Crusader Kings II

If you love medieval history with all its scheming and plotting to make your dynasty thrive, this is perfect for you. I could sit for hours and just browse the maps with all details on kingdoms, cultures, religions, dynasties etc. It's literally a playable history book :)

i have yet to learn how this game works 100/10

So anyway:

Poisoning my wife had no consequences, and my new marriage to secure myself a son were accomplished swiftly. Nevertheless, a few peculiar events did follow. I was working late in my study one night when a figure crept up from the dungeons. Who could this be? I peered around the corner, and was alarmed to discover my willowy, nine-year-old daughter stepping out of the dungeons, wiping her hands on her dress.

I rose and confronted her at once. My daughter made no attempt to hide the strange, blood-like stains on her hands, and she smiled wanly at my questions. She had a peculiar look in her eyes, and I noticed that she had a small, cruel-looking knife at her side, also color of blood. She was a quiet child, and answered me nothing. Exasperated by her intransigence, I sent her straight to bed.

I thought nothing more of it. My wife had been a wildcat with bizarre and occult interest; I assumed some of this weirdness had rubbed off on her child.

A few months later, tragedy struck. My other daughter, the elder, pitched headlong off of the castle wall and broke her neck. I was sick with grief; she had looked so like her mother, and had been developing so nicely. I could hardly focus on matters of state. Some in my court suspected foul play - my spymaster seemed like he had a theory, but wouldn't yet put it to me. I, for one, was convinced it was a judgement of God on my sins. After all, my older daughter had been walking alone except for the younger.

Perhaps another year passed. My new queen has swollen with child, and we pray day and night that it shall be a boy to succeed me. Then I hear horrible news: my spymaster was killed in a brawl in the lower town! Appalled, I ordered an investigation. The murderer was never found, but I learned that he had allowed himself to be drawn into a knife-fight with a group of feral urchins. Apparently, a waif of a whore girl had expertly cut his throat. It will take some time to accomadate my new spymaster to the secret workings of the kingdom.

I was encouraged by the birth of my son, but it was difficult to escape the sense of a pall about me. God's judgement laid heavily upon me, and my woes did not cease. No sooner was the child born than it died. My court physician said the child had asphyxiated, but I do not know how this could have been the case. No one was allowed to see the child except my immediate family - myself, my wife, and my darling daughter from my previous marriage.

I suppose you can see what I did not. My sins against God were great, I know this. Even now I turn in the hell that was prepared for me. But no greater error did I commit than to kill my first wife, who was an adept in the forbidden mysteries of darkness. I shudder to recall the horrific tomes she kept, which I burned. But I did not destroy all of her works. The spawn of the devil came for me only two short years later. She had learned poisons, God knew how, or from whom, at her age. She watched my writhe in agony, her cold eyes drinking in my pain, soulless eyes no girl could possess. Then she ended my suffering, and threw me down to the hell she had arisen from.

In a few short years, my daughter ascended to the throne of my hard-won kingdom, every potential rival from my extended family dead. And then her reign of terror began.

But that's another story...

Crusader Kings 2 offers an unparalleled experience in strategic depth, demanding both critical thinking and constant decision-making in ways few other games do. Unlike many titles where you can simply follow a fixed progression, Crusader Kings 2 is a dynamic, ever-evolving narrative. Every character is defined by a complex web of traits, ambitions, and relationships, and as a player, it’s your job to navigate their paths—whether through careful diplomacy, ruthless ambition, or sheer survival.

The game’s brilliance lies in how traits shape not only the individual but also the destiny of entire dynasties. One decision can set a ruler on a course that will affect generations to come, while another can unravel everything you’ve built. A powerful monarch might rule for decades, but a single illness or an unforeseen betrayal can reduce even the mightiest king or sultan to a puppet in the hands of fate. You might find yourself suddenly succeeded by a seemingly insignificant heir, like a homosexual daughter who, by the game's laws, might face opposition from powerful factions within your realm. The succession could be a disaster or an opportunity, depending on how you choose to play your cards.

If you come into Crusader Kings 2 thinking that it’s a game where you can simply pursue your personal ambitions unchecked, you’re mistaken. It’s not a title where you can just “win” by brute force or sticking to a single goal. Crusader Kings 2 is a game of survival, with every decision carrying the weight of potential consequences. The fate of your dynasty is rarely in your hands alone, and failure can come swiftly, often not from your own actions but from the shifting tides of the game’s internal politics. You must always be ready for the unexpected, whether it’s a deadly illness, a rebellious vassal, or a foreign invasion that leaves your kingdom in tatters.

This is a perishing game, where absolute dedication, patience, and discipline are required if you’re to navigate its unforgiving challenges. Your ambition may lead to great achievements, or it may see you undone by forces beyond your control. But above all, Crusader Kings 2 challenges you to aim for greatness—and to accept that greatness is fleeting. You’ll either die trying to achieve it, or die because you didn’t adapt quickly enough.

So I challenge you: strive for greatness, adapt to the shifting currents of power, and leave a legacy—or perish in the attempt.

Final Rating: 9/10

Introduction

Gameplay and Mechanics

Dynasty and Character Management

Expansion Packs and DLC

Graphics and Sound

Replayability and Community

Difficulty and Learning Curve

Conclusion

Final Rating: 9/10

I use to love this game but is absolutely broken now. I loose every battle even though my Army General has a rating 10 plus higher than the opposing general and I have twice the number of troops. Then about three generations later one of my shit brothers comes along with a host of troops and nails me.... game over. This exact ending has happened the first and last 2 times I started playing again. Off you fuck into the never be played again shit tin.

it's good

this game is kino

So far the game is complete garbage. Can't play for more then a few hours before some over powered computer empire just comes along and wipes me out cause I am basically prevented from raising an army because I am not allowed to increase my levy size. Completely unplayable when your slightly larger neighbor can raise an army 2 or 3 times the size you can and there is completely nothing you can do about it. Will not be buying CKIII or any of the DLC's for CKII.

Written-by Mr. Kim Dotcom, circa August 18, 2024:

"This may be the most important post you’ll ever read because it provides a simple explanation about why our world is being destroyed, by design.

I’m not antisem itic nor a N azi. I’m simply a former hacker with great analytical skills who understands what’s happening in the world.

At the end of this post I will quote from a world domination plan. You will recognize the truth immediately because that’s what’s currently happening in the world. Today’s reality suggests that this plan is real.

When you do your own research you will learn that the origin of this plan was discredited and that the alleged creators have nothing to do with it. But who was the person providing the key evidence?

It was allen dulles. The man who raised money from US industrialists to fund Ad olf Hi tler, his Na zi party and his war. The man who later became the director of the CIA during Kennedy and the head of The Warren Commission that investigated the Kennedy Incident. Why would anybody believe a man with such a questionable character?

The protocols of the elders of zion have unquestionably borrowed ideas from several authors but you can say that about most important writings throughout history. It was called a fabrication and is one of the first uses of the term ‘conspiracy theory’.

Why do zionists have a massive overrepresentation in the media, politics, banking and world affairs? How did such a small community get to dominate all the centers of power and information?

Why can isreal ignore UN resolutions, international law and commit a genocide in Ga za to standing ovations in the US Congress? Why is isreal acting like it is above the law seemingly without any fear of consequences.
Read some of the alleged zi onist world domination plan below and compare it with reality. Is all of this just a coincidence?

“Our power will be more invincible than any other, because it will remain invisible until the moment when it has gained such strength that no cunning can any longer undermine it.”

“We shall absolutely control the media, so that not a single announcement will ever reach the public without our control. In this way we shall have a sure triumph over our opponents, for without the media, they are helpless.”

“We will distract the brainless heads with vain conceptions, fantastic theories, rotten amusement, games and filthy passions, so that they will be unable to use what intellect they have. They will never suspect that they have been stage managed by us.”

“We shall establish huge monopolies so that all will go to ruin when the political smash-up comes. We must at all cost, deprive them of their lands, we must lower wages and raise the price of all necessities of life.”

“We shall create an economic crisis, which will stop dealings in all exchanges and bring industry to a standstill. We shall throw onto the streets whole mobs of workers, simultaneously, all over the world, who will rush to loot property and delight to shed blood.”

“In our government, besides ourselves, there must only be the mass of enslaved people, a few billionaires devoted entirely to us, police and soldiers. To do this we must create chaos and hostilities and we must use all deceit, treachery and falseness possible. Our greatest weapon is the media.”

“We shall establish one king over all of earth who will annihilate all causes of discord, such as borders, nationalities, religion, state debts, etc. and get peace and quiet which cannot be secured in any other way. To attain our ends we must foment trouble in all countries, utterly exhaust all of humanity with hatred, struggle, envies, torture, starvation and diseases so that the people will be forced to take refuge in our complete sovereignty.”

“Our master card has been and is and shall be the destruction of all privileges, on the ruins of which we shall set up our absolute autocracy.”

Please be mindful that most pro-isreal comments on social media are generated by the largest bot network in the world, not by real people."

Specifically, this is what has been done, using video-games to brain-wash, indoctrinate, demoralize, and fractionalize, young(er) people who would otherwise be focused-on family and community, is IN-YOUR-FACE, now, and is openly-known to be happening with the games we buy from Steam, and others.

Search for this article using the following search-terms: Zero Hedge "Leftist Consulting Firms Exposed Behind Wokification Video Games":

""How the tables have turned in the past decade. If you were involved at the inception of the culture war around a decade ago then you probably remember an abrupt and distinct change in popular media from 2015 to 2016. There was a surge of far-left and feminist propaganda in movies, television, commercials and even video games that was highly aggressive, perhaps even militant. Some people spoke out at the time and questioned the motives behind the trend, only to be smacked down by angry mobs of activists and corporate journalists with accusations of “conspiracy theory” and “bigotry.”

In other words, their claim was that you were not seeing what you thought you were seeing. There was no feminist agenda. There was no gay or trans agenda. There was no socialist messaging. It was only in your head.
If there is one rule that encompasses all political endeavors, it is this: If you have to hide your intentions and lie about your goals when trying to spread your ideology, then something is probably very wrong with your ideology. This is exactly the problem inherent in the attempt to spread woke doctrine – Activists and provocateurs never ask anyone if they want to hear about woke ideas; they seek to force everyone to see and hear woke ideas, to the point that people cannot escape the messaging.

Even more insulting is the fact that even though most of these activists claim to be fans of the media they target, they are usually discovered to be frauds. Woke ideologues have little sincere interest in nostalgia, movie making, video games, comic books, etc. They only care about these properties because they see them as a vehicle to be co-opted, infected and dominated. Leftists know well that if they control pop culture they can control the thinking of the next generation."...

This game is why I got into learning history.

With all the DLCs, Crusader Kings 2 is a real fat, juicy duck in the medieval sandbox universe. At the moment it is "still" better than Crusader Kings 3, but I think in the future CK3 will stand out even more thanks to DLCs. There is somehow more going on in the CK2 universe (with all the DLCs). It's still fun to play a game here and there. No matter what I start, I always stick with the Norsemen. I prefer plundering. Anyway, you can lose a lot of time in here. You click around and somehow half the day is already over...

tipptopp

play it

Fantastic game, sadly you need atleast 6 big DLC packs for it to be fun

one of the best Grand Strategy on the market. I strongly advice to go for DLCs (non cosmetics) or get all by monthly subscripton. get HIP mod for more history accurate experience or CK2+ to expand vanilla. CK2 is still so much better than CK3.
what i don't like is poor AI, to make things harder you can allow cheat to AI like morale/attack boost. but AI still act poorly. another bad mechanic is levy management. your liege can pull your levy but this does not prevent you from puling from same castle. if liege pulls your levy nobody is paying upkeep. ck1 was much more realistic n this case

Its okay I guess

i was playing as a king when i got a notification that my mother in law wanted, after decades in my dungeon, to be more comfortable because my dungeon was not up to her standards
i wondered how come my mother in law was in my dungeon because i dont remember put her there in the first place
i sent her to the oubliette and forgot her there AGAIN

peak ck2 experience 10/10 i recommend

I love this game and I haven't even fully learned anything yet

I was playing as Duke of Krete, switched religions from christianity, islam and judaism like my gloves. Become master assasin and lose all of my 4 wards in brutal assasination. Become gay and secude my imam. finally lands on the mainland and conquered antioch. Right after this I get declared war on by my neighbour to vassalize me. I surrender and think easy game. My new overlord demands my land. I refuse as I have 2,000 gold reserves. Hire all the mercenaries and fight him. Lose the battle due to shitty mercenary generals. Get imprisoned and revoked all of my lands -> game over. 10/10

The best strategy and roleplaying game ever.

It has aged like fine wine!

Much fun. Much Murder

Was good but has been rendered overcomplicated.

Great grand strategy game.

Fun game. 10/10

Addictive game but only buy this game and it's DLC when its on sale, absolutely worth playing this game!

Better than CK3

I love the game but god damn Paradox needs to slash the price of all the DLC by half, or make them all under 10 bucks.

Feudalism good

Better than CK3.

Incredibly immersive game, endlessly replayable.

Its OK

It's pretty good I guess

good

-Play a small nation and have no power to do anything and just get swallowed up by a bigger nation
-Play a big nation and be in constant war since the AI rules are such warmongers
-Play as a Tribal Nation and have your realm fracture and titles lost after you convert to a reformed religion or after you convert to feudalism
-Still can't beat the Umayyads
-My Vassals are a bunch of insubordinate piss-ant children who complain when I literally do anything
-EA activity with all these DLCs
-Game slows to a crawl after 100 years

Crusades are pretty cool tho so Ill give it 10/10.

This game and it's successor are terrible games. They are boring, no action, complex as any game you will ever play, and simply not fun. I would rather watch paint dry. Save your time and money.

Trash

good game innit

The best map staring game

Fun and Really cool

The ultimate roleplaying experience one of the only games that will have you going "If I don't murder my first born I will be ruined" and it be factually true. The only downside is the learning curve is more like a learning mountain and it takes a while to get into it but once you do you will be hooked.

A sweet wine aged by history and time.

Amazing Game

CK2 lets people live out their wildest fantasies. For most, conquering the world and going down in the annals of history as a great leader of men. For me, having my partner fuck othger wome,n.,,

It's pretty good

Hello everyone!

Im well aware that my meager 1650 hours doesnt compare to most of the no-lifes who play this game. With that said, its time to share my opinion on the game.

Games good

Paradox though.... Not so good?
Yikes.

A Game of Thrones mod, that's all.

My first playthrough I killed my own children to inherit all the titles they gained from an affair with the king after he died to become queen, and never looked back. Second playthrough I joined two different factions, one to make my son emperor of holy roman empire and another to declare independence. I refused to join the civil war for independence, and instead declared my own war to install my son as emperor and then turned around and crushed the independence rebellion I helped cause. These are but a few examples of what can happen in this game. Lots of fun, and mods really extend the life of the game. 10/10

One of my all time favorite games

So imagine going to a restaurant that’s owned by a very well known and established company. This company is a burger joint, and picture for a moment that you’re seeing advertisements and pictures that show a burger in all its fantastical delicious glory.

You go to order the burger, and they come back with a very basic bun and meat burger. You’re question it at first but they tell you you only ordered the “basic burger”. And they tell you if you want any condiments or seasoning, that it’s going to cost you up to $19.99 per condiment/seasoning. But, you can get the “deluxe burger”, which will cost you more, but you get a pre-selected amount of condiments/seasonings at a discount.

And after so many years, they open a new restaurant, and make this restaurant’s base burgers free, while putting the condiments/seasonings for that burger at a discount.

Sometimes, they might take a pre-existing restaurant that does spaghetti and create a restaurant that does Alfredo.

Oh, and you have to watch a 3 hour “how to” video to understand how to eat the food at this restaurant

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