I'm looking to start a new campaign, and I'm just curious which characters and start dates are fun/challenging/intriguing.
What are some of your favorite start dates and characters (and why)?
- Thread starter Anaxamander
- Start date
-
We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
1377 Byzantines
That last race of desperation for survival is just too exciting; Mongols, Turks, heathens and enemies everywhere, and only you can keep the glory of the empire alive.
1099 Jerusalem
The yet infant crusader kingdom in a foreign land, with powerful Holy Orders at your side and lots, lots, and lots of heathen lands to conquer. Oh, did I ever mention lots of lots lands to conquer? Heathens everywhere!
That last race of desperation for survival is just too exciting; Mongols, Turks, heathens and enemies everywhere, and only you can keep the glory of the empire alive.
1099 Jerusalem
The yet infant crusader kingdom in a foreign land, with powerful Holy Orders at your side and lots, lots, and lots of heathen lands to conquer. Oh, did I ever mention lots of lots lands to conquer? Heathens everywhere!
Any Karling date is good. They go extinct as landed characters somewhere during the selectable timeframe, so I think you'r limited to the first half of the game if you want to recreate Charlemagne's realm with his legitimate successors.
If you want to play in a Muslim prone area, I recommend starting around 1080 through 1090s. The Fatimids are decidedly weaker and tend to blob less.
Lastly, somewhere in the 1100s, the Hohenzollerns become Counts of Nurnberg. Can you recreate the German Empire 800 years early?
If you want to play in a Muslim prone area, I recommend starting around 1080 through 1090s. The Fatimids are decidedly weaker and tend to blob less.
Lastly, somewhere in the 1100s, the Hohenzollerns become Counts of Nurnberg. Can you recreate the German Empire 800 years early?
I don't like the 1066 starts because of the way that the Fatimids are set up, and I don't find a single game can keep me interested for that long. I usually start between 1100-1200. It seems like a reasonable amount of time, gives me some room to grow while still having some challenge throughout. Mongols come early enough to be a significant and recognizable historical force, and their religious changes will change the landscape again. I just prefer it as a point of divergence. The Mongol-style Fatimids of 1066 starts shake the world up a bit much for me (too many games where the Fatimids expand like mad, never properly collapse but stagger around fighting civil wars, and Hispania, Greece, etc. become Fatimid successor states. It's interesting a few times but once again, it's preference on the point of divergence).
I'm sure after a few more of these I might prefer sometime else. I just like the alternative historical and personal narratives.
I'm sure after a few more of these I might prefer sometime else. I just like the alternative historical and personal narratives.
Byzantine Empire in 1261, just as the Latin Empire has been toppled. Somewhat challenging, yet there is enough time left to salvage what remains of the Empire.
I don't really have favourite starting characters in the sense of one or two, as that would mean playing as the same character twice and I doubt I'll do that. As for periods and, say, ranges of characters to pick from, I tend to like all of the periods (earlier ones more than later ones, I guess, I'm no particular fan of 1337, although it can get interesting) but for different reasons, generally simply immerse myself in the atmosphere of the period.
Somebody mentioned Jerusalem. Well, if you start in 1099/1100, you will indeed have a Kingdom of Jerusalem on the map, a Norman England, a weakened Byzantium and a couple of other historical circumstances reflected in the game which could go very differently from a 1066 start. This is probably the reason why there are two 1066 starts. Early in the game, there were like 4 starting dates (1066, 1187/1189, I don't remember, and 1337), two of them in the same year: just before Stamford Bridge and just after Norman Conquest. You don't get BYZ before and after Manzikert in the same fashion, but it sort of finds reflection in the game. A 1066 game can very much lead to the Salian dynasty being well alive and kicking in 1453, possibly with a second imperial title. Or a Welsh-cultured Castille. Or a Hungary that conquers Cumania out to the eastern border of the map. Or Poland united with Russia. Or independent Bohemanian-Barbarian-Tyrolian blob. Or Duchess Matilda forming Italy. Lots of such things. By 1200 the map will be very different, let alone later.
My sympathies generally have little to do with game-related reasons, though, I mostly base them on what I like, as in my favourite characters, countries and periods from history. Watched a good film? Read a good book? Had a distinctly favourite European mediaeval king back at school? Want to lead your own country to greatness? Go for it!
You can spend a couple of evenings on Wikipedia or get yourself a general mediaeval history book (an overview really) to get a hang of it and gauge your tastes. This should fill your head with appropriate ideas.
Also, if you tell me what you'd like to do or what position you like to find yourself in, I could help you narrow down the places, times and dynasties somewhat.
Somebody mentioned Jerusalem. Well, if you start in 1099/1100, you will indeed have a Kingdom of Jerusalem on the map, a Norman England, a weakened Byzantium and a couple of other historical circumstances reflected in the game which could go very differently from a 1066 start. This is probably the reason why there are two 1066 starts. Early in the game, there were like 4 starting dates (1066, 1187/1189, I don't remember, and 1337), two of them in the same year: just before Stamford Bridge and just after Norman Conquest. You don't get BYZ before and after Manzikert in the same fashion, but it sort of finds reflection in the game. A 1066 game can very much lead to the Salian dynasty being well alive and kicking in 1453, possibly with a second imperial title. Or a Welsh-cultured Castille. Or a Hungary that conquers Cumania out to the eastern border of the map. Or Poland united with Russia. Or independent Bohemanian-Barbarian-Tyrolian blob. Or Duchess Matilda forming Italy. Lots of such things. By 1200 the map will be very different, let alone later.
My sympathies generally have little to do with game-related reasons, though, I mostly base them on what I like, as in my favourite characters, countries and periods from history. Watched a good film? Read a good book? Had a distinctly favourite European mediaeval king back at school? Want to lead your own country to greatness? Go for it!
You can spend a couple of evenings on Wikipedia or get yourself a general mediaeval history book (an overview really) to get a hang of it and gauge your tastes. This should fill your head with appropriate ideas.
Also, if you tell me what you'd like to do or what position you like to find yourself in, I could help you narrow down the places, times and dynasties somewhat.
I don't really have favourite starting characters in the sense of one or two, as that would mean playing as the same character twice and I doubt I'll do that. As for periods and, say, ranges of characters to pick from, I tend to like all of the periods (earlier ones more than later ones, I guess, I'm no particular fan of 1337, although it can get interesting) but for different reasons, generally simply immerse myself in the atmosphere of the period.
Somebody mentioned Jerusalem. Well, if you start in 1099/1100, you will indeed have a Kingdom of Jerusalem on the map, a Norman England, a weakened Byzantium and a couple of other historical circumstances reflected in the game which could go very differently from a 1066 start. This is probably the reason why there are two 1066 starts. Early in the game, there were like 4 starting dates (1066, 1187/1189, I don't remember, and 1337), two of them in the same year: just before Stamford Bridge and just after Norman Conquest. You don't get BYZ before and after Manzikert in the same fashion, but it sort of finds reflection in the game. A 1066 game can very much lead to the Salian dynasty being well alive and kicking in 1453, possibly with a second imperial title. Or a Welsh-cultured Castille. Or a Hungary that conquers Cumania out to the eastern border of the map. Or Poland united with Russia. Or independent Bohemanian-Barbarian-Tyrolian blob. Or Duchess Matilda forming Italy. Lots of such things. By 1200 the map will be very different, let alone later.
My sympathies generally have little to do with game-related reasons, though, I mostly base them on what I like, as in my favourite characters, countries and periods from history. Watched a good film? Read a good book? Had a distinctly favourite European mediaeval king back at school? Want to lead your own country to greatness? Go for it!
You can spend a couple of evenings on Wikipedia or get yourself a general mediaeval history book (an overview really) to get a hang of it and gauge your tastes. This should fill your head with appropriate ideas.
Also, if you tell me what you'd like to do or what position you like to find yourself in, I could help you narrow down the places, times and dynasties somewhat.
Thank you for the suggestions and the offer of help. When it comes to medieval history, I feel like I'm well-versed in England and France, but somewhat clueless about every other region. Do you have any good books you recommend?
Not a book, but someone on the forum recommended this to me a few months back. The Norman Sicily parts are quite fun. http://normancenturies.com/
the Count of Lunenburg and dukes of saxony are my ancestral family i had great fun finding this out and then leading them to greatness as HRE and King of the North ( Denmark Sweden Norway etc.) If you have a bloodline like this it can be pretty fun to play
January 2, 1255
As far as I can find, the only independent heretic at any point in the game's timeline.