Paradox Games With Friends:
Europa Universalis IV: Paradox Games play Best with Friends
Hearts of Iron IV: Paradox Games play Best with Friends Part II
Crusader Kings II: Paradox Games Play Best With Friends - Part III
Crusader Kings II: Paradox Games Play Best With Friends - Part IV
Time Played:
326.7 Hours
Crusader Kings II and I have a strange, strained relationship. I purchased this Paradox title because of my affinity for their Europa Universalis series. I played for a bit (started in eastern Europe, deflected the Mongol invasion, eventually creating the Empires of Scandinavia and Russia), but there were problems that prohibited a comprehensive enjoyment of this complex title. It wasn't until a friend recommended we play it together that I took up the responsibilities of kingship again.
We started in 867; he the petty king of Wessex, I, the petty king of Mercia. Norse invaders claimed the land of Scotland, and the title of King of England, while I crowned myself King of Wales. I held off the Norsemen, while conquering Ireland. Eventually my friend submitted as my vassal. With our combined strength, I claimed the crown of England from the Norse, and then forced them from Scotland. As the Emperor of Britannia we pushed into France. I gave my friend the crown of France, but he remained a vassal to my Imperial self. The French nobles resented English blood and revolted against him. He fled back to southern England, and they installed a Frenchman, but remained in the Empire. Our expansion accelerated. The Kingdoms of Aquitaine and Italy joined the British Empire. Egypt, Spain, and the various crowns of Germany followed. No one could resist; not North Africa, nor Eastern Europe. I kept giving my friend King's crowns to wear, but rebels pushed him out, and sent him back to England repeatedly.
Eventually we encountered two problems.
It took fifteen minutes for my friend to load the save files after
joining the multiplayer lobby. This has nothing to do with his
computer, but with the Paradox system. Every Monday we played from
8:30 to 10:30. We lost one eighth of our time to the transfer of
data. This was frustrating but tolerable. Then, at least for my
friend, Crusader Kings II seemed to break.
Crusader Kings II uses an inheritance system.
Every character has an heir. Upon their death, their titles, wealth,
and reputation transfer to their heir. Most heirs are related, but
there is also inheritance by election, allowing any noble to claim a
title. I settled on Agnatic-Cognatic
Ultimogeniture. That meant my character's youngest male child would
inherit all my titles. If I had no male child, a girl would inherit.
My friend instituted identical laws, but he kept having only girls.
And though this shouldn't have been a problem, Crusader
Kings
II
couldn't handle four generations of female rulers. It would assign
the correct daughter as heir, but then, without warning or reason,
would switch it to another daughter, or to some relative ruling on
the other side of Europe. Eventually my friend left the game, but I
wanted to finish it so I could transfer the data into Europa
Universalis
IV.
Before we talk about the transfer process and the resulting EU 4
game that I played with three friends, I want to relate some thoughts
about CK2.
CK2
is ten years old, and also, free as of last year. Paradox released
their sequel, Crusader
Kings
III,
in 2020, and will receive a review in 2023. 
Unless you play as a Muslim country, and are both an excellent player and have a lucky game, Islam gets crushed by Catholic Europe.
Paradox games are full of notifications. As a ruler you will be notified that you can arrest people without penalty. But it won't explain the justification.
Unlike the Europa Unversalis series, ships can't fight. They aren't broken, but the system is frustrating (find enough ships to carry your soldiers to war). You can't block enemy ships, because there is no naval combat.
When your leader
reaches the age of sixteen they can be assigned to an army. But even
if they are assigned to an army miles away from any fighting, random
events will place them at a battle. I've been told to duel enemy
commanders while my character is not involved in any battle. And
even if the player wins a battle that their character isn't at, CK2
traps them in terrible events, like suffering depression because you
lost a battle … even though you won.
Characters ignore their positive opinion of the player if it would prevent them from acting in an aggressive manner. Characters have an opinion of every other character, that ranges from -100 to +100. Characters still join rebellions against the player even if their opinion of the player is +50, or even +100.
At some point, more money doesn't matter. Money can only accomplish so much. Ten thousand ducats is enough in 99% of circumstances.
Paradox loves inundating the player with notifications, even about an invasion halfway around the world. But it doesn't notify the player if the computer breaks a betrothal between the player's heir and a foreign princess.
Catholics are expected to succor the Pope. If he declares a Crusade they better participate. Anyone who says they will fight, but doesn't show up is penalized. But the Pope will claim a player didn't participate in a Crusade, even if they fought battle after battle for his holiness.
Sometimes, depending on the culture/religion of the player, a title's name might not correspond to the name of the title on the map overlays.
With my friend's assistance, and after he left, I constructed a massive English/Norse empire which controlled North and Central African, Eastern and Western Europe, the Middle East, and Northern and Central Asia. I failed to invade India, and China exists beyond the edge of the map.
Here's some advice
about ruling such a massive empire. Don't!
Larger countries produce more poverty. Smaller countries invest in their region efficiently, while a large empire focuses its investments at a capital, with an expanding ring of inattention.
The larger the empire, the more your vassals contribute to its expansion. As the emperor of Europe I felt it beneath my dignity to conquer territory county by county. My many vassal Kings and Dukes steadily encroached on foreign enemies. They expanded the borders of the empire, attacking neighboring countries. My effort was expended on managing internal politics.
Eventually I discovered how useful the bloodline system was. Members of your bloodline are slightly more loyal, and they are essential for converting the culture and religion of conquered regions. The only weakness; extra penalties for murdering members of your bloodline (kinslayer), which dissuades the assassination of internal foes. By the end, owning everything but India, nearly 90% of my direct vassals; Kings and Dukes, were of my bloodline. With intermarriage, my bloodline was every skin color. They were all Norse, but they varied from pale like skim milk, tanned like coffee, and dark like chocolate.
They were all my vassals. No foreign King troubled me as much as they, for the true foes of an Emperor are his liegemen.
More soon on vassals and transferring CK2 to EU4.
Recent:
The Forgotten City: Conquering Death and Plot Holes
Relevant:
Europa Universalis IV: Paradox Games play Best with Friends
A Tale of Three 4X-RTS Universes: Stellaris
Hearts of Iron IV: Paradox Games play Best with Friends Part II
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