I'm going to agree with this guy http://kotaku.com/5972744/why-crusader-kings-ii-should-be-game-of-the-year Its a blast to play.
I found the interface to be so obtuse. I can see the potential, but I just can't be bothered to master it.
That's a trend with Paradox games. I've been playing various games from the Europa Universalis series for 10 years and still uncover different things on occasion. I love the concept of Hearts of Iron, but found it much like you found CK2, just too much to dig through to be relatively enjoyable.
I remembered this thread and picked this game up on sale through Steam a few weeks back. It's a bit cumbersome, but it was worth the $10.
