All JD adds is a China that expands ahistorically far, breaking immersion and just being a pain for some characters, while allowing cheesy exploits for others (being free to expand against non-tributaries without fear of retaliation), and more attrition-free offmap deathstacks that are sized so that you can't deal with them without excessive powergaming. What is "must-have"? Was India unplayable, or close to that, before JD? Not in my opinion. If you play in England, Jade Dragon is just pointless - so I was obviously basing my judgment on games where you are in proximity of China. Originally posted by El lobo:If you play in India or Tibet I would say Jade Dragon is a must have. Just a bunch of pay2win buttons for the player that the AI cannot use to anywhere near the same effect as a human. Oh, and of course, the ability to trade useless courtiers for an endless flood of cheap artifacts that will trivialize all the other artifacts you get, or a "kill this enemy for me" Request Invasion button that you can use to remove any remaining challenge from your game on the off-chance there might be a stable and big AI realm nearby that's giving you trouble. "Actually better off without it even if you got it for free" tier: Sunset Invasion, Jade Dragon If you play in India or Tibet I would say Jade Dragon is a must have. Originally posted by Racocac:My personal ranking: Rajas of india: I found playing in india boring, but not a bad dlc in itself Sunset invasion: very controversial, personnaly I like how it gives western europe a shake the way the mongol invasions do
Christians and muslims do get more options though. Monks and mystics: underwhelming and many starts don't benefit from societies (or only get a devil worshipper variant). Pretty fun I would say albeit a bit pricey. Reaper's due: makes for deadly diseases and dynastic drama when the black death hits. I do like playing as a feudal/tribal, fighting hordes and settling the steppes though, better than it being filled with tribals Horse lords: nomads are pretty overpowered and it takes away most of vassals management which is another part of CK2 fun to me (I think 6 vassal clans is max) so I didn't like it much. Way of life: not bad but it gets old and focus are really imbalanced, gameplay DLC won't have that "oh that bear hunt for the 10th time" feel if money is the issue Republic DLC: boring, AI patricians do not really play the election game so it feels like other dynastic titles except the player as to dump monjey from time to time to be re-elected and other republics are bad at competing for tradeposts. Sword of islam well, I didn't like, inheritance is cheesy, invasion CB is oped and women are even less useful than as a christian so that takes away the dynastic feel, especially with decadence mechanic. If neither you nor the AI have it it won't be that different. Legacy of rome doesn't do much besides retinues, which only allows to exploit tactics. Sons of abraham, on top of the extra events as mentionned above also adds college of cardinals that elect a real character as pope instead of generating a random guy and calling him pope (random includes random traits, do you fancy hunchback lusty greedy popes?) as well as religious orders for most religions which is pretty welcome. Conclave and sons of abraham would be my best picks.