How do empires work?

[Caeserion]

So from Sigurd Ring start I have control of most of Western Europe. I can create titular empires (like the titular danubian empire) and regular empires (like the norse empire). But the game rule said that only the frankish and byzantine empires are de jure empires. So are empires like the norse/north sea/british empire titular or not?

If I create an empire via decision will that be de jure?

Which kingdoms are permitted to be a base for a custom empire?

From a gameplay perspective which decision would be best?

Can I create multiple Empire titles?

I also read that empires disintegrate if they lose certain counties or enough counties. What's up with that?

 

[kviiri]

For most vanilla empire titles, they don't exist at all. Most provinces aren't a part of any de jure empire, and instead an aspiring empire is expected to gain lands through de jure drift by founding a titular empire first. As far as I know, no de jure land is immediately granted to a newly founded empire.

Every kingdom is permitted to be a base for a custom empire, unless it has a special titular empire title associated with it. Eg. you can't found the Empire of Poland as a custom empire, because the Empire of Poland already exists and can be founded by a separate decision (it will still be titular as far as I know).

If you're a heavy min-maxer, you might want to consider carefully whether you need an empire title at all. While being able to vassalize kings and the pope is useful, the prestige gains are good and the imperial administration government gives a handful of dirty tricks to use against your vassals, you'll also be subject to imperial decadence.

Not sure about multiple empire titles - I would guess that creating a custom empire is not possible if you already control an empire, but gaining a second title through eg. a claim would likely work.

Not sure about the disintegration either.

 

[vukica]

So are empires like the norse/north sea/british empire titular

Yes. Unless you use the game rule where de jure empires are created. Then, I think, it's pretty clear what's de jure and what's titular.

If I create an empire via decision will that be de jure?

No. Only some specific empires become dejure (HRE, "Kingdom" of Great Britain, "Kingdom" of Yugoslavia and Greater Israel, maybe).

Which kingdoms are permitted to be a base for a custom empire?

Every kingdom that doesn't already have an empire matched for it. E.g. k_poland has e_poland so you can't create a custom empire from poland, because that would mean that there are two Polish imperial titles in game. On the other hand, k_wessex doesn't have e_wessex so you can create a custom empire from that.

From a gameplay perspective which decision would be best?

It's largely the same. I think custom cost a bit more.

Can I create multiple Empire titles?

Generally no, but there are some exceptions (HRE, GB, YU). Also, if you happen to gain two de jure empires in your possession (through inheritance or pressing claim) you can had out the second empire either no-strings-attached or as a tributary. Notice the de jure part, this means it has to be a pre-existing de jure empire or one that drifted into becoming de jure.

One such example was in my last game where I fairly early created the english empire which de jure included france, brittany, england, scotland and wales (it took only about 150 years). Then I formed Kingdom of Great Britain which immediately made england, scotland and wales a separate de jure empire. Then I gave the english empire to the king of france who became my "imperial" tributary (there's a special decision for that, I didn't use the vanilla grant decision).
There will be more stuff for this particular imperial mechanic in the future.

Another example is when I as byzantium pressed my claim on HRE. After I won it, well, the same story as above.

I also read that empires disintegrate if they lose certain counties or enough counties. What's up with that?

If you're small you're no longer an empire.

 

[Caeserion]

Yes. Unless you use the game rule where de jure empires are created. Then, I think, it's pretty clear what's de jure and what's titular.



No. Only some specific empires become dejure (HRE, "Kingdom" of Great Britain, "Kingdom" of Yugoslavia and Greater Israel, maybe).



Every kingdom that doesn't already have an empire matched for it. E.g. k_poland has e_poland so you can't create a custom empire from poland, because that would mean that there are two Polish imperial titles in game. On the other hand, k_wessex doesn't have e_wessex so you can create a custom empire from that.



It's largely the same. I think custom cost a bit more.



Generally no, but there are some exceptions (HRE, GB, YU). Also, if you happen to gain two de jure empires in your possession (through inheritance or pressing claim) you can had out the second empire either no-strings-attached or as a tributary. Notice the de jure part, this means it has to be a pre-existing de jure empire or one that drifted into becoming de jure.

One such example was in my last game where I fairly early created the english empire which de jure included france, brittany, england, scotland and wales (it took only about 150 years). Then I formed Kingdom of Great Britain which immediately made england, scotland and wales a separate de jure empire. Then I gave the english empire to the king of france who became my "imperial" tributary (there's a special decision for that, I didn't use the vanilla grant decision).
There will be more stuff for this particular imperial mechanic in the future.

Another example is when I as byzantium pressed my claim on HRE. After I won it, well, the same story as above.



If you're small you're no longer an empire.

Thanks a lot!