Armchair Dragoons Forums
Wargaming => Pre-Gunpowder => Topic started by: chemkid on June 18, 2020, 11:12:33 AM
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CKII – a noob discovers Crusader Kings 2
… or how to stop worrying and let go of that Pause key.
I bought Crusader Kings 2 right after per-ordering EUIV, in June 2013. After watching quill18’s previews for EUIV I fell deep in love with the visual style of all things Paradox – man, what a rabbit hole I found… I wasn’t prepared to buy CK2 but watching more previews of EUIV and knowing I’d have to wait for 2 month longer to get my fingers on this beautiful game I couldn’t be patient – before buying into CK2 and just one week after I spend my bucks on pre-EUIV I bought Sengoku and 10 days later it had to be CK2!
Dear STEAM, thank you so much for this ‘easy & convenient’ shopping spree! 8)
Just to make sure for everyone reading this – here are my noobish accomplishments so far:
Sengoku - 42 Minutes :-[
Europa Universalis 4 – 110 Hours
Europa Universalis 3 – 16 Minutes
Hearts of Iron 4 – 5 Hours
Hearts of Iron 3 cannot be verified… bought someplace else and I was never able to link it to my Steam Library. But, I definitely put a lot more hours into that, maybe 50-70, thanks to my interest for the conflict portrayed.
So yeah, what are the numbers for CK2 you ask:
Crusader Kings 2 – 36 Hours and counting…
...and I have to tell you, the last 8 hours or so have been awesome!!! No, really!!!
And while i’m still pondering about these 42 minutes I spend with Sengoku I need to admit that I also bought ‘almost’ each and everyone of ‘em fine DLC’s!!! I’ve got them all, to the point where I can’t exactly remember why I stopped buying EUIV DLC’s – the money… maybe. For HOI4 it was the crappy performance on my old hardware… I also can’t wrap my head around this game either – it looks nice and all but when i’m searching for the historical flavor a HOI3 game with the added data of the Black Ice mod added has to offer… nope, HOI4 isn’t it / and it’s poor performance on my rig.
So, here I am. A sucker for the visuals – the map, oh this gorgeous map and a ‘wanna-be’ history geek to boot! What’s my problem? Complexity, for sure… and I consider myself somewhat of a perfectionist as well. First Turn Jitters, anyone? Any Grand Campaign Re-starters in the house? Ha! These above all from the game play side of things, yes. But my biggest gripe is the historical background of all these grand strategy games – this includes all games Matrix/Slitherine, AGEOD, Sid Meyer, even XCOM2 needed a full dive into old X-Files episodes and the complementary UFO research… Oh boy. :o
The history of playable timelines has to be researched – beforehand and throughout. :nerd:
I spend most of my first 28 hours of CK2 on Wikipedia reading up on my characters and their families – thanks to the link button found on almost everyone from the historical start dates.
And books, and talking with friends about details of some dude and his relatives from Parma living in the Middle Ages… Oh Parma – I remember cross-reading/launching into EUIV how the story/history went and who was doing what, when and where with whom… Aaaah, good times!
This has already been a very long post from me… sorry, I like to ramble.
Thanks for reading … yes, there will be more – so, stay tuned to read up what’s coming and how I’ll stop to worry and let go of that Pause key. :bigthumb:
cheers!
chem!
some links:
Europa Universalis IV - Preview #1 - Introduction by quill18 - https://www.invidio.us/watch?v=yvheg4Bg4wY
Parma Wikipedia Link - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parma#Middle_Ages
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CKII can be addictive. Just ask undercovergeek! :)
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CKII can be addictive. Just ask undercovergeek! :)
Oh yes! I'm just addicted to addictive software is all, i guess... :D
So, where were we? ::)
Yes, Parma! Aaaah, good times! Reading, studying and more reading… It wasn’t boring, mind you. Not at all! Very interesting but I never got to ‘play’ a game of CK2. Not A Single Game! I mean, there’s this Pause Key – the Space key on my keyboard, right? You gonna press it and wham – nope, I didn’t press it. Maybe a little… for a few weeks or so, really!!! What IS WRONG with me?!!!! Argh! Sure, there’s the CK2 wiki, the forum, YT-vids galore! Everyone seems to enjoy ‘playing’ this sucker but me. I was researching and reading up on stuff I never heard before or even imagined… everything history is so damn exciting for me.
Years passed, IRL. I came back to CK2 once in a while mostly to check out the latest DLC with it’s tail of reviews and the Paradox forums, of course… what an unhappy bunch over there, but yeah, who cares… it’s just a game and Paradox has to pay for it’s artist, programmers and a nice coffee-machine, too – fine by me!
Yep, years passed and here we are / hmmm, here I am: there was this little shine on the horizon and someone at Paradox let loose the works and suddenly ‘An Heir is born!’.
I checked out the forums again and I really dig the visuals, too. But this version (CK3) is for another time, another me and definitely another PC – this will run worse then HOI4 on my already old rig! So, why bother and off my radar it went… ‘enough to play for a lifetime’ as they say on grogheads, matrix’ and here on armchairdragoons, as well. 8)
There’s only one thing that keeps on shining and since the hype-machine is building up speed for a splendid CK3 release it becomes more brighter and more shiny – yes!
Crusader Kings 2 is finally finished! It’s done and over with. From Paradox side at least – the modders will keep on modding, i’m sure of this but for future ‘official’ DLC’s the time is up!
Hell yeah! So maybe, I think, maybe it’s time to finally grok this sucker! :waah:
One ugly little wrinkle was still holding me back – guess what… oh, poor me, I had to buy the last missing DLC – of course, one could cheat it into ones pocket with 3 or 4 fake accounts to recommend the upcoming release of CK3 but hell no, that’s not me. So ‘Pagan Fury – Warrior Queen’ went into the cart and got linked to my account. Great! (another note to myself: I need professional help, I must be sick in my head, not?!)
Steam Library booted, CK2 downloaded and ready to play. One last DLC check to make sure the game isn’t bothering me on startup that something’s missing what I should really ought to have…
(I don’t remember when Paradox started to remind you of missing/not yet bought DLC’s)
Anyhow, one last check of workshop items I was interested in when I last looked at the game – ah, yes! ‘A Bigger Interface Mod’ and maybe this ‘Revolutionary Borders Mod’ are must haves for every CK2 player, also these GUI enhancements for a bigger and easier to read font should be installed, too… playing this game on 15.6 inch / 1920x1080 doesn’t make it easier… not really!
But hey! Let’s start it up and wow – here we are again! And even ‘Monarch’s Journey’ is working with it’s latest patch native on Linux. Oops, I said the P-word, the Paradox word: The Patch!!!
The love-hate relationship of many Paradox forum members – the many patches a game needs and what’s free and what needs to be paid to access… hell no, not my problem because I… ahh, you knew it already. :idiot2:
But what’s really great about this and the hype-train for CK3… the CK2 wiki makes it so damn easy to re-discover the making of CK2. All the ‘Developer Diaries’ are at your fingertips to read up and study CK2’s long history of DLC’s and patches and everything!
After reading all (over a hundred) dev diary entries for CK2 (over a few days – not in one sitting!) i’m really in the mood to pray some evangelism - our luck and the blessing we have with a team of programmers, artists and all the other fine folks over at Paradox. We should appreciate their love and toil, sweat and tears that went into every patch and DLC! To be honest, after reading everything I feel like the usual complains about the price of the whole shebang – the whole CK2 collection y’all know, the price even without the discounts that happen every 3 months on Paradox site and of course Steam is not justified! Just saying this game has 8 or more years on it’s shoulders or it got unfixed bugs. Guys/Gals, I know folks who spend their bucks on Grigsby games that are older and pay full price to dig it’s gnarled (but still splendid) supply system… Let me say, IMHO, the price tag for CK2, after all this years, is justified and correct. Just wait for a sale – is all I wish i’d done, but more often than otherwise I bought DLC’s (Music, Art or other content) on release. Not my fault – just my destiny, because here I am, again! Trying to learn this sucker!
Usually when I find something interesting I’ll try to read up more and more – here’s the same. A game so full of written content, it’s database filled to the rim with historical figures, characters and places to research – on a topic as vast as this – I didn’t even know that the title ‘Crusader Kings’ was picked wrongly and couldn’t be changed because it happened to be pretty popular. Crusader Kings isn’t about the crusades…
Hold it! Right there!!! WTF! :tickedoff:
What else may I ask – and here it comes… the statement about the misnamed title came right after the announcement of part two of this glorious franchise. OK… let me guess, bringing the option to do the crusades - the first, the second and the third (and don’t forget the in betweens) came a while later – at least the dev diaries hint in that direction. But getting your head wrapped around the concept of a dynasty simulator where the characters you play are as historical as possible but only at the start date and after that it’s not even that person anymore – it’s his family, his dynasty as a whole – the rest is for flavor.
Yes! The historical background that wants to click with me is ‘just’ flavor… OK! :whistle:
Anyway, nobody will stop me from reading ‘The Crusades – The War for the Holy Land’ from Thomas Asbridge – as i’m doing now and will tonight and the next days to come… not because of flavor (maybe a little bit) but because of interest in the subjects matter, my dear Paradox-Flavor-Kings and Queens! Pah!
Oh yes! And this book by Mister Asbridge right here is another proof of my way to self-enlightenment – it’s full of the same vocabulary that’s being used for the game Crusader Kings 2, my friends. Vocabulary is flavor, is everything I wish for! Long live the King.
To be continued...
Thanks for reading and good night, where ever you are. :)
cheers!
chem!
some links:
Paradox' CK2 wiki link to their dev diaries: https://ck2.paradoxwikis.com/Developer_diaries#Base_game
A short review of Asbridge's book 'The Crusades – The War for the Holy Land': https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/jan/03/review-of-the-crusades-by-thomas-asbridge-and-holy-warriors-by-jonathan-phillips
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Dude, don't tempt me...! :P
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Dude, don't tempt me...! :P
DO IT! :D
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If only there were a full Klingon mod. Different houses competing for control of the Klingon Empire. :notworthy:
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Dude, don't tempt me...! :P
:hehe: don't worry...
atm, i'm still off to my first war with the Canaries and the inbuilt tutorial suggests mercenaries rather than to wait...
(ah yes, and my beautiful wife is finally pregnant - ck2 shines on me!) ::)
my plan is to make sure i understand the basics/tutorial and then off to noob island or a little duchy in Scotland.
so, stay tuned for more in depth ramblings... oh, and that asbridge book is a real burner - keeps my awake and thinking/pondering... :)
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Mercs are your friend quite deep into the game
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Mercs are your friend quite deep into the game
thanks, mate. i'll come back to them when i'm deep into the game... no, really... i'm sure i'll use them as soon as i understand their use.
right now, i'm having trouble understanding some very noobish things like 'why can my wife get pregnant when i'm off to another island leading the war?' or 'why is it, that i can disband my troops as soon as i won the war plus siege and everything and i don't have to ship them back - just press disband and that's it?'
ah, and while i'm at it - i nuked my save while playing with the visuals... ha, i used some workshop content when after changing some files from my install and reverting back by steam 'check integrity of files' ... woops, no saved file found! ??? i better use cloud saves after this but i'm a little vary with everything cloud... but that's just me, i guess.
cheers!
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If only there were a full Klingon mod. Different houses competing for control of the Klingon Empire. :notworthy:
It's probably just as well that said mod doesn't exist. I'd never leave my bedroom again. :P
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I may start playing CK2 this summer....
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Mercs are your friend quite deep into the game
thanks, mate. i'll come back to them when i'm deep into the game... no, really... i'm sure i'll use them as soon as i understand their use.
right now, i'm having trouble understanding some very noobish things like 'why can my wife get pregnant when i'm off to another island leading the war?' or 'why is it, that i can disband my troops as soon as i won the war plus siege and everything and i don't have to ship them back - just press disband and that's it?'
ah, and while i'm at it - i nuked my save while playing with the visuals... ha, i used some workshop content when after changing some files from my install and reverting back by steam 'check integrity of files' ... woops, no saved file found! ??? i better use cloud saves after this but i'm a little vary with everything cloud... but that's just me, i guess.
cheers!
I meant from very early on right through to deep in the game they’re your friend
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@Undercovergeek - ah, so... will do. thank you! :)
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Mercs are your friend quite deep into the game
thanks, mate. i'll come back to them when i'm deep into the game... no, really... i'm sure i'll use them as soon as i understand their use.
right now, i'm having trouble understanding some very noobish things like 'why can my wife get pregnant when i'm off to another island leading the war?' or 'why is it, that i can disband my troops as soon as i won the war plus siege and everything and i don't have to ship them back - just press disband and that's it?'
ah, and while i'm at it - i nuked my save while playing with the visuals... ha, i used some workshop content when after changing some files from my install and reverting back by steam 'check integrity of files' ... woops, no saved file found! ??? i better use cloud saves after this but i'm a little vary with everything cloud... but that's just me, i guess.
cheers!
1. There are times in the game that your making decisions, so it seems your away, but your not. Even if your character is leading an army, it is likely that your wife is with you. Or course, she may be pregnant with another mans child.
2. If you disband you retinues while they are in foreign lands, it will take a long time for those number to build back up in your holdings, so if you have need of them, you won't have them. It's usually better to ship them back home then disband.
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@ojsdad - thanks a bundle!! :D
i have real good fun with ck2 and i'm still into my second tutorial run - there's so much to do and to try out. even the weird and 'unrealistic' stuff seems to make sense as soon as i forget to think about 'realistic' wargames... found the thing about disbanding on the wiki, too - thanks for your answer, though... i guess i'll keep bothering you and the undercovergeek from now on! ;)
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The think to do, is not to be afraid to restart several times, learning something new each time.
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Which is great advice - or you could just go with the hand fate deals - barring a military disaster you can recover from most things - I once modelled my firstborn with all the right decisions, he inherited his fathers martial skills and his mothers spy skills - he would have been an Italian Henry 5th - when he was 9 my chancellor threw him out of the window to his death
I cried, I laughed - great game
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I was talking strictly while learning the game. there is a lot to learn. Also matters what kind of game your playing. King vs vassal. Republic vs kingdom. Do you want to marry your way to power and or conquest. The bigger your empire gets, the harder it is to keep everyone happy.
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Totally agree
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oh boy, lots to learn - alright! :D (i MUST say: i do enjoy a splendid wedding to some foreign princess and all but nothing can beat a baptism for my firstborn son by the one and only POPE, this is AWESOME!)
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hi there - little update (i'm enjoying this game very much!): :)
i'm still into my first tutorial with Castile as ... ahhh, you know him alright! ok, i wanted to recommend this ck2 tutorial even when it's not much liked by the paradox community. BUT, when everything went smooth and fair with my war in the Canaries and the hints dropped to kill off my siblings... alright easy going. i even had some non-tutorial fun with some awkward vassal - i made him my court clown and after that i killed him... ahhh, now i have a kill list of 4!!! wow! fun fun! BUT: suddenly the tutorial was finished and 'now i know everything and please keep on playing' - haha... the ai/tutorial left me with 2 holy wars at my door and lots of other mess to clean up! not nice!
fun fun times! ;D (true, really!!!)
with that... i'm off, still feeling tired from a long cycle ride today... let's have a cold one and check out my court and vassals...
cheers!
(oh, and the steam summer sale is up... not?!) 8)
chem!
ps: @undercovergeek - of course, this time i used the mercenaries(fleets only) for my war overseas... alright, good job! :bigthumb:
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Excellent - it took me a good while to realise you could raise merc navy fleets and helped greatly with the Parma invasion of Barcelona and eastern Spain
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hi all. :peace:
i'm into a very relaxed affair as king Murchard of Mumu who should be ambitious enough to go for the throne to become king of Ireland.
for a few days now i'm trying to make progress while learning the ins and outs without the help of that 'friendly' tutorial AI...
ahhh, ignorance is bliss! i wouldn't give my horse and my castle for that ironman mode - i rather play along and revert my mistakes by reloading older saves. 8)
i also wish i was into creative writing. just from my 'time travelers' perspective this game is pure gold - a part of my prologue would read something like this:
Ye Chymist Childe his Life and Travells Bet’n ye yeares 769 and 1453:
Of Whither He Voyag’d, Where He Stay’d, Whom He Sawe, and What He Learnt.
magic, right?! :nerd:
so long folks, enjoy your sunny sunday evening.
beers!
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Very cool, chemkid! Keep us posted.
I will always be too much of a pansy to play ironman mode, in any game. :whew:
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https://twitter.com/PdxInteractive/status/1367545293592494095
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I admit it; I'm the third guy.
https://twitter.com/PdxInteractive/status/1367546639368519687
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;D
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:bigthumb: