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WATCH THIS THIS IS LITERALLY ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CRUSADER KINGS 2 Crusader Kings 2 is a grand strategy game set in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East from 1066 to 1453. You take the role of a noble dynasty and lead them plagues, war, and intrigue to power and fortune. Its the latest game developed by Paradox Interactive and the first of their grand strategy games who's learning curve isn't a 90-degree angle. If you enjoy burning heretics, crushing the peasantry, and murdering your children, CK2 is the game for you! Almost every ruler in the game is playable, from Count Loser of Nowhereville to the Holy Roman Emperor. There are a number of start dates bookmarked at various significant events in medieval history but you can start from literally any day between 1066 and 1453 that you want. Once you have your character and your start date, you are dropped into the game and are now up against hundreds of other dynasties that all want what you want: power. You will need to manage scheming vassals, foreign invasions, religion, marriages, and the inevitable disappointing glutton your heir will be. There is no way to “win” CK2. The only goals that exist are the ones the player makes for themselves. You can choose to reform the Roman Empire and reunite Christendom or just putter away in Iceland. Whatever you want to do in medieval Europe, you can do. This is what battles look like in CK2: It usually comes down to whoever has more soldiers and the only real effect you can have on a battle is picking which people lead it. War is not the point of the CK2, its the result of diplomacy and intrigue. Unlike games like Civilization, where the greatest threat is from other players, the greatest threat in CK2 is frequently from internal forces tearing your realm apart through title claims and plots and rebellion. You can absolutely declare war on people and its one of the fastest and easiest ways to expand your land, but its significantly more satisfying to assassinate your brother before he pops out a kid so all of his lands fall to you. You can kill your wife when the Pope refuses to grant you a divorce. You can murder your firstborn son because he's awful while his brother is amazing. You can forge vast empires. You can convince dukes to rebel against their liege and then conquer them while they're rebelling. You can win tournaments, throw feasts, imprison that jerk who was plotting to kill you, get conquered by Mongols, get conquered by Aztecs, you can throw babies into sinkholes, you can have sex with and impregnate your own daughter because this game gets a little hosed up some times. There are hundreds of special events that play off your character stats and traits to produce some incredibly awesome and/or hilarious stories. Rulers can get nicknames. They get a little dumb sometimes. Sleep with your sister. You can die from having sex in this game. From escalator dropdown's LP of the Game of Thrones mod. Break canon. From the CK2+ mod. Get laughed at. [i]This will not last. Yes, but its buggy and kind of weird and not really the focus. Some goons set games up on occasion. This mod wasn't completed unfortunately. The latest patch is 1.10. You can get it off Steam automatically obviously and if you bought retail I don't know how you still exist. I don't know, I'm just copying the last OP's banners and he felt it important to talk about the latest patch for some reason. Its worth noting that, unlike a lot of previous Paradox games, CK2 is stable and quite fun right out of the box. You don't need any mods to make the game functional. But, if you been playing it for a while and want to mix things up, these are some of your best options. -CK2+ was developed by our very own Wiz (who now works for Paradox) and is the most commonly used mod around here. I'll let him explain it: quote:The purpose of CK2+ is to create a broader, deeper, more challenging and more balanced CK2 experience, without straying too far from the original game mechanics or tacking on deterministic railroading events and modifiers. The purpose of this mod is not historical accuracy (although I try to preserve it whenever it is not a major detriment to gameplay) but rather to embrace and enrich the medieval sandbox intrigue simulator that is CK2, while fixing its various little issues and exploits. In short, it makes the game a bit harder but in turn gives you a lot more options and makes the game more interesting over the long run. After the Old Gods, it will no longer be updated. Go here for the latest version. Sengoku is also goon-made and set during the Warring States period of 15th century Japan. It works with CK2+. There is a Game of Thrones mod. It adds tons of new events, traits, and options to fit with the GoT universe. The latest bookmarked start date, A Feast For Crows, has some spoilers The Prince and the Thane has some tweaks and adds stuff as well, akin to CK2+. Better Armies overhauls the game's combat and is compatible with CK2+. More of a technical fix than a mod, this is designed to force the game to use more than 2GB of RAM if you are having trouble with slow loading times. That thread is for a different engine but it works for CK2 too. This mod is designed to improve performance. Paradox are pretty lazy coders when it comes to system resources. There's a lot of DLC for the game. Much of the DLC has added or tweaked already existing systems, but anything that affects the entire game is automatically patched in for free (with one exception). The only thing you have to have the DLC for is to play certain characters. There are five major DLCs. -The Sword of Islam lets you play as Muslim characters. Muslims have a much heavier focus on religion and piety and must manage a special decadence statistic that can destabilize their realm if left unchecked. -The Legacy of Rome focuses on the Byzantine Empire, giving new traits and options for members of the Eastern Roman Empire. This DLC also adds retinues, special military units that function slightly different from regular military. You must buy this DLC to get access to retinues. -The Republic lets you play as merchant republics like Venice. Republics are focused on making money through trade posts built across the coasts of Europe and scheming against other merchant families. -Sunset Invasion is an alt-history DLC where the Aztecs invade Europe. Its somewhat tongue-in-cheek and serves as a Mongol Invasion for the west (i.e. hundreds of thousands of angry Aztecs land in Spain and wreck everyone's day). -The Old Gods is the latest DLC and reworks the many pagan faiths of medieval Europe. It also lets you move the start date back to 867 and play as the Vikings. There are also a lot of cosmetic packs that add different unit graphics, music, and portraits. These are all worth the money. Except the Mediterranean portrait pack. Don't buy the Mediterranean portrait pack. Kersch did an excellent LP. Its a bit outdated now, but will still get you up to speed on the basics. Thanqol also did a LP. While not instructive, it gives you an idea of the crazy-hilarious stories this game can produce. To better understand how inheritance and succession works, read this big-rear end wall of text: Click.
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# ? May 28, 2013 16:44 |
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# ? May 15, 2024 04:21 |
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FAQ Oh my god how do I start what do I do ahhhhhhhh That's a normal reaction to first seeing that map. The general recommendation is to start in Ireland as it serves as an unofficial “Tutorial Island” for the game. I personally suggest starting as Dublin. As a short-term goal, form the Duchies of Meath and Leinster and conquer the other province. From there, aim towards forming the Kingdom of Ireland. Once you can do that, you have a solid grasp of CK2's basic mechanics. I can't declare war on people! In order to declare war on another ruler, you have to have a Casus Belli (CB). There are a variety of CB's that varying depending on who you are playing and the game will usually let you know if you have a valid one on someone. You can fabricate CB's but this is unreliable and very expensive. What are retinues? Retinues are special military units that are always present on the map. You don't need to raise and dismiss them like normal levies and you can still declare war with them active (you can't declare war when you have raised normal levies). However, when they need to replenish their numbers, they drain your treasury until they're back to full strength. Retinues are expensive and you generally aren't going to make use of them until you're quite powerful. The Tale of Pope John Thanqol posted:Update on the aPopecalypse Game Thanqol posted:And now, the thrilling conclusion to the Saga of Pope John.
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# ? May 28, 2013 16:44 |
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Beard
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# ? May 28, 2013 16:49 |
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All those wonderful title suggestions and we get a meme. Old Gods is out. A few CTD errors but it's still awesome.
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# ? May 28, 2013 16:51 |
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I haven't had a chance to look at steam yet! How are is the artwork for Scandinavian characters? Is it as ridiculous as the Mediterranean face pack?
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# ? May 28, 2013 16:57 |
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By Thor, raiding is powerful. You just roll up with your massive horde of Vikings and you take their money and there's just about poo poo all they can do about it.
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# ? May 28, 2013 16:58 |
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Rynoto posted:All those wonderful title suggestions and we get a meme. Crusader Kings II: Beard! was my favorite, but it was a really late suggestion.
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# ? May 28, 2013 16:58 |
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I just looted a +2 Handaxe. Praise be to the All-Father! (+2 to martial skill random event, seriously)
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# ? May 28, 2013 17:03 |
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Sweet Odin, I am excited for this. Going to put on my Windir playlist and boot it up when I get home tonight. Onward to Holmgardr!
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# ? May 28, 2013 17:05 |
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Love the OP. So to the goons who don't work 8-5 EST, how is the expansion? Is it everything I wanted her to be? On a sad, more depressing note, a follow-up to the "I'm not a racist" thread on Paradox: Holy loving poo poo posted:I was just thinking "hmm why is he so butthurt over it?" then saw your profile picture.To you and your people, stop getting so offended all the time.
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# ? May 28, 2013 17:06 |
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I was a fan of Beard! as well but this thread title is decent enough. Now to properly reinstall all of CK2 because apparently moving the directory while reformatting my main hard drive screwed up updating. Might end up waiting for CK2+ parity so I can't exactly say I can't wait to play Old Gods, but I'm certainly looking forward to some kickass raiding.
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# ? May 28, 2013 17:06 |
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So, I was VERY far into my first game as Ireland, from the start period to 1400. But I guess this patch changed all my technologies and instead of having 3 stars in legalism, I now have one. My demesne size is now 4 instead of 7. I guess I should just start a new game at this point, but I'm kinda pissed.
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# ? May 28, 2013 17:10 |
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The Old Gods trailer is amazing. Paradox has been on a roll with trailers lately.
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# ? May 28, 2013 17:12 |
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Also it's nice to see that :3 von Hapsburg's omegabeard has a place in the OP
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# ? May 28, 2013 17:16 |
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What Fun posted:So, I was VERY far into my first game as Ireland, from the start period to 1400. But I guess this patch changed all my technologies and instead of having 3 stars in legalism, I now have one. My demesne size is now 4 instead of 7. I guess I should just start a new game at this point, but I'm kinda pissed. I mean what did you expect from a major patch? I guess if you use Steam yeah there was nothing you could do and that sucks.
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# ? May 28, 2013 17:19 |
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What Fun posted:So, I was VERY far into my first game as Ireland, from the start period to 1400. But I guess this patch changed all my technologies and instead of having 3 stars in legalism, I now have one. My demesne size is now 4 instead of 7. I guess I should just start a new game at this point, but I'm kinda pissed. That is a really low Demesne. What is your current rank?
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# ? May 28, 2013 17:22 |
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My god, the British Isles are a nonstop warzone. This Age sure is Dark.
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# ? May 28, 2013 17:24 |
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JerikTelorian posted:That is a really low Demesne. What is your current rank? Yes it is. It was up to 9 before, but I'm temporarily wifeless. I am king of four regions, and I'm very close to putting the Empire of Britannia together. ^^^Like I said, this is my first playthough. I do have it on Steam. Thanks for your compassion.
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# ? May 28, 2013 17:30 |
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The new Mongol bookmark lets you play as Genghis fuckin' Khan.
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# ? May 28, 2013 17:31 |
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Hahaha that loving trailer was amazing.
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# ? May 28, 2013 17:32 |
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The planned invasion and random conquest abilities could make for interesting "How much can you conquer with only one character?" types of games.
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# ? May 28, 2013 17:36 |
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How do you trigger raiding/looting? I tried looking under Declare war, but all I found were conquests. e: Found it. Toggle Looter icon on the unit screen. kissekatt fucked around with this message at 17:49 on May 28, 2013 |
# ? May 28, 2013 17:37 |
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I like how they gave all the Catholic rulers in England a bunch of pre-built structures in their holdings but it doesn't matter cause there are tens of thousands of Vikings rolling around carving up the island. May this Age never end.
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# ? May 28, 2013 17:42 |
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Is the support for Zoroastrians decent in this DLC as well? Or is it pretty much just entirely Norse Gods with Zoroaster as an afterthought?
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# ? May 28, 2013 17:42 |
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Captain Oblivious posted:Is the support for Zoroastrians decent in this DLC as well? Or is it pretty much just entirely Norse Gods with Zoroaster as an afterthought? They get less "stuff" but it seems pretty okay regardless. Councilor positions all have unique names and you can become the loving SAVIOR OF THE WORLD AS PROPHESIED BY ZOROASTER HIMSELF.
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# ? May 28, 2013 17:44 |
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Holy poo poo, old Gods and a new thread. Glorious!
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# ? May 28, 2013 17:47 |
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In order to start looting you need to raise your army, click on the Toggle Looter button in its little menu on the left while in friendly territory and then just go to town in someone else's provinces. e: You can also loot a province, destroy its fortifications that way and then immediately siege it with a regular army. It's a good way of screwing everyone involved over since the owner gets the Looted modifier and if you hand it off to some rear end in a top hat vassal he'll be in no position to use it either. NihilVerumNisiMors fucked around with this message at 17:52 on May 28, 2013 |
# ? May 28, 2013 17:49 |
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The patch isn't even out for us Linux people yet There won't be any treasure left when I get to it!
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# ? May 28, 2013 17:56 |
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drat, Jorvik is a really, really hard start. I think I'll try a Scandinavian norse ruler until I get the hang of things.
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# ? May 28, 2013 17:56 |
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Yes!! Finally I can live out Vinland Saga in Crusader Kings 2!
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# ? May 28, 2013 17:58 |
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So when I lost a subjugation war against the rear end in a top hat King of Sweden he just took all my counties for some reason and gave me some poo poo county which doesn't have coastline, what the gently caress is up with that? Daktar posted:drat, Jorvik is a really, really hard start. I think I'll try a Scandinavian norse ruler until I get the hang of things. Start as Ivar and you get control of the massive army.
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# ? May 28, 2013 18:01 |
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Oh Crusader Kings
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# ? May 28, 2013 18:14 |
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DrSunshine posted:Yes!! Finally I can live out Vinland Saga in Crusader Kings 2! All hail Cnut the Great. Or do you want to play as Askeladd?
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# ? May 28, 2013 18:19 |
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What Fun posted:Yes it is. It was up to 9 before, but I'm temporarily wifeless. I am king of four regions, and I'm very close to putting the Empire of Britannia together. Sadly creating an Empire won't up your Demesne any more. Use the people finder and get a wife with the highest Stewardship you can find, from anywhere. Then try to grab a dude to be your Court Steward. Maybe you want to just edit the savefile to give yourself more Legalism, really. You're only 50 years or so from the end date, so there is no chance you'll actually tech up in time. That's a shame man
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# ? May 28, 2013 18:24 |
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Beamed posted:I mean what did you expect from a major patch? He could have just copied the CK2 folder somewhere else, since there's no DRM in CK2.
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# ? May 28, 2013 18:24 |
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Turns out you get the patch if you get the DLC first for the Linux version or it all just went live for me just now 3.30am local time.
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# ? May 28, 2013 18:31 |
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Can you only start in 800s if you have the dlc?
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# ? May 28, 2013 18:38 |
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I just watched The 13th Warrior last night. IBN!
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# ? May 28, 2013 18:40 |
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Captain Beans posted:Can you only start in 800s if you have the dlc? Yup: no Old Gods, no for you.
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# ? May 28, 2013 18:40 |
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# ? May 15, 2024 04:21 |
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Turn your viking armies into viking raiders by clicking that blue button The name will change: Now go loot Ireland to pay for Scandinavian infrastructure. You can even destroy towns entirely sometimes!
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# ? May 28, 2013 18:41 |