GrumpyCatFace wrote:Penner wrote:Has anyone ever played Crusader Kings and is it good?
I enjoy it, but I'm much more into Paradox's flagship game Europa Universalis IV.
CK is all about managing personal relationships in your court. Intrigue, murder, marriage, etc.
EU4 is more about managing the empire through warfare and governmental adjustments.
Both are great, depending on what style you prefer. CK2 takes place in the Middle Ages, while EU4 is in the Renaissance period until Napoleon.
Crusader Kings is good, but it's much more of a dynastic role-playing game. The main nation-state growth mechanics are through marriage granting titles and claims, and war to press those claims. Alliances are also dependent on marriages, and will really determine your strength in a war. Everything comes down to the dynasty, marriages, children, appointments, etc.
I've found it difficult to really delve in to, as so much of your success depends upon certain dynastic rules, which can be easy or hard to change. Come countries might start with a rule that the land holdings are split between the sons, who both hold the claims on the combined land, so when you die and begin playing as the primary heir, you'll have to go to war to get your land back from your brother... Progress feels out of my control in a way that can be frustrating, but I can also see the appeal of it if you're more interested in role-playing than in "winning".