Crusader Kings III vs Mount and Blade (the new one)

[The People's Hero]

My son is 9 and has expressed an interest in both.

 

CK3 looks WAAAAAY too involved; but he does absolutely adore his history.

 

M&B looks a least a bit more 'actiony'.

 

You lot in this part of the forum are knowledgeable and know your games and I don't think you'd guide me too far wrong?
 

Could they suit? If not; is there anything a bit 'lighter'? 

 

I used to love EU3 and whatnot but I remember it being very obtuse and hard to originally learn? Is there anything now that has that depth but is more accessible?
 

And yeah I'll be getting him FM also!

 

 

[Mark_w]

I don't know if you'd care but just to be aware that CK3 includes full frontal nudity character models & incest. I don't think it's so complex that a kid couldn't have fun with it, Paradox have definitely made the newer games simpler to pick up than EU3/CK2/HOI3/Vic 2 were.

[The People's Hero]

Just now, Mark_w said:

I don't know if you'd care but just to be aware that CK3 includes full frontal nudity character models & incest. I don't think it's so complex that a kid couldn't have fun with it, Paradox have definitely made the newer games simpler to pick up than EU3/CK2/HOI3/Vic 2 were.

Hi and thanks. I would care and that probably rules that out.

 

Seems to be a bit of a gap but I appreciate most 9 year olds don't want to play games like that.

[Mike the Metal Ed]

Just now, Mark_w said:

I don't know if you'd care but just to be aware that CK3 includes full frontal nudity character models & incest. I don't think it's so complex that a kid couldn't have fun with it, Paradox have definitely made the newer games simpler to pick up than EU3/CK2/HOI3/Vic 2 were.

For a bit of extra context they do wear fig leaves if that happens, but you do see bare breasts. You can turn off nudity completely in the options, but turning it back on is also just as easy, so it's probably aimed more at Twitch streamers rather than as parental controls.

 

From a gameplay perspective, the game is VERY deep in terms of mechanics, and I've been playing it for a year, and while I enjoy it, I rarely have a clue what I'm doing! So hypothetically if your son does enjoy going deep into the gameplay then it fits in that regard. If he wants a more casual experience, he'll have a difficult time with it.

 

I haven't played Mount & Blade, so I can't give an opinion.

[Mark_w]

I had a fair bit of fun with Plebby Quest: The Crusades, might be a good more kid friendly alternative to CK3

[The People's Hero]

Thanks guys. Appreciated. He wants something historical, strategic, deep and involved. My concern as a parent is keeping it where he won't be seeing or learning things he shouldn't.

 

 

[Mark_w]

If he's got any interest in the Cold War the boardgame Twilight Struggle is on steam, worth checking out. If I remember correctly it shouldn't be too easy a single player experience. Precipice is a similar Cold War game that would probably be alright for kids.

Edited 27 September 2021 by Mark_w

[The People's Hero]

1 minute ago, Mark_w said:

If he's got any interest in the Cold War the boardgame Twilight Struggle is on steam, worth checking out. If I remember correctly it shouldn't be too easy a single player experience. Precipice is a similar Cold War game that would probably be alright for kids.

Legend; thank you.

 

I've got him on a few bits already; but he's just smashing them. Valhalla Hills being the latest.

[The People's Hero]

Might just force him to play through FFX. Its on gamepass.....

[Thefox81]

Just now, The People's Hero said:

Might just force him to play through FFX. Its on gamepass.....

Cant go wrong with that. Awesome game.

[The People's Hero]

1 minute ago, Thefox81 said:

Cant go wrong with that. Awesome game.

I think I smashed the lot on PS2; but that was pre-'trophies' so maybe he can boost me up!

 

Remember the sword you used to 'trap' creatures or whatever and you had to go through the game catching one of each.

 

And the lightning dodges?
 

And the blitzball!!!

[Thefox81]

1 minute ago, The People's Hero said:

I think I smashed the lot on PS2; but that was pre-'trophies' so maybe he can boost me up!

 

Remember the sword you used to 'trap' creatures or whatever and you had to go through the game catching one of each.

 

And the lightning dodges?
 

And the blitzball!!!

Remember it all. The lightning dodges was a bitch. To get Lulus special weapon i think. Ive just platinumed ff12 which was fun. If it wasnt for a certain footie game just released i might have gave FFX another go.

[The People's Hero]

Just now, Thefox81 said:

Remember it all. The lightning dodges was a bitch. To get Lulus special weapon i think. Ive just platinumed ff12 which was fun. If it wasnt for a certain footie game just released i might have gave FFX another go.

I need to go back and finish FFXII. I stopped at pretty much the exact same time on ZA as I did on the original. Must have just got slow paced or some sort of WTF moment.

[Thefox81]

1 minute ago, The People's Hero said:

I need to go back and finish FFXII. I stopped at pretty much the exact same time on ZA as I did on the original. Must have just got slow paced or some sort of WTF moment.

Worth it in the end. Last acievement on ZA for me was completing the 100 trials. Did have a lot of help from online guides though.

[Mark_w]

(Sorry these recommendations are in dribs and drabs working through steam and my other games) If the interest in history extends to party politics then he might enjoy 270soft's election games https://270soft.com/commonwealth-election-games/uk-election-game/ there are a lot of historical election campaigns people have made for those games that are pretty fun and informative.

Edited 27 September 2021 by Mark_w

[The People's Hero]

2 minutes ago, Thefox81 said:

Worth it in the end. Last acievement on ZA for me was completing the 100 trials. Did have a lot of help from online guides though.

Think I worked out I'd spec'd my party terribly as the whole 2 x sphere grid thing was new on me (and everyone I guess?) and I ended up with that I thought was sub-optimal and I just can't let that go.

[Thefox81]

Just now, The People's Hero said:

Think I worked out I'd spec'd my party terribly as the whole 2 x sphere grid thing was new on me (and everyone I guess?) and I ended up with that I thought was sub-optimal and I just can't let that go.

Some really good guides on game faqs will help with that 

[The People's Hero]

2 minutes ago, Thefox81 said:

Some really good guides on game faqs will help with that 

I'll go back to it. I think work got busy etc.

 

Strangely I was playing a bit of FFX-2 just to try it out recently and thought.... yeah, this could do with gambits.

[Thefox81]

6 minutes ago, The People's Hero said:

I'll go back to it. I think work got busy etc.

 

Strangely I was playing a bit of FFX-2 just to try it out recently and thought.... yeah, this could do with gambits.

The right gambit setup is great. Think the guide i used to get platinum was BobertWabc on games faq. Very easy to use

[Finnegan]

FWIW, CK3 is pretty accessible compared to most other paradox titles. 

 

There's a lot of fairly adult content and themes, though.

[The People's Hero]

On 28/09/2021 at 15:56, Finnegan said:

FWIW, CK3 is pretty accessible compared to most other paradox titles. 

 

There's a lot of fairly adult content and themes, though.

Yeah; I'd sort of overlooked the killing, incest etc.

 

Thanks for all the views guys. This place can be a fetid mess sometimes; but the computers section is actually very civilised and pleasant. Well done everyone.

[Finnegan]

1 minute ago, The People's Hero said:

Yeah; I'd sort of overlooked the killing, incest etc.

 

Thanks for all the views guys. This place can be a fetid mess sometimes; but the computers section is actually very civilised and pleasant. Well done everyone.

 

To be honest, if you read the Crusader Kings subreddit you'd think it was the most degenerate game ever. 

 

Murdering everyone, seducing all your family, inbreeding, committing genocide etc. 

 

But it's actually very open regards how you play the game and none of that behaviour is at the forefront. You usually have to go looking for it and know to want to play that way. There's a certain amount of realism in the AI so siblings and parent/child relations don't just go around having affairs and seducing each other, they have to be insane, or deviants, or you have to form a religion that specifically enables/enforces it. 

 

Oh and you can turn the nudity off in the settings. 

 

I still wouldn't give it to a 9 year old. I think it's a bit too complex and I'd have thought the themes are still a bit too adult even considering what I've said above. 

 

I think I'd let, say, a 12 year old play it. 

[The People's Hero]

14 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

To be honest, if you read the Crusader Kings subreddit you'd think it was the most degenerate game ever. 

 

Murdering everyone, seducing all your family, inbreeding, committing genocide etc. 

 

But it's actually very open regards how you play the game and none of that behaviour is at the forefront. You usually have to go looking for it and know to want to play that way. There's a certain amount of realism in the AI so siblings and parent/child relations don't just go around having affairs and seducing each other, they have to be insane, or deviants, or you have to form a religion that specifically enables/enforces it. 

 

Oh and you can turn the nudity off in the settings. 

 

I still wouldn't give it to a 9 year old. I think it's a bit too complex and I'd have thought the themes are still a bit too adult even considering what I've said above. 

 

I think I'd let, say, a 12 year old play it. 

What about a 30-something one time brace-scoring hero in the overs vs unders?

[Finnegan]

1 hour ago, The People's Hero said:

What about a 30-something one time brace-scoring hero in the overs vs unders?

 

You're definitely a big enough deviant to commit some serious sin in medieval Europe. 

[The People's Hero]

On this sort of subject; EU4 is available for free on Epic. Not sure I ever played that one so picked it up for nothing; and added to the virtual pile of shame!