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Expansion - Crusader Kings II: Sword of Islam DLC
Europe is in turmoil. The lands are fragmented into petty fiefs, the emperor struggles with the Pope, and the Holy Father declares that all those who go to liberate the Holy Land will be freed of their sins. Now is the time for greatness!The first expansion, Crusader Kings II: Sword of Islam, will add playable Muslim rulers to the game.
| App ID | 203778 |
| App Type | DLC |
| Developers | Paradox Development Studio |
| Publishers | Paradox Interactive |
| Categories | Single-player, Multi-player, Downloadable Content |
| Genres | Strategy |
| Release Date | 26 Jun, 2012 |
| Platforms | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| Supported Languages | English |
5 Total Reviews
2 Positive Reviews
3 Negative Reviews
Mixed Score
Expansion - Crusader Kings II: Sword of Islam has garnered a total of 5 reviews, with 2 positive reviews and 3 negative reviews, resulting in a ‘Mixed’ overall score.
Reviews Chart
Chart above illustrates the trend of feedback for Expansion - Crusader Kings II: Sword of Islam over time, showcasing the dynamic changes in player opinions as new updates and features have been introduced. This visual representation helps to understand the game's reception and how it has evolved.
Recent Steam Reviews
This section displays the 10 most recent Steam reviews for the game, showcasing a mix of player experiences and sentiments. Each review summary includes the total playtime along with the number of thumbs-up and thumbs-down reactions, clearly indicating the community's feedback
Playtime:
0 minutes
If you are the type of person that hates waiting for a claim to be fabricated, this DLC solves the problem by removing the need for claims.
👍 : 5 |
😃 : 0
Positive
Playtime:
0 minutes
Probably the best DLC to buy along with Old Gods and Legacy of Rome. Playing Muslim rulers is too good. I just wish they would make decadence a bit more difficult to manage, it virtually impossible to go higher then 0%.
👍 : 23 |
😃 : 5
Positive
Playtime:
0 minutes
Tl;dr: let’s you play as Muslim with all the benefits that entails
This was actually the very first major DLC for CKII, all the way back in 2012. As the name suggests, it made Islamic (i.e. Sunni, Shia, Ibadi, and assorted heresies) characters playable. Characters of Islamic religions gain access to new CBs that encourage fairly aggressive expansion. You can also have up to four wives, which significantly increases the pool of possible heirs.
Muslim characters are limited to Iqta government and Open succession, but that really isn’t so bad. Open succession makes it virtually impossible for your titles to go to a character of another dynasty, and landing your desired heir will give him a significant boost to actually be the chosen successor. Iqta rulers can also hold temples without penalty. All this makes Muslim characters fairly strong.
One of the few drawbacks of Islam is decadence, which is accrued by landless dynasty members slacking off a little too much. At high decadence, nasty things can happen, including revolts that can split up the entire realm. In practice, however, I always felt it was fairly unlikely to reach high decadence levels, and there are various ways to deal with decadent relatives before they mess up too much.
Finally, as with all DLC for CKII, I find it hard to justify paying the full price for it, but if you can get it on sale and want to try playing Muslim characters, this is a good choice.
👍 : 14 |
😃 : 1
Positive
Playtime:
0 minutes
Imagine having to pay $10USD (even in 2023) to play as Muslim rulers of Islamic kingdoms in a game called CRUSADER Kings.
Like to play in the Middle East at all you need this DLC. Not only that but if you don’t have it and start doing things in the Islamic world from Christian Europe (like idk, maybe CRUSADING!!!) your character or heir can accidentally convert to Islam and forcefully end your game.
This is an outrage and while paradox routinely gets shit for leaving main basic features behind a pay wall…. This is by far the worst example.
But it is a necessity. Some other DLCs it makes sense for them to be DLCs. Rajas of India? Sure that makes sense as India is a bit far away. Sunset invasion? Sure, not needed in base but a fun challenge for the expert players, but to pay money to play as the people that fought against the fucking crusades in a game called CRUSADER KINGS….. is dumb.
👍 : 24 |
😃 : 3
Negative
Playtime:
0 minutes
Muslim dynasties are fun if you're looking for a micro-intensive game that is extremely punishing. However, the core mechanics of the [i]Sword of Islam[/i] expansion create perverse incentives. The type of play these mechanics incentivize really make this DLC difficult to enjoy.
The decadence mechanic requires a lot of management. Every decadent relative (person with negative traits) contributes to a shared decadence meter. High decadence leads to crippling modifiers that effect everything from realm size to troop morale. Extremely high decadence spawns insanely large invasions of pious desert nomads or Shia Muslims from thin air. Managing decadence means killing decadent relatives or correcting their behavior as a child. Decadence is not something that can be ignored and its always micro-intensive to deal with. It does not matter if one avoids taking on four wives.
Muslim characters are encouraged to take on 4 wives and this results in alot of children. Having many wives leads to heirs having a large number of decadence producing family members As a result of these mechanics, the optimal family management plan for Muslim leaders is to marry several older women and murder all family regardless of their loyalty and virtue. Older women do not create trouble causing heirs and even virtuous and loyal relatives produce decadent children. The game encourages unrealistic and ahistorical behavior with the its mechanics. It suggests that the ideal Muslim ruler was one who loved older women and murdered every relative with ruthless efficiency.
The entirety of [i]Sword of Islam[/i] expansion revolves around the decadence mechanic. This mechanic is demanding even with intensive family planning and the mechanic fails make ruling as anything but a tyrant a realistic option. There is little incentive to play a Muslim character in a way that resembles how real Muslim leaders ruled.
👍 : 23 |
😃 : 4
Negative
Playtime:
0 minutes
Should've just came with the original game itself rather than being an over-priced crappy dlc
👍 : 23 |
😃 : 1
Negative
Playtime:
0 minutes
I was forced to buy this DLC, to continue my campaign. I was force-converted to islam without a choice or message. Apprently my character's spouse converted and dragged me along. I then got a instant game over.
That really shouldn't happen!
👍 : 181 |
😃 : 64
Negative
Playtime:
0 minutes
Saw there were a lot of negative and unfair reviews so decided to drop a positive review. I've owned this DLC since its release, and I consider it one of the essential DLCs if you have any interest in playing as a Muslim ruler. Paradox DLC policy is getting a lot of hate, but remember it's part of a development policy that's churning out free updates regularly to keep improving a six years old game!
If you're new to CKII, consider getting:
Sword of Islam (if you'd like playing as a Muslim lord)
Old Gods (If you like playing as a Pagan + early Start date)
Way of Life (more flavour for everybody)
👍 : 97 |
😃 : 0
Positive
Playtime:
0 minutes
Unfortunately, I have to recommend this DLC, because without it, it feels as though only half of the game has been finished.
During one session, I was playing as the Byzantine Empire, expanding further into Islamic lands, when a chain of events starts to pop up ending in my Emperor becoming a secret Sunni and rising through the ranks of the secret Muslim society of my new citizens to overthrow the Eastern Orthodox overlords. But as soon as the secret society was ready to preform a glorious revolution, and when I finally revealed my true faith!...
I was met with a "Game Over! (or spend $10 to keep having fun)" screen.
The fact that this DLC exists is a black mark on the reputation of the game. I mean, sure, you could say that the game is literally called "Crusader Kings," so you should expect to only be able to play as "crusader kings" without DLC, but that would be like saying, "the game is called 'Imperator Rome' for a reason; you shouldn't expect to be able to play as anyone other than Rome."
It seems to me, that Paradox wanted to see what BS they could get away with, and they got away with it.
If you have to, get this DLC on sale, that way the money-hungry trolls get as little out of your wallet as they can.
👍 : 72 |
😃 : 10
Positive
Playtime:
0 minutes
One of the larger & more interesting DLCs for CKII. If you're just starting out with expanding, I'd go with this one and The Old Gods. Both really expand on Europe's big medieval rivals to the North and South.
Just a note to people new to the game, CKII DLC doesn't "unlock" features from the original release. Most of this content was added long after release, and Paradox releases it as part of a free patch so everyone's game is on the same page. If you've patched, then the AI is using most of the new features & content. If *you* want to use it, you'll need the DLC. For example, if you don't want to play a Merchant Republic, you can skip The Republic and your game won't be "incomplete".
👍 : 280 |
😃 : 4
Positive
Expansion - Crusader Kings II: Sword of Islam DLC
| ID | Name | Type | Release Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 203770 |
|
Crusader Kings II | GAME | 14 Feb, 2012 |
Expansion - Crusader Kings II: Sword of Islam offers 1 downloadable content (DLC) packs, each adding unique elements and extending the core gameplay experience. These packs may include new missions, characters, maps, or cosmetic items, enriching the player's engagement with the game.
Packages
| ID | Name | Type | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15103 | Crusader Kings II: Sword of Islam | Package | 4.99 $ |
There are 1 packages available for this game, each priced to provide players with a selection of in-game currency, exclusive items, or bundles that enhance gameplay. These packages are designed to offer players various options to customize and advance their game experience.
Expansion - Crusader Kings II: Sword of Islam Screenshots
View the gallery of screenshots from Expansion - Crusader Kings II: Sword of Islam. These images showcase key moments and graphics of the game.
Expansion - Crusader Kings II: Sword of Islam Minimum PC System Requirements
Minimum:- OS *:XP/Vista/Windows 7
- Processor:Intel® Pentium® IV 2.4 GHz or AMD 3500+
- Memory:2 GB RAM
- Graphics:NVIDIA® GeForce 8800 or ATI Radeon® X1900, 512mb graphics memory required, 1024*768 Resolution
- DirectX®:9.0
- Hard Drive:2 GB HD space
- Sound:Direct X-compatible sound card
- Other Requirements:Broadband Internet connection
- Additional:3-button mouse, keyboard, speakers, Internet connection for multiplayer, Crusader Kings II Base Game
Expansion - Crusader Kings II: Sword of Islam Minimum MAC System Requirements
Minimum:- OS:Mac OS X 10.6.8 or later
- Processor:Intel Core Duo Processor (2GHz or better)
- Memory:2 GB RAM
- Graphics:ATI Radeon HD 6750 / NVIDIA GeForce 320 / NVIDIA GeForce 9600 or higher
- Hard Drive:2 GB HD space
- Other Requirements:Broadband Internet connection
- Additional:3-button mouse, keyboard, speakers, Internet connection for multiplayer, Crusader Kings II Base Game
Expansion - Crusader Kings II: Sword of Islam has specific system requirements to ensure smooth gameplay. The minimum settings provide basic performance, while the recommended settings are designed to deliver the best gaming experience. Check the detailed requirements to ensure your system is compatible before making a purchase.
