CKII is released.

[RK47]

It will piss off all my vassals? What if I don't have any county level vassals in that duchy yet? As in, I personally hold the duchy and all the counties. Would it then only piss off barons and such in that duchy (which I wouldn't really care about - odds are I just conquered them anyway and it's not as if they are in any position to oppose me) or ALL my vassals, even those not in the duchy I just destroyed? Because that would kind of suck.

No, only the vassals that belong in that duchy.
If they really wanna balance the recruitment of nobles - they shd just charge 20 gold and 20 prestige for Inviting Nobles instead of the scaling up cost... that is pretty ridiculous once your domain grows.

 

[XenomorphII]

In regards to fighting independence wars it is important to remember that the enemy gets obscene warscore from taking any territory from the liege. I find it best to quickly take one or two territories of the ring leader then look at the warscore and start retaking holdings, then once those are back he will accept whitepeace and a stay in the dungeon.

 

[RedScum]

1.Mouse over the crest to reveal the Kingdom starting succession law.

But the kingdom doesn't exist yet - where can I find its crest?

If you click on any of the counties that belongs to that de jure kingdom, then you can see the kingdoms crest in the box containing info about the county in the lower corner.

 

[rogozhin]

2) I'm very tempted by going for elective laws (fucking genetic lottery - two genius parents and the firstborn is, of course, slow). The way I understand it, if I'm the king, the dukes get to vote on my successor. When does this happen anyway - when my king dies? And how easy is it to get the vote to turn out the way I want it?

3) I'm thinking of controlling the number of dukes in my future kingdom by restricting every vassal to a single county and destroying every duchy that I claim. Is this even possible? I assume that nothing prevents counts in two-counties dutchies to simply create a dutchy again, but would this approach combined with medium crown authority help in keeping the power of my vassals down and the elections turning out the right way?

Each elector can nominate his favourite successor (and change his nomination) at any time, so you'll always see who is going to succeed you if you die the next day. Keeping the number of duchies low is a good idea and very helpful for controlling elections - in my current Duke of Moray -> King of Scotland & Ireland game there are only two duchies in my elective Kingdom of Scotland, one of them held by me, which means I can always pick my heir (Ireland is a bit more complicated with those two county duchies my vassals can easily create, but so far they've alwas supported me). If you want to destroy a duchy title where you don't hold every county yourself, simply do it with an old and/or well-loved king so the relations hit won't matter that much anyway.

 

[RK47]

so bros i just wanna ask - orthodox n catholic which is better and why?
srs in-game question.

 

[Zero Credibility]

Thanks guys. I think I'm getting the hang of this game somewhat. I have started my own little eugenics project with my bloodlines and some of my better courtiers. I managed to create a couple of attractive, genius, gray eminence princesses with almost every good trait there is and no bad ones. Their diplomacy skills are insane. I'm definitely using one of them as my successor. Fortunately it looks like the gender succession laws for the created kingdom get inherited from primary claim, so I can avoid my disappointing firstborn son without having to arrange "an accident" or something like that.

 

[RK47]

Diplomacy is overpowered.
I wish they make other stats more useful, but in general I'd rather take 40 Diplomacy over 15 All ruler.

 

[Average Manatee]

so bros i just wanna ask - orthodox n catholic which is better and why?
srs in-game question.

Orthodox doesn't really have much to do with it. It's basically catholic minus the asshat pope and everything to go along with it.

Catholics can appoint anti-popes which lets you excommunicate anyone in your realm and shields you from excommunication. Mega cheesey, though it costs a bit of piety.

Diplomacy is overpowered.
I wish they make other stats more useful, but in general I'd rather take 40 Diplomacy over 15 All ruler.

Indeed. Stewardship was powerful too before the demesne was nerfed. Now it's not even a contest. Max diplomacy and as long as you don't have incredibly shitty intrigue or stewardship you have awesomeness.

3) I'm thinking of controlling the number of dukes in my future kingdom by restricting every vassal to a single county and destroying every duchy that I claim. Is this even possible? I assume that nothing prevents counts in two-counties dutchies to simply create a dutchy again, but would this approach combined with medium crown authority help in keeping the power of my vassals down and the elections turning out the right way?

If you want to cheese a bit (or a shit ton, depending on how big you are), give them all to your heir. The penalty for having too many duchies only comes into play when you are also a king. If your heir is a duke they can own all 100 duchies in your empire and all your vassals are cool with that. You don't even need to transfer the vassals in the duchy to him, he'll be so fucking +9001 happy from being given all the duchy titles that he won't notice that it's effectively titular and you still control all the levies/income.

 

[Zero Credibility]

If you want to cheese a bit (or a shit ton, depending on how big you are), give them all to your heir. The penalty for having too many duchies only comes into play when you are also a king. If your heir is a duke they can own all 100 duchies in your empire and all your vassals are cool with that. You don't even need to transfer the vassals in the duchy to him, he'll be so fucking +9001 happy from being given all the duchy titles that he won't notice that it's effectively titular and you still control all the levies/income.

OK, that is some major cheese. I just might try it. The only drawback I can seen is the increased tension between the heir and all those counts. What if one count in the heir's duchy raises a rebellion in this situation? Will he raise it against me (with all of my vassals and personal troops), or against my heir that is a sitting duck with no armies (and would I even be allowed to interfere in this case)?

 

[RK47]

i'm more worried about him dying to high intrigue vassals.
i had that happen to a son before, killed by his sister.
i imprisoned her, but died b4 i could raise another heir.
bitch was clever.

 

[Zero Credibility]

That too. So every ambitions or envious count in the heir's counties is going to consider him the primary target of every plot and rebellion? And not my king, even though he's the one collecting taxes and raising levies?

 

[Commissar Draco]

I just give most countries and all duchies to my sons... Managed to mend Great Schism and now have free Cassus Belli and revoke the tittle against all ''catholic'' and Muslim rulers. Keeping 3 duchy tittles for myself (Neapolis, Sicily and Edessa) and rest which are not given to sons go to heir. No rebellion in 30 years despite having primogeniture and high Crown powers.

 

[Average Manatee]

i'm more worried about him dying to high intrigue vassals.
i had that happen to a son before, killed by his sister.
i imprisoned her, but died b4 i could raise another heir.
bitch was clever.

Plot strength per plotter goes down the more plotters their are available (if you've ever gotten a sizable empire even plotters with 20 intrigue are worth like 5% plot power). So past a certain point you are actually making them nigh-invulnerable to plotting. Direct assassinations are still in, but your vassals have no reason to hate your heir more than any other rules. Though of course, you are getting more chances on the hates-you-for-no-reason roulette wheel.

Besides, you are the heir to your heir. If they die you just get the duchies back.

If you want to cheese a bit (or a shit ton, depending on how big you are), give them all to your heir. The penalty for having too many duchies only comes into play when you are also a king. If your heir is a duke they can own all 100 duchies in your empire and all your vassals are cool with that. You don't even need to transfer the vassals in the duchy to him, he'll be so fucking +9001 happy from being given all the duchy titles that he won't notice that it's effectively titular and you still control all the levies/income.

OK, that is some major cheese. I just might try it. The only drawback I can seen is the increased tension between the heir and all those counts. What if one count in the heir's duchy raises a rebellion in this situation? Will he raise it against me (with all of my vassals and personal troops), or against my heir that is a sitting duck with no armies (and would I even be allowed to interfere in this case)?

It's against him if they are his vassals, against you if they are your vassals. He'll still have his personal demesne and you can give him a few vassals. Just feel free to keep a bunch to yourself. Again, they have no special modifiers to hate your heir, so things should be good assuming you've properly groomed their diplo stat.

Alternatively if you want something lulzy, when he has all of the vassals and you raise his army it comes in one ridiculous mega-stack. We're talking 100k soldiers appearing on your heir's capital for you to use at the press of a button. If you planned ahead of time and placed the heir's capital in the way of hordes it would be an effective nuclear option. I think their capital is either the first county they get or the capital of their primary title (which would be their first duchy in this case).

 

[Kattze]

I just give most countries and all duchies to my sons... Managed to mend Great Schism and now have free Cassus Belli and revoke the tittle against all ''catholic'' and Muslim rulers. Keeping 3 duchy tittles for myself (Neapolis, Sicily and Edessa) and rest which are not given to sons go to heir. No rebellion in 30 years despite having primogeniture and high Crown powers.

Why not Thrace, Latium and/or Venice?

 

[Commissar Draco]

I just give most countries and all duchies to my sons... Managed to mend Great Schism and now have free Cassus Belli and revoke the tittle against all ''catholic'' and Muslim rulers. Keeping 3 duchy tittles for myself (Neapolis, Sicily and Edessa) and rest which are not given to sons go to heir. No rebellion in 30 years despite having primogeniture and high Crown powers.

Why not Thrace, Latium and/or Venice?

Neapol My Dynasty First clay, Sicilly the Crown duchy of My Primary Despotate and largest one with tremendous strategic Value from Tukicides to Patton and Eddessa the Duchy My Dad get from His Frankish Crusader Mother. I am not going to Emperor yet until Spartenos will reconquer rule and repopulate all Western Med. But with Three Royal Crowns I am Roman biggest vassal and 2 largest dynasty in the world after Sons of Rorik.
In the Prince and Thane mod you can't really color the map as Sicily herself has 54 countries. Took me 150 years to become King. And they're 3 duches now in Roman Empire proper ruled by Cadet branches.... Had to give them away before became Despot.

 

[Kattze]

I just give most countries and all duchies to my sons... Managed to mend Great Schism and now have free Cassus Belli and revoke the tittle against all ''catholic'' and Muslim rulers. Keeping 3 duchy tittles for myself (Neapolis, Sicily and Edessa) and rest which are not given to sons go to heir. No rebellion in 30 years despite having primogeniture and high Crown powers.

Why not Thrace, Latium and/or Venice?

Neapol My Dynasty First clay, Sicilly the Crown duchy of My Primary Despotate and largest one with tremendous strategic Value from Tukicides to Patton and Eddessa the Duchy My Dad get from His Frankish Crusader Mother. I am not going to Emperor yet until Spartenos will reconquer rule and repopulate all Western Med. But with Three Royal Crowns I am Roman biggest vassal and 2 largest dynasty in the world after Sons of Rorik.
In the Prince and Thane mod you can't really color the map as Sicily herself has 54 countries. Took me 150 years to become King.

The Spartenos were one of my favourite Greek dynasties. All alone in Sicily against Normans and Arabs.

Another great dynasty would be the Kometopolous (?) which were descendants of the old Bulgarian Tsars. You can play as the Bulgarian branch and unite the Southern Slavs under a new Bulgarian empire or play as the Greek branch and LARP as some kind of barbarian destined to save the empire from itself (ie. Illyrian emperors like Aurelian or Diocletian).

 

[Commissar Draco]

Romans we all Barbarians in the past and learned from the best... ability to co opt and assimilate the native Elites were the second part of key to to Rome long standing success. In real Life Spartenos would be of course no Greeks as nobody inside the Roman Empire would call him this way as Helene meant Pagan but local Italian maybe even of Longobard stock. Looking forward to play Norse DLC Done in Karolingian era... should be close enough to be possible to play as Slavic Makedon dynasty Emperors.

 

[RK47]

Things I don't really like about Byzantine empire is the amount of infighting going on and there's just way too many cases my ruler gets picked to lead an army and get captured, blinded, castrated over something he has no control over.

FFS, man. And with the amount of succession wars going on, I'd just hit the Georgians asap (in my game, somehow they turned Muslim, with a blinded Sultan leading them) - Holy War them 3 times , with 2 truce breaking (fuck you, I want your kingdom) declare myself Despot of Georgia and waged an independence war. The funniest shit is that the Basileus still calls me for military aid whenever there's a succession war going on. Fuck off.

 

[Commissar Draco]

My second Son is Doux in Latium... but he resides not in Rome but in Tusculum the stronghold of Roman Empire loyalists:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counts_of_Tusculum

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tusculum

The counts of Tusculum remained arbiters of Roman politics and religion for more than a century. In addition to the papal influence, they held lay power through consulships and senatorial membership. Traditionally they were pro-ROMAN and anti-German in their political affiliation.

 

[Kattze]

Yeah, once the Byz gets too large it tends to turn into clusterfuck both as a vassal and emperor. Thank god, the Fatimids were nerfed in the previous patches or else there would be Fatimid Greece whenever Byz had its succession crises. Whenever Byz has internal strife though is a good way to expand.

In my current Kometopoulos game, I grew from a county to the despot of Bulgaria by eating rebellious vassals and to emperor by forcing other dukes to support my claim. After several faction rebellions which only ended after the rebels are assassinated or conquered by other states, I gave king-titles to most of my vassals except for Greece (didn't form), Bulgaria (part of my LARPing as Tsar) and Jerusalem (waiting to form it until the Roman empire was reunited for the prestige bonus). It solves the problem of crushing rebellions by concentrating your levies under despots and having fewer participants in rebellions, though watching the most powerful despots (Africa, Sicily and Egypt) and preventing from combining is very vital.

Also, for some reason, Georgia in my games tend to be conquered by the Hashimids and turned into a Persian sultanate.

 

[RK47]

Still not seeing why Orthodox is a better choice - lack of Holy Order, no Crusades. Mmmm...those two mechanics make Catholic seems like the best religious to use as a tool for power.

 

[mondblut]

Still not seeing why Orthodox is a better choice - lack of Holy Order, no Crusades. Mmmm...those two mechanics make Catholic seems like the best religious to use as a tool for power.

Ending the schism = free holywarring against any remaining catholics. Nom nom nom...

 

[RK47]

Aaaaaah I see now.

 

[Kattze]

A bit pointless though since about 80-90% of catholic rulers immediately became orthodox after ending the schism.

 

[mondblut]

A bit pointless though since about 80-90% of catholic rulers immediately became orthodox after ending the schism.

75%, script says. That means one quarter of Europe being ripe for picking. Fair deal, I think.