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[LTD]

Some time back, Paradox released a rather modest  character  generator DLC for Crusader Kings II. I figured this makes as solid  excuse as any to sink back in the surprisingly depraved depths of this
excellent medieval game of thrones!

I ended up making this thread due to sudden desire to do some attention whor because CK II most certainly is one of those games that BEG player to sacrifice a thought or two to what just happened. It is a game that has
some awesome/repulsive/cruel/hillarious/moving stories to tell, in case player bothers to put some flesh on top of the bones game engine provides.

It should be noted that none of events that follow are some peculiar fanfiction or such, all of this stuff are actual twists and turns generated by CKII's rather unique random drama generating engine.



CK II is loaded with really awesome loading screen art. Some of them remind me vividly of Icewind Dale's portraits. It's good thing they are pleasing to an eye because it takes AGES to start this game up.

Those very unfamiliar with what Crusader Kings II is should imagine a harelipped, heavily RPG flavored bastard child of Sims and Civilization set in cold, cruel and  authentic version of alternative medieval Europe where terrible things can and usually will happen to everybody!





Map of Europe is shattered in hundreds of provinces. Each province has it's own ruler. Each ruler has his own personality, family, court,council, friends, enemies, demense..and in most cases, a King,Duke or Emperor to rule over him.


Surely screenshots suggest a Civilization clone of some kind. One good look at that map and you can almost imagine spending time knee deep in moving unit stacks, researching technology, building stuff and so on. Looks are decieving!  Essentially CKII is very much a character centered Medieval Dynasty RPG Strategy Incest Simulator (or MDPRGSIS)   You play as the current head of a  family or house. When he (or she) inevitably dies, you find yourself in the boots of his successor.  Only true death  is one that leaves you without an heir.
At the beginning of the game, you are free to pick yours out of some few hundred  houses and rulers of medieval Europe...

...Or you can use the Character Creator to create your own character. Enter Eddard Stark!





In dead center of the screen, the Character Generator DLC in all her glory! It costs 5 Euros. a Rip off, it is pretty  limited and hastily done.



You start off as either Count, Duke, King or one of the two Emperors. It usually feels most rewarding to have a very modest, small house at start and then slowly try and fight/plot/fornicate/marry/assassinate your way to top. Or simply try and ensure the continued survival of your house. Humble start gives you time to focus on building and breeding  your network of family, relatives and friends without immediately  having to stress about an entire Kingdom or God forbid, an Empire.

Flesh is weak. Usually when I play games like this, I often give in to temptations of Save-Oh ****-Load-Try again-Save-Move on   -Daemon.  Not this time!  No craven loading if and  when things go to hell.

Unfortunatelly I played the game some 25 mins before deciding I want to try and make some sort of an LP type of a thing, so next post or two are based on events non current. After that though, it's to  brutal live action!


In next episode: We get to meet Lord Eddard Stark of Gotland!

I just know you all are just trembling from exitenment=]

Modifié par LTD, 27 avril 2012 - 12:54 .

[Inquisitor Recon]

Sounds fun, but don't lose your head in excitement.

Seems Count Stark isn't quite as fit as the real deal.

Modifié par ReconTeam, 25 avril 2012 - 06:51 .

[LTD]

Hehe yeah I'm afraid Ned is only a name sake. His personality differs from the original somewhat severly!
....Looking back, the character generator prolly would have  allowed creation of a character very close to REAL Ned Stark. Could have well been interesting.  But meh, I don't much like him!


It is September 15th in year of our Lord 1066.

Most historians agree opening chords of battle of Hastings were played on this very day. Much less known is the fact same day also marks 21st birthday of one Ser Eddard from house Stark, first of his name.  As you might not remember from your History 101, young Eddard Stark is in fact the count of Gotland, a rather large and  idylic little isle close to heartlands of Sweden.

Unlike his HBO/GRRM counterpart, MY Eddard is a goddamned Genius! Unironically and  literally. He gets a significant  bonus to his Martial, Intrigue, Diplomacy, Stewardship and Learning thanks to it. Woop! His other traits include Ugly, Hedonist, Lustful,Craven, Cruel and a Cynic. Bit of a medieval hipster, if ye will.  Good thing  young Eddard is a Count. Being an ugly lustful hedonist peasant would make a frustrating life I wager. 




Eddard of House Stark. First of his name! Genius trait has allowed exceptionally high stats. Dioplomacy of 17 will help me a great deal. One of my three vassals hates my guts though.




In order to be able to afford as good a trait as Genius in character creator, I had to take a good pile of stuff viewed as very bad things among us medieval God fearing rulers.  Church holds significant amount of power in Medieval Europe.  Those who end up rubbing the Pope in  wrong way can end up in some serious ****. With this in mind, Eddard's atheistic hipster persona troubles me greatly. Ed gets -0.24 piety each month. In few decades his soul is so black he just might end up losing his head:(  Hopefully he has sired many a bastad by then.

First few days of Count  Eddard's rule have him busy going through his court members in hopes of finding enough somewhat able Gotlandians to fill a small council with. Despite getting appointed as Steward, Tengil the Liberator immediately takes into disliking Ned. Righteous self important basterd. Chancellor is average at best. This surely won't be an issue since Ned is a goddamned genius in this regard. Lacking talents of Spymaster trouble me though- What if I have to assassinate somebody?  This guy holds a dagger thinking it is used only as  letter opener.





This image comes with very unpredictable joke about quite LARGE small council members, hehe! Large Vs small, get it???Heheheheeheh.My Steward doesn't like me.
Also, ultra intimate close up of my beloved Gotland.



Next Episode!!
Fornication and  Marriage!Let's play goes HBO!

Modifié par LTD, 25 avril 2012 - 03:57 .

[LTD]

October 1066- January 1069

The small council, their families and servants  have moved to the castle and began their various tasks. Ugly and ever lustful Ned is exceptionally aware of his empty bed when staring hot young wife of his newly re-appointed Steward. It is time for Ned to get married! In CK II, it is always time to get married.  Playing character without children  is a severe risk to dynasty.

Ever the romantic, Ned begins methodically scanning through traits and perks of  young unmarried Catholic highborn ladies  across Europe. Were Eddard a duke or king he could try marrying his way to some royal family or another.  Due to House Stark having no prestige and a mere county to control, my options are limited.  Rather than trying to woo daughter of some other lesser count, Ned chooses to dive in deep and wide pool of unmarried lowborn courtiers! Marrying somebody of lower birth than Ned  costs prestige but gives him freedom of being picky when it comes to desireable genes and character traits.

Lowborn Hungarian courtier named  Iren strikes Eddard's  fancy. She is both cruel and lustfull just like Ned! As a bonus Iren's  exceptionally gifted in art of intrigue. Latter combined with very high diplomacy of Ned should mean pretty brilliant kids can be plown out of her! Perhaps Ned and her  even grow to like one another! Her being a lowborn and Ned a duke, of course she overlooked Ned's hideously ugly face and said yes. Beautiful. I recover portion of prestige loss of marrying below my status by refusing the marriage aid duty of Iren's former guardian.


Year or two goes by.  Unsure what is happening between Ned and his new wife, Iren's not getting pregnant. Her being a Hungarian and thusly unable to understand a single word this fugly Swede utters might have something to do with bed remainign so cold. Luckily not every bed is as unwelcoming! Surprisingly enough, Birgitta, wife of Ned's Steward falls in love with him! Number of not-so-secret meetings in depths of Castle Summerfell follows. Inevitable result is Sansa Stark, a bastard I immediately legitamize just to make sure court knows it is not I who is barren. How I wish she would have been born a male. Unsurprisingly, Ned's  Steward doesn't much appreciate any of this and promtly resigns. That's 3 Stewards in as many years. Turbulent!  Surprisngly my wife doesn't seem to mind much. Maybe she doesn't know yet.





Sansa Stark portrayed at age of two. Her traits are:  Weak*, Moderate and Legitamized bastard. Characters gain and lose personality traits through their lives.
*Bad, bad bad! She's at constant risk of death, and has  questionable fertility at adult age.Assuming she lives that long


Next episode will see Eddard climbing up them ladders of power!

Modifié par LTD, 25 avril 2012 - 04:02 .

[LTD]

1069-1071


Hierarchy among lords goes something like this:  Baron&Mayor->Count->Duke->King
Catholic fate and, more directly, Pope can influence any and all in this chain of command.
Many counts have sworn fideltity to a Duke who, in turn, serves King. Fortunately Eddard is among counts who belong to King directly without a Duke inbetween them.

King Halsten I of Sweden has two Dukes,Erik the Heathen and 14 year old Sven I. Erik hates his King and appears to be more powerful than his ruler. Revolution, nay, a civil war seems inevitable. Eddard could kiss arses of either of the Dukes or the royal one of the King. He chooses the latter and hopes Sweden won't see any usurping  any time soon.




King Halsten I and some of his Vassals. Strongest Duke of Realm hates his King.

Ned's silver tongue pays off almost immediately, for King makes Eddard his Channelor! Position of some influence and prestige to be sure. Ned of course accepts but does so with a heavy heart; before departing his own court in Gotland, it would have been good to leave the wife with a child or two, Alas, this was not ment to be. Eddard's influence is growing faster than I dared to hope. Still, should something unfortunate happen to him, only heir of house Stark is a weak 3 year old girl with other leg in grave. Eddard needs SONS! Mother of  the bastard girl Sansa is starting to ****** Eddard off. She keeps asking gifts, attention, authority.  Before departing for King's court,  Ned promtly informs her the relationship is over.

Come tomorrow's episode: DEATH!

Modifié par LTD, 25 avril 2012 - 07:51 .

[Kaiser Arian XVII]

If I only knew how to play!
I'm a 'Victoria' Master and I'm learning 'Victoria II: A house divided' ...

In Crusader Kings II, I chose Byzantine Empire in the time of Mongol Invasion. I should revert the History and kick the ass of Ottomans from Asia Minor before they plague all of Eastern Europe!

All those barons, children, commanders etc. really scare me, how am I suppose to get the best result with all of these varied subordinates?!

Modifié par Imperial Sentinel Arian, 26 avril 2012 - 04:02 .

[TheBlackBaron]

Looks interesting. Crusader Kings isn't really my forte - I generally prefer Hearts of Iron and Victoria - but I'll be following along.

[LTD]

Imperial Sentinel Arian wrote...

If I only knew how to play!
I'm a 'Victoria' Master and I'm learning 'Victoria II: A house divided' ...

In Crusader Kings II, I chose Byzantine Empire in the time of Mongol Invasion. I should revert the History and kick the ass of Ottomans from Asia Minor before they plague all of Eastern Europe!

All those barons, children, commanders etc. really scare me, how am I suppose to get the best result with all of these varied subordinates?!

Aaah believe you me sire, if you have mastered something as complex as Victoria, CK II won't be enough of a breakfast. In Paradox scale, this is very easy game to learn. There's way less levers to pull and and sliders to..slide  and such than Vicky, Hearts of Iron or Europa Universalis have.
In Paradox scale, CK II is also suspiciously bug free. It was completely playable on release day..Unheard of from a Paradox game=]

Modifié par LTD, 26 avril 2012 - 07:16 .

[LTD]

1071-1074

Clearly Ned's Hungarian Wife has a thing for Channelors, for the marriage bed grew warmer as soon as he got the appointment. Nine months later she gave birth to a son!!  Praise old Gods and the New!!  Unlike Sansa the legit bastard, Robb was a born a healthy looking lad.





I bet approx 89.8% of CK II players are naming their kings,queens,sons and daughters after Song of Ice and Fire.



Initially Ned was hesitant to give the wife a position in his own council for same reasons accepting place in King's Small council worried him; surely idle count and countess pop out more babies than busy ones? Upon getting appointed to King's council, Ned thought what the hell and appointed his wife as Gotland's spymaster. Mere weeks later she got preggers,despite Ned being in King's court few hundred km north of the wife. It looks like this doesn't bother CKII's babymaking engine.  Let us hope Iren has learned enough Swedish to make a good spymaster.

Immediately after Robb's birth, Ned tries suggesting his King Halsten I a betrothal between Sansa and King's oldest grandson. Sadly King refuses.

To my horror, I discover King has send Ned across somewhat narrow Baltic Sea to do some crusading in some insignificant province. Why AI gave the army to Ned I have no idea. This terrifies both Ned and I, for he is a craven at heart  and I worry of his very low Martial rank. Genius or not, with Martial value of 7 he is a bad commander on field.  Having Craven trait going means having him fight battles could bring stains to his honor or even a death. Luckily it seems to go well enough, Ned's large army lays siege on heathens' castle which falls surprisingly fast.  Ned even gains Martial +1!

Better yet!! Halsten I, in his wisdom, makes Eddard Stark, first of his name, a Duke!!  He  gets his very own count to boss around and everything, for Hakon of Värmland now belongs to Starks of Gotland.  Eddard has won much in well under a decade! Tis a mockery of Gods his greatest victory came as a reward from leading an army for Ned definately is of Sword <  Feathered  Pen - type.  Surely Sweden's more  established Dukes Erik the Heathen and the teenaged brat Sven I look down upon Eddard. Sven I, weaker of the two has some 3 times more land, holdings and men than Eddard.

Despite me being a Duke, King still refuses a bethroal between Sansa and the oldest grandson. Despite the troubling "weak" trait, Sansa the bastard girl is turning out to be pretty awesome. She has a pile of virtuous traits and a  terrifyingly high Diplomacy value for such a young lass. How I wish She were Jon the bastard as opposed to a girl:l .....Then again, If Ned  appointed legitamized bastard as his heir, changes are Robb and other possible future children he gets off Iren would spend generations plotting against this superior side branch of family line.

Year or so after Robb's birth the Spymaster/Duchess/Wife/Mother informs Ned Birgitta is plotting for Robb's murder!  As we all remember, Birgitta is Sansa's mother! Daytime soap at it's best!
I'd love to think CK's engine is complex and smart enough for this to be an actual plot from part of Ned's wife: surely Iren feels ire towards Birgitta. At position of a spymaster she could easily fabricate a claim like this! I doubt engine is that smart.
 
Of course, we can't have Ned's ex-lover plotting for murder of Ned's only son. We could simply " ask her to stop" but what kind of a message would that send? Of course Ned immediately orders her inprisoned. She doesn't last long and dies inprisoned in early 1073. Sucks to be her! I wonder if Iren had her assassinated. It could have all gone very differently had she not been such a ****!





It lookes like Birgitta's legit husband, my ex-Steward never got any children of his own off her! Maybe I should find him a new wife:p Most healthy  characters can survive  inprisonment for years, if not decades.Birgitta dies almost immediately.

Modifié par LTD, 27 avril 2012 - 11:19 .

[Lotion Soronarr]

I played this game, taking reigns of Croatia...

Ended up conquering large parts of Europe and some parts of Africa. Then I got stuck in a nedless war in the Holy Lands. Never finished that game, but it was awesome.

[LTD]

1074-1080

Ex-lover quite literally rotting in prison, very own Duchy to manage, one loyal backwaterish count  to command  and prestigious position in King's council firmly in Ned's hands. Iren falls in love with Ned after 6 years in Marriage. Brandon borns some 9 months later.  All in all, it is starting to look like things are settling down a bit. Then the King dies.




Spoiler warning: king dies


Officially  Halsten I dies of severe stress but Eddard has his own doubts! Surely that vile Erik the Heathen had something poured in King's drink.  Crown of Sweden ends up on head too small; Halsten's 4 year old son Bo becomes the new King. Surprisingly enough, none of the Dukes ignites a revolt.


Since 4 year old King doesn't make much of a ruler, Sweden needs a Regent.  Eddard gets chosen!! Not all that bad for a man who once was but a  fatherless backwater count of Gotland! This thoroughly surprises me. I'm not sure what kind of a mechanic game uses to pick the regent. Perhaps Regent has to be one of the dukes. Since  Duke Sven remains too young to have all that much prestige and Erik the Heathen openly loathing the former King, perhaps Eddard seems like a good, safe bet.

Arranging  the bethroal between King Bo and Sansa is first thing Eddard does as the regent.   This is the same arrangment Bo's father kept refusing for years! Now, if only Bo I stays in power and him and Sansa among the living, first daughter of House Stark shall be the Queen of Sweden! Finally tentacles of House Stark are making serious reaches to Throne!




Sansa the Bethored and Eddard the Regent. Things looking mightily fine for Starks. What could go wrong?! Winter is never coming!



Despite considering himself man good and just, Ned begins wondering what would happen if Bo I and his only brother Emund  were to die before reaching maturity.. Would Eddard as the Regent inherit the crown?If we assume Emund is already dead and  Bo died after him and Sansa become of age and get married, would she inherit the crown?  If she DOES indeed inherit it, would I be able to play as her(and her children) after Ned dies? I'm not sure of this, since after marriage, she technically isn't a Stark anymore. 

Entertaining such thoughts is not evil, Ned's merely trying to do what's good for the realm. Ned has had his lovely  spymaster wife assigned to crownlands of Sweden for several years already, with task of building a spynetwork. Among other things, this  gives a boost to Assassination change against those living there.
Assassinating children is generally speaking easier and cheaper than adults.  Sadly Bo and his brother both are still beyond Ned's reach; cost in gold is way more than he has saved  and change of failure and getting caught are both around 70% With my honorable oath not to Load Game if things go to hell in mind, it seems unlikely Ned would pull this off.

HOWEVER, Ned's ever lovely wife Iren has clearly  spend some nights entertaining similar thoughts. She suggest I join her plot to murder Bo's brother, Prince Emund. Joining a plot offers far better, event-bound opportunity to see the kid dead than assassination attempt would. Downside being my complete lack of control in how the plot proceeds.




Nothing spells true love like plotting the murder of same infant boy together<3



Will Ned manage to kill off those royal brats? Or is he a better man than that?! Would killing them even be wise? What about Erik the Heathen, what's up with him?! Is it boy or a girl who Ned's pregnant scheming Hungarian wife carries in her belly?!

Modifié par LTD, 27 avril 2012 - 12:47 .

[CrazyRah]

This looks really interesting, might just get myself a copy of the game aswell

[LTD]

1080-1090

Pretty early on Eddard discovers how being Hand o Regent of The King is, in many ways,  quite retarded business really. He gets a small monthly bonus to  Prestige and that's about all there is to it. Realm's decisions are not his to make. No exclusive Regency related events or levers to pull.  Infant King does as infant King pleases I suppose. Annoyingly witty Steward is totally lusting for Ned's  wife and keeps making jokes Eddard doesn't usually get. Only times Eddard even remembers he is actually a Regent of sorts is when pain in the arse Bishop whines how bad a Regent he makes. Depressing!  This is literally the only Regency related event I got during the entire time. First time CK II actually disappointed me:p





Latest free patch of CK II added some 300 new random events. There's starting to be massive enough pile of them to keep things from getting repetitive.



Long awaited and much feared grand rebellion of Erik the Heathen proves to be almost disappointing. Either AI messes things up or King "cheats" and  hires some Mercs - King Bo annihilates Erik's forces despite latter being much stronger on paper. Rebellion gets crushed and Erik inprisoned. Having the strongest Duke of Kingdom rotting in prison results in rather fertile Ned; Rickon,Jon and ForgotTheName  are born within 4-5 years from
each other.

Despite reaching such a  prestigious status within the realm,power is all Eddard has gained  so far. That's grand enough in most ways but good ol shadow on the wall doesn't bring much taxes or men-at-arms his way. It wouldn't hurt to have more land, Ned thinks whilst mucking about in his tiny island.

Ned  wagered there was like 60-40% change Bo and Sansa would end up happily married. T'was satisfyig to see they both lived long enough to see this joyous day! Her son could make a King one day. Hers isn't a  bad fate for legitamized bastard girl of an insignificant count!




Say what you will, I think my Sansa is pretty hot :l


Mere thought of being grandfather of future King once brought delight in Ned the Count's heart.  Ned The Duke is an older, colder man though:o Come night, he often just lays there, listening Iren's snoring and thinks of  these unborn grandchildren and how they will all belong in King's dynasty, not his. He hates them already:l

Iren's  scheme to murder King's  only living brother isn't moving anywhere. Moment Eddard notices he actually is  second in chain of succession, this begins bothering him greatly! Time to start my own plotting. Turns out killing people via plotting rather than "manually" sending an assassin is quite easy if you have lots of friends. Ned has lot of friends! King's younger brother Emund dies shortly after his16th birthday. If, god forbid, King of Sweden were to die without leaving a male heir, it would be Ned's solemn duty to accept the crown. He begins writing some new letters...

...Meanwhile, King launches an ill timed and foolish attack against some Estonian pagans. Since entire modern day Baltic and Finland to boot share same heathen religion, they unite before a greater threat. As a result, Sweden is knee deep in war against enemy much stronger.

Disastrous wars and assasination plans.. Season finale inc?!






Plotting would be easy  enough to feel like a cheat if player had total control over which plots are available. He does not! Game takes a look at the overal situation you have played yourself into and then presents something suitable. Or not.

Modifié par LTD, 29 avril 2012 - 05:12 .

[Kaiser Arian XVII]

I hope Paradox consider making Chariots of War II or a similar game that happens in 1500BC. It was a great hybrid game. *sigh* last year I made an Empire, started from Tracia and conquered all the Asia Minor, Capadocia, Armenia, Syria and Levant ... further expansion was so difficult, so I deserted the game for later.