"Unplayable without DLCs" true or not?

[Dudeguy21]

Thinking about picking this up while it's on sale, but I've seen a few reviews saying that new features (plagues / legitimacy) make the game extremely unfun unless you buy the DLCs that give you more ways to deal with them.

How true is this? I know very little about this game, seems cool but I'm not about to drop $70 for the complete collection

[Bishi]

It's playable, but certainly not the best experience. The latest update reduced the frequency of plagues, albeit also adding a legitimacy penalty to isolating your capital. That said, you can play around low/average legitimacy. The rewards for high legitimacy are much more noticeable than the penalties of being low.

It is true that Legends of the Dead offers much better ways to deal with the mechanic as a whole though, that is definitely true. Some would even say it trivializes it entirely.

[JBrown247]

Just play the base game and roll the version back to the original.

[ShepherdOfCats]

I'll admit I caved and bought Royal Court simply because of the extra court positions. Trying to play without them and get decent artifacts was a no-go. (for one you had no royal court to get the court-artifacts and you had no artificers to become inspired to make them.) And, I don't know how I ever made it without the court tutor.

I would advise not paying full price for that DLC.

[BobDoleReigns]

It's playable but at that point it is so tremendously behind ck2 you might as well get that plus some dlc for the same price.

[ambi]

i played vanilla ck3 a few years ago. it was enjoyable enough.

[Sticky]

100% playable and enjoyable

[Prince of Thieves]

I only have the base game lol - weird considering my PI obsession throughout the years, but I never got hooked. It's personal, the outlangish price tag; the dark interface looks like you're entering into a gothic horror; somehow the Kings all look like the King from Princess Bride; Different cultures are just carbon copies or different flavours of Norse culture with its weird partition laws. But I do come back sometimes just to see whats up with the game.

What DLCs would people recommend and which are meh?

[Yellow dog Funny]

The iberian struggle at the $3 sale price is a good deal, but there is no DLC worth it's full price. I logged 125 hours before buying a DLC and didn't add much.

[Сааребас]

Ck3 is just like most other games.
If you don't enjoy the basegame/vanilla, how can dlc's be justifiable?

Comments like this:

Originally posted by BobDoleReigns:

It's playable but at that point it is so tremendously behind ck2 you might as well get that plus some dlc for the same price.

Are dishonest because CK3 basegame includes most features of a fully decked out CK2. Most of those features are improved and expanded upon.

Every DLC rom CK3 adds something to he game but whether you like that or are going to make use of them is personal and subjective.
Some DLC is region/culture bound whilst others can be/are used in every playthrough.

Personally, I think every one dlc is worth it, to this date, except for the cosmetic one. Don't really care about that specific one, but opinions may differ.
I believe it is a former mod, they creater did an amazing job though, just not my cup of tea, especially not for €4,99.

Tldr; basegame is fine, each dkc adds something unique.
Don't enjoy the basegame then dlc is not worth it.

[JC]

IT's free this weekend so give it a try.


The base game is perfectly playable with No DLC. But Tours and tournaments, royal court and the viking expansion i would recommend, though court for some isn't as much fun as it is for me.

I'm also with the other guy, if you don't like the game no DLC is going to change that or at least it's never made a game i was on the fence about turn into something great. i either love a game and buy DLC or i pass.

[Grell]

Its unplayable with the DLC... besides the first couple IMO they make the game worse

[8doczzz1]

Only 2-3 DLCs actually add any content or mechanics, and you won't miss them until you've put a lot of hours into the base game.

[Resoula]

I think it's unplayable WITH the DLCs. The DLCs add so many popups that it's nearly impossible to play the game. It also adds a lot of bloat you need to constantly maintain.

[JC]

Originally posted by Resoula:

I think it's unplayable WITH the DLCs. The DLCs add so many popups that it's nearly impossible to play the game. It also adds a lot of bloat you need to constantly maintain.

Size of realm and speed you play has a huge effect on this. If you don't paint the world and play on slow the pop-ups are very manageable. If you play on fast and rule the world it's very different.

[Larco]

I'm not sure you need DLCs, you need mods. Specifically ones that create a semblance of challenge (though there's still not much) and one that turns plagues off. I honestly didn't find legitimacy a problem but the plagues were annoying as f***. Not their impact - I don't think i ever lost a character to one. The damn pop ups.