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[Kanil]

CK2+ is (was? haven't played it or CK2 much lately) a balance/anti-blobbing mod, IMO. As such, it'd be a lot like vanilla, but everything expands slower and falls apart more often.

[NobodyPro]

Well fuck me if the game of thrones mod isn't just the best thing ever.
*snip*

I was more in engaged in that then I was for the last two seasons of Game of Thrones. Possibly because the morality rate was much, much lower?

Jesus Christ, how horrifying.

[Loud Whispers]

Well fuck me if the game of thrones mod isn't just the best thing ever.
*snip*

I was more in engaged in that then I was for the last two seasons of Game of Thrones. Possibly because the morality rate was much, much lower?

Jesus Christ, how horrifying.

On both accounts of morality and mortality, things have been capital 'F' Fun.

[Vendayn]

So, playing with HIP mod. (edit: Also doing Ironman mode)

Started in the first crusade era, because I like playing as Kingdom of Jerusalem and I guess I really like that time period. At least in the game I do. I probably should read more about it since I don't know that much about it. I tend have the most fun playing in that era in CK2 in any case.

So, been playing the game a while. I wanted to vassal with Byzantines (swear fealty), because they are Byzantines. I'd do the same as anyone else Since I wasn't next to them though. So, I prepared an invasion to Sultunate of Rum. Assassinated the leader's heir (not the leader himself, since I thought he'd be too hard to target directly and he probably die of old age before I'd assassinate him). Then his wife because she was an easy target, and one of his sons. I left him with an heir his vassals all mostly hated and had really crappy attributes. Plus one of his traits gave him tons of negatives.

I could technically have taken them all out, but decided to leave them with a crappy leader (who their old leader I left alone, did in fact die, but in a battle...thought it was funny) instead of it going to someone else.

During that time, I had risen 2 holy orders who were quite strong. Along with 4 retinues of...forgot what they were called, but its the first option and mostly cavalry. So, my army did consist a lot of cavalry than anything. At this point, I wasn't making barely any income...so with my armies built and their dynasty mostly taken out. I declared an invasion (which I was lucky to be able to choose, seems hard to declare invasions) for all of Rum.

Since I was such good friends with the Byzantine emperor, he and one other (don't remember the dutchy name)...joined the war for Rum. With Byzantines doing most of the work (76% to my 23% and the other guy 1%)...it was actually pretty easy to swoop in. Byzantines get HUGE armies, seem bigger than vanilla to me (or is that just me)...they conquered a lot better than they did before anyway. Maybe it was luck, or maybe AI is better in HIP? Or they just have bigger armies. In any case...

As Kingdom of Jerusalem, I now controlled all of Rum. And...a second later...I swore fealty to the Byzantines (as I'd do as anyone ). Which turned all my lands to a nice purplish color.

Hopefully the Byzantine empire holds up and doesn't completely break apart. I'd stick with them in any case to the very end.

Also, the war lasted...I think it came up on the 7 year mark. So not that long actually, but the Byzantines kicked ass on Rum...so that was fun.

Now to slow down on war, give time of peace. Focus more on the diplomacy and character stuff (my personal favorite part)...and...quell any rebellions that pop up. Though, if Byzantines go to war...I'd probably join and help out.

I also decided to stick as Catholic instead of changing to Greek+orthodox. I'd lose my holy orders, which I like a lot and my troops are pretty good to begin with. Cataphracts are cool of course, but I think I'll probably stick as a holy crusader Byzantine.

[Sheb]

You could go Greek catholic and get cataphracts AND holy orders.

[Vendayn]

You could go Greek catholic and get cataphracts AND holy orders.

Oh. Now that sounds like the best of both worlds. Actually, I thought if I chose greek I'd lose my holy orders...to be honest...dunno why I thought that. In any case...next time I play, totally gonna do that.

(edit: Played an half hour game. Now I have cataphracts...and holy orders! Epic.)

[scriver]

There's a new beta patch out. It contains some UI changes that apparently needs a bit more work (at least the new diplomacy screen), from what I can gather off the forums.

[Loud Whispers]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

What a family!

[Descan]

I wonder if he's secretly a bastard or not.

[RedKing]

Hey now, vitiligo is a serious condition...

[kaian-a-coel]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Yaaay! Getting the 8000 prestige was hard, but I got there. Problem: I can't really distribute kingdoms. I only have two, and I have desmesne in both. It'll help when I get to syria and stuff but in the meantime, nope.

This beta patch is quite buggy though. I had the event to end an "adultery" relationship twice. Each time, my lover was my wife.
And the ever-present CTD after declaring war with the newly independent Genoa. Welp.

Anyway. I have like nine sons, and they're all shit. And they all want to join the templars. Damnit.

[Loud Whispers]

Queen Megga Baratheon the Great just died of illness after a particularly deadly outbreak of bloody flux swept across the Seven Kingdoms. She extended the Empire's imperial boundaries into Essos, fought off the Aztec invasion and initiated the economic development of Westeros and the Summer Seas on a scale that puts the Free Cities to shame. In her passing on to the Seven Heavens she is leaving the Seven Kingdoms, the Summer Sea, Ibben and all of the Magisters and the over 400 vassals that swore fealty to Megga to her son, King Benjicot of the Iron Throne, formerly King Benjicot of Beyond the Wall.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Megga's contributions to the Empire of the Iron Throne were limited greatly by the Aztec invasion, a great Rh'ollor uprising and Westeros and the Summer Sea engaging in its first extensive trade war with Essos. Nonetheless, several footholds into into Essos were gained, with the City of Braavos and Ar Kon offering landing zones for invasions of the Free Cities. In addition the merchant republics of Lys and Astapor were seized, and very briefly Pentos was a part of the Iron Throne (though it later regained independence). The far east remains relatively untouched, with only the city of Qarth and Ghis suffering from occasional Westerosi attacks, with the Iron Throne's attention focused on the central slaver cities and the free cities. From the Khalasars in the East emerged one great Khalasar that is currently the Iron Throne's greatest military opponent in the world; I prefer to keep peaceful and cooperative relationships with the Khal. Currently they are still focused on absorbing the still surviving Khalasars in the West and one particularly formidable Khalasar in the south that champions Rh'ollor over the Great Stallion. The Southern Seas were consolidated with the conquering of the Basilisk Isles and in the North Ibben was finally fully conquered - though to my dismay, Ibben was not useful for much, providing little infrastructure building potential, troops or money. It did manage to give me a Dothraki Lord who had settled in de jure Ibbenese lands who in turn provided 2,000 horse archers though, that was unexpected.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

When Stannis Baratheon first started his reign trade Empires were small and balanced between the Essos factions.

By the time Stannis was dead, his heir Ormund was dead and Megga was on the throne Essos had developed large and defined trade Empires. The Iron Throne had occasionally burnt down a few trading posts or accepted bribes in exchange for their survival, but never really had any vested interest with which city had more money than which city. The Iron Throne's southyros colonies also birthed its first trade republics ever in Gorgossos, and later another in Zamettar. Astapor would become a prime target in Westerosi expansion for this reason; its outposts were stifling the trade of the southyros republics.

By the time Megga was reaching her prime and the realm was recovering soldiers lost from the Aztec invasion, I had figured out what to do and how to do it: Merchant republics everywhere.
Ibben's isolation made it useless; Ibben's isolation made it valuable. The moment the Oceanroad Republic set up its own completely uncontested trade empire in the name of the Iron Throne money began flowing from where there was once none. Whether Ibben remains in the fold of the Iron Throne or not doesn't matter; Ibben will always hold its merchant monopoly. Many Westerosi merchant republics were created; with the first formed from Pyke and the second from the Neck quickly taking over much of the west coast and even a Baratheon republic formed with holdings stretching from the North to Asshai. Merchant Empires were built in Southryos, the Summer Island and several loyal outposts formed on the doorsteps of Meereen and Qarth to challenge their trade Empires.
Money is flowing in vast seas of gold - and most of it to Westeros. Though most of the Westerosi merchant republics simply created their own trade empires in previously unclaimed seas, the Iron Throne is now pursuing an increasingly protectionist foreign policy by razing the trade posts of foreign republics at every available opportunity to make sure all trade done in the lands of the Iron Throne are done by loyal republics. This will be King Benjicot's task; it is not sufficient to even attempt to control a world empire without first attempting to control its wealth.

[Descan]

Now I want to play as a trading republic (Iron Islands maybe?) and get on the Iron Throne as a merchant-emperor... Would that be even possible?

[Loud Whispers]

Now I want to play as a trading republic (Iron Islands maybe?) and get on the Iron Throne as a merchant-emperor... Would that be even possible?

Don't see why not. If you personally are the only merchant republic in Westeros to boot, you essentially have a massive continent as your sole playground! You could take over the entire West-coast competition-free from the Iron Islands, and the Iron Islands themselves offer plenty of highly-interconnected islands. With some marriage alliances, mercenary armies thrown around with your large navy (boosted by city levies) you'd not have a hard time challenging the iron throne itself! I'm interested myself in trying to start a London-based merchant republic in regular CKII amidst viking invasions and catholic crusades; though a merchant empire spanning out from King's Landing offers a similar fluffy feel.

[Descan]

The only things I'd be worried about would be A) would switching to the Iron Throne crash/end the game due to shenanigans about the capital and/or turning into that specific Empire, there might be weird shit there, and B) If it would even be possible to take the throne, or if there's some mechanic stopping that from happening.