Let me start out by saying I enjoyed this game. I use to play Medieval 2: Total War often but it usually got boring because it was nothing but battles. It was lacking and a lot of what I thought it needed wound up in Crusader Kings 2 (miracle). But I have to say the faction system has in many ways made the game frustrating. It seems every time I look around if a vassal doesn't have a 100 relationship with me they are either starting a faction to support a candidate to dethrone me or demanding independence. All you need is one measly count to start an independence faction and everyone will jump on board. You bribe that count and everyone else who supported him stay in the faction, even times when their relationship is at 90 with you. And if by some miracle the faction disbands someone else will start another independence faction almost immediately afterwards and yet again everyone else will jump on board. This is obviously especially true when my character dies and my heir takes over. Even though all my vassals have a positive opinion of my new leader, the AI finds it is in its best interest to support anything and everything because their relationship isn't at 100 and my leader has had a "short reign".
It's almost like this game is programmed so that there's a civil war after every new leader takes over, even though none of the vassals have legitimate claims but because they need to start some kind of conflict--any conflict--they will push for independence. Considering the relationship rating is on a scale of 200, from -100 to 100, I find it ridiculous that a vassal with 30 or higher relationship would be inclined to go to war with their liege. IMO I think AI should only be able to start factions and join factions if they meet a certain power threshold and their relationship is negative with their liege. It seems to me the AI doesn't consider benefits of having its liege, whether its liege is de jure, probably of its success, loyalty to house of leader even if its prestigious and powerful and has held the title for 200 years, or any other reasonable factors, but only the relationship number and that's it. And that needs to be changed so this game can once again provide an enjoyable experience like it use to.
It's almost like this game is programmed so that there's a civil war after every new leader takes over, even though none of the vassals have legitimate claims but because they need to start some kind of conflict--any conflict--they will push for independence. Considering the relationship rating is on a scale of 200, from -100 to 100, I find it ridiculous that a vassal with 30 or higher relationship would be inclined to go to war with their liege. IMO I think AI should only be able to start factions and join factions if they meet a certain power threshold and their relationship is negative with their liege. It seems to me the AI doesn't consider benefits of having its liege, whether its liege is de jure, probably of its success, loyalty to house of leader even if its prestigious and powerful and has held the title for 200 years, or any other reasonable factors, but only the relationship number and that's it. And that needs to be changed so this game can once again provide an enjoyable experience like it use to.
) have made a future revolt unwinnable. I've been forced to abandon 2 games by having a factional revolt put me on the throne (thus forcing me to give up all my duchies to avoid the too many duchies penalty), only to have another revolt overthrow me 10 seconds after succession. The penalty for losing the second revolt is rage-quit inducing. You've essentially lost all progress from your starting position. You don't have claims on the duchies you gave to these ingrates, and there's no chance you're getting the kingdom back without another absurdly lucky factional revolt. That's simply too much to lose in one war.
