Vassals fighting each other

[unmerged(403441)]

I simply can´t get my dukes and even counts to stop fighting each other. Supposedly, with an increase in royal authority they do stop, but that is not happening; I have maximum authority but they continue waging their private wars and making a mess of my ducchies, with the strongest ones becoming even more powerful and getting ideas (such as overthrowing me). I began as Navarra because I wanted the flexibility of female heirs and the possibity of naming female countesses and duchesses and now, in 1380, I have all Spain, most of Africa down to Mali and Abissinia, a few counties in the Black Sea plus a dozen of counties within the Holy Roman Empire, and when I get new territories I try to balance their power by giving the weaker dukes the new counties, but almost immediately they begin again trying to snatch them from each other.
Is there a way to control them?

 

[zork283]

You are a king, but control many different kingdoms territory wise. Do you hold multiple king titles? If you do, then each king title will have its own crown laws and even though your primary title has absolute crown authority, your other king titles may only have limited crown authority, or even autonomous vassals. If that is the case, than your vassals who are below those king titles, instead of your primary king title of Navarre, will not be bound by absolute crown authority, and will be free to wage wars within the realm whenever they choose. The way to solve this problem is to either destroy all your king titles except your primary one, which will anger your vassals; or you could create the Empire of Hispaniola, and then all your vassals will be bound by the crown laws of Hispanolia.

 

[Alyiakal]

Your vassals will use plots to start claim wars, so crown authority doesn't do much to dampen those wars. What you need to do is to ensure no duke becomes too powerful. If they start gaining lands outside of their de jure duchy, use plots to revoke them, or send the chancellor to fabricate a claim (and then revoke). Either way, keep them pruned and down to a single duchy each, and they won't really be able to effectively wage war on each other.

Also, when you pick up new lands, you're better off just promoting someone completely new to dukedom, rather than giving the land to an existing duke. The more dukes you have, the less power they individually have. There is the tradeoff of more micromanagement to keep them all happy, but there's less risk involved than there is dealing with giant superdukes.

 

[unmerged(403441)]

Thank you for your pointers. zork283: I have only one kingdom title, Navarra, but I already hold, and for a long time, the entire de jure Hispania; however, I thought that forming an empire was a random event. Alyakal: you are right of course, I used to do what you suggest, getting new people to court, but I noticed that the dukes were getting me new lands on their own and decided to let it ride; not a good idea. I´m still relativley new to CKII, although for a long time I have played Europa Universalis, ROme, etc. However, the depth and level of detail here is such that you can´t be distracted for one second or the game will catch you with your pants down.

 

[Bertouch]

Just my personal approach, but I don't create dukedoms unless the country lacks a pair, and then I always, always make sure my ruler holds both of them. If a duke already exists, I form alliances with nearby powerful neighbors via marriage (which has its own perils, but still), and allow my relationship with that duke to deteriorate. If they revolt, my king calls in his allies, and the title the traitor yields after being imprisoned in the dukedom.

After that, it's largely a matter of keeping a high enough crown authority, having a good spymaster who can tell you when some count is fabricating claims to another county, and watching ambitious, envious, and arbitrary vassals closely. It's not a question of whether they'll make trouble. It's just a matter of time.

Have fun.