Why are all the forumers obsessed with...

[SicilianSaint]

I'm Sicilian/American and my favorite places to play are in Sicily, Greece, and Iberia. What I like doing most is however is taking a small culture ( such as the Portuguese. ) or a non independent culture ( Such as the Occitain or Armenians ) and forging a dynasty as them as well as a kingdom. But the places I play most in are Sicily and Greece and have had a few games there. Sicily because it's my people and Greece because I'm a byzantophile. But when it comes down to it, nothing beats making a small or repressed culture great. In fact, my most fun games were to date the Greco-Sicilians, Portuguese, Occitain, and the Prussians. ( My current singleplayer I'm King of Aquitaine as an Occitain King. )

I've only had one game in the British Isles as a Scottish count ( the Count of Buchan, House Buchanan ) turned King and quit of boredom I believe right after. Once TOG comes out I plan to have a game there. Either there or Bulgaria as pagans.

 

[pkderek]

Why wouldn't you want to play Britain? HAIL BRITANNIA!

Honestly there is no other reason. I tried Poland and Sweden, I absolutely loath the whole base race for wiping out the pagan lands. HRE is fun IMO, I like waging huge wars, but it gets rather boring once your vassals wage them all for you. Not too fond of Byz because there is not an embark all option for all the islands and isolated areas. And Holy Warring gets old so Byz and Iberia are meh. I like Italy to make the kingdom of Italy. You guys can lecture me on what else is good but I'd rather play in the isles. You're cut off from mainland Europe (besides Normandy/Britanny&Flanders if you take them) and forming the Empire isn't too hard. You're also inherently stronger than anyone who has a claim on you (France).

 

[Dracko81]

Scottish Pikes? English/Welsh Longbows? Irish Potatoes?

 

[orielense]

Ireland with your L plates. England/Scotland/Wales with your P plates. The continent with your unrestricted licence.

 

[Tempestra]

The internet has always been obsessed with Celtic stuff. I wish I knew why.

 

[Dimensius]

The reason I played England when I first started playing is because I can relate to them more. I'm also more familiar with the Dukes and Kings of England than I am the Herzogs and Kaisers of the Holy Roman Empire for example.

 

[ZhugeKongming]

...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.

Combination of it being an English-speaking forum, and much of the Middle Ages scholarship being Anglocentric.

 

[unmerged(206564)]

I rarely play with them.Most of the time I play with the Bulgaria in the balkans or with Volga BUlgaria but i do like to play as a muslim in the middle east also.The game is too boring around the british isles.

 

[stern]

It's funny to read this thread, because indeed everyone always recommend to learn the game in the British Isles but as a count of Ireland you sit on your butt doing nothing for ages.
I remember how was my first game: I ignored this advice and picked a random place in the map- the Wigerich duchy of Lower Lorraine- and I slowly started conquering my surroundings, formed Lotharingia, even faced France for Bruges with the help of mercenaries and won, then suddenly became the Holy Roman Emperor without the single intention of this. It was a very rewarding experience because a whole unkown part of history and the region opened up for me and this is what I love about Crusader Kings 2, which I never felt playing Total War series (well, except for the barbarian invasions years and years ago), this urge to spend hours reading wikipedia articles after a gameplay.
Once I tried to DM/narrate an historical game of Mage the Awakening centered on the Byzantine Empire; later when playing the duchy of Nikomedia I realized how much of the geography, political structures and lower layers of byzantine society I was ignorant when I was preparing the material of the game. As again it's the same surprising and educational effect of immersion, and still today the byzantines are one my favorites.

I think the British Isles are the most picked up because it's a very good documented history/region, with a lot of interesting happenings that can be understood even in a very rudimentary and small strategical/geopolitical level. What would happen if Norwegians and Danish have and conquered England instead of Normans? What are the implications of the Hundreds Years war to the political formation of France? Indeed Paradox focuses of these kind on turning points and I can only hope for one day to see the strategical simulation of the Jewish Revolt or the Roman invasion of Judea. Or the Sassanid-Byzantine war. Or Persian-Greek wars.

 

[Sholmegaard]

Strange thead indeed!

The isles, has never been interesting for me, just like Ibera... I have played, in central European( Denmark and francia) but never had a feeling like playing on the isels, but i think the reason why I think it is the most played region is because i think there is a quite huge number of canadians and americans, and they find the british history the easist to relate to..

 

[ZechsMerquise73]

I've never played England, Norway, or the Saxons at the bookmark start. Utterly whiped out as Scottland my first and only try. Plenty of games as Ireland, but I never feel like going further than reuniting.

 

[Jarren]

All shall bow before the Byzantine Empire!!! None can withstand our might!!!

speaking for the Byzophiles, which I label myself as proudly, the British Isles are the best area to learn the many aspects of the game at a more forgiving pace.

Playing as King William gives you an opportunity to learn how to deal with a potentially unruly group of vassals, and forming claims on the various Welsh counties, and potentially expand into an Empire. that's why alot of people like the area.

 

[Hackworthy]

The internet has always been obsessed with Celtic stuff. I wish I knew why.

The internet is full of underdogs, only natural they'd identify with Celts.

 

[Wilkey]

I actually never done a William campaign, it's one of those things that is on my to do list that I keep putting off.

 

[riadach]

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.

Try playing as Leinster/Meath/Ulster/Tyrconnell/Ossory in the 1074 start date. Munster has Dublin, Thomond and Ormond, The Duke of Connacht controls both de jure counties, and the Earl of Oriel is on track to becoming Duke of Ulster, as he holds two counties. Bit more challenging.

 

[Mr Bernie]

The internet has always been obsessed with Celtic stuff. I wish I knew why.

The Celts ended up being oppressed white people that a lot of Americans can trace their descent to, that's why.

 

[Marginal0]

I never played as Boudewijn so far because his situation looked boring on first sight. I realise now it's not exactly the case. So far I've never even touched England but have played a lot in north/eastern/central Europe.

But for England: the game offers the tutorial in there for a reason. Ireland is rumored to be easy to learn to play.

 

[C.N.]

- Look, my Liege!
- England!
- Ireland!
- Scotland!
- It's only a model.
- Shh! Knights, I bid you welcome to your new home. Let us play in Great Britain!
<insert song here>
- On second thoughts, let's not play in Great Britain. It is a silly place.

 

[Shadowhope]

I love conquering the world as Wales, starting as a one county countess with England on my doorstep, but I am super looking forward to the Old Gods, so I can play as Alfred the Great.

The man was badass.

 

[DreadLindwyrm]

I love conquering the world as Wales, starting as a one county countess with England on my doorstep, but I am super looking forward to the Old Gods, so I can play as Alfred the Great.

The man was badass.

Alas, as the starting year is 867, Aethelraed Unraed is upon the throne. Alfred /may/ have land, but he is not king...