Noob Question: Hooks?

[Havan_IronOak]

I've got a number of weak hooks and they appear to give me an extra 200 bargaining power when I have one.
Relative to that, what is a strong hook worth ?

[Emperor2000]

Originally posted by Havan_IronOak:

I've got a number of weak hooks and they appear to give me an extra 200 bargaining power when I have one.
Relative to that, what is a strong hook worth ?

A strong hook in most cases, let you skip the AI has to answer thing, because you can made the proposal auto-accept, it is instantly agreed.

Or you can force someone to join your faction, if you are a vassal or you can force someone to become your Agent in a murder scheme against someone, useful for the target's spymaster as an example.

But the most important about strong hooks is, that they prevent hostile actions from the character, who you have the strong hook, so no murder schemes or Wars from them.

[Emperor2000]

Originally posted by Crimson:

Earning gold is slow/tough using just your Holdings. Try running a Grifting Economy. Use your Spy exclusively to Search for Secrets-Constantly- but you'll need Golden Obligations

I almost always dip into the Stewardship Lifestyle for a cycle to get Golden Obligations & Cutting Cornerstones (even a mediocre Ruler will get 2 perks, but a Quick or Intelligent one will get 3, & a Genius will likely get 4 perks from one cycle)
A strong hook on another ruler has a 5yr cooldown, so thats 50g every 5 yrs til he dies. Even a weak hook pays well once.
Maybe you get one on a great Commander. Use it to invite him to Court & put him in your army.
Anyone in your Court w/a strong hook is great for an Agent if you need to assassinate. Every 5 yrs the hook respawns.
Maybe you need a Councillor. A strong hook on a woman lets you invite her to Court, & then she can find that 20 stewardship/diplomacy/etc guy you need for your Council. Women from a 'House' get access to much better men than a 'peasant' woman.

The worth of a Hook is as diverse as the people you get them on.
Gotta edit:-Compassionate, Forgiving, & especially Generous are traits your Ruler CANNOT have if you're gonna run a Grifting Economy
A strong hook on the Pope is worth 160g every 5 yrs. A strong hook on an Emperor, say Byzantine, is worth 200g

The only Peasant Characters in this Game, are Characters, who have the Peasant Leader Trait.
(Fun Fact: Peasant Leaders always have an Dynasty, because they always get a feudal government, but feudal government characters need an Dynasty, so the Game is generating one for peasant characters, wich in turns leads to the AI marry a peasant).

But you probably mean the Lowborn ones, they are in fact not Peasant, they lower tiered nobles, merchants, artisan, etc.

[Havan_IronOak]

Originally posted by Crimson:

Earning gold is slow/tough using just your Holdings. Try running a Grifting Economy.

That sounds fascinating! I started as Rurik the Troublemaker with the earliest start date so I'm still at the tribal level, and since I started in a Norse Culture, I make plenty of cash (and prestige) rather easily through raiding. Piety's not hard to come by either as human sacrifice is still an option. Once I start getting closer to the millennium, I'm sure I'll want to settle down a bit and stop making my own population hate me as much as they do. I'll probably have to reform my ways.

[VipreRX]

A strong hook is practically priceless. It doesn't expire, can be used over and over again, and basically turns someone into your puppet.

Think of weak hooks as owed favors, you can call them in when needed but then you're even, while strong hooks are akin to life destroying blackmail material, they'd do practically anything for you to make sure it doesn't get out.

[Emperor2000]

Originally posted by VipreRX:

A strong hook is practically priceless. It doesn't expire, can be used over and over again, and basically turns someone into your puppet.

Think of weak hooks as owed favors, you can call them in when needed but then you're even, while strong hooks are akin to life destroying blackmail material, they'd do practically anything for you to make sure it doesn't get out.

Strong Hooks are not only Blackmail Hooks, you can get them via a Culture Tradition, for pardoning Crimes of your Subjects or Recruiting Prisoners.

[jerrypocalypse]

Originally posted by Emperor2000:

Originally posted by VipreRX:

A strong hook is practically priceless. It doesn't expire, can be used over and over again, and basically turns someone into your puppet.

Think of weak hooks as owed favors, you can call them in when needed but then you're even, while strong hooks are akin to life destroying blackmail material, they'd do practically anything for you to make sure it doesn't get out.

Strong Hooks are not only Blackmail Hooks, you can get them via a Culture Tradition, for pardoning Crimes of your Subjects or Recruiting Prisoners.

I love the Recognition of Talent tradition for that. In addition to getting fantastic prowess knights from the Invite Champions decision, it's super easy to get strong hooks on vassals and courtiers. Scheme against me once, and now you have a strong hook from that pardon I gave you. And any prisoners I take from raiding or during wars get a strong hook on them when I recruit them *and* and opinion boost instead of penalty.

You can also get strong hooks from various events that just randomly happen, like the injured wanderer event that happens when you have the Learning focus.

[Havan_IronOak]

Originally posted by Crimson:

When you ascend the Throne (your Pops just died), regardless of your Lifestyle. You're hit with a Short-Reign approval penalty.
First, 'Forbid' ALL soldiers from the military. This will make them simply courtiers. Do this BEFORE you pick Stewardship. Now take the "Duty" focus. This instantly gives a +20 approval for all your guests & courtiers, & a -5% acceptance of enemy agents (great for a new Ruler to have). Now put your soldiers back in the army at a +20 approval of you. In 2 yrs you'll have Golden Obligations & your Spy will have a couple of secrets by then,too.
Sometimes your new Ruler will be only 1 or 2 perks from attaining a Trait, lets say Overseer. In cases like that, get the Trait 1st, then dip into Steward.

The Best time is when you ascend from a child.
You have zero perks in anything. Your approval will be low, too.

By the time you're 18 you have G.O. and a literal Lifetime of cashing in hooks.

This sounds great I'm likely to soon face just this. My heir just died but his genius 8 year-old kid just took his spot

I've been developing a playing guide as I go which I might publish when both it and I get better. Mind if I steal this?