Why are all the forumers obsessed with...

[VersusAllOdds]

...playing in England, Scotland, Ireland? Particularly Ireland... I mean, history is rich with events from elsewhere of Europe, if not richer...

Is it that so many people throughout the world are so enamored and familiar with English history? Is it that majority of the players are English (or British, Irish, whatever)?

It's not that I object or anything. But there are so many more interesting places to start your game, gameplay-wise, and arguably historically...

Just wondering.

 

[camppa]

Because its about the easiest place to learn game mechanics without needing to worry to much about being attacked by stronger countries.

 

[unmerged(196495)]

I think it is one of the favorite spots for playing pagan/heretic in the 12th century because you can be sure to be fighting one or more holy orders each time you attack an independent county ruler, and so the game is more of a challenge. Ireland that is. Also longbow retinue is a favorite for many.

 

[n000b]

William The Bastard is a pretty cool guy, and he's probably my favorite starting charectar, a lot of cool things can happend during a game with his Dynasty. That being said, whenever I start a game with another charectar on the british isles I get bored really fast, wich is also why I don't get why anyone would recommend newbies to play in ireland. How does being bored help you getting started with the game?

 

[ThatStrategyGuy]

The Bastard is a pretty cool guy, and he's probably my favorite starting charectar, and a lot of cool things can happend during a game with his Dynasty. That being said, whenever I start a game with another charectar on the british isles I get bored really fast, wich is also why I don't get why anyone would recommend newbies to play in ireland. How does being bored help you getting started with the game?

You forget how confused some newbies must feel in their first game of CKII.

Also starting as the Scottish king is hard, only one county and the most powerful duke has a claim on the throne

 

[n000b]

You forget how confused some newbies must feel in their first game of CKII.

Also starting as the Scottish king is hard, only one county and the most powerful duke has a claim on the throne

Yeah sure, but i'd still recommend a steamroll in Iberia over a snooze fest in Ireland, you'd still learn something even if you lose.

 

[Count_Curtis]

I play England a lot, because i am English. but i've really gotten a big thing for playing eastern europeans now, currently in my huge Serbian game right now

 

[LemonMonk]

because i am English

This. Think because of someones nationality/origins will be the reason they play as a particular realm. I am English/Welsh, but generally play as Hungarian and Breton counts.

 

[Serathion]

It may be because they are islands. It is quite comfortable to overlook since you have a lot of natural borders. Much easier to know who owns what, atleast for me.

 

[Fishman786]

Because I can do a mean Scottish accent, plus all the Firths and Forths and Islands and Highlands look cool.

 

[dezuman]

I like Prussia. Because Prussia

Edit: Sometimes I play nomads too. Because Mongols.

 

[Hackworthy]

Ach, ah cannae till ya mah bhoy, ther innae thing so special abut ben Scottesh!

 

[Ols]

I'm English (though Welsh by descent) and therefore I've never played more than 5 minutes as England. I absolutely hate playing where I am. I've played as Wales and destroyed my own people (the English that is) and it delighted me. I find England and Brittannia to be one of the most boring places on the map because it's insular and therefore there isn't really the same feel to it as there is playing with the realms around you constantly expanding, contracting and changing. I always reccommend Ireland to learn game mechanics, but I wouldn't reccommend England or Scotland to anyone and Wales is more of a hardcore experience for someone who's Welsh or has sympathy for Wales as far as I'm concerned - the Celts lack any real reward for conquering England and the lack of name changes and the like in recent patches has disappointed me.

 

[AJ2009]

I'm British and I've only just starting playing in the British Isles, I love Italy and the East or France.

 

[Antonin1957]

Yeah sure, but i'd still recommend a steamroll in Iberia over a snooze fest in Ireland, you'd still learn something even if you lose.

Getting steamrolled is very frustrating for a new player. You feel as if you *aren't* learning anything. When you are new you want to have time to become familiar with the nuances of the game. With many Paradox games the most confusing thing in the beginning is figuring out what to do,

 

[Ols]

Getting steamrolled is very frustrating for a new player. You feel as if you *aren't* learning anything. When you are new you want to have time to become familiar with the nuances of the game. With many Paradox games the most confusing thing in the beginning is figuring out what to do,

Maybe, but Iberia is actually where I learned. I opted for the baptism of fire and just persevered trying to take over Spain as Barcelona until I finally got it. Iberia lets you expand faster and it feels like you're achieving more if you get it right, which feels really good.

 

[Oriflamme]

Yeah sure, but i'd still recommend a steamroll in Iberia over a snooze fest in Ireland, you'd still learn something even if you lose.

I agree with this whole-heartedly. I tried playing in Ireland when I first got the game, and it was so boring that I quit before I had even taken the whole island. I feel like I learned the most as the Duke of Aquitaine, because I was a vassal and I also had vassals. Intermarrying with Toulouse's family is not hard and eventually getting independence from France is easy. Plus, when I got independence, I started expanding in Iberia, though I guess I got lucky in that regard.

 

[Antalia]

I started with Scotland because someone else told me it would be easy, and because it was blue. I also wanted a front row seat for 1066--so I could jump onto the field as a bonus enemy if it seemed like a good moment.

Once I got the hang of things I painted the map my lovely shade of blue, defeating the vile red, and the green, and a lot of other colors--and soon I became an empire, which turned me a horrible red--the color of my natural enemy! (I suppose I deserved nothing less, after all the murder.) Well, if I knew the game would take my lovely blue at that point, then I would have picked another place to start!

I am still playing the same game many months later. I can enjoy this game for hours, and not even take it off pause the whole time. I write stories about the colorful characters, wicked plots, and sudden plan-destroying disasters.

If I do ever finish my current stint as a red-that-was-once-blue murder-blob, I hope someday to play in eastern Europe. It looks exciting over there in Hungary/Serbia, and more challenging without all the water. But I think I will have to change the kingdom color to blue. All those orange shades over there look a little sad to me. It's the primary reason I didn't pick that area at the start.

 

[Ols]

Try a very small or nigh on doomed culture if you want a similar challenge. The Alans, Basques, Serbians, Ethiopians, Armenians and a few others are all fun in that respect. The Fins, Estonians, Komi and other Pagan minors will be fun too when they're playable.

 

[blaidd]

I like playing in England (not as England necessarily) because I'm very familiar English history. I recognize the provinces, the titles, even a lot of the noble families. I enjoy starting up a game during historical events...the Anarchy, Henry II/Lion-in-Winter, the Scots rebellion, the Barons Wars... and seeing all the familiar characters from my books right there in the game and watching what they do. I was playing a game the other day where Prince John and Arthur of Brittany actually went to war over the English crown. By themselves. I imagine it's the same reason a lot of people like the Game of Thrones mod.

Sure the whole continent is rich in history and I like exploring that too. It's not like I only play in England. It's just the most comfortable place for me.