<s>
Crusader	B-Application
Kings	I-Application
II	I-Application
is	O
a	O
grand	O
strategy	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Paradox	O
Development	O
Studio	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Paradox	O
Interactive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Set	O
in	O
the	O
Middle	O
Ages	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
February	O
14	O
,	O
2012	O
,	O
as	O
a	O
sequel	O
to	O
2004	O
's	O
Crusader	B-Application
Kings	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
,	O
Crusader	B-Application
Kings	I-Application
III	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
September	O
1	O
,	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Crusader	B-Application
Kings	I-Application
II	I-Application
stood	O
out	O
from	O
earlier	O
Paradox	O
games	O
in	O
that	O
it	O
attracted	O
a	O
more	O
widespread	O
audience	O
,	O
contributing	O
to	O
the	O
growth	O
of	O
the	O
company	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
a	O
dynasty	B-Device
simulator	O
in	O
which	O
the	O
player	O
controls	O
a	O
medieval	O
dynasty	B-Device
from	O
1066	O
to	O
1453	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
are	O
able	O
to	O
start	O
at	O
any	O
date	O
between	O
January	O
1	O
,	O
1066	O
,	O
and	O
December	O
31	O
,	O
1337	O
,	O
though	O
the	O
Old	O
Gods	O
and	O
Charlemagne	O
DLCs	B-Protocol
allow	O
for	O
earlier	O
start	O
dates	O
of	O
867	O
and	O
769	O
respectively	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Iron	O
Century	O
update	O
would	O
later	O
allow	O
a	O
start	O
in	O
the	O
year	O
936	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Through	O
the	O
strategic	O
use	O
of	O
war	O
,	O
marriages	O
and	O
assassinations	O
,	O
among	O
many	O
other	O
things	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
works	O
to	O
achieve	O
success	O
for	O
their	O
dynasty	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
depicts	O
or	O
mentions	O
numerous	O
historical	O
figures	O
,	O
including	O
William	O
the	O
Conqueror	O
,	O
Charlemagne	O
,	O
Genghis	B-Application
Khan	I-Application
,	O
Harold	O
Godwinson	O
,	O
Robert	O
Guiscard	O
,	O
Robert	O
the	O
Bruce	O
,	O
Harald	O
Hardrada	O
,	O
El	O
Cid	O
,	O
Constantine	O
X	O
Doukas	O
,	O
Harun	O
al-Rashid	O
,	O
Alexios	O
I	O
Komnenos	O
,	O
Richard	O
the	O
Lionheart	O
,	O
Ivar	O
the	O
Boneless	O
,	O
Alfred	O
the	O
Great	O
,	O
Baldwin	O
I	O
of	O
Jerusalem	O
,	O
Boleslaw	O
the	O
Bold	O
and	O
Saladin	O
,	O
but	O
allows	O
for	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
choose	O
less-significant	O
figures	O
such	O
as	O
minor	O
dukes	O
and	O
counts	O
,	O
and	O
for	O
the	O
creation	O
of	O
entirely	O
new	O
characters	O
with	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
Ruler	O
Designer	O
DLC	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
only	O
in-game	O
objective	O
is	O
to	O
obtain	O
as	O
many	O
prestige	O
and	O
piety	O
points	O
as	O
possible	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
surpass	O
the	O
various	O
historically	O
relevant	O
European	O
dynasties	B-Device
in	O
a	O
fictional	O
prestige	O
ranking	O
system	O
(	O
the	O
three	O
most	O
prestigious	O
ones	O
being	O
the	O
Capetian	O
,	O
the	O
Rurikid	O
and	O
the	O
Habsburg	O
dynasties	B-Device
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
ends	O
when	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
current	O
character	O
dies	O
without	O
an	O
heir	O
of	O
the	O
same	O
dynasty	B-Device
to	O
succeed	O
him/her	O
,	O
when	O
all	O
landed	O
titles	O
of	O
the	O
count	O
rank	O
or	O
above	O
are	O
stripped	O
from	O
all	O
members	O
of	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
dynasty	B-Device
(	O
including	O
themselves	O
)	O
,	O
or	O
when	O
the	O
game	O
reaches	O
its	O
end	O
in	O
1453	O
(	O
unless	O
the	O
player	O
is	O
in	O
"	O
observer	O
mode	O
"	O
,	O
at	O
which	O
point	O
the	O
game	O
will	O
continue	O
onwards	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
adds	O
an	O
additional	O
layer	O
of	O
strategy	O
to	O
marriages	O
,	O
such	O
that	O
a	O
player	O
will	O
attempt	O
not	O
only	O
to	O
form	O
beneficial	O
alliances	O
,	O
but	O
also	O
to	O
select	O
marriage	O
partners	O
with	O
strong	O
heritable	O
traits	O
to	O
maximise	O
the	O
quality	O
of	O
offspring	O
and	O
thus	O
strengthen	O
the	O
dynasty	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Such	O
a	O
trade-off	O
can	O
occur	O
in	O
the	O
reverse	O
as	O
well	O
:	O
one	O
possible	O
spouse	O
could	O
possess	O
highly	O
desirable	O
traits	O
but	O
yield	O
no	O
new	O
alliances	O
for	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
dynasty	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
include	O
theocracies	B-Application
(	O
such	O
as	O
The	O
Papacy	O
)	O
,	O
holy	O
orders	O
,	O
mercenaries	O
,	O
and	O
republics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
all	O
non-Christian	O
characters	O
are	O
unplayable	O
without	O
the	O
purchase	O
of	O
the	O
DLC	B-Protocol
that	O
unlocks	O
them	O
,	O
including	O
Muslims	O
,	O
Jews	O
,	O
Hindus	O
,	O
Buddhists	O
,	O
Taoists	O
,	O
Zoroastrians	O
,	O
Jains	O
,	O
Zunists	O
and	O
various	O
pagans	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
also	O
adds	O
the	O
"	O
Retinue	O
"	O
mechanic	O
,	O
allowing	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
maintain	O
a	O
standing	O
army.Sunset	O
Invasion15	O
November	O
20121.08Sunset	O
Invasion	O
's	O
main	O
focus	O
revolves	O
around	O
a	O
story	O
event	O
in	O
which	O
Europe	O
is	O
invaded	O
by	O
a	O
fictional	O
,	O
more	O
technologically	O
advanced	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
Aztecs	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
Patch	O
2.8	O
,	O
Taoist	O
rulers	O
were	O
also	O
added	O
by	O
this	O
DLC.Charlemagne14	O
October	O
20142.2Charlemagne	O
unlocks	O
several	O
improvements	O
to	O
narrative	O
aspects	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
custom	O
kingdoms	O
and	O
empires	O
and	O
vice	O
royalties	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
a	O
Crusader	B-Application
Kings	I-Application
II	I-Application
(	O
CK2	O
)	O
game	O
is	O
launched	O
,	O
Paradox	O
servers	O
collect	O
information	O
about	O
the	O
game	O
setup	O
such	O
as	O
game	O
version	O
,	O
single	O
player	O
or	O
multiplayer	O
,	O
and	O
what	O
mods	O
are	O
in	O
use	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Data	O
also	O
reveals	O
that	O
multiplayer	O
"	O
cheat	O
mods	O
"	O
are	O
popular	O
,	O
too	O
,	O
as	O
are	O
graphics	O
or	O
GUI	B-Application
mods	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Witcher	B-Application
Kings	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
Andrzej	O
Sapkowski	O
's	O
The	B-Application
Witcher	I-Application
series	O
of	O
novels	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
CD	O
Projekt	O
Red	O
's	O
video	O
game	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
Clausewitz	B-Application
Engine	I-Application
,	O
was	O
met	O
with	O
generally	O
positive	O
reviews	O
and	O
has	O
attained	O
a	O
metascore	O
of	O
82	O
at	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
reviewer	O
Shaun	O
McInnis	O
stated	O
:	O
"	O
Through	O
a	O
complex	O
system	O
of	O
diplomacy	O
and	O
backstabbing	O
,	O
Crusader	B-Application
Kings	I-Application
II	I-Application
makes	O
every	O
power	O
struggle	O
an	O
engrossing	O
one	O
"	O
and	O
he	O
lauded	O
the	O
gameplay	O
while	O
noting	O
the	O
"	O
lackluster	O
tutorials	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
reviewer	O
for	O
Rock	O
,	O
Paper	O
,	O
Shotgun	O
wrote	O
that	O
Crusader	B-Application
Kings	I-Application
II	I-Application
was	O
"	O
probably	O
the	O
most	O
human	O
strategy	O
game	O
"	O
he	O
ever	O
played	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
September	O
2014	O
,	O
Crusader	B-Application
Kings	I-Application
II	I-Application
had	O
sold	O
more	O
than	O
1	O
million	O
copies	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
expansion	O
pack	O
and	O
DLC	B-Protocol
sales	O
totaling	O
over	O
7	O
million	O
units	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
makes	O
it	O
Paradox	O
's	O
most	O
successful	O
release	O
prior	O
to	O
the	O
debut	O
of	O
Europa	B-Application
Universalis	I-Application
IV	I-Application
.	O
</s>
