Crusader Kings 2

[Double A]

Well, if you're a vassal, you probably get reincorporated into the empire, and if you're an independent something or other, you can probably just voluntarily assimilate. Then you can take the organization out from the inside.

Your other options are "murderspree" and "be able to levy 500k soldiers in 200 years."

 

[MoreEpicThanYou]

And that is why you play in Western Europe or North Africa.

 

[cybrxkhan]

I've heard the 1.07 accidentally made horse archers more overpowered than they were previously. Whether the devs will fix this is a whole 'nother matter.

That said, those Mongol clone armies look dangerous.

And that is why you play in Western Europe or North Africa.

Or play a late start *after* the Mongol invasion.

 

[Double A]

Hoping they randomly convert to Christianity is always an option.

 

[cybrxkhan]

Hoping they randomly convert to Christianity is always an option.

Not if you're Muslim or Pagan.

 

[Synobun]

Well, if you're a vassal, you probably get reincorporated into the empire, and if you're an independent something or other, you can probably just voluntarily assimilate. Then you can take the organization out from the inside.

Your other options are "murderspree" and "be able to levy 500k soldiers in 200 years."

Unfortunately vassal wasn't an option, they tore through the Kingdom of Jerusalem right after I mended the Great Schism and then came in and took all my vassals when an independence faction decided to try and break free. The only thing left was a shell of the previous Empire and I ended up as a tiny 3 province imprisoned doux.

I've heard the 1.07 accidentally made horse archers more overpowered than they were previously. Whether the devs will fix this is a whole 'nother matter.

Oh, that sounds fabulous.

Hoping they randomly convert to Christianity is always an option.

It was a distant hope of mine, but nothing happened. They remained Tengri or Shia. Nearly all of Europe was Orthodoxy, but..

 

[uat2d]

Not if you're Muslim or Pagan.

If you're Muslim, you can still hope they convert to Islam.

What do you mean, if you're a Pagan? Can you play as a Pagan?

 

[Synobun]

What do you mean, if you're a Pagan? Can you play as a Pagan?

As far as I know, no.

 

[cybrxkhan]

Some mods do have playable pagans, that's what I was thinking of. A few focus exclusively on pagans, though none are updated to the current patch so far as I know.

 

[Double A]

You can also abuse the mother and guardian same religion mechanics.

 

[Synobun]

You can also abuse the mother and guardian same religion mechanics.

What's that?

Sorry, regardless of already putting 50 hours into this game, I'm a rookie at best.

I'm going to play as Flanders tonight. Any tips for surviving/growing without angering the HRE or another big power that would crush me?

 

[cybrxkhan]

I'm going to play as Flanders tonight. Any tips for surviving/growing without angering the HRE or another big power that would crush me?

Though I don't really play in that part of the world too often, my suggestion would be not to declare independence anytime soon. Bad, bad idea. Even if you manage to gain independence, someone will try to eat you alive soon, so make sure you still have your big liege to protect you - at least until you feel like you can survive on your own.

Also, marriage. Marry. Marry your useless male relatives to female heirs - though you probably know that one already. More interesting is to marry your female relatives matrillineally to male heirs with daddy issues (basically, spend a lot of time on the lookout for male heirs to various empires, kingdoms, and duchies who hate their current lieges - invite them to your court, where you can matrillineanlly marry them to your female relatives). That way, once you establish your dynasty elsewhere, you'll have several allies by default.

 

[Double A]

What's that?

Sorry, regardless of already putting 50 hours into this game, I'm a rookie at best.

I'm going to play as Flanders tonight. Any tips for surviving/growing without angering the HRE or another big power that would crush me?

Only 50? I have 3-4 times that, and I'm still not a super good player.

Anyway, there's a 25%-ish chance a child will have the same religion as its mother. There's also a very low chance that a ward will adopt its guardian's religion. This chance is increased dramatically if the guardian has diligent and zealous (or dil and gregarious for culture). The chance is also lowered to impossible odds if the guardian has the antitraits to the aforementioned traits (but most of those antitraits are crap, and you probably don't want your kid being edumacated by a lazy jerkass, so just give it to someone of your religion/culture if you don't want it changed).

Though I don't really play in that part of the world too often, my suggestion would be not to declare independence anytime soon. Bad, bad idea. Even if you manage to gain independence, someone will try to eat you alive soon, so make sure you still have your big liege to protect you - at least until you feel like you can survive on your own.

Also, marriage. Marry. Marry your useless male relatives to female heirs - though you probably know that one already. More interesting is to marry your female relatives matrillineally to male heirs with daddy issues (basically, spend a lot of time on the lookout for male heirs to various empires, kingdoms, and duchies who hate their current lieges - invite them to your court, where you can matrillineanlly marry them to your female relatives). That way, once you establish your dynasty elsewhere, you'll have several allies by default.

Try doing what I did and become the crusader-state of Andalusia and then have your son as the king of Aquitaine. Nothing can possibly go wrong.

Incidentally, the King of France in both my crazy-ass Flanders->Andalusia->Aquitaine and Ulster->Ireland->Borg games is my cousin, of my dynasty, and probably going to get assassinated by me.

 

[uat2d]

Anyway, there's a 25%-ish chance a child will have the same religion as its mother.

I'm pretty sure it's not like that, the kid always gets the same culture and religion as its parent's house (so its father's on most circumstances, its mother's on a matrilineal marriage or the lover's if it's an illegitimate bastard).

Though you're right, a guardian can change all of this.

 

[Double A]

I read somewhere on the CK2 wiki that there's a chance (think it was 25%) that the child inherits the mother's religion and culture. Might've been changed in a patch, but that's what I saw.

 

[Luckymoose]

There is a chance. I married a Catholic woman as an Orthodox and all my kids were Catholic. D:

 

[cybrxkhan]

Try doing what I did and become the crusader-state of Andalusia and then have your son as the king of Aquitaine. Nothing can possibly go wrong.

Incidentally, the King of France in both my crazy-ass Flanders->Andalusia->Aquitaine and Ulster->Ireland->Borg games is my cousin, of my dynasty, and probably going to get assassinated by me.

Well, true, family feuds can get nasty...

Although I do have to spend time "babysitting" my family's, uh, "colonies" in other places to make sure they don't do any weirdness. Anyhow, if you have enough family members spread around, it isn't as bad because you technically have more allies to go with you against the renegade branch(es) of the dynasty... on the other hand that means that enemy cousin also has more potential alies too. Although I have managed games where my dynasty sat on 1/3-1/2 of the major kingdoms of Europe, thanks to some strategic matrillineal marriages (some heirs really have some serious daddy issues) and luck so it was all fun.

But at least it's still within the family, right? Better than some random bloke.

 

[Luckymoose]

I love playing as evil Muslims.

 

[salty mud]

Castrate him.

 

[Arakhor]

Not to cause a scene or anything, but this is Crusader Kings. Isn't the 'evil' bit implied?