PDOX Games VIII: Communism Will Win

[North German Realm]

Geez I think I spend too much of my CK2 playtime just repeatedly loading up new games because I lose within 10 years..

Anyway I've been trying to play as High Chief Svetozar of Kirivichia, 769 start. My first run went pretty well, formed Ruthenia, had decent enought stats.. And then I die of an infected wound and it's game over because my spouse has refused to birth me a male heir. Same thing happens in another run, except two years into the game. Don't you find it weird that your court physician knows how to treat the plague but not your smelly wound? While I know it is a lot worse than that I also know that the plague is even worse. And smallpox. And cancer. And all of the other sicknesses my court physician can cure by sawing one of my legs off. If that logic works, then why not an infected wound?

Aren't you a pagan? Just get yourself some concubines and make babies. Change your focus if you find it necessary.

[Danubian Peoples]

Geez I think I spend too much of my CK2 playtime just repeatedly loading up new games because I lose within 10 years..

Anyway I've been trying to play as High Chief Svetozar of Kirivichia, 769 start. My first run went pretty well, formed Ruthenia, had decent enought stats.. And then I die of an infected wound and it's game over because my spouse has refused to birth me a male heir. Same thing happens in another run, except two years into the game. Don't you find it weird that your court physician knows how to treat the plague but not your smelly wound? While I know it is a lot worse than that I also know that the plague is even worse. And smallpox. And cancer. And all of the other sicknesses my court physician can cure by sawing one of my legs off. If that logic works, then why not an infected wound?

Aren't you a pagan? Just get yourself some concubines and make babies. Change your focus if you find it necessary.

Well now I have to perform a delicate balance act. I have to have enough kids so that I can choose one with decent enough traits to be heir, but not enough that Gavelkind makes me rip my eyes out on succession. See an 867 Polotsk game for that. I had formed Novgorod and owned a lot of Ruthenia, I had many kids so when I died I was still king of Novgorod and everyone was still my vassal.. but I was left with two absolute terrible counties in my demense, one was the random county I invaded in order to use the become king of Novgorod ambition. I had to call my vassals into wars time and time again because I had 400 troops to my name. Eventually they stopped accepting my demands, and.. yeah. This is stupid. Or am I stupid? Betting on the latter.

[North German Realm]

Well now I have to perform a delicate balance act. I have to have enough kids so that I can choose one with decent enough traits to be heir, but not enough that Gavelkind makes me rip my eyes out on succession. See an 867 Polotsk game for that. I had formed Novgorod and owned a lot of Ruthenia, I had many kids so when I died I was still king of Novgorod and everyone was still my vassal.. but I was left with two absolute terrible counties in my demense, one was the random county I invaded in order to use the become king of Novgorod ambition. I had to call my vassals into wars time and time again because I had 400 troops to my name. Eventually they stopped accepting my demands, and.. yeah. This is stupid. Or am I stupid? Betting on the latter.

Well, that's a risk you have to take. If it's really that difficult, eschew breeding until you manage to get feudal and find relatively old people to marry (women don't make babies after 45, for example) so that you don't get too many sons. Or you can just no have too many holdings of your highest rank so your realm doesn't get partitioned by Gavelkind. You're gonna have to suffer through that for a while now though, I'm afraid

[The Olog-Hai]

Aren't you a pagan? Just get yourself some concubines and make babies. Change your focus if you find it necessary.

Well now I have to perform a delicate balance act. I have to have enough kids so that I can choose one with decent enough traits to be heir, but not enough that Gavelkind makes me rip my eyes out on succession. See an 867 Polotsk game for that. I had formed Novgorod and owned a lot of Ruthenia, I had many kids so when I died I was still king of Novgorod and everyone was still my vassal.. but I was left with two absolute terrible counties in my demense, one was the random county I invaded in order to use the become king of Novgorod ambition. I had to call my vassals into wars time and time again because I had 400 troops to my name. Eventually they stopped accepting my demands, and.. yeah. This is stupid. Or am I stupid? Betting on the latter.

IIRC as long as you hold a good capital duchy, and like a single province outside of it, on succession you should lose the single province but nothing else. I could be completely wrong though.

[Danubian Peoples]

You win, Crusader Kings 2. Victory is yours. I am defeated, and so I concede.

As it turns out, Russia is effectively unwinnable for a no-brainer like me, if you don't make a misstep and deal with a realm cut down the middle, then you'll come toe to the several thousand hooves of the Khazars. This is one part of Europe I'll just have to return to at a later date-if ever. So, any suggestions for games? My Scandinavia run ended in a burning ball of chaos (civil war and succession issues, plus adventurer plus Jihad, still consider it a victory because I destroyed Catholic MA, really wanted that number to just die), and I've left my Eire, Holy Roman Empire and Carpathia runs in their prime lest I tarnish their pristine condition. So I have some quaims.

How to make Russia playable for people with garbage-tier intellects like me?

Why didn't they bother to nerf the Norse? (No seriously I swear it's most likely easier to restore Rome as madlad northmen than it is as either of the 'Roman Empires')

Which DLC in particular 'fixed' Byzantium?

Any interesting places to play in aside from Europe?

[Valrifell]

All new players to Ck2 are legally required to do a run as Haesteinn of Retz, sorry I don't make the rules.

[Danubian Peoples]

All new players to Ck2 are legally required to do a run as Haesteinn of Retz, sorry I don't make the rules.

Tring to rn, can't seem to find the button for Prepared Invasion CB. Any help?

EDIT: Figured it out. This shouldn't be legal. I'm gonna call quits on even trying to touch this madlad of a viking, who according to Paradox had the power to invade any Karling kingdom of his choosing with ease. Or Morocco. Or Britain. This is not how war works. I swear this CB can take you to India, and it's also probably the one my vassals in my Scandinavia run were abusing the heck out of (until of course they surpassed everyone outside of the Scandi-blob in raw power and resolved to spam holy wars instead).

[Serrus]

All new players to Ck2 are legally required to do a run as Haesteinn of Retz, sorry I don't make the rules.

Tring to rn, can't seem to find the button for Prepared Invasion CB. Any help?

EDIT: Figured it out. This shouldn't be legal. I'm gonna call quits on even trying to touch this madlad of a viking, who according to Paradox had the power to invade any Karling kingdom of his choosing with ease. Or Morocco. Or Britain. This is not how war works. I swear this CB can take you to India, and it's also probably the one my vassals in my Scandinavia run were abusing the heck out of (until of course they surpassed everyone outside of the Scandi-blob in raw power and resolved to spam holy wars instead).

Yea Haesteinn can do anything. I got buddhists to britain with 'im!

[Bralia]

So I went and hovered a tooltip that I rarely hover over and discovered something slightly off . . .

[Genivaria]

Minor thing but I think it's cool.
The droikeka movement animation for Hearts of Durasteel.
https://www.reddit.com/r/HeartsOfDurast ... animation/

[Ifreann]

So I went and hovered a tooltip that I rarely hover over and discovered something slightly off . . .

Don't be defying the Pope, now, you hear?

[The Huskar Social Union]

Minor thing but I think it's cool.
The droikeka movement animation for Hearts of Durasteel.
https://www.reddit.com/r/HeartsOfDurast ... animation/

WHERE ARE THOSE DROIDEKAS???

[Serrus]

Minor thing but I think it's cool.
The droikeka movement animation for Hearts of Durasteel.
https://www.reddit.com/r/HeartsOfDurast ... animation/

WHERE ARE THOSE DROIDEKAS???

I WANT THOSE DROIDEKAS UP HERE AT ONCE!

[Lunas Legion]

So I finally got IR Rome since it was on sale, is alright now I guess. Could probably do with a few more CK2 elements and needs more mapmodes since there's like six and that's just disappointing unless there's some button somewhere I don't know of.

[Genivaria]

So I played a Salian CK2 game and it went extremely well.
Have two bloodlines created by my dynasty, one by myself and one by my crusader daughter. Queen of Jerusalem.

Just finished the Imperial Palace in my new capital of Prague.

My grandson is the king of England and I am insanely rich, and the Pope is my puppet.


.....I'm bored.
What do now?

[Evil Dictators Happyland]

So I played a Salian CK2 game and it went extremely well.
Have two bloodlines created by my dynasty, one by myself and one by my crusader daughter. Queen of Jerusalem.

Just finished the Imperial Palace in my new capital of Prague.

My grandson is the king of England and I am insanely rich, and the Pope is my puppet.


.....I'm bored.
What do now?

Restore the Roman Empire

[The Derpy Democratic Republic Of Herp]

Bo is streaming to fight cancer

[Ostroeuropa]

Aragon game;

Seized Provence due to France being in a war and not coming. Waiting out the AE decay (47 for taking both Provence provinces in the area) while trying to trigger Iberian. Around the same time, Portugal began leading a union with England but got into a succession war with France over the matter, so they're all beating eachother up.

Burgundian succession occurred and Milan won it all, so I nabbed an alliance. (I guess the whole netherlands will be leaving the HRE on the shadow kingdom event, yum.).

Soon i'll hit the papacy for the final Occitan province, then attack France, try and bring Austria, Castille, Naples, Me, and Milan into it. France has been in constant massive wars so they might be weak enough to seize Occitania from.

If I can seize Occitania I think that's pretty much it, game over, look at me I'm the Roman now. It'll be a matter of colonizing while eating France and Italy, then moving in to the HRE diplomatically while blitzing north africa and so on.

Hopefully by Absolutism time I can have France, Italy, Iberia, colonies, and the beginnings of north africa. (Hopefully some Indian and Chinese ports for expansion and income.). I'm also aiming to be Emperor by then and hoping I can revoke the privilegia.

[Bralia]

So I finally got IR Rome since it was on sale, is alright now I guess. Could probably do with a few more CK2 elements and needs more mapmodes since there's like six and that's just disappointing unless there's some button somewhere I don't know of.

I'm quite certain there is a button somewhere, actually. Don't ask me where since I haven't popped open the game yet in Livy, but I have heard tale of its existence.

[Lunas Legion]

So I finally got IR Rome since it was on sale, is alright now I guess. Could probably do with a few more CK2 elements and needs more mapmodes since there's like six and that's just disappointing unless there's some button somewhere I don't know of.

I'm quite certain there is a button somewhere, actually. Don't ask me where since I haven't popped open the game yet in Livy, but I have heard tale of its existence.

I must find it. I need more mapmodes.

[Bralia]

Disappointed by the amount of loot you're getting from provinces? Raping and pillaging just not satisfying enough? Say no more. EUIV's 1.30 has just the thing for you!

[North German Realm]

So I'm playing a 867(?) start game. Started as Engelschalk Wilhelmiden, count of Eppenstein, enlarged my realm to hold all of the duchies of Styria and Austria. During the Crusade (started in 900), put a bastard of the dyansty (also named Engelschalk) on the throne of Jerusalem and started playing as him. Changed his dynasty into "of Acre". Took the Kingdom of Syria on the second Crusade (which may or may not have made the Pope a bit mad). Plan is taking Egypt too, then forming "Empire of the Levant".

[Genivaria]

Disappointed by the amount of loot you're getting from provinces? Raping and pillaging just not satisfying enough? Say no more. EUIV's 1.30 has just the thing for you!

This is wonderful.

[Crysuko]

I've been playing and getting quite into Kaiserreich, and let me tell you that "land war in Asia" is not just a meme, it really is that much of a pain in the backside. Even with 40 width mechanised divisions and infantry, nobody has more than 30-40% organisation and the sheer amount of units crammed onto the front line means nobody has the strength to break through.

It's such a grind.

[Valrifell]

So I'm playing a 867(?) start game. Started as Engelschalk Wilhelmiden, count of Eppenstein, enlarged my realm to hold all of the duchies of Styria and Austria. During the Crusade (started in 900), put a bastard of the dyansty (also named Engelschalk) on the throne of Jerusalem and started playing as him. Changed his dynasty into "of Acre". Took the Kingdom of Syria on the second Crusade (which may or may not have made the Pope a bit mad). Plan is taking Egypt too, then forming "Empire of the Levant".

Just make the Kemetic Empire.