Crusader Kings 2

[Arakhor]

Each DLC is interchangeable, but you definitely want SoI and LoR and the Ruler Designer is very useful for doing just that. I imagine that TOG will be awesome when it comes out.

 

[cybrxkhan]

None of the DLC are truly required, but Sword of Islam and Republic are needed if you want to be able to play Muslims and Republics, respectively (otherwise they're unplayable, but will still function normally in-game). Both groups have gameplay styles different than that of the generic Western feudal rulers.

Legacy of Rome is a nice addition of sorts, though you can still play the Byzantines without it.

Other DLC I recommend include Ruler Designer, which, well, makes things a bit more interesting (though you don't need it if you know how to mod your own character in, though that's pretty time consuming); and the face packs, which as Maniacal said add in much variety - of the aesethic DLCs, the face packs are the most important in my opinion, as it's really jarring and immersion-breaking to see Mongols looking like hairy Indians for instance.

As for playing the Golden Horde, that would probably be available with Old Gods, but as for now the only way to play pagans is with mods.


(Also, if I remember correctly, the demo is out of date as it represents gameplay from when CKII was released - and things were already drastically different when I first played the demo and then got the game when it was with the 1.06 patch (the 5th major patch, I believe, which was about more than half a year ago) - as CKII is a rare breed of game that's constantly having new features and mechanics added to it via patches. Not to worry you, of course, if you can play the demo good enough then you should be okay as you have the basics down, but when you get the latest version of CKII you will be surprised by a number of other new mechanics.)

 

[NBAfan]

Today I got around to trying the CK2 Demo. Pretty fun, I have to say. Played as the duke of Adrianople and Vidin, and became Roman Emperor within a couple years. I inherited a war with the Turks, which I won, but had to end because I wasn't getting any reinforcements and the Turks were (lesson 1 in mechanics). That proved to be a hazard as without the +30 Fighting Infidel modifier and outside threat, my vassals started rebelling like hotcakes, and my younger brother Andronikus was kind enough to make a ploy for the throne. Good old Byzantine instability, just like it often was back then.

The outcome of the war was in some doubt for awhile, but I was learning the mechanics and was able to get a White Peace in the civil war, imprison some of the disloyal vassals, and white peace with the lucky ones. Of course, that meant my brother was still trying to assassinate me, but he wasn't better than my guards, and before long both of my brothers were imprisoned and stability was restored. That gave me enough time to conquer Tripoli and start a conquest of Aleppo and what I didn't own of Mesopotamia before the demo ended, as well as exploring some of the non-war options in more detail.

So I think it's decided that I'll pick up the base game. My question is, which expansions are great, and do you have to get the first one to get the second one, etc.? I'm thinking that the Old Gods looks pretty cool since I'd been hoping to play as a Norse religion (although I'd like to do that in 1066 - not sure if it allows that?), probably Sword of Islam, and definitely Sunset Invasion for the third or fourth game (although I'm not sure I'd want to always have the Aztecs invading). Legacy of Rome, maybe, I had fun with 1.00 Demo as Byzantium. Republic, I don't know. Also, in which expansions can you play as the Golden Horde once they come to Europe?

Get the game with the expansion DLC now while it's 75% off on Steam!

 

[Double A]

You can be the Golden Horde as long as you start as a Khagan who isn't pagan. You can even convert right back to Tengrii if you know how. There are also plenty of mods. Project Balance seems to have the best pagans right now.

 

[Optical]

TOG will allow you to play as Tengri Khans.

I have all DLC currently out except SI and recommend them all, although TR is probably the main one you can afford to not have.

 

[Double A]

PB lets you play as Tengri Khans now and free.

 

[Zack]

Steam sale for CK2 stuff: base game ($10), Legacy of Rome ($1.24), Sunset Invasion ($1.24), and Sword of Islam ($2.49)

 

[SouthernKing]

Not the republic?

 

[Maniacal]

The Republic seems neat, I haven't gotten it yet since it hasn't gone on sale yet.

Nope.

 

[Joecoolyo]

Steam sale for CK2 stuff: base game ($10), Legacy of Rome ($1.24), Sunset Invasion ($1.24), and Sword of Islam ($2.49)

Oooo, this sale looks very enticing.

Going to try the demo and see if I want to get this or not.

EDIT: Tried the demo and I'm incredibly lost.

ok

are there any starter guides or what not? I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing.

 

[Glassmage]

playing CK2+ mod of course. Took me about 130 years from 1066 to form Mali Empire, which include 3 kingdoms of Ghana, Jolof, and Mali. Play Muslim is hard. I need to imprison male members of family or people in my court get assassinated by Hashshashin.

Spoiler :

 

[Zack]

Oooo, this sale looks very enticing.

Going to try the demo and see if I want to get this or not.

EDIT: Tried the demo and I'm incredibly lost.

ok

are there any starter guides or what not? I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing.

The tutorials are actually helpful in this game, believe it or not.

Wait... polished release, decent tutorials... this is a Paradox game, right?

 

[Bowsling]

The latest patch seems to have broken the game. My two-county Republic of Pisa vassal was just as strong as me (the King of Italy) when the doge (my uncle) decided he'd had enough of me.

 

[coanda]

are there any starter guides or what not? I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing.

I think that's basically what you're supposed to be doing - have no clue what you're doing. Just keep playing, have a good laugh when something goes wrong (or, improbably enough, right).

 

[cybrxkhan]

Oooo, this sale looks very enticing.

Going to try the demo and see if I want to get this or not.

EDIT: Tried the demo and I'm incredibly lost.

ok

are there any starter guides or what not? I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing.

Just keep playing. I started off with the demo and it took me about ~5 hours of playing the demo to get the hang of things. Once you got the basics you'll gradually learn everything through trial and error. CKII has an easier learning curve than most other PI games, anyways.

 

[cardgame]

Start in Ireland if you don't already know that piece of advice, everything kind of falls into place from there if you explore your various options.

 

[Optical]

^This. Leinster and Dublin are pretty much interchangeable, and Connacht and Munster are also both good easy starts.

 

[Double A]

playing CK2+ mod of course.

I demand flamewar.

 

[Joecoolyo]

The tutorials are actually helpful in this game, believe it or not.

Wait... polished release, decent tutorials... this is a Paradox game, right?

Really now? Huh, I might try it then. Normally I skip over Paradox tutorials.

I think that's basically what you're supposed to be doing - have no clue what you're doing. Just keep playing, have a good laugh when something goes wrong (or, improbably enough, right).

Just keep playing. I started off with the demo and it took me about ~5 hours of playing the demo to get the hang of things. Once you got the basics you'll gradually learn everything through trial and error. CKII has an easier learning curve than most other PI games, anyways.

That's normally what I do for games, but with Paradox is hard. Just because a lot of the time it feels like nothing's happening, which is fine if you know what you're doing, but if you don't, its really hard to tell.

Start in Ireland if you don't already know that piece of advice, everything kind of falls into place from there if you explore your various options.

Can you start in Ireland in the demo? The only options I saw were really big Duchies and the King of Poland, which is annoying, because I prefer to start small rather than big.

 

[cybrxkhan]

Can you start in Ireland in the demo? The only options I saw were really big Duchies and the King of Poland, which is annoying, because I prefer to start small rather than big.

There's an exploit in the demo where you can play as anyone (including Muslims, but you won't get the features introdced in SoI and the 1.06 patch). Basically, immediately after you click the "play" button, but before the game actually loads into your new game, click on the de facto territory owned by whoever you want to play. You'll be able to play anyone that way (with the 20 year limit of course), but you have to make sure you click on who you want to play fast enough.