CKII is released.

[Brinko]

Is there some guide that covers shit for retards beginning like me? I've spent the last 2 weeks looking up shit on how to play this game but ever since that 1.1 patch for TOG I can't find shit to help me in the slightest. Every guide I have found to help my dumb ass has told me to pick some Irish duchy but since all the changes it's been a complete nightmare my last 5 games as the guides show troop size being in the 300 range but they shit out 2k stacks at me and i've got about 800 dumb fucks at my back. So is there some retard guide for me since all the changes to everything so that I'm not reading out of date shit and getting taken out within the first 5 years due to the enemy having shitloads more troops and money than I can even imagine having in that position?

 

[RK47]

Is there some guide that covers shit for retards beginning like me? I've spent the last 2 weeks looking up shit on how to play this game but ever since that 1.1 patch for TOG I can't find shit to help me in the slightest. Every guide I have found to help my dumb ass has told me to pick some Irish duchy but since all the changes it's been a complete nightmare my last 5 games as the guides show troop size being in the 300 range but they shit out 2k stacks at me and i've got about 800 dumb fucks at my back. So is there some retard guide for me since all the changes to everything so that I'm not reading out of date shit and getting taken out within the first 5 years due to the enemy having shitloads more troops and money than I can even imagine having in that position?

Don't play in 866. It's not really a good learning environment.

 

[Tigranes]

And don't bother reading guides that have 'troop sizes', surely you can see how that's not particularly cost efficient information. I'd think starting as a Duke in a powerful kingdom could work well.

 

[Brinko]

I don't have the Old Gods DLC so I am still in 1066. My main problem is due to the changes to technology and having De Jure claims be 51% instead of 50% fucking up easy expansion in areas like Ireland for easy learning have crashed any of those opportunities. I also brought up troop sizes because of how upgraded the counties are now as opposed to them usually being level 1 on everything but now shit is level 2 to 3 on some things. After my frustration with dealing with Ireland as the supposed "noob area" I just picked some backwater muslim country but now run into the problem of the Fatimids having an ungodly number of troops even though they have fractured into numerous little kingdoms in comparison to my little shit band of morons.

 

[RK47]

The Basileus has three sons.

The eldest isn't so good. But somewhat fine.

The second is the best.

The third is only one years old.

Year later, the Emperor ascends.
The Eldest is left with Constantinople.
The Second gains Rome.
The Third gets every other county.
The Eldest decided to go with a bang, and assassinate every Muslim leader in the world. A few were successful, but retaliation was swift. He passed away from poison.
The Seconds ascends, and murdered his third.
And now... we have a new Basileus

Aah, Gavelkind.

 

[baturinsky]

I don't have the Old Gods DLC so I am still in 1066. My main problem is due to the changes to technology and having De Jure claims be 51% instead of 50% fucking up easy expansion in areas like Ireland for easy learning have crashed any of those opportunities. I also brought up troop sizes because of how upgraded the counties are now as opposed to them usually being level 1 on everything but now shit is level 2 to 3 on some things. After my frustration with dealing with Ireland as the supposed "noob area" I just picked some backwater muslim country but now run into the problem of the Fatimids having an ungodly number of troops even though they have fractured into numerous little kingdoms in comparison to my little shit band of morons.

Hmm, size of levy depends a lot on your rep with vassal, so you may get significantly more troops with some bribes. Also, mercenaries.
Also, I like that 51% change. Vassals having half of the 2-county duchies caused a lot of problems because of that claims.

 

[Average Manatee]

Hmm, size of levy depends a lot on your rep with vassal, so you may get significantly more troops with some bribes.

It's also worthwhile to consider laws. Any amount of taxation on Nobles hurts your levy size a lot since each taxation level is -10 opinion. On the other hand, raising levy laws on Mayors and Priests isn't likely to provide much more levies (if it doesn't actually decrease it), since they too suffer -10 opinion for each level, and it could potentially hurt your income a lot.

 

[Commissar Draco]

Nobles are to provide troops and Cities/Bishoprics to provide Jewgold... if You're proper Orthodox Catholic that is. On Kingdom level you got your own auto-cephalic Patriarch as bonus. Don't read guides those are for fags just pick country you like and play it.

 

[thesoup]

Yeah, listen to Draco. I didn't read a tutorial I just started playing and eventually I learned to manage stuff.

 

[Borelli]

In the prince and the thane church > city in gold AND troops.

 

[baturinsky]

In the prince and the thane church > city in gold AND troops.

In unmodded game too, I think. As long as priests like you more than they like Pope.

 

[Malakal]

Is there some guide that covers shit for retards beginning like me? I've spent the last 2 weeks looking up shit on how to play this game but ever since that 1.1 patch for TOG I can't find shit to help me in the slightest. Every guide I have found to help my dumb ass has told me to pick some Irish duchy but since all the changes it's been a complete nightmare my last 5 games as the guides show troop size being in the 300 range but they shit out 2k stacks at me and i've got about 800 dumb fucks at my back. So is there some retard guide for me since all the changes to everything so that I'm not reading out of date shit and getting taken out within the first 5 years due to the enemy having shitloads more troops and money than I can even imagine having in that position?

Play as Poland in 1066 start, its a small strong kingdom with your dynasty holding all but one duchies, easy expansion opportunities and a good starting king and also no apparent threat right away. Just dont overdo it with crusading against pagans as they tend to be quite strong at the start of the game.

 

[Konjad]

Is there some guide that covers shit for retards beginning like me? I've spent the last 2 weeks looking up shit on how to play this game but ever since that 1.1 patch for TOG I can't find shit to help me in the slightest. Every guide I have found to help my dumb ass has told me to pick some Irish duchy but since all the changes it's been a complete nightmare my last 5 games as the guides show troop size being in the 300 range but they shit out 2k stacks at me and i've got about 800 dumb fucks at my back. So is there some retard guide for me since all the changes to everything so that I'm not reading out of date shit and getting taken out within the first 5 years due to the enemy having shitloads more troops and money than I can even imagine having in that position?

Play as Poland in 1066 start, its a small strong kingdom with your dynasty holding all but one duchies, easy expansion opportunities and a good starting king and also no apparent threat right away. Just dont overdo it with crusading against pagans as they tend to be quite strong at the start of the game.

I never played Poland, so it might be even better than my recommendation, but the first country I have played was Serbia and it was pretty easy, although Byzantium becomes a serious issue later on.

 

[anus_pounder]

Is there some guide that covers shit for retards beginning like me? I've spent the last 2 weeks looking up shit on how to play this game but ever since that 1.1 patch for TOG I can't find shit to help me in the slightest. Every guide I have found to help my dumb ass has told me to pick some Irish duchy but since all the changes it's been a complete nightmare my last 5 games as the guides show troop size being in the 300 range but they shit out 2k stacks at me and i've got about 800 dumb fucks at my back. So is there some retard guide for me since all the changes to everything so that I'm not reading out of date shit and getting taken out within the first 5 years due to the enemy having shitloads more troops and money than I can even imagine having in that position?

Play as Poland in 1066 start, its a small strong kingdom with your dynasty holding all but one duchies, easy expansion opportunities and a good starting king and also no apparent threat right away. Just dont overdo it with crusading against pagans as they tend to be quite strong at the start of the game.

I never played Poland, so it might be even better than my recommendation, but the first country I have played was Serbia and it was pretty easy, although Byzantium becomes a serious issue later on.

Either airland battle or get back to studying, potato.

I was recommended the Duke of Bohemia when I first played CK2. This was way back on release and even then I was told Ireland was a safer newbie point, so I dunno. Just throwing that out there.

 

[Malakal]

Bohemia is safer but has less opportunities to expand so yeah, pick one or the other.

 

[Konjad]

Either airland battle or get back to studying, potato.

i'm not playing games, I am studying, I just browse codex as well

 

[anus_pounder]

Either airland battle or get back to studying, potato.

i'm not playing games, I am studying, I just have poor attention span.

To stay on topic, did any of you try a game as Abyssinia? I also noticed that a few heresies have unique mechanics available as well, albeit pretty much the same as their parent religion. The nestorians do, I think and theres a 3rd branch of muslimes - a sunni heresy I think.

 

[IDtenT]

Georgia is also a very nice game, but the risks always exist. My most fun games have all been Georgia.

 

[Fens]

To stay on topic, did any of you try a game as Abyssinia? I also noticed that a few heresies have unique mechanics available as well, albeit pretty much the same as their parent religion. The nestorians do, I think and theres a 3rd branch of muslimes - a sunni heresy I think.

i did... and after a few failed attempts it worked out neatly, because the green blobs fell apart due to heresies and infighting and i could gobble them up bit by bit... also a lot of stabbing people and manure explosions

wouldn't recommend to beginners


uniting wales is a nice start btw. ... at the 1066 start date england is too busy being in a three way rape, you are free from foreign rule and neither scotland nor ireland are interested in you

 

[Average Manatee]

In the prince and the thane church > city in gold AND troops.

In unmodded game too, I think. As long as priests like you more than they like Pope.

In terms of how big your percentage cut is, sure. But Cities have like 50% more base tax to begin with, so you get more gold from cities and the mayor gets more gold left over to upgrade his city to make it even better.

Then there are republics, which are just ridiculous. Give a mayor a coastal duchy in buttfuck nowhere, suddenly you have 5 great families with their Palaces to raise levies and tax from. Not to mention the trade posts and trade route bonuses. Seriously just make Republics wherever you can. Pity they tend to die out on me every few decades or so, leading to the trade posts and palaces to reset.

 

[RedScum]

Rome is now a norse trade republic with it's culture & religion now converted to Norse. Sup' Catholics.

 

[Brinko]

Either airland battle or get back to studying, potato.

i'm not playing games, I am studying, I just have poor attention span.

To stay on topic, did any of you try a game as Abyssinia? I also noticed that a few heresies have unique mechanics available as well, albeit pretty much the same as their parent religion. The nestorians do, I think and theres a 3rd branch of muslimes - a sunni heresy I think.

I did not play Abyssinia as my Irelands playthroughs made me ass hurt over Christian factions but I did pick Harer and formed Abyssinia. Only that game reached a dead end as I only keep killing Ethiopian rebels and just waiting for the Fatimids to fall so I can gobble Egypt. I still don't know how they seem to amass 30k troops with only level 2 shit on their buildings and 1-2 holdings. At first I thought they had massive retinue but I can't figure retinue out at all, seems like some weird way of having standing troops but how do people get so many?

On the plus side I started a Barcelona game just to dick around and got some good head way with that. But how do I join wars though? I had France implode after a bad succession and wanted to help my French bros as they keep helping me stomp Muslims and wanted to pay them back but never could find the option.

 

[RedScum]

Find the character you want to help out -> Personal diplomacy view -> Press "Offer to join war"

 

[Ulminati]

Is there some guide that covers shit for retards beginning like me? I've spent the last 2 weeks looking up shit on how to play this game but ever since that 1.1 patch for TOG I can't find shit to help me in the slightest. Every guide I have found to help my dumb ass has told me to pick some Irish duchy but since all the changes it's been a complete nightmare my last 5 games as the guides show troop size being in the 300 range but they shit out 2k stacks at me and i've got about 800 dumb fucks at my back. So is there some retard guide for me since all the changes to everything so that I'm not reading out of date shit and getting taken out within the first 5 years due to the enemy having shitloads more troops and money than I can even imagine having in that position?

Denmark is a really strong starting country. You have 5 core provinces in your two dutchies (Sjælland, Fyn, Jylland, Slesvig, Holstein), all of which are ridiculously well-developed. If your demesne limit is larger, go for Skåne, Halland and Blekinge as your next counties. All your provinces are coastal and you have a large navy, so your armies can easily be moved to wherever you want. There are several small Baltic pagan states you can go beat up on. You should be able to afford mercenaries as well if all else fails. If you're feeling ambitious, the 1066 start even gives you a claim on England. (And the war is entirely winnable once you know what you're doing). A less ambitious start is going for the baltic pagans directly to the south ASAP. If you don't grab them quickly, they'll most likely be gobbled up by the HRE.


For anything bigger than a small kingdom, you'll have to learn how to manage your dumbfuck vassals. The most important thing you can do is pick two dutchies somewhere near the middle of your realm and make sure you own all of the counties in them as well as the dutchy/kingdom titles. For the remainder of your titles, make sure they're spread as thin as possible to prevent your vassals from becoming strong enough to challenge you. One county per vassal maximum. Dukes need to have a county as well, so make sure you give them a county far away from their dutchy. This'll keep them from successfully waging de jure wars to gain more counties and more power. This way you should be able to stomp out rebellions quickly and efficiently.

To avoid tedious micromanagement when gathering your levies, start by raising all of your fleets. Gather them in the ocean region adjacent to as many of your provinces as possible. (For Denmark, this would be the Sound and Kattegat). Merge them into megafleets, then raise your levies. You can move your levies onto the fleets without them being inside your arbor by moving the levies to a ocean region with sufficient ships. Once this is done, you can merge your levies abord the ships, then disembark them where they are needed. It is possible to gather every single levy in the Danish territories (as well as the Swedes, Norweigans and Baltic pagans you've beaten up) in this fashion in a manner of days rather than the weeks and months it would take to move people over land.

 

[Horus]

Don't you have to give control of vassals owning county under duke's de jure? They get really butthurt about that and wage war to them.

 

[Horus]

How many hours has it been RK?

 

[Average Manatee]

For anything bigger than a small kingdom, you'll have to learn how to manage your dumbfuck vassals. The most important thing you can do is pick two dutchies somewhere near the middle of your realm and make sure you own all of the counties in them as well as the dutchy/kingdom titles. For the remainder of your titles, make sure they're spread as thin as possible to prevent your vassals from becoming strong enough to challenge you. One county per vassal maximum. Dukes need to have a county as well, so make sure you give them a county far away from their dutchy. This'll keep them from successfully waging de jure wars to gain more counties and more power. This way you should be able to stomp out rebellions quickly and efficiently.

Can't say I agree with this. You want maximum demesne power for maximum power leverage over your vassals, maximum teching, maximum income. Especially with the new tech system, where having 4 universities in the capital makes your spy tech-stealing like 5x faster. Go for provinces with lots of holdings, the right holding types, and ideally ahead of time buildings. Duchies are mostly irrelevant, simply don't create them if needed. Once you are king there isn't really any inherent advantage to holding a duchy title anymore. I tend to give them away to my heir, good to get them some prestige and piety and removes the short rule modifier for that area when they inherit the kingdom, making the transition much easier over all.

Same goes for other territories, you don't want any dukes if you don't need to have them*. They are just an extra middleman siphoning off levies and dosh and probably causing trouble. I only hand out duchies to fix problems. For example, if I need to change a law and a vassal is unhappy, or if there is an independence faction going. Simply promote someone else to be their new master and let them deal with it, and your new duke will love you for the rest of their life for the new title. Also try to mix up nobles/clergy/mayors in each duchy, it makes it nigh-impossible for one of them to get a claim on another and start accruing more power.

Obvious exception to the not giving out duchies doctrine is for merchant republics of course. It's almost cheating to create those everywhere on coastal nations.

*theoretically having as many dukes as possible would improve your overall realm teching speed since only dukes and above directly generate tech points. However the AI is so bad at teching that even when you do this their contribution is basically irrelevant.