The game ends when the player's current character dies without an heir of the same dynasty to succeed him/her, when all landed titles of the count rank or above are stripped from all members of the player's dynasty (including themselves), or when the game reaches its end in 1453 (unless the player is in “Observer mode” then, the game will continue onwards). The only in-game objective is to obtain as many prestige and piety points as possible in order to surpass the various historically relevant European dynasties in a fictional prestige ranking (the three most prestigious ones being the Capetian, the Rurikid and the Habsburg dynasties). The game contains numerous historical figures such as William the Conqueror, Charlemagne, Genghis Khan, Harold Godwinson, Robert Guiscard, Robert the Bruce, Harald Hardrada, El Cid, Constantine X Doukas, Harun al-Rashid, Alexios I Komnenos, Richard the Lionheart, Ivar the Boneless, Alfred the Great, Baldwin I of Jerusalem, Boleslaw the Bold and Saladin, but allows for the player to choose less significant figures such as minor dukes and counts, and creation of entirely new characters with the use of the 'Ruler Designer' DLC. Through the strategic use of war, marriages and assassinations among many other things, the player works to achieve success for their dynasty. For anyone new to the game post HF release, it makes the empire extremely frustrating to play, however hopefully this guide can help new players come to grips and even love the new succession system.

With Holy Fury came changes to how Byzantine succession works. The game is a dynasty simulator in which the player controls a Medieval dynasty from 1066 to 1337, though the DLC The Old Gods and Charlemagne allow for earlier start dates of 867 and 769 respectively, along with 936 with the Iron Century update. Crusader Kings II - Beginners Guide to Byzantium Succession. The game ends when the players current character dies without an heir of the same dynasty to succeed him/her, when all landed titles of the count rank or above.

Crusader kings 2 ranks