CRUSADER KINGS II: An Exploration Of What If Charisma Was The Only Stat?
(Originally post Aug 21, 2017)
Paradox Development Studio’s Crusader Kings II is perhaps 2nd only to dwarf fortress in terms of being unapproachable to newcomers and sheer scope of the game itself. I could probably condense my entire review into say: it's a game I loved so much, I had to quit playing it in college so I would actually study!
It's historic settings is open for plundering and saving, warmongering and peace brokering, and countless other clever antonyms! The sheer amount of stories and unknown variables which rise and fall to your actions is quite astonishing. With thousands of NPC AI making decisions, being driven by an RPG stat system which answer the question what if Charisma was the only stat. The game is simply a dream come true for anyone who have always desired to live in a medieval inspired world and make it their own.
Despite there being many other NPC players spread out across a vast world, most of whom the player will never directly interact with (although the repercussions of small NPCs can spread quickly), the player always feels like they are the star of their own epic tale. On easier difficulties, the player will find that military options becomes more viable which assists as you blunder your way through the diplomacy. On harder difficulties, a military conflict is something to be avoided until much later. So your ruler’s stats, counselors, alliances, and decisions are all the more important. You may find yourself in situations where surrendering power is more viable than fighting. Where swearing fealty to a king actually gives you breathing room to plot and expand your borders on smaller fish before taking on the big prizes.
All this being said, the game is incredibly difficult to learn. I felt it took a few weeks of playing the game before the controls and UI felt like second nature, and this may be enough to scare a lot of players off. I’m not really sure how much this could be improved, as the game is portrayed entirely through menus which give you the status of your provinces, your relationship with other NPCs, the progress of your battles, and so much more. What is lacking is a suitable tutorials to explain these menus. The in game tutorials help a lot, but they are lengthy and it after awhile it becomes annoying learning how to play a game rather than just playing it.
For players willing to stick with it, Crusader Kings II has more to offer than nearly any other RPG out there. It is perhaps second only to Dwarf Fortress in terms of scope. I highly recommend it, just stick with it until the game starts to click.
