PDX Games IX: The Pacific Bread Centaur

[Bralia]

I'm playing as a vassal for the first time in my Crusader Kings history.
I'm also a King and have always been a king since the 867 start.

Who am I?

[Lunas Legion]

I'm playing as a vassal for the first time in my Crusader Kings history.
I'm also a King and have always been a king since the 867 start.

Who am I?

867, vassal king?

My best guess is you're Armenia, or to be more accurate, the Armenian Principalities in CKIII.

[Bralia]

I'm playing as a vassal for the first time in my Crusader Kings history.
I'm also a King and have always been a king since the 867 start.

Who am I?

867, vassal king?

My best guess is you're Armenia, or to be more accurate, the Armenian Principalities in CKIII.

Damn, I was hoping it would be a bit of a challenge to guess. You are indeed correct. I think Armenia is the only vassal king on the map in 867, but it's in a modestly obscure location so I thought I could get away with the guessing game.

I discovered that a Greater Armenian Empire can be formed when I was perusing the wiki about a week ago and it looked so cool that I knew I had to do it. I've never even heard of Greater Armenia before, it's one of those things in the nooks of history that you just miss out on sometimes.

[Salus Maior]

867, vassal king?

My best guess is you're Armenia, or to be more accurate, the Armenian Principalities in CKIII.

Damn, I was hoping it would be a bit of a challenge to guess. You are indeed correct. I think Armenia is the only vassal king on the map in 867, but it's in a modestly obscure location so I thought I could get away with the guessing game.

I discovered that a Greater Armenian Empire can be formed when I was perusing the wiki about a week ago and it looked so cool that I knew I had to do it. I've never even heard of Greater Armenia before, it's one of those things in the nooks of history that you just miss out on sometimes.

Greater Armenia is one of those things I cry myself to sleep over. Alongside 1453, Fourth Crusade, Battle of Hattin, etc...

[Lunas Legion]

867, vassal king?

My best guess is you're Armenia, or to be more accurate, the Armenian Principalities in CKIII.

Damn, I was hoping it would be a bit of a challenge to guess. You are indeed correct. I think Armenia is the only vassal king on the map in 867, but it's in a modestly obscure location so I thought I could get away with the guessing game.

I discovered that a Greater Armenian Empire can be formed when I was perusing the wiki about a week ago and it looked so cool that I knew I had to do it. I've never even heard of Greater Armenia before, it's one of those things in the nooks of history that you just miss out on sometimes.

I only knew myself because I've played it once or twice.

[The Huskar Social Union]

I was sorely tempted to boot up HOI4 yesterday.

I need to resist the temptation..

the temptation of conquering europe with an army of soviet tanks.... it calls to me

[Heloin]

I was sorely tempted to boot up HOI4 yesterday.

I need to resist the temptation..

the temptation of conquering europe with an army of soviet tanks.... it calls to me

Liberate.

[Salus Maior]

I was sorely tempted to boot up HOI4 yesterday.

I need to resist the temptation..

the temptation of conquering europe with an army of soviet tanks.... it calls to me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbJ4dcNzytc

[The Huskar Social Union]

I was sorely tempted to boot up HOI4 yesterday.

I need to resist the temptation..

the temptation of conquering europe with an army of soviet tanks.... it calls to me

Liberate.

Of course comrade.

Liberating the workers one t-34 armada at a time.

I was sorely tempted to boot up HOI4 yesterday.

I need to resist the temptation..

the temptation of conquering europe with an army of soviet tanks.... it calls to me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbJ4dcNzytc

[Bralia]

I think I'm one more aneurysm away from just totally disabling vassal wars in CK3 totally and completely. If there's going to be next to no mechanism for stopping their bullshit, I see no reason not to just end it all. If I'm going to have absolutely zero control over acquiring a kingdom's worth of land that I don't want because of some dumbfuck, inbred, shit for brains, cunt Count, I'm just going to stop playing the game as it was intended.

[Salus Maior]

Decided to play a short game in the late period of CK2, attempting to revive the glorious Komnenoi in Trebizond.

As you can see, I managed to succeed. Here's a little cultural and religious map as well. It certainly wasn't an easy game (and I did it ironman), with lots of setbacks keeping me from reclaiming Anatolia for Orthodox civilization. I lost a lot of wars, though thankfully no defensive ones, as the Bahris (the Egyptians gone Arabian Empire) became the new Islamoblob and brought their doomstacks whenever I attempted to holy war against Muslims. The Turks generally weren't much of a problem to deal with, as the first Crusade of the game made Cyprus the King of Egypt which set back the Bahris for a while but they managed to bounce back. The Crusader Egyptians colonized Southern Anatolia and helped destroy the Ottomans alongside a Byzantine resurgence. Of course, the Crusaders just replaced them as the new problem for me so I spent a lot of the game prying the titles under the Kingdom of Anatolia from them until I reclaimed the title. I didn't get all of it at the end, but I'm satisfied with what I managed to do in the end.

Weird side things: The HRE granted the Knights of Santiago Bohemia, and for quite some time there was a Samaritan county in the middle of Anatolia.

[Washington Resistance Army]

Decided to play a short game in the late period of CK2, attempting to revive the glorious Komnenoi in Trebizond.

As you can see, I managed to succeed. Here's a little cultural and religious map as well. It certainly wasn't an easy game (and I did it ironman), with lots of setbacks keeping me from reclaiming Anatolia for Orthodox civilization. I lost a lot of wars, though thankfully no defensive ones, as the Bahris (the Egyptians gone Arabian Empire) became the new Islamoblob and brought their doomstacks whenever I attempted to holy war against Muslims. The Turks generally weren't much of a problem to deal with, as the first Crusade of the game made Cyprus the King of Egypt which set back the Bahris for a while but they managed to bounce back. The Crusader Egyptians colonized Southern Anatolia and helped destroy the Ottomans alongside a Byzantine resurgence. Of course, the Crusaders just replaced them as the new problem for me so I spent a lot of the game prying the titles under the Kingdom of Anatolia from them until I reclaimed the title. I didn't get all of it at the end, but I'm satisfied with what I managed to do in the end.

Weird side things: The HRE granted the Knights of Santiago Bohemia, and for quite some time there was a Samaritan county in the middle of Anatolia.

This looks like it was a fun campaign, I've never actually done Trebizond myself. This was the (not quite, as I played the remaining few decades but it's close enough) end result last time I did a final start date Byzantine run and I really enjoy the challenge of starting out in such a precarious position and trying to speedrun restoring as much of the empires land as possible before the end date hits.

[Salus Maior]

Decided to play a short game in the late period of CK2, attempting to revive the glorious Komnenoi in Trebizond.

As you can see, I managed to succeed. Here's a little cultural and religious map as well. It certainly wasn't an easy game (and I did it ironman), with lots of setbacks keeping me from reclaiming Anatolia for Orthodox civilization. I lost a lot of wars, though thankfully no defensive ones, as the Bahris (the Egyptians gone Arabian Empire) became the new Islamoblob and brought their doomstacks whenever I attempted to holy war against Muslims. The Turks generally weren't much of a problem to deal with, as the first Crusade of the game made Cyprus the King of Egypt which set back the Bahris for a while but they managed to bounce back. The Crusader Egyptians colonized Southern Anatolia and helped destroy the Ottomans alongside a Byzantine resurgence. Of course, the Crusaders just replaced them as the new problem for me so I spent a lot of the game prying the titles under the Kingdom of Anatolia from them until I reclaimed the title. I didn't get all of it at the end, but I'm satisfied with what I managed to do in the end.

Weird side things: The HRE granted the Knights of Santiago Bohemia, and for quite some time there was a Samaritan county in the middle of Anatolia.

This looks like it was a fun campaign, I've never actually done Trebizond myself. This was the (not quite, as I played the remaining few decades but it's close enough) end result last time I did a final start date Byzantine run and I really enjoy the challenge of starting out in such a precarious position and trying to speedrun restoring as much of the empires land as possible before the end date hits.

Nice, was that ironman as well?

I'm considering continuing my Trebizond game in EU4 with the modded converter, maybe attempt to start a new Hellenistic age by conquering my way to India, controlling the Indian ocean trade, and locking out the Europeans.

[Washington Resistance Army]

This looks like it was a fun campaign, I've never actually done Trebizond myself. This was the (not quite, as I played the remaining few decades but it's close enough) end result last time I did a final start date Byzantine run and I really enjoy the challenge of starting out in such a precarious position and trying to speedrun restoring as much of the empires land as possible before the end date hits.

Nice, was that ironman as well?

It wasn't ironman solely because tbh I just never remember to click the button. I've never cared about Steam achievements and always play with tons of mods so it never pops into my mind. That being said I don't recall ever actually needing to restart or savescum that one, I managed to take the decision about the Classics relatively quickly and convert to Hellenism and Byzantium is in an oddly opportune spot to really snowball in 1337 if you do that. Three holy sites are pretty much right next to each other, Rome can be sniped relatively easily because the Pope usually only has a few counties and thus you build up war score quick (though you will have to fight off the Catholics from time to time trying to retake it), only Alexandria presents a bit of a challenge but if you do manage to take it that'll allow you to reform the religion instantly and give you access to Great Holy Wars which lets you snipe whole kingdoms at will. If you manage to get Alexander's bloodline too (which I did in that game) that more or less means each character you play can seize at least 2 kingdoms in their lifetime which is how I blobbed so quickly.

I'm considering continuing my Trebizond game in EU4 with the modded converter, maybe attempt to start a new Hellenistic age by conquering my way to India, controlling the Indian ocean trade, and locking out the Europeans.

The fanmade converter is wonderful, I recently learned it fully supports all the religions and cultures from WTWSMS so I've been debating tons of megacampaign ideas.

[Bralia]

At long last, I feel like I can stand alone. I think I spent about as much time in the Abbasid Empire as I did in the Byzantine Empire, I signed on with the Byzzies immediately after gaining independence from the declining Abbasids. My time with the Byzantines ended after I had to deal with SO MANY Islamic emirates declaring on the Empire for my territory. When I finally got a break from that miserable experience, I declared that the Emperor couldn't protect me anymore and cast off their shackles. I'm definitely still weak enough that any enemy with a competent alliance web is going to be a solidly hard fight (the Tulunids are the most dangerous power in the area), but I think I'm in a position where I can ultimately win most fights.

[Continental Free States]

Some of the more recent playthroughs I've played have made me hate the Byzantines so much that I lowkey wish the Latin Empire was a thing in CK3 like it was in CK2.

[Lunas Legion]

Some of the more recent playthroughs I've played have made me hate the Byzantines so much that I lowkey wish the Latin Empire was a thing in CK3 like it was in CK2.

It isn't?

[Continental Free States]

Some of the more recent playthroughs I've played have made me hate the Byzantines so much that I lowkey wish the Latin Empire was a thing in CK3 like it was in CK2.

It isn't?

The titular title exists, but there's no way to get it. I'm assuming they were planning on writing a Fourth Crusade mechanics in the start but didn't get around to it.

[Sordhau]

It isn't?

The titular title exists, but there's no way to get it. I'm assuming they were planning on writing a Fourth Crusade mechanics in the start but didn't get around to it.

They'll probably release it as part of a DLC for the Byzantine Empire.

[Bralia]

Some genuinely good AI improvements coming in EUIV's next patch.

[Lunas Legion]

The titular title exists, but there's no way to get it. I'm assuming they were planning on writing a Fourth Crusade mechanics in the start but didn't get around to it.

They'll probably release it as part of a DLC for the Byzantine Empire.

Or a Crusades DLC. The whole Iberia system with some modifications seems perfect for the Crusader States.

[Continental Free States]

The titular title exists, but there's no way to get it. I'm assuming they were planning on writing a Fourth Crusade mechanics in the start but didn't get around to it.

They'll probably release it as part of a DLC for the Byzantine Empire.

Either the Byzantines, the Near East, or just Crusades in general. It could work for either tbh.

[Bralia]

Stare too long into the Abyss and it gets ideas of African union.

[The Huskar Social Union]

Stare too long into the Abyss and it gets ideas of African union.

Hmmm, im liking it. Seems like an interesting focus tree

Either as an independent socialist republic or a Soviet backed one, East-Africa can be dangerous with all those imperialist powers nearby. Freedom at Gunpoint unlocks decisions for waging liberation wars against the neighboring powers to release their colonial territories. Don’t worry though, this doesn’t mean successfully marching from Addis Ababa to London in order to liberate Sudan. Once Ethiopia gains enough territory in the nation they are attempting to liberate, they will have the option to request a peace deal with the colonial power. With bigger enemies to deal with closer to home, they’re likely going to cut their losses.​

Thank fuck

[Heloin]

Stare too long into the Abyss and it gets ideas of African union.

Hmmm, im liking it. Seems like an interesting focus tree

Either as an independent socialist republic or a Soviet backed one, East-Africa can be dangerous with all those imperialist powers nearby. Freedom at Gunpoint unlocks decisions for waging liberation wars against the neighboring powers to release their colonial territories. Don’t worry though, this doesn’t mean successfully marching from Addis Ababa to London in order to liberate Sudan. Once Ethiopia gains enough territory in the nation they are attempting to liberate, they will have the option to request a peace deal with the colonial power. With bigger enemies to deal with closer to home, they’re likely going to cut their losses.​

Thank fuck

Honestly if they also adopt that for South Africa and I guess Liberia I might actually play HoI again after a long absence. I hated having to send my soldiers all the way to Lisbon just to liberate Angola.