The most crucial tasks are indicated by diamond icons along the top of the screen, the most crucial of which exist on their own, and less crucial ones grouped into a cloverleaf shaped icon with a number inside it. In the case of independent rulers you will see independent realms around you, whereas a vassal will see other vassals in their realm as well as their liege's direct holdings.īefore you unpause the game, there are critical tasks that you should take care of.

On loadup you will have automatically zoomed in to see your own realm. As many of these mechanics are complex, it is better to leave them untouched during your first ruler. You may choose to play the game on a lower (or higher) difficulty, change the rates of disease, religious heresy, cultural shifts, or alter mechanics like the removal of territorial exclaves or diplomatic range. This can be found at the bottom of the screen if playing from the bookmark menu.

As all potential choices place you at some risk from scheming and warfare, you should always be alert for potential threats when playing the game, and plan ahead.īefore beginning a game, you may choose to modify some mechanics of the game in the game rules menu to suit your personal preference. You are however still vulnerable from attack from other members of the same realm, and an angry liege may take actions against you if he sees you as a threat to his power. Playing as a vassal of a larger realm provides you with the protection of your liege, at the cost of paying taxes and providing some of your levies (and you can skimp on those if your liege is not your Rightful Liege). Whilst powerful, much of a king's power is drawn from his own personal land holdings, and disloyal vassals teaming up can quickly overwhelm you in a direct conflict. You will often find a strong vassal scheming against you early on, leaving you vulnerable to rebellion or attack if you cannot placate them. Starting as the head of a large kingdom may be tempting, but often comes with the great responsibility of pleasing and managing dozens of potentially disloyal vassals. However, beware: while the Byzantine Empire is kept busy by wars with Alp Arslan and his Persian empire, said wars won't last forever, and Apulia is de jure part of the Byzantine Empire. As an independent ruler seeking to establish a kingdom, you have room to expand and grow with the chance to establish strong alliances with your neighbours. Duke Robert of Apulia, a Norman conqueror who has established himself in southern Italy.

His realm's central position is a prime location to learn about the game's de jure drift mechanic (specifically, how it differs from the previous game). As a vassal of the Holy Roman Empire, you are protected from invasion, and can learn how to succeed and advance as the servant of a strong liege lord. Bohemia uses the seniority succession method, which lowers the risk of your realm being divided amongst squabbling brothers on a ruler's death.

Duke Vratislav of Bohemia, who rules the Czech people as a vassal of the Holy Roman Empire once he has accumulated enough wealth, he is ready to crown himself King of Bohemia.

If you choose to play the tutorial, you will be assigned this character. This start is easier because you are mostly left to yourself on Ireland, with your own autonomous Irish church and little interference from outside the island.

Petty King Murchad of Munster, who rules a small but strong realm in southern Ireland in which you can learn the rules of conquest as you restore your grandfather's kingdom.

Consider selecting from one of the recommended rulers in the 1066 'Rags to Riches' bookmark when getting started. Alternatively, click the 'play as any ruler' in the bottom left corner of the screen to be allowed to select from any eligible ruler on the map in your chosen year.Ĭhoosing from the vast number of characters on the map can be overwhelming when trying to find a good ruler to begin with. Different interesting characters from the two time periods can be selected from the bookmarks along the top of the screen. To begin, click New Game to choose from a selection of interesting characters in either 867 or 1066. In CKIII you follow the lives of a dynasty of rulers, rather than a country itself. In this first video One Proud Bavarian will help us understand the gallery of characters that we will play and what they are made of! Continue Dismiss Introducing CK3 - Characters.

Crusaders 3 gameplay