Greetings friends, I have come to post about my displeasure on how the Byzantine Empires succession laws made them into a really annoying nation to run and hopefully have Paradox consider changes to improve them.
I have run several 769 Starts and found the Byzantines to be rather weak, a bit of a laughing stock to what they were before, they have 2 tributary states ripped up form their original borders to, what I would assume nerf or balance them. This, however, coupled with the AI's tendency to revolt every few years sees the Byzantine Empire collapse before it can even begin. The will Tributaries break off and Bulgaria eats up Constantinople and from there on they snowball into the abyss.
But as a player you may think the situation could be handled better, we will go on and talk about that.
The new Byzantine Succession is a bit atrocious, it may have seemed good on paper but what we are left with is forcing the player to play a way that they may not want to.
Players no longer have a choice on succession, they are forced with the new Imperial Elective system. With this system, your council and commands all have voting right, with voting weight depending on their lands, martial prowess, diplomacy.
Players who are aware of how Elective originally was, remember it being a bit of a gamble, they could lose their main title if they lost the election, that can still happen, and if you do not happen to hold Constantinople you will lose everything, your main duchies, capital and empire if the heir is not of your family, meaning GAME OVER if you decide to put competent commanders in your armies, as they could essentially vote for someone you do not want even if they like you; just because the person they chose is older and has higher marshal than your stewardship focused heir. Foreign commanders invited to join your ranks can no longer be appointed as commanders either, and I suppose it would not be a smart idea.
Now, having competent council members can also play against you, as they too can choose people that are outside your inheritance and doom your game. This, along with trying to keep power vassals happy, and placing competent members keeps your juggling and feeling like you have no control over your empire.
To really maximize your chances of not losing the throne, and choosing the person you want, you have to fill the commander and council positions with family members, even if they are complete and utter imbeciles. This way, if they do not vote for who you want they will choose someone within your bloodline so you won't lose the game.
I am frustrated, I was previously playing as the Empire of Hispania with my goal to form the Roman Empire, I need the Byzantine title to form it, so I have to take it and deal with this nonsense, I previously ran my empire efficiently with commanders I would invite from faraway lands to lead my troops, I had primogeniture so succession was always stable. I no longer feel like I have control over how I run this empire, but I need it.
Paradox, please consider reverting the Byzantine Succession, or at least allow us to change the succession;
without going through hoops like the Full Council Power tactic.
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You lose everything if you don't win elections, every succession becomes stressful.
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Just because he's a good marshal, I can't dictate an heir who has high stewardship to be my next in line. Women are apparently against tradition, causing more upheaval.
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My candidate is just not good enough apparently, even though I am the Emperor and my vassals like me.
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I technically have no heir, all my work would be thrown down the drain.
TLDR; Byzantine Succession takes control from the player, encouraging placing unqualified family members into high positions and commander titles to avoid having someone you do not want voted for by your qualified yet misguided vassals.
