Crusader Kings II

Anyone else excited for this upcoming game? Basically it is mainly a historical strategy title, but with some RPG elements thrown in. You basically steer a dynasty on its rise to power in Europe.

If you pre-order now, you get two DLC for free with it. Release is Feb 14th.

It's the first EU-engine game I'm considering getting in a long time. The demo is very smooth and polished compared to their past stuff.

Then again, I never manage to really get into them. I find it very hard to grasp what I'm supposed to do - and it seems the game is more about reacting than acting.

I think I'll wait for a few patches, Paradox titles has a tendency of being a bit buggy on release. But unless people who enjoy these types of games absolutely hates it, I will get it sooner or later.
Plus, I just recently got Europa Universalis: Rome and Supreme Ruler 2020, so I have plenty of grand strategy games to sink my teeth into.

Fnord said:

I think I'll wait for a few patches, Paradox titles has a tendency of being a bit buggy on release.

Click to expand...

Same here. I'll wait them to get a few patches out, before getting it. That is a sound tactic with Paradox's games, I've learned.

CK2 looks mighty fine from the few previews I've watched and developer commentaries I've read. To my surprise, it looks to be fairly accessible too (which is why I'm even considering getting it). The biggest problem with the grand strategy titles from Paradox is that they are pretty hard (read: really hard) to get into. The tutorial is usually just a run-through of the menus and map modes, with a tutorial battle thrown in for good measure, and that's it. Problem is, these barely even scratch the surface of the game. You basically have to study these games to learn to play them. That's not a problem in and of itself, I've no problem against thick manuals or anything, but if the game's design sort of adds to confusion instead of clearing it, it quickly becomes quite frustrating to learn the game. For example, HoI3 has so many different variables which all affect each other (and some after a delay), that it is not really apparent what is happening and more importantly why.

I've lost count how many times I've tried to figure out HoI3. I usually get about 4-6 months in (game time) and then just give up as I'm getting overwhelmed by the game. And this from a guy who is no stranger to strategy games. I just feel like I'm wrestling with Godzilla and that's rarely fun.

I might give it a try if its not like there past games. Its like playing a spreadsheet with way more info than you need. A group of fans love there strategy games but I cant even finish them.

I'd buy it if I thought I could run it. But even the latest version of EU 3 makes Gothic 3 v 1.0 look resource light. Good games. Shit engines.

I'm a super-fanatic of EU3 (really, my favorite game ever in any platform, any type), but tried CK1 (got it for free from some digital download site I think), but it seems to have been done much earlier than EU3 as I couldn't get into it, the interface was too… raw?

Having said that, I'm looking forward to this one. Read in the forums that people were saying that even 6 months ago the beta felt like it was release ready, very polished.

But what I'm really really really looking forward to is getting their new game, Magna Mundi, in Q2/2012.

As a huge fan of all EU-engine games, I'd highly suggest that everyone should try the latest release of EU3: EU3 Chronicles. It has the base game and all exps. During sales, it's like <10 bucks.

Edit: I want to emphasize that this is EU3 -Chronicles- not "Complete". Complete actually only has the first two expansions. You want all four, which come with Chronicles: Napoleon's Ambition, In Nomine, Heir to the Throne, and Divine Wind.

They've finally figured out a lot of interface and gameplay design stuff by the fourth exp. for EU3, and the whole game just -works-. EU3: Rome is probably one of their buggier messier games. Vicky 2 has potential, especially with recently released AHD, but it's still nowhere as polished as EU3. HOI3 is supposed to be good, but it's more of a wargame. I never got into that series at all. Same engine, but different sub-genre (grand strategy vs. wargame).

I haven't played CK2, but it looks like it might just take away EU3's crown. The maps are just great looking. Everyone who has played the beta has been singing the praises. I'm hyped myself, despite finding CK1 highly flawed. A lot of CK1's problems came from troubled development, but that's a long story.

In any case, please, do not consider EU: Rome a good example of the series. It's okay, especially with mods, but it's buggier, crashier, slower. uglier, and less fun than pretty much all the other games. EU3 is the cream of the crop, while CK2 is the next big contender.

Rome without its expansion was a rather bland game, but with its expansion it becomes an entirely other beast. Much like in Crusader Kings you need to take care of your nobles, and there is a lot of interaction between nobles and how well your empire runs. The have minds and ambitions of their own, and it can sometimes be hard to please all of them all. And the more power a noble has in that game, the more ambitious it becomes, so a general of a huge army can turn against you, unless you give it a very good reason to stay loyal to you, and if the soldiers of the army have become more loyal to their general than you, well then you are in trouble.

Also, I've only had EU: Rome crash on me once (but then again, I got it relatively recently, so Paradox had a lot of time to fix those crash bugs), I've experienced no real slowdown and overall I found it to be a very enjoyable game. It still does not beat Victoria 1 & 2, which are my favourite Paradox titles to date.

Thanks for the info. I caved in and bought it. Its easier to understand and get into compared to there other games.

That is nice to hear. Hopefully they did not sacrifice any depth in order to make the game more accessible.

The first Crusader Kings shone through its brilliant concept and the ideas behind it, once you managed to best the steep learning curve. However, its flaws were just as glaring -- a diamond in the rough, and a cult classic among Paradox fans.
If they manage to deliver on CKII, well, it may be their best game to date.

Anyway, release day today! I got the game, but it will be a while before I am able to play.
If anyone else is able, please share your first impressions?

Here's a first review: http://www.outofeight.info/2012/02/crusader-kings-ii-review.html

Oh, and if you preordered and are active on the Paradox forums, make sure to register your game within the next three days to get access to special avatars and an extra icon.

However, its flaws were just as glaring — a diamond in the rough, and a cult classic among Paradox fans.

Click to expand...

Its expansion fixed many of the glaring issues with the original game. Not all of them, but the game went from being good to being really good (still no Victoria level of greatness though).

Hmm, toyed around with it some. I have to say, I am impressed. Very high production values for an internally developed Paradox title. And what a stunning map of Europe that greets you when the game finishes loading and the menu comes up...

I have mostly been going through the tutorial, though, which is still very, very basic. Some of the "chapters" only contain a single dialog with a few sentences in it. Bit of a missed opportunity.

I guess I will start my conquest of Europe soon, as Duke of Flanders.
Or maybe some lowly count in the vicinity...

Long story short , i bought the game at Thuesday night , start playing in Friday afternoon and i just shut it down (Monday is national holiday) this is the best Paradox game ever!
This game is so deep that you can drawn into, i have read the FAQ in Pplaza and 40 pages of questions/answers and still don't understand everything + i have to live with the stain of getting caught ploting the assassination of an 11 year old duke

Tip: Irish Kingdoms are the best to learn the game . Spain is the best place to play.

It is one of the best paradox games sofar. The rebels are overpowered since the last patch though.They were increased in size by 50% according to the patch.

I recreated the Roman Empire with Rome as my capital. The pope lost his power. Ruleing it is a pain. Constant rebellions/revolts and intrigues.

It sucks being emperor.

I just started looking into this game after having bought it for cheap in the summer Steam sale. I think I spent a dozen hours before I even let time start moving!

Tragos said:

Tip: Irish Kingdoms are the best to learn the game . Spain is the best place to play.

Click to expand...

W00t! I got lucky there! I wanted to start out with somebody small but "small" seems to translate to "hard". So I shoved the difficulty down to 'very easy' and picked the Duke of Munster who had just one vassal. As it turns out, that vassal hates my guts but his heir (who is not his son, for whatever reason) seems to like me.

We seem to be terribly short on women over in Ireland. I invited one into my court but, when I tried to marry her, it said it would knock off 60 prestige for wedding a simple courtier. Hmph! A mail order bride for me, I guess.

In one of my games the HRE and Byzantine Empires merged through Marriage. I love the kind of alternate history that can develop.

JuliusMagnus said:

In one of my games the HRE and Byzantine Empires merged through Marriage. I love the kind of alternate history that can develop.

Click to expand...

I'm currently playing the arabs in west Africa. I was the king (or emirate I think it's called in the arab side) but my cousin had more and better regions and was my 'vassal' (what was my dad thinking?). Luckily, I caught him in a plot to usurp my place and put him in jail (had I failed putting him in jail it would have resulted in a very bloody civil war in which I was likely to lose).

With the arab DLC (I call it an expansion), arabs are very powerful with their almost-free casus belli, but after a few generations when decadence starts to get out of control, civil wars and rebellions are likely to undo their early gains. Almost like it happened in actual history. I love this game!

This game is SO hard to get into. I really think I would enjoy it if I could figure out what I'm supposed to do!
Example: I'm starting as William of Normandy in 1080. I have decided that since I have the biggest army and the biggest balls, that I deserve to be King of France. How do I make that happen? The first thing I learn is that if you have an army you can't attack anybody [) so I'm supposed to disband my army, declare war, then re-assemble my army? I will lose one of my vassal's territory because I do not have succession rights, how do I take it from him? How do I lay claim to friendly territory? The game will allow me to declare war on a neighbour, Count Simon, but how do I know what forces he can gather, or who will come to his aid?