Early game tips! Bring and share.

I've been playing this game for what seems barely any time at all, but then I look at my Steam profile and I've managed to clock just over 120 hours!

I'm still learning how to play this properly, and haven't yet experimented with Byzantium, Islam or Republics, which is a testament to how extensive this game is (or how slow I am...)!

Anyway, I thought I'd share a few tips which I haven't managed to find in casual browsing of this subreddit.

• When starting with a single county, I find it useful to revoke my vassals. This gives me increased prestige, income and most importantly: levies. Revoking the mayorships, bishoprics and baronies gives you full access to all the associated levies which is extremely helpful when attacking other small counties. I continue doing this for the first few counties until the demesne penalty gets too much. At which point I invite some holy men to court and grant them my stolen baronies, bishoprics and mayorships. Happy vassals all round!

• If I create my own ruler, I tend to give him the quick and lustful traits. Lustful so that he has a greater chance to procreate, and quick as it's genetic.

So yeah, that's my silver bullet to sucking slightly less :-P