Crusader Kings II

[Monk]

I passed over 400 hours played in CK2 during my last session over the weekend. That makes CK2 easily my most played Steam game and in the running for the most time i've wasted with a single game since I was little. It's hard to imagine another single player game that has kept me engaged this long. Not even EUIII did, as I maxed out there with about 200 hours. God this is a time consuming hobby. If not for a new job and a ton of new responsibilities my played time would probably be even higher than that.

I had some time today and I was thinking about the various gameplay experiences i've had with this game. Just thought i'd list them off for some fun.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Fought a desperate defense as the Excommunicated King of Ireland against the much more powerful Scottish King, only to lose and see my army destroyed on the field of battle. To add insult to injury, my brothers rebelled the following seasons igniting a civil war in the islands that ripped the Kingdom asunder. My King died an "exile" ruling only two counties which could laughably called the Kingdom of Wales.

Through dynastic power plays united all of Northern Spain and completed the Reconquista by 1300. Ensured the only powerful enemy I had was constantly suffering internal strife by repeatedly killing members of their ruling dynasty or otherwise weakening their nation with constant holy wars.

From pauper, to prince, to pauper again starting as a count in England. Secured a claim to the Throne and led a faction to install my dynasty to power. Succeeded only to see it fall apart a generation later when my idiot son couldn't hold things together.

Led over 400 years of rule in Italy as the decendants of Matilda of Tuscany. United the entirety of the Boot and even claimed the holy city of Jerusalem in a crusade. By 1250 AD Italy was the greatest power in the Catholic world, but two hundred years later a centuries old decline saw the last great king slain by rebels on the field of battle, fracturing the kingdom once and for all.

United all of Russia beneath a custom dynasty, destroying the legacy of Rurik by scouring his descendants to the wind and instituting my own rule. Faced down the Mongol invasion and turned them back time and again only to be defeated by my own lust for power. In an attempt to put down a revolt in Hungary after siezing the throne, the Mongols returned and destroyed the great Russian state, casting out my dynasty from power. 300 years of rule ended.

Pushed the last descendant of Charlemagne back to power by seizing control, through bribery and marriage, of the two most powerful duchies in Northern France. When the Capets fell upon hard times we declared independence.. and joined the Holy Roman Empire. Now a member of the Empire, many called for the last Karling to take the throne.. and it was done. The power was fleeting however, as I could not secure a smooth transition of power for my heir and lost the election upon the death of my ruler.

Succeeded in fending off both William the Bastard's and Harald of Norway's invasion forces to become Harold Godwinson the Great. Led the Godwin dynasty to become the most prolific dynasty in the history of Europe by placing members of the family on the thrones of England, Scotland, Ireland, Andalusia and Jerusalem. Although the unity was broken in the 13th century by a feud between the most powerful members of the dynasty, the main line would survive as rulers of Jerusalem for another two hundred years.

Led the crusaders of the 4th crusade in sacking the city of Constantinople and building a new Latin Empire that would claim most of Greece and Bulgaria. By 1300 however, numerous defeats at the hands of the resurgent Byzantines would weaken the Latins until they finally lost control of their most prized possession, Constantinople, within 100 years of taking it.

Established a huge trade empire as Venice based on the 285 Rules of Acquisition (or at least, those we know about!) governing every decision i made in game. By game end the Venetian Empire stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the Black Sea. The closest i've ever gotten to "world conquest."

United all of Northern Africa beneath one sultan before invading Sicily, and later, Italy. Did what Hannibal could not do and laid waste to Rome in all her dying glory, even renamed my capital 'Nova Carthago' for a bit of fun. The resulting clash between The HRE and myself set the Mediterranean on fire with conflict and ended with tens of thousands dead on both sides.

United southern Spain beneath the Sultanate of Andalusia and carved out a sizable realm for myself before the west targeted me for multiple crusades. As the fighting intensified, so too did the decline of the dynasty with numerous assassinations on the only capable rulers and sons who could have turned the situation around. By the 13th century the Sultanate of Andalusia collapsed after decades of mismanagement and military defeat.

Established a new Norseland in Scotland as Ivar the Boneless. With Scotland united and firmly control beneath his dynasty, the sons of Ivar were a constant threat to rulers in the North Sea, raiding nearby counties and resisting attempts at conversion for centuries to come.

and of course.. currently..

Rebuilt the Persian Sultanate from nothing as a Zoroastrian Ruler, ruthlessly converting all provinces back to Zoroastrianism and fighting constant holy wars against the Abbasid Caliphs of the west.

It's pretty fun to reflect back on all those amazing experiences. Ck2 isn't the most hardcore of paradox's titles but it's by a long way the most fun i've ever had with a game released by them.