I know a few other folks are playing this, what are you experiences?

I'm playing through as Denmark 1166- after watching a Let's play on You Tube. I've found that Paradox games require me to start off as someone little and friendly with their neighbors or I end up in a pine box very quickly.

I really enjoy playing Irish Counts, and working to unify Ireland. Dublin is a great county to start out as in 1066, because your Count is the heir to the Count of Leinster, and that dude is old as hell. So you get a few years just managing your one county, then inherit another without having to really do anything. From there, you can save up some cash and create the duchies of Meath and Leinster, then subjugate the Counts of Kildare and Ossory.

I like to piss them off so that they revolt and I can revoke their titles after a brief civil war, to grant to my sons.

From there, I fabricate claims on the other provences until I have half of Ireland and can create the kingdom and demand fealty from the other Dukes.

Then I end up with a syphilitic lesbian queen with no viable heirs and it's game over.

I was thinking about going with Ireland next. Now I'm definitely going with Ireland next.

It's nice because you are independent, but small. Scotland and England are generally tied up with each other (though Ulster sometimes ends up as part of Scotland and has to be liberated).

Also, once you've got the Kingdom well in hand, you can very easily pick on either France or England (depending on which is splintered) and fight Muslims in southern Spain while waiting for your chancellor to fabricate claims on Christian lands.

In my current game, England is in shambles, with SIX independent nations constantly fighting amongst themselves, and France is in three parts, with Aquitaine actually larger and more powerful than France proper.

Also, I've conquered and Christianized Africa from the Gran Canarias to the Straight of Gibraltar (though I'm having trouble keeping the Dukes down there loyal and end up having to quash a rebellion at least once each generation.

Protip: If you end up with several sons, try and get a few of them appointed as bishops. That removes them from the line of inheritance, so you can keep Gavelkind succession (and keep your children from hating/assassinating each other and you).

OK, so my son and heir reached 16 and I never arranged a marriage. I gave him a county and now I can't arrange a marriage for him. Did I miss something?

My first game I flamed out as King of Norway. In 1066, he's got a full-scale invasion of England going on. Which means you cannot assign tasks to your council. You have the manpower to take several counties out of England but before you can force concessions out of the King of England, Finland gets uppity. Oh, a couple of second/third sons back home start to make life tough.

I'm thinking of trying Denmark for my next game.

Oh man.... this game is so deep in my brain. I meant to go to bed at midnight last night. I swear. And then I meant to go to bed at 1 am. And then again at 2 am. I did make it to bed by 3 am. And I then dreamed of finding the perfect claim to this annoying little island of the coast of the Holy Roman Empire.

I am so damn tired right now. And cannot wait until I get the kids in bed tonight so I can play more....

Yeah, once someone is a ruler (even if he's your vassal), he becomes autonomous. Just as your liege lord can't force you to accept a marriage, you can't force your vassals to do so. You only have that power over members of your personal court.

It's another good example of what this game is really about. Control. Having it, exercising it, and loosing it. You cannot hold on too tight. You cannot hold on too loosely. But trying to find the exact right sweet spot? Ah, the joy...

Did you start Denmark and want that island between you and Pomerania?