How to survive rulership focus?

[Cruz / LastSpartan]

I really love the benefits: Possibility of becoming diligent, ambitious, just: very powerful traits and the lifestyle trait administrator is really solid.

However I'm having difficulties justifying this choice, often going for carousing or business instead for the simple reason of having my lifespan reduced drastically due to becoming stressed and depressed. It takes several years of following this focus to finally gain the lifestyle trait.

So any tips on improving my health or an efficient way of losing stressed or depressed? I know the best trick is to choose that focus when my character is still young but that is not always possible due to having a predecessor who lives a long life.

[jfoytek]

Silly player you dont take one focus and remain in the focus for your entire life?!? Thats Just not playing smart at all....

Rulership focus is a focus for a middle aged ruler 28-42 age rangish that you take when you have alot of empty holdings you want to fill with castles!

Otherwise your better off with Business Focus for that time gap!

Carouse and Go on your pilgramige in the early years of a character to boosts its diplomacy / opinion of everyone!

40 - 50 is when you get into the military side and start projecting your beloved kings power and 60+ is when you start to worry about longevity and switching over too Hunting focus!

But if you just using one focus you are not developing your characters and your missing out on alot!!!

[kazaddum]

Originally posted by jfoytek:

Silly player you dont take one focus and remain in the focus for your entire life?!? Thats Just not playing smart at all....

Rulership focus is a focus for a middle aged ruler 28-42 age rangish that you take when you have alot of empty holdings you want to fill with castles!

Otherwise your better off with Business Focus for that time gap!

Carouse and Go on your pilgramige in the early years of a character to boosts its diplomacy / opinion of everyone!

40 - 50 is when you get into the military side and start projecting your beloved kings power and 60+ is when you start to worry about longevity and switching over too Hunting focus!

But if you just using one focus you are not developing your characters and your missing out on alot!!!

Pah! Around 40 midlife crisis kicks in! Go hunting focus and collect all the lasses in the woods! Or go seduction!
Around 60 you start to ruining some (well most) of that - religion focus!

Oh silly player. Do you even rp?

[The Cure]

Originally posted by Crusader:

I really love the benefits: Possibility of becoming diligent, ambitious, just: very powerful traits and the lifestyle trait administrator is really solid.

However I'm having difficulties justifying this choice, often going for carousing or business instead for the simple reason of having my lifespan reduced drastically due to becoming stressed and depressed. It takes several years of following this focus to finally gain the lifestyle trait.

So any tips on improving my health or an efficient way of losing stressed or depressed? I know the best trick is to choose that focus when my character is still young but that is not always possible due to having a predecessor who lives a long life.

Join the Hermetics. They can brew potions to remove stress and depression. Carousing and a hunting dog can also remove the traits.

[that guy]

In order of what I find most to least useful:

1. Theology: good for getting piety & virtues and getting rid of vices, also has a bonus to health
   
2. Hunting: lots of bonuses to health, possibility of some nice traits
   
3. Seduction: for when you really need children
   
4. Scholarship: those tech points stay with you
   
5. Rulership: possibility of getting good traits balanced by health traits, but you might get a cheap castle
   
6. Business: only if you have nothing else going on
   
7. Family: good if you need children, and bonus to health
   
8. Carousing: only if you really need to make friends
   
9. War: only if you really need the extra stats in martial
   
10. Intrigue: only if you need to fabricate a reason to imprison someone

So with a typical ruler, I usually get 5 years of scholarship focus, then maybe a round of rulership and business. If by the time he is 40 (or she is 35) and there is no good heir, then seduction focus. Finally I go for theology. If I think I need to live a bit longer for some reason, then I go for hunting.

[jfoytek]

Originally posted by that guy:

In order of what I find most to least useful:

1. Theology: good for getting piety & virtues and getting rid of vices, also has a bonus to health
   
2. Hunting: lots of bonuses to health, possibility of some nice traits
   
3. Seduction: for when you really need children
   
4. Scholarship: those tech points stay with you
   
5. Rulership: possibility of getting good traits balanced by health traits, but you might get a cheap castle
   
6. Business: only if you have nothing else going on
   
7. Family: good if you need children, and bonus to health
   
8. Carousing: only if you really need to make friends
   
9. War: only if you really need the extra stats in martial
   
10. Intrigue: only if you need to fabricate a reason to imprison someone

So with a typically ruler, I usually get 5 years of scholarship focus, then maybe a round of rulership and business. If by the time he is 40 (or she is 35) and there is no good heir, then seduction focus. Finally I go for theology. If I think I need to live a bit longer for some reason, then I go for hunting.

To each their own everyone has different priority's I for one don't stick with any one focus as I have a plan for there life and they walk thru the focus's in a particular order to improve the character... But if I had to dumb this down to what focus is best in a top 10 order mine looks far different then yours!

1)Business Focus: This focus when properly used can make you cash hand over fist and it especially shines in the early game when everyone is poor and you need to get a jump on your neighbors!

2)War Focus: This focus proc's tons of events that lead to traits that effect your ruler in far more ways then just war! One of the most powerful focus's to develop a character! And the high Martial skill which = Large personal levy is a nice side effect....

3)Carousing: Short and sweet focus with such nice lasting effects.. You only need to put the bare minimum time into this and you can get Socializer and GameMaster plus add a few powerful vassals as Friends! For the rest of your leaders lifespan or until said friend dies!

4)Scholarship: This is a truely annoying focus that can often screw up your character but you got too do it because those Tech Points at the End are Worth it....

5)Hunting: Far and away the best focus to expand your characters lifespan! Doesn't have much impact on improving your character so hopefully you have already developed him!

6)Theology: Much like Carousing in that you put as little time as possible into this one to aquire some nice everlasting perks like being a Pilgrim!

7)Rulership: A nice situational focus for building castles in empty holdings but not as effective as the War Focus is for developing a character though it does have some nice character development capability's

8)Family: You need kids for some reason and the boost to diplomacy is more usefull then going seduction!

9) Seduction: You need kids because your wife hates you and you can't just pull a Henry the 8th and cut her head off....

10)Intrigue: Useless

[Panicsferd]

Originally posted by jfoytek:

Silly player you dont take one focus and remain in the focus for your entire life?!? Thats Just not playing smart at all....

Rulership focus is a focus for a middle aged ruler 28-42 age rangish that you take when you have alot of empty holdings you want to fill with castles!

Otherwise your better off with Business Focus for that time gap!

Carouse and Go on your pilgramige in the early years of a character to boosts its diplomacy / opinion of everyone!

40 - 50 is when you get into the military side and start projecting your beloved kings power and 60+ is when you start to worry about longevity and switching over too Hunting focus!

But if you just using one focus you are not developing your characters and your missing out on alot!!!

This is good to know for future referances but what I have always done myself is always chose hunting for that health bonuses since for me I always had issues where my rulers would always die in their 40s or so and I think having reaper's due doesn't help much when you get more illnesses that can kill your ruler.

I then would sometimes do the rulership focus (or buisness) if the current ruler I am struggled with stewardship so then his total demense suffered because of it - and even sometimes just to test out the other focues I would chose seductions and others.

But I guess throughout the 2-3 playthroughs that I have finished to the end date (1 or maybe two were corrupted half way so got no achivements) I noticed that I still use the hunting focus a lot for that bonus health and so my rulers now ever since using Hunting focus last at least 50+ unless I get unlucky and they get sick and die.

But I noticed as well that the hunting focus (or any health focus for that matter) can come back to bite you since I noticed for the last generations that by time my heir would take over he will be in his late 20s early 30s by time he would take over and if I married him previously he will have a bunch of sons/daughters that I will have no control over.

[Merkatz]

I don't always stay in one focus. Rulership and Stewardship are ones that I run through the chain with then dump for something else.

I don't usually go through all of them as like having characters that aren't great at everything but are better than anyone else at a few things.

Also your religion and society can factor into which focus you choose.

Obviously, there's no hunting for Jainism, but you don't even need it then... Or Carousing, unless you're a horrible Jainist and a daft cow diplomatically.

[Cruz / LastSpartan]

Thanks for the answers! I guess I have just been very unlucky with my events whenever I have chosen this focus as everytime before I have gained the lifestyle trait, which I am after, my character has gained many bad health traits and died.

Currently I have a character who is 35 years of age. he has had ruleship focus activated for maybe 6-8 years now and has the "steward" trait which gives +2 stewardship, so only one more event should gain the lifestyle trait. As a consequence of trying to rule well he is now stressed, depressed and ill. With no positive health traits (like martial education, brawny) that is a flat -3 health and I fear he will die soo.

Originally posted by jfoytek:

Silly player you dont take one focus and remain in the focus for your entire life?!? Thats Just not playing smart at all....

Rulership focus is a focus for a middle aged ruler 28-42 age rangish that you take when you have alot of empty holdings you want to fill with castles!

I am planning to switch focus, but only after I gain the lifestyle trait (it's literally do or die). I chose this focus for this exact reason where i had an empty slot and I succesfully got a castle built for 400 gold :)

Originally posted by The Cure:

Join the Hermetics. They can brew potions to remove stress and depression. Carousing and a hunting dog can also remove the traits.

I don't have monks and mystics, and very few any other DLC for that matter.
Hunting focus though might actually be very interesting. I didn't remember it was possible to lose stressed by having a pet so I might try this strategy later!

[Valentine Michael Smith]

short answer is I usually don't. My characters get stressed early and often then I get nice long regencies I can't do anything in.

[Newton's Flaming Laser Sword]

As stated before, your best bet would be the hermetics society. They offer several stat benefits as you ascend the ranks and the potions are possibly the most significant ones (along with the items the top ranks allows you to create, that are passed down).

I'm guessing the negative traits (and coherent chances of dying) were added to create a balance that prevents you from creating a superruler without any downside. Fortunately there are some ways around this, like selecting the family focus after that tends to rid you of stressed and/or depressed. I'm guessing the rulership focus shouldn't be a permanent one, rulers drop dead around me all the time with that focus.

// As a response to the list posted earlier in the discussion, my personal uses of WoL focusses;

• Theology: I generally only use this to go on pilgrimage for the chance to get zealous, more recently because it helps get rid of vices. Usually pick it when I begin my reign and get rid of it asap after. At times I have used this focus just to get >10 learning as to be able to join the Hermetics.
  
• Hunting: Generally only pick this when I can't pick war because I need the health bonus to counter my aids. Given the extremely low chances of actually killing your white (insert animal), and the superbae of the forest, I litterally only use this for martial plus a counter to aids.
  
• Seduction: I generally only use this on the first ruler I get that can rid my realm of gavelkind. I make as many babies as possible and then switch over to a lifestyle that helps me in other ways.
  
• Scholarship: I've never picked this focus in my ~ thousand hours of CK2 and quite honestly I have no idea why. Should try.
  
• Rulership: I avoid this, eventhough the +3 stewardship, as the plague. You WILL die of stress and depression. I honestly have never seen anything good come out of this personally, only used to make my ruler die prematurely.
  
• Business: My go-to stewardship trait. I generally pick this focus when I need money quick, as the trade venture fires quite frequently and as a boon gives a +% tax on your capital, plus a direct cash infusion. Really handy imho!
  
• Family: Counters your aids and is amazing for producing heirs if your wife is also your lover. Allows you to nurture her lustfullness (and your own) and grants +% fertility as you ascend your dynasties patriarchical structure!
  
• Carousing: I only pick this one if I really, really need the diplomacy (vassal limit). I have too many bad experiences with my ruler getting beat up by drunkards!
  
• War: I generally pick this for the sheer martial boost and the possibility of getting rid of some of my rivals (or getting the 'scarred' trait.. plus you may gain some martial left and right if your beginning martial is low enough. Especially handy on rulers surrounded by counts or small dukes, or tribals in general.
  
• Intrigue: I pick this one for the sole purpose of either getting rid of a bastard that's continually scheming my demise or overthrow. Since it can randomly allow you to imprison or assassinate your target, if you can handle the opinion malus it's also a neat way to revoke titles or net some ransom money.
  

[jfoytek]

Originally posted by Crusader:

Thanks for the answers! I guess I have just been very unlucky with my events whenever I have chosen this focus as everytime before I have gained the lifestyle trait, which I am after, my character has gained many bad health traits and died.

Currently I have a character who is 35 years of age. he has had ruleship focus activated for maybe 6-8 years now and has the "steward" trait which gives +2 stewardship, so only one more event should gain the lifestyle trait. As a consequence of trying to rule well he is now stressed, depressed and ill. With no positive health traits (like martial education, brawny) that is a flat -3 health and I fear he will die soo.

So your having issues with health....

Health is a hidden stat but its a stat no less that you can raise and lower you just don't know that your doing it....

Health is genetic its passed on from parents! Now its hard to know that pedigree of another dynasty and if it will improve your overall health but you can make some easy assumptions by simply looking back at there family history and there average life span!

Longer Average Lifespan familys and Martial Focused characters are more apt to be stronger healthier and who your looking to marry....

So if your having health issues then you need to start ensuring your bringing your heir up with a Martial type upbringing and your marrying well... Keep this up and you will notice your leaders will get older and older on average!

[Langkard]

Originally posted by jfoytek:

1)Business Focus: This focus when properly used can make you cash hand over fist and it especially shines in the early game when everyone is poor and you need to get a jump on your neighbors!

This. Business is hands down the best focus to start if you're a count or even a duke, unless you get stuck with a bad RNG and get the construct an inn stuff first. The 300 in funds from just 2 events will allow you to expand quickly and early to get a leg up on your surrounding competitors. It is enough to buy a cheap 1500 unit merc army and take one or more nearby counties before your monthly payment to them ends it.

[al_x_ator2411]

Just so you know, business focus can give the trait stressed as well. And carousing can make one a drunkard. There is no 100% safe/fullproof way to play this game.

[Jerubius]

I recommend starting with the hunting focus and waiting for the dog event. Having a dog gives you an extra point of health, and training your dog can sometimes net you a +1 to your hidden health value. With these bonuses, you can much more safely weather the penalties that come with rulership. Also, if you pick up too many health penalties from rulership, you can always hop back to carousing or hunting at the earliest opportunity, as both can remove stressed and depressed.