succession wars, faction trouble just general enraging stuff

[oberstbrooksy]

I will admit I have only started playing the game, so I am a novice, being a Byzantinophile I started with them, some teething and working I am have been fairly successful so far.

Until My current emperor dies....... he was loved by all (+50 relations with all vassals), made some pretty good law reforms, expanded his realms, titles, economy, orthodoxy. I have been preying on the decaying corpse of the collapsing Seijuks to reclaim my lost land, and just about to lunch my reclamation of Aleppo, the emperor died.

I thought, ''oh well a set back, but not a catastrophe''.

How wrong I was, suddenly the new emperor was hated, several factions started forming for several pretenders, revoking laws..... then the war happened and the entire empire collapsed and I just raged out.

So how can I avoid this? Or do I have to fight an entire empire destroying war when a reigning emperor dies?

 

[Beelz]

What were your Laws when this happened?

 

[oberstbrooksy]

Pretty much ''minimal'' on all taxes and levies except Feudal levies at ''Normal'', Crown authority at Normal too.

I take it its because the heir is unpopular, but how do I endear him to the nation before the beloved emperor dies?

 

[swm]

As another novice, I asked this question a little while ago.
Here's the thread: http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...Newbie-Question-How-do-you-deal-with-factions

The summary:
1) Use the spymaster's scheme mission on the larger vassals.
2) Allow people to keep non-dangerous plots so you can imprison them when you need to.
3) For the love of God, keep your heir the correct culture! (Probably not a problem here, but worth checking)
4) When in doubt (particularly after the rebellion starts), assassinate like crazy. Kill the rebel leader = insta-crushed rebellion.

 

[unmerged(228153)]

The "Short Reign" opinion modifier is kind of tricky, since it kicks in the second your ruler kicks the bucket and it can't be avoided. Basically, send gifts to everyone, but keep money in reserve for emergency mercs; use your minor titles to appease particularly troublesome vassals; use the Spymaster where you need him the most (powerdukes, assassination - in preparation for the latter, Build Spy Network should really be used if possible); keep the Varangian Guard on your side at all times, or at least keep an eye on them; don't unpause the game when your ruler dies until you've made all the necessary preparations. Also, follow the usual guidelines such as not going over the demesne limit, not holding tons of duchies, etc.

swm said that you should allow people to keep non-dangerous plots, since everyone can only have one plot at a time. That's pretty damn good advice, too: don't get overboard with quelling all the plots, you won't manage (probably). Have your priorities set.

 

[oberstbrooksy]

So is there no preventative measures that can be taken at all? As in make my vassals love my heir, instead of killing him the second he steps into power?

When I noticed he was unpopular I called for a feast and tournament.

Only everyone rejected to attend the feast and the war started half way through the tournament and it was called off :/

 

[Crater122]

If you land him before he inherits, he can start to build up prestige during his lifetime. Prestige gives a relations boost.

 

[Hastings1066]

Make sure your heir gets a good education and has good traits. Good traits will often result in an opinion boost with your vassals. Having a high diplomacy stat is also helpful. If you can, make sure your heir isn't inbred, an imbecile, weak, or other traits like that, as they'll make it a lot more difficult.

Personally I always give my heir a honourary title, normally Master of the Horse for males, and Keeper of the Swans for females. It increases their prestige, and a higher prestige score also increases relations with feudal vassals. A higher piety score increases relations with your clerical vassals (The zealous trait helps with this, but charecters with the cynical trait will dislike you for it.)

 

[grisamentum]

Law reforms? Rofl, you crippled yourself, kid. Minimal everything?

You need to put everything at max and maintain maximum cataphract retinues. Retinues size depends on vassal levy size. You should have maxed out retinues under your father so that your heir had something to fight with. Instead your ruined the game for yourself.

 

[icon41gimp]

When playing the Byzantines, you also have the ability to freely revoke ducal titles. Find counts in the duchy that won't hate you and give the title to them instead.

 

[Slym]

Law reforms? Rofl, you crippled yourself, kid. Minimal everything?

You need to put everything at max and maintain maximum cataphract retinues. Retinues size depends on vassal levy size. You should have maxed out retinues under your father so that your heir had something to fight with. Instead your ruined the game for yourself.

Think you can find a way to say this that doesn't make you look like a terrible human being?

 

[Lessing]

Under your old heir, you should have revoked/imprisoned any vassal with the amibitous trait. Also heretics/infidels. All those give opinion penalties. Under your new heir, check why your vassals hate him, and try to amend the biggest penalties. Do they desire a barony that you hold?

Imprisoning the most powerful dukes under your old ruler would have prevented them joining the faction under your new ruler.

That impolite dude is right though about your laws. Never reduce your church and city taxes below normal. Rather raise the taxes on them. If you're in a bad pinch, you could, under your new ruler, lower crown authority. That gives an opinion bonus.

Other things you can do: release a prisoner (+10 opinion for all vassals), send gifts to faction members that already like you, imprison faction members that hate you, pick faction members that like you as successors if you have any elective titles, hand out honorary titles, hand out land, ...