Crusader Kings - funky alternative history

Kashluk · Post by **Kashluk** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 3:56 pm

The game: Crusader Kings + Deus Vult -expansion.
Timeframe: Europe in 1066 AD, two months after the battle of Hastings.
Setup: Struggling kingdom of Sweden, Northern Europe
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The story begins in VÃ¤stergotland, Sweden. The young and ambitious king Erik StenkilsÃ¤tten has inherited a real handful: a small, decentralized nation to run, a treasury full of empty coffers and powerful vassals that threaten his claim to the throne. His small kingdom squeezed between Danish kingdom, the gateway to the Baltic Sea, the ancient viking nation of Norway and the rising power of the east, principality of Novgorod.

What began as a 'Nordic Crusade', to unite Fennoscandia under one rule, quickly became a quest for power over Europe herself. Long, costly wars were waged against Denmark, Norway and small kingdoms on the banks of Baltic Sea. Strategic arrangement of royal marriages allowed StenkilsÃ¤tten blood to spread into most of the courts in Western Europe and critical alliances were formed both in the British Isles and in Bretagne. The pagan Finnish and Sami peoples were quickly subdued and converted to Catholic religion. Wanting to please the Holy See, the Swedish kings eagerly took part in the 'real' crusades as well, ravaging the Byzantine empire in their wake.

By the year 1222, over 150 years and four generations later, Bagge StenkilsÃ¤tten sits on the throne of a nation that has struck the infidels out of Jerusalem and gained a strong foothold in the former kingdom of France. The Holy Roman Empire came crushing down after decades of internal dispute, which lead to many German and Italian realms seeking protection from the kingdom of Sweden. For these merits the Pope himself has crowned Bagge StenkilsÃ¤tten Emperor! The Byzantine empire waning and the Holy Roman Empire long gone, the Swedish Empire has become the only one of its kind.

Nearly half a century later, in 1270 AD, Bragge StenkilsÃ¤tten's grandnephew Brynjolf StenkilsÃ¤tten admires his accomplishments: a powerful strike against Moslem rulers of Iberia and Africa, utter victory over Poland in a war that lasted five years and consolidation of Swedish rule in Middle East. Yet new threats have arisen. As the kingdom of France falls to decline, the strong Duke of Toulouse breaks the oath to his weakened liege and calls all French men to arms against the Scandinavian invaders. The crusades in the Holy Lands have left Sweden weak to defend it's place in the north - the united kingdom of Rus has boldly taken advantage of this, building a formidable realm in the east that swiftly crushed the Golden Horde.

Little does old Brynjolf, the Emperor of Scandinavia and the Defender of True Faith, know that his heir will face an era of constant war. First, a civil war that breaks out right after his death in 1274. The Empire nearly dissolves, but is quickly united together against a common enemy: the alliance between kingdoms of England and Hungary. A bloody war follows, in which the Swedish Empire manages to strike a crushing blow against the English throne in Essex, 'decapitating the snake'. Soon after, the Hungarian king dies and his weak heir is unable to push off the Swedish armies. One by one the small European kingdoms, that try to resist the Swedish expansion, fall before the true Emperor. Still, the Swedish throne struggles for years to keep the nation together as rebellions spark out around the realm.

In the year 1296, the 26-year old Duke of Baghdad Halsten StenkilsÃ¤tten inherits the throne from his father, whose reign was cut short by an assasin's dagger. Hardened by the rough conditions of Mesopotamia and the war against Mongols (in which his father crushed the hordes and crowned himself High Chief of Il-Khanate and al-Murabitids), he manages to overcome the treachery of his vassals and keep the Empire together in a relatively long period of peace and prosperity, brutally stamping out all rebellions. In autumn 1299 he sees that the Empire is ready to undertake its final challenge: the conquest of Rus. Three and a half years later, in early 1303 AD, Halsten StenkilsÃ¤tten meets with the King of Rus and Georgia, the Prince of Novgorod and Grand Duke of Armenia on the banks of Dnieper river. In a gesture of submission, the king of Rus kneeled before Halsten and cast the Slavic crown in his feet.

The Swedish Empire now covered the entire sub-continent of Europe. The only spots of land not directly under the Swedish Emperor's control were the provinces of Papal State and the areas under Knights of Hospitaller and Templar Knight control, and even those only so because it was the Emperor's will. Their military rule is supreme - the Emperor is able to summon over 1.5 million men in arms at his will. The once debt-laden kingdom now boasts full treasuries in grand palaces all around Europe. The Swedish realm is now ready to face the age of exploration...

Mismatch · Post by **Mismatch** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 9:46 am

So, how does this stand up to EUIII?
In which way is it better/worse?

Kashluk · Post by **Kashluk** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 12:38 pm

The main difference between Crusader Kings and, say, Hearts of Iron -series is that CK is not a wargame per se. It is more like a Medieval Royal Dynasty Simulator and has a touch of role-playing in it. You get attached to your characters in a similar way you do in the Total War -series (before Empire: TW). Plotting your way into the courts of rival kingdoms is just plain sweet - having your cousins and nephews on the thrones of the neighboring kingdoms makes life a lot easier. And you can never directly control your whole domain (the provinces you control directly are called your demesne) - the feudal system is there to stay, and I've personally never had a ruler in CK who could efficiently run more than 12 or 15 provinces, tops. So keeping an eye on your vassal's loyalty levels and arranging royal marriages is just as important as waging war.

When comparing CK and EU, I must say that I'm a bit biased to pass any fair judgement. I've never liked the Europa Universalis -series, mainly because of few key issues:

COMBAT - To me the battles in EU were always somewhat obscure and I felt that the player had no chance to affect the outcome in any other way than just throwing 20 times more troops in the field.

WAR & PEACE - Sure, the limitations of annexation make the game a little bit more slow paced (ie. realistic), but sometimes they just feel completely absurd and out of place. Many of the aspects in diplomacy never make any god damn sense to me.

TECHNOLOGY - The way things develope always felt a bit unclear to me, not to mention that most of the advancements left a bad taste in my mouth. Wow, geez, 12 years of research and I get +1% in trade income - whoopdefrickingdoo.

All these things Crusader Kings does better in my opinion. But then again, most Paradox-fans consider the EU-series as 'the bread and butter', while the rest of the games are more like spin-offs (Victoria) or just exotic experiments (CK). Note! I have never played Vanilla CK, only with the Deus Vult -addon. They say that the original game was pretty 'raw' in itself, so I wouldn't recommend getting that alone. The expansion pack is more than just an expansion - it apparently changes some parts of the original's gameplay!

VasikkA · Post by **VasikkA** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 2:43 pm

Kashluk wrote:The main difference between Crusader Kings and, say, Hearts of Iron -series is that CK is not a wargame per se.

So it's a matter of preference then, like comparing apples to oranges. Even though there are some elements of diplomacy and social planning in EU/HoI, they are by their core strategic war games. It would be interesting to truly combine these two types of strategy games, without turning it into a complete micromanagement hell. Paradox Interactive just might be able to pull it off. I've played strategic war games since I was a kiddo so I'd hardly find Crusader Kings that interesting. Hence my preference to gaining dominance over Europe through raw steel than developing intricate inbreeding schemes.

Let me guess, you went in Civilization more often for the diplomatic/space race victory than world domination?

Kashluk · Post by **Kashluk** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 3:55 pm

VasikkA wrote:Let me guess, you went in Civilization more often for the diplomatic/space race victory than world domination?

Your words ring true, for this is what divides us men in two. Those who live by the sword, die by the sword, and those with the patience to pick a chestnut and walk in the fire, reap the fruits of labor. :confucius:

Post by **Dogmeatlives** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 4:58 pm

that was beautiful

S4ur0n27 · Post by **S4ur0n27** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 7:56 pm

I shed a tear. But I downloaded CK and Deus Vult.