Crusader Kings II

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

And to think Paradox was initially worried this game would be a no-profit labor of love...

SoI is so crazy. Started a game as Cyrenicia, it feels more like I'm waging an Ork WAAAAAAAAGHHHH than CK2 as a Christian. The Hajj and Ramadan things are neat. I also like only superficially caring about the succession, vassals, and diplomacy. Your half brother revolted? Round up da boyz and stomp 'im! Dirty Alexandrian Shiites think they can holy war me? They don't got enuff dakka! Killemall!

Next stop, the Caliphate! Get im boyz! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[Monk]

And to think Paradox was initially worried this game would be a no-profit labor of love...

I think it's a big help to the game's popularity that it's relatively easy to learn while at the same time being a surprisingly fun and deep game. The fact that it's character driven instead of faction driven is what has me hooked so much. Well that and it's pretty fun, though it looks like Paradox support is slowing down for the game. 1.05 had hotfixes nearly three times a week, but we've only gotten one big hotfix for 1.06. Probably cuz they didn't break everything this time!

I guess that's a good thing in a lot of ways. It lets me mod without worrying about porting everything over again every couple days.

[rickinator9]

Well that and it's pretty fun, though it looks like Paradox support is slowing down for the game. 1.05 had hotfixes nearly three times a week, but we've only gotten one big hotfix for 1.06. Probably cuz they didn't break everything this time!

Most Paradox employees are on vacation right now.

[Hooahguy]

Its truly amazing how one can go from stable to chaos in such a short time.
My Kingdom of Scotland was doing fine until my king died. Both my male heirs had died so a decade before I married someone and had a male son. So he inherited at age 10.

The entire kingdom revolted save for a few counties. At first it was just one vassal. I held him off with the help of mercs. Then another revolted. Then England attacked, claiming all of Scotland. I had no forces left and all my cities were under siege, so I surrendered Scotland. I only had Ireland left. Then a vassals claimed Ireland, and she had 3,000 soldiers and I had none. So I let her become my new liege. Now I am the duke of roughly half of Ireland. I was able to put down a smaller revolt by one of my vassals but its rough.

Amazing how I went from rags to riches in roughly 3 years.

[Chaotix]

Its truly amazing how one can go from stable to chaos in such a short time.
My Kingdom of Scotland was doing fine until my king died. Both my male heirs had died so a decade before I married someone and had a male son. So he inherited at age 10.

The entire kingdom revolted save for a few counties. At first it was just one vassal. I held him off with the help of mercs. Then another revolted. Then England attacked, claiming all of Scotland. I had no forces left and all my cities were under siege, so I surrendered Scotland. I only had Ireland left. Then a vassals claimed Ireland, and she had 3,000 soldiers and I had none. So I let her become my new liege. Now I am the duke of roughly half of Ireland. I was able to put down a smaller revolt by one of my vassals but its rough.

Amazing how I went from rags to riches in roughly 3 years.

I think you mean riches to rags.

Wow, that's a real horror story though. Never had something that terrible happen to me. I've had big crises like that, but they always came once I was already a big shot. So I remained mostly in power but lost say a few provinces to rebellion and had to spend the next ruler's reign getting them back, one duchy or county at a time.

[Hooahguy]

Wow, that's a real horror story though. Never had something that terrible happen to me. I've had big crises like that, but they always came once I was already a big shot. So I remained mostly in power but lost say a few provinces to rebellion and had to spend the next ruler's reign getting them back, one duchy or county at a time.

Tell me about it. One minute I was the proud ruler of Scotland and Ireland. The next, Im barely holding on to a sliver of Ireland.

And yeah, I meant riches to rags. Oops. I guess I was just so shocked that my mind involuntarily put the latter first in an attempt to deny what just happened.

[Nigel]

I kind of had an up-down experiene like that - although not quite so dramatic.

In my current (and so far first and only) game I started as a duke of Saxony in the North of the HRK.
Several of my rulers ruled as dukes, some of them very succesfully. I kept thinking "a nice goal for this game would be to become Kaiser some day". Then, all of a sudden one of my rulers has the chance to usurp the Danish throne and become King of Denmark (while still a vassal of the HRK).

Great!
Only now the old Kaiser dies and of course his son gets elected. So with a young Kaiser on the throne it seems ages for a new chance to run up for the emperor's robes. But the young lad becomes greedy, revokes a few titles, banishes a few dukes and soon gains the title "The Cruel". Everyone hates him and it is not long before the first lords rise in rebellion. My own luck raises, I keep making friends and some month later I find myself as candidate for his succession - leading the Duke of Swabia by 1 vote. Now I seize the moment and initate a plot to, well, get rid of the unpopular Kaiser. There is no shortage of supporters and soon I can place the imperial crown on my head.

Excellent!
I have gone from Duke to Emperor in 1 generation.
But now I realize in what a mess the HRE is. I have to give away titles and offer white peace left and right; even surrendering to some lords' demands for independance becomes inevitable. At the same time my own son, although married, has two daughters and believes in pleasure in Heaven more than fun in this world - making it highly unlikely that a grandson will be born from my heir.

I soon realize that I will never get the support needed to elect him as successor for the HRE and that all I can do is to use my emperors power to give him a good start when, after my death, he will inherit the crown of Denmark and the Duchy of Saxony. Now my new goal is: "let's see how I can stabilize my realm and ensure the survival of my dynasty".

[LeftEyeNine]

Its truly amazing how one can go from stable to chaos in such a short time.
My Kingdom of Scotland was doing fine until my king died. Both my male heirs had died so a decade before I married someone and had a male son. So he inherited at age 10.

The entire kingdom revolted save for a few counties. At first it was just one vassal. I held him off with the help of mercs. Then another revolted. Then England attacked, claiming all of Scotland. I had no forces left and all my cities were under siege, so I surrendered Scotland. I only had Ireland left. Then a vassals claimed Ireland, and she had 3,000 soldiers and I had none. So I let her become my new liege. Now I am the duke of roughly half of Ireland. I was able to put down a smaller revolt by one of my vassals but its rough.

Amazing how I went from rags to riches in roughly 3 years.

I agree it's amazing a game can evolve like that.

I'm being tempted.