PDOX Games VIII: Communism Will Win

[Myrensis]

Honestly I find it a bit hard to get into Republics, just because while I know there were no real historical equivalents to draw from, it annoys me that whether it's Orthodox Crimean Goths or Pagan Mauretanian Songhay, I'm always going to end up with a "Serene Republic" ruled by a gaggle of "Doge's".

[Purpelia]

Same here. Once you get past the initial revulsion though you'll find it to be a jolly old time rampaging across the continent with 3K + mercenary armies out of a duchy sized hold. Like, I was literally able to carve out an empire and refactor my religion without ever raising levies.

Long story short:
Shattered world I started as a Hellenic merchant republic in the Crimea. North of me is the Byzantium equivalent controlling all of Scandinavia and than some. Fell apart before I got to my 1st elections. Is now loosing more size per year than I'm conquering. And that's before you factor in my help. South of me, because of course it would be, the HRE equivalent is thriving and growing. They happen to basically hold Egypt and the western caliphate.

Ok... so I start off as Hellenic, conquer my way through Asia and take all my holy sites and it's tie to reform the faith. So naturally, I look to my neighbors to see who I should emulate. And obviously it's the HRE equivalent. Only, the Blessed Bohemian Empire is... wait for it... Aztec. So my cynic turned late life zealot Doge decides it's a good idea to take a que from the big guy.

Que the flower wars.

PS. Am I the only one disappointed that random world generation does not come with random geography? Like a proper random shaped continent.

[Bralia]

I started a new game as Sigurdr Ring and I've been doing SO MUCH RAIDING. I love it so much, I can't stop combing the map for people who have treasuries to try and pillage.

[The Batavia]

So I'm currently playing as Naples aiming to form Italy as a Reformed. I already have taken Sicilly, Malta, a bit of the Balkans and a bit of Tunesia. Any tips?

[Harbertia]

So I'm currently playing as Naples aiming to form Italy as a Reformed. I already have taken Sicilly, Malta, a bit of the Balkans and a bit of Tunesia. Any tips?

You appear to be on the right track- you've gained control of nearly all the waters around Italy giving you a trade advantage. Economic strength translates into military strength when applied- a wealthy nation maintains larger armies, and fleets- and has more factories to produce arms. Like a snake coiling it's prey choke the mainland of it's wealth- and squeeze until you can take the coast by force. An impoverished nation, surrounded by a wealthy one will fall- like a man starved now at the mercy of one who has the grain. As they diminish funds to their military to stay financially afloat you will find your time to strike.

[Abserdia]

My Kingdom was lost, destroyed by the heir my traitorous former subjects chose to the throne, the Kaiser.
All I have left is a single duchy and some artifacts.
My dream of an independent Frisian Kingdom has practically been destroyed. Now, my dynasty has three places to go...
I could either pursue a futile attempt at reuniting the former Kingdom...
Look to the throne of France...
or, perhaps, become content with this and let my Crusader King brother, now the king of Norway, take the spotlight away from me...

I don't know what to do.

[The Huskar Social Union]

My Kingdom was lost, destroyed by the heir my traitorous former subjects chose to the throne, the Kaiser.
All I have left is a single duchy and some artifacts.
My dream of an independent Frisian Kingdom has practically been destroyed. Now, my dynasty has three places to go...
I could either pursue a futile attempt at reuniting the former Kingdom...
Look to the throne of France...
or, perhaps, become content with this and let my Crusader King brother, now the king of Norway, take the spotlight away from me...

I don't know what to do.

Kill the Kaisers, Kill the World.

[Valrifell]

Crusader to Ares' Own, how the Latin Emperor betrayed everything that came before him and became Pontifex Maximus Maximos I
(name absolutely intended)

[Abserdia]

My Kingdom was lost, destroyed by the heir my traitorous former subjects chose to the throne, the Kaiser.
All I have left is a single duchy and some artifacts.
My dream of an independent Frisian Kingdom has practically been destroyed. Now, my dynasty has three places to go...
I could either pursue a futile attempt at reuniting the former Kingdom...
Look to the throne of France...
or, perhaps, become content with this and let my Crusader King brother, now the king of Norway, take the spotlight away from me...

I don't know what to do.

Kill the Kaisers, Kill the World.

I think I'm going to try to become the King of France first. I pondered over switching to the King of Norway but decided against it, despite the sweet helmet I'd get.
I can't properly express how furious I am, however, over these following facts.
1. None of my vassals voted for my daughter for Frisia or my son for the HRE.
2. I died in combat with a 70-something PCS while defending Africa.
3. The Kaiser inherited both of my titles.
4. He destroyed Frisia.
And 5. RIP Frisia, never forget November 21, 1117.

[Harbertia]

Crusader to Ares' Own, how the Latin Emperor betrayed everything that came before him and became Pontifex Maximus Maximos I
(name absolutely intended)

You are a Lord of the Sith.

[Ism]

I've made some friends.

[The Batavia]

Kill the Kaisers, Kill the World.

I think I'm going to try to become the King of France first. I pondered over switching to the King of Norway but decided against it, despite the sweet helmet I'd get.
I can't properly express how furious I am, however, over these following facts.
1. None of my vassals voted for my daughter for Frisia or my son for the HRE.
2. I died in combat with a 70-something PCS while defending Africa.
3. The Kaiser inherited both of my titles.
4. He destroyed Frisia.
And 5. RIP Frisia, never forget November 21, 1117.

Mega F

[Bralia]

I kinda went overboard and took way more screenshots than I normally do:

The first screenshot-worthy thing that happened to me was the acquisition of a really weird axe that I don't understand at all.

Next up was the absolutely absurd luck and sheer legend that is Sigurdr Ring living long enough and doing just enough to reform the Germanic faith BEFORE the Viking Era even started. I was not playing very quickly, I was completely on board with Lothbrok eventually being the one to do it. Circumstances just fell together when Saxony declared a subjugation war on Denmark, and I didn't want that level of competition so I rushed them down faster with a Force Vassalization CB. A little bit of patience for the Irminsul incident to blow over and one county claim later, Sigurdr Ring become a god among men.
Also of note, I didn't actually go with Unrelenting, I forgot to take a screenshot of my final build after I experimented a bit. Went with Ancestor Veneration because I loved Eldership from the African game too much and I just clearly couldn't move on. Though, with this version, I can make "saints", so that's a cool new feature to play with.

Sigurdr being a complete bad-ass, he also triumphed in the Legend quest by killing a Byzantine notabear.

He became the King of Valhalla a year later. The truest example of Norse blood that has and ever will live.

I had plans to go to Rome, but I changed my mind. Tunis looks nice, though, I should raid there . . .

I was in the region when Anatolia turned a disturbing color.

And here's another example of Tengri expansionism where it doesn't belong.

After many long years of nearly non-stop raiding when Lothbrok took power, I received Ægir's crown. I've played two Norse Germanic games in the past and I never even became a Ravager in those. I put the effort into it this time. And I'm not just going to stop raiding now that I've got this shiny trait, I'm having way too much fun sacking the notable locations of Europe.\

And my final screenshot . . . why bother summoning a smith when you can just steal such artifacts instead? Gods, I love raiding.

[Abserdia]

I became the King of France.

Everything’s coming up Akra.

The first screenshot-worthy thing that happened to me was the acquisition of a really weird axe that I don't understand at all.

Wait, is the +2 Axe rare? I don’t think I’ve gone a single Norse game without getting it.

[Ism]

I kinda went overboard and took way more screenshots than I normally do:

The first screenshot-worthy thing that happened to me was the acquisition of a really weird axe that I don't understand at all.

Next up was the absolutely absurd luck and sheer legend that is Sigurdr Ring living long enough and doing just enough to reform the Germanic faith BEFORE the Viking Era even started. I was not playing very quickly, I was completely on board with Lothbrok eventually being the one to do it. Circumstances just fell together when Saxony declared a subjugation war on Denmark, and I didn't want that level of competition so I rushed them down faster with a Force Vassalization CB. A little bit of patience for the Irminsul incident to blow over and one county claim later, Sigurdr Ring become a god among men.
Also of note, I didn't actually go with Unrelenting, I forgot to take a screenshot of my final build after I experimented a bit. Went with Ancestor Veneration because I loved Eldership from the African game too much and I just clearly couldn't move on. Though, with this version, I can make "saints", so that's a cool new feature to play with.

Sigurdr being a complete bad-ass, he also triumphed in the Legend quest by killing a Byzantine notabear.

He became the King of Valhalla a year later. The truest example of Norse blood that has and ever will live.

I had plans to go to Rome, but I changed my mind. Tunis looks nice, though, I should raid there . . .

I was in the region when Anatolia turned a disturbing color.

And here's another example of Tengri expansionism where it doesn't belong.

After many long years of nearly non-stop raiding when Lothbrok took power, I received Ægir's crown. I've played two Norse Germanic games in the past and I never even became a Ravager in those. I put the effort into it this time. And I'm not just going to stop raiding now that I've got this shiny trait, I'm having way too much fun sacking the notable locations of Europe.\

And my final screenshot . . . why bother summoning a smith when you can just steal such artifacts instead? Gods, I love raiding.

Axe is a reference to purple gear in MMOs.

And Tengrism should spread from sea to bloody sea.

[Bralia]

I became the King of France.

Everything’s coming up Akra.

The first screenshot-worthy thing that happened to me was the acquisition of a really weird axe that I don't understand at all.

Wait, is the +2 Axe rare? I don’t think I’ve gone a single Norse game without getting it.

Is it common, then? I don't play often enough to remember that it exists if I've seen it before.

[Abserdia]

Oh, and I forgot to mention a pretty interesting tidbit about my game.
Tengriism reformed under the Mongol Empire.

I became the King of France.

Everything’s coming up Akra.


Wait, is the +2 Axe rare? I don’t think I’ve gone a single Norse game without getting it.

Is it common, then? I don't play often enough to remember that it exists if I've seen it before.

Pretty common, at least for me. I think you have to be a Germanic Pagan to get it but I’m not entirely sure.

[Ism]

Oh, and I forgot to mention a pretty interesting tidbit about my game.
Tengriism reformed under the Mongol Empire.

Is it common, then? I don't play often enough to remember that it exists if I've seen it before.

Pretty common, at least for me. I think you have to be a Germanic Pagan to get it but I’m not entirely sure.

You do not. I got it on my nomads, for instance. Maybe you just have to raid to get it?

[Harbertia]

Is this what it's like to be a Repugnant Militaristic Xenophile who builds a World Breaker?

[Wallenburg]

I've made some friends.

An unholy alliance to surpass Molotov–Ribbentrop.

[Harbertia]

I think I'd enjoy the RPG elements of CK2 with the space setting of Stellaris- and mystical elements.

In short bring me a Science Fantasy Space Opera!

[Ism]

I think I'd enjoy the RPG elements of CK2 with the space setting of Stellaris- and mystical elements.

In short bring me a Science Fantasy Space Opera!

I would buy the shit out of this.

[Harbertia]

I think I'd enjoy the RPG elements of CK2 with the space setting of Stellaris- and mystical elements.

In short bring me a Science Fantasy Space Opera!

I would buy the shit out of this.

SAME!

[Southern States 2]

Do any of you recommend EU4?

[Impaled Nazarene]

Do any of you recommend EU4?

We all came to the agreement that its the worst of the modern Paradox games. However if money is not a concern go buy it and a few DLC. Just watch out because mod conflicts are murder.