Is Ironman really worth it?

[Joe Danger]

I get the idea behind it and usually I'm all for it but sometimes there are definitely instances where I really wish I didn't play with it on. For example in the game I just played my beginning character got the Leper trait about 10 years in and before i had any children. Curiousity's sake how many of you guys actually play ironman? And if you don't why not? I'm just trying to figure out if I should really bother with it because these kinds of situations where you just instantly lose out of no where seem to happen way too much for me, who knows maybe it's just bad luck on my part

[clarky]

Ironman is worth it if you care about achievements. There are many instances where the game can ♥♥♥♥ you and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it (unless you savescum) but honestly it makes it so that when you succeed it tastes much sweeter.

I've got 2000 something hours in the game, and honestly I bet about 100 or so of them are in ironman. The achievements are really nice, especially when you go for super hard ones. I got SPQR and it was seriously one of the most fulfilling playthroughs I had ever done of the game.

Honestly Ironman is all preference. It just depends on what you want out of the game. I'd probably wait until you're sufficiently good at the game before delving too deeply into it though.

[Zodiac]

Started as the country of Leon at the earliest start date. Finished game and found The Roman Empire 85 years before end of game (Holy and Roamn; Kept the imbred Lombardies around untill I took over the Dynastic Tree and inherited Itatly, thus being able to found the empire). One of the greatest achievements I've ever gotten in gaming carrer. ( Seven Centuries and Pizza Man (EUIV) ) are extremly rare/hard acchievements.

[EthanT]

I only play Ironman.

[Sir Sparhawk]

I used to only play normal when i was learning the game but i found that i was save scumming pretty baddly or using console commands to cheat everytime some thing went wrong or i made a mistake. and in this game misakes are easy and something ALWAYS goes wrong so now i only ever play in ironman mode so i have to play propely.

[Dialask]

It's a little scummy, but you can make backups of ironman saves... in theory it's against the spirit of the thing, but, honestly, sometimes RNJesus pulls out the AK and will start gunning for you. Or a misclick or small vague rule misunderstandings can cost you a hundred years of expansion. So, making a backup every 50-100 years or before periods that can be silly precarious really isn't a bad idea.

[Rincewind]

I only play ironman, less for the achievements than for a more intense experience. Knowing everything could, and probably will go wrong is part of what makes that game exciting, imo

[gregoryconnolly]

I tried about 5 minutes of non-ironman when I got the Ruler Designer DLC and messed around with it, but generally only ironman.

I was awful for a long time and have restarted a bunch, but when you have things go right finally and get a new achievement it feels worth it.

It can be very frustrating when you disband your retinue instead of your navy and your vassals brutalize your realm or you get assassinated repeatedly into a game over though.

[Hopeless Knight]

Only ironman, even in modded games... Not because of achievements but to make the gameplay way more interesting.
For example my family for generations had the title king of Dennmark and for 6 generations I tried to become Emperor of Scandinavia. Each king died around his 30's and all of his other titles (King of Norway for ex.) were divided by his sons and not to the main heir. This obliged me to start all over again , until I gave up and started an Invasion on England. After I had England and Dennmark on my side, I tried again to become Emperor and failed again. But this time was for good, once my new heir was king he was facing a civil war in England, Dennmark and a war with Norway and Sweden. I lost becoming a simple Count in Dennmark and my King was an uncle. After that I had just gave up and started a new game.

All of this amazing journey could be destroyed by "loading" to an other save before one of my kings died in battle (he was so close to be Emperor) and create "The perfect game" in each I would become an Emperor before 1000 which is quite an overkill. And that's why I play only Ironmann.

[Admod, the Equivocal]

Only play Ironman if you want achievements.

[Bronski]

I only play ironman. I don't want the temptation to reload if something doesn't go my way. Of course I may have games end because of bad luck but I've had some great adventures playing my way through the bad.

For instance I had a ruler who took over at age 19. He had food poisoning and the court physician decided the best course of action was cut his testicles off. Due to some deaths of siblings the heir was not of my dynasty.

I spent the next 12 years rising through the ranks of the satanists. Became the leader and did the ritual stuff and got my testicles back. Had a daughter, who was the devil spawn. She ended up being one of my most popular rulers. Forged a sword that has served the rulers of Brittany for hundreds of years.

[Phatboi]

I started playing without Ironman but when things went wrong i reloaded so nothing bad was really happening lost a war oh ill reload pressed a stoopid claim and won and vassal became independent yeah reload.

Now that I have more of an idea of the game mechanics I now only play iron man.
'Once you go ironman you dont go back'

[kinkerbel]

You will learn from making mistakes, ironman is the only way you will ever get better . Getting mad because you lost something is for children, as an adult or a real man you will play "iron man"

[OldMemes.biz]

I used to avoid Ironman like the plague, for YEARS. Recently I have started to play it (with Achievements on as well) and now I won't play any other way.

[al_x_ator2411]

After a couple of campaigns without it first, I tried it for some easy achievements (like getting married) and now I love ironam too. What's the thrill of getting a serious disease or participate in a difficult war when you can just reload. I find that unexpected deaths of rulers can create more interesting stories. You just play more cautiously in Ironman; like never lead armies until you get a good heir.

[Cheese]

Savescumming is hard to avoid and boring. I tried playing without ironman and it wasn't much fun... it was like drinking alcohol free beer.