Crusader Kings 3

I played the tutorial. It definitely helps if you have never played CK1 or CK2 (I'm assuming). There is so much shit to click on, if you've never played the game before, you easily get lost and have no idea what to do. I didn't even know how to move my army before doing to tutorial, or about 75 other things that you need to know how to do to successfully play the game. In all honesty, I may do the tutorial a second time, just because I couldn't remember everything in the tutorial once I took the training wheels off. I think this game has huge potential, but there is definitely a steep learning curve for new players.

Punko said:

It isn't all RNG, but RNG can go from having a significant impact to sometimes fucking you over. Playing well does help to prevent a lot of shit.

For new players (like I was a few days ago) I do suggest checking your starting stats and rerolling as needed.

I just started a game as Munster again, first roll my bishop had a learning skill of 5. Since bishops are hard to replace, I rerolled, and got one with a skill of 20, which really increases the early game creation of claims.

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Yeah I was plastered last night and got angry at the game.

But anyway, I've been doing a lot of genetic match ups and now my Duke of Tuscany is both herculean and intelligent. I'm trying to get some sons who are both herculean and genius.
It has made the game a lot more fun for me, and reminds me of Dune. I'm hoping to get a Duke who is just a superman, and then have him massacre the Croats who've occupied southern Italy.

Maybe this game does get to you after you suffer through the first 30 hours.

So, the game is wonky but empire building is possible. Though in this play through I think I've hit the peak of my arc for awhile. I started in the 960 years, and being a tribe is very tough to build up a large empire. Being tribal and Asatru religion makes it so you can't really upgrade your government to a feudal system, so your succession laws are locked into "Partition" or "Elective." I got lucky and my one ruler died from being gored by a boar during a hunt and my son was able to take over from 16y/o giving me the maximum time to do stuff with a single solid ruler.

However, he is getting older and he is going to die. I'm currently the King of Iceland (player created kingdom) Ireland, Wales, and Sweden. When I die its all going to go to election, and while I will most likely keep Iceland and Ireland, Sweden and Wales are prolly going to go to other people cause of the vote system. This happened prior with Wales, but I was able to bring it back under my control via a little murder. Oh well.

Big empires though get extremely unwieldy unless you have the government to support it. And starting as one of the non Catholic realms so far seems to put you at a significant disadvantage cause you have a Tribal government structure and an unreformed religion. So you have to reform your religion and develop your culture to the point where you can enter the feudal government system and hopefully have more control over your realms and inheritance. I haven't played as a Feudal land yet. Too much fun fucking off in minor countries trying to do dumb stuff.

The other thing I think I would do on another playthrough is purpose build my leader towards an objective. With the RPG talents system you can do some dumb shit. But, if I was to do it again (and will on next playthrough) I'd go for a single main objective. "Reform the religion" with this ruler, and go all into learning and religion to lower the costs. Next ruler maybe have him geared all into the martial traits to expand the kingdom. Then next one go deep into prestige so you can form an empire etc. You don't have to stick to one tree for your lifetime, or even one 'path' in each lifestyle type. You can mix and match, and getting to know the game a little better a lot of the skill point trees seem to be traps, or are only good for one very specific thing. Look over them carefully. You don't have to buy all the way to the end to start another.

So anyway, in this play through though I think I've peaked for awhile. I'm going to get hit by the inheritance tax and lose half my kingdom when I die,, and I've just managed to reform Asatru as a religion with myself as the religious leader, but the Pope just declared a holy war to reclaim England from the pagans. So its about ti get hairy. If I survive though I think my next goal will be to destroy the Papacy. Fuck you for your holy war.

But yeah. Half the game is just how fucked up shit can go, and laughing at it while struggling on despite it.

I have CK2 I got for free on steam. Never played it, is it like this as well?

Went ahead and grabbed this off Game Pass based on this thread. I just did the tutorial, and holy shit that's the most complex tutorial I've ever played.

This game may be way too much for me to even comprehend.

Borzak said:

I have CK2 I got for free on steam. Never played it, is it like this as well?

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yes, but it has more since a lot of DLC exist for it.

republics are my favorite to play, but CK3 doesn't allow playing as them atm.

I'm playing the tutorial, on the second generation now (grandchildren actually). I made a huge mistake choosing a wife for my character... didn't check the age. She was 40 when I married her, still gave me a daughter. I then proceeded to seduce every available courtier available trying to get bastards to legitimize (even tried to woo a girl in another court, but I think that's bugged... when I tried to get her to join my court it said she only liked me for 25 when she was at 100... never got her to come). Finally get a bastard boy, legitimize him, my wife went from +80 to -100... then the boy gets "sickly" and dies a year later. Obviously my seed is weak. At least I still have my daughter! And it's time to find her a husband... check the girl, she's fucking pregnant. My heir is a fucking whore

Love the game but I'm not sure I want to get into the levels of complexity of running an empire or wars with 5+ armies and shit. I understand the basics ok but... would anyone have a link to some moderate-level strategies? I get analysis paralysis, there are so many options on what to do.

You can also try to divorce or execute your wife. Your spy councilor can discover people's secrets to blackmail them and/or imprison them. Generally youth is one of the most valued characteristics of a wife.

Agraza said:

You can also try to divorce or execute your wife. Your spy councilor can discover people's secrets to blackmail them and/or imprison them. Generally youth is one of the most valued characteristics of a wife.

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I'm trying to roleplay this, my dude was a good christian. Haven't executed anyone yet, haven't done any tyranny. I think my next game I'll be more of an asshole, there seems to be a lot more options for fun that way.

Second playthrough of the tutorial and I thought I was starting to get the hang of things. Then I died and all my siblings had claims on different counties and my brain started to hurt. I'm pretty hooked atm, but my god there is alot for my dumbass to take in.

Yeah, I'm going to have to do the tutorial a second time. I forget half of the shit the tutorial taught me. I was hoping the tutorial would be more of like a hand that guided you through the game and showed you what to do, but it's more like a really shitty instruction manual.

GeneralF said:

I'm trying to roleplay this, my dude was a good christian. Haven't executed anyone yet, haven't done any tyranny. I think my next game I'll be more of an asshole, there seems to be a lot more options for fun that way.

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Pretty sure just approaching this as a sandbox RPG is the way to go. I'm currently playing as a super dirty scheming villain. I've managed to get hooks on my Liege eliminating all my taxes and levies. I have also slept with 2 out 3 of my neighboring count's wives, with a secret child with one as well as one of their daughters. I'm also working on building super kids via genetic traits. I've taken zero lands and never been attacked, everyone just seems content to let me sit there and sleep with their women.

Keep in mind that this game is now on the third iteration and has had a very loyal following. It does have an extremely high learning curve (like most Paradox games) but the replayability is absolutely immense.

Alright I think I get the appeal now.

In my Tuscany game, my king was a gay dude who sent assassins after people that pissed him off. He killed his brother and his three nephews in order to secure a duchy and increase his income. He has a wife and like four children but spends all his time travelling between his loyal vassals and getting drunk. Died of obesity (or sucking cocks, jury is out).

In my Viking game, my jarl is a warrior who spends all his time raiding the Finns and the Estonians. But he also likes to eat human flesh, and frequently carves up his war prisoners for dinner.

Weird shit happens. Weird people doing crazy shit. This game is like all the headlines you see coming out of Florida.