Bretagne Intrigue
I've started a game in easy mode, to get to grips with army movements and suchlike. As this disables achievements, maybe I ought also to have taken advantage of enabling gender equality.
Started with an independent duchy in France, that of Duke Konan app Alan of Brittany. This should help with my understanding of French geography!
My RNG Duke is paranoid and highly skilled at intrigue. IRL, he may have been more belligerent, feuding with Normandy. Having taken advantage of William's trip across the channel, he was assassinated toward the end of 1066, ending his line.
Duke Konan (1066)
Took my time setting things up before pressing start. He's unmarried with one illegitimate son, so his sister is the player heir, which was initially confusing.
Married off the bastard to one of William's daughters, securing an alliance with Normandy in the process – having some idea of who might win England.
Got married himself, to a cowardly but quick and lustful Earl's daughter from Annandale in Scotland. Three children in a decade, and so far it's all daughters.
Eldest daughter got betrothed to the grandson of Champagne, second in line to the title. Second daughter got betrothed to the son of the King of Scotland, matrilineally. It takes some seeking out, but I'm surprised at the possibilities and the acceptance rate. Probably helps that our house has some prestige. Third daughter we betrothed to the heir of the Holy Roman Empire, patrilineally, but our daughter will be an Empress.
Got pulled into the Norman/English conflict with Norway, but as William's only (?) ally, he got a lot of credit for raiding the Inner Hebrides (via Ireland of course, because paranoid) and even raided the castle there. Muggins here dismissed the post-war dialogue too quickly, so I don't know how much he benefitted in cash or prestige.
Spent way too long forging claims on Anjou, carefully selected because it was an independent duchy within France (vs being part of Acquitaine or something). After declaring war realised that Brittany isn't (yet) France, so it was an invasion, not a dispute between vassals. Happily this was on the 20th of January so a quick reload of the annual autosave was perfect – I very rarely savescum, but having the option is comforting.
Accordingly, this might need to be more of a diplomatic/intrigue playthrough, which also suits the character. Have definitely got some internal strife because most of Brittany is vassal-controlled, and they aren't nice vassals.
Scoping out Gallicia for claims, though I've just seen the Paradox guide suggesting that Cornwall and Wales might be sensible. Next time, because even after just a decade, William has taken the former. A couple of years later, and Spain is starting to consolidate, so nope. Isle of Man, perhaps.