Crusader Kings II - Dev Diary 13 - Don't Mess with the Pope!

[Doomdark]

Hello again folks, I do believe it is time for another dev diary!

We've basically covered most of the features in the game by now, so I thought I'd change tack and talk a bit about what we've been up to in the last week. Much of the focus lately has been on war and peace, both the rules and the AI behaviour. I am pleased to report that we've now got vassals within the same realm fighting each other like the vicious bastards they are.

We have also changed the rules a bit - vassals are now allowed to declare war on independent rulers, but independent rulers still cannot declare war on vassals. Thus, we now have William of Normandy as a vassal of France while invading England on his own. An unforeseen consequence of this is that he now tends to call in his father-in-law, another French vassal, Duke Boudewijn of Flandres to help him out. Marriage matters folks, and don't you forget it!

On a related note, Duchess Matilde of Tuscany, vassal of the Holy Roman Emperor (and the most eligible bride in Europe), tends to open the game in 1066 with a rather bad move, attacking the Pope to seize Orvieto (which is de jure part of her Duchy of Spoleto.) Other times, the Pope usurps the title Duke of Spoleto, and then Matilde feels obliged to attempt to take it back.

Either way, the unfortunate Duchess tends to get a rather nasty surprise. She has forgotten an important lesson that you might remember from an earlier diary - the Pope gets taxes from loyal bishops around Europe, making him a very, very rich man. So, while he has few levies of his own to raise, he can basically afford to hire every mercenary company in Europe! Even the mighty Holy Roman Emperor sometimes loses to the might of the Vatican.



...and there was much balancing.

Until next time!

[Orinsul]

oh cool, the marriages being factored into AI diplomacy if thats the technical way of saying it sounds cool!

will CK2 not have a message box? like all paradox games until sengoku had a message box? only from the screenshots it kinda looks like that, and without it its impossible to keep track of all the stuff happening in other countries that you dont care enough about for them to be on the new important messages system. Getting rid of it just seems a three steps forward one step back kind of thing.

[Cromelex]

Some interesting new info here!

Thanks for the dev diary.

[ThePutty]

Regarding the AI, will it be moddable in any way in CK2 unlike other Clauswitz games? This alone could open up a new world of moddability.

[Qorten]

Looks amazing! Wish we were Q1 2012 already.

[Doomdark]

oh cool, the marriages being factored into AI diplomacy if thats the technical way of saying it sounds cool!

Well, marriages are one of two ways of forming an alliance (the other one is being of the same dynasty.) We want marriages to matter.

[Alastor]

Well, marriages are one of two ways of forming an alliance (the other one is being of the same dynasty.) We want marriages to matter.

If marriages are to be that important I hope we will be able to arrange marriages for more members of our dynasty than just those in our courts and sharing our last name. If I am a king for instance and my count brother has a daughter in his court, while I have none, I would like to be able to offer her hand in marriage to secure an alliance, my brother could still decline I guess but not if that marriage is a good one right?

[Ezzezze]

We've basically covered most of the features in the game by now, so I thought I'd change tack and talk a bit about what we've been up to in the last week. Much of the focus lately has been on war and peace, both the rules and the AI behaviour. I am pleased to report that we've now got vassals within the same realm fighting each other like the vicious bastards they are.

Wow, so vassals now have something to do except wait and try to break free? How will these things work? A random event gives you a claim and then you try to press it? You do need a claim to declare war? Right?

We have also changed the rules a bit - vassals are now allowed to declare war on independent rulers, but independent rulers still cannot declare war on vassals. Thus, we now have William of Normandy as a vassal of France while invading England on his own. An unforeseen consequence of this is that he now tends to call in his father-in-law, another French vassal, Duke Boudewijn of Flandres to help him out. Marriage matters folks, and don't you forget it!

And could William of Normandy call his liege too? So a vassal has a claim, he declares war and gets his liege to do all the heavy lifting?

On a related note, Duchess Matilde of Tuscany, vassal of the Holy Roman Emperor (and the most eligible bride in Europe), tends to open the game in 1066 with a rather bad move, attacking the Pope to seize Orvieto (which is de jure part of her Duchy of Spoleto.) Other times, the Pope usurps the title Duke of Spoleto, and then Matilde feels obliged to attempt to take it back.

I thought the most eligible bride in Europe was the daughter of the duke of Aquitaine?

[Talar]

Sounds like there has been some input from the betas on this

[Valiant_Hogers]

Wow, So i cannot kill the pope like i always do in EU3 :3

[vadermath]

Wait, was this just testing, or can we actually play as the Papal State?

Also, this has probably turned out to be the most beautiful Paradox game to date; everything, from the sprites, character portraits, to the the tidbits like the awesome borders, looks very pretty indeed. Good job, guys!

[Chipster]

Either way, the unfortunate Duchess tends to get a rather nasty surprise. She has forgotten an important lesson that you might remember from an earlier diary - the Pope gets taxes from loyal bishops around Europe, making him a very, very rich man. So, while he has few levies of his own to raise, he can basically afford to hire every mercenary company in Europe! Even the mighty Holy Roman Emperor sometimes loses to the might of the Vatican.

So, if I am understanding the screenshot, the Duchess' army has 51 men, while the Pope's army has 6015?

My money is on the Pope in that war.

[vadermath]

And upon a closer bit of inspection, I see a Muslim army has landed in Italy, what's up with that? My money's on that being the closest Muslim power (whatever that is in your game's 1076, seeing as it's already 10 years into an alternate timeline ) taking advantage of the local chaos in Italy.

Edit: And it also has 69 men, which is even more interesting.

[Planck]

What's that little muslim army near the Pope with 69 troops and what is it doing there?

Edit: yeah, same question that vadermath asked above

[Darkrenown]

Wow, So i cannot kill the pope like i always do in EU3 :3

Sure you can. In combat or sent an assassin.

Wait, was this just testing, or can we actually play as the Papal State?

Testing.

[Mars6]

Same thing with the troops in Modena, 51 soldiers against the Pope's 6k?

[Doomdark]

Wait, was this just testing, or can we actually play as the Papal State?

Nope, you can't play as the Pope. I just switched over to create the screenie.

[Doomdark]

Wow, so vassals now have something to do except wait and try to break free? How will these things work? A random event gives you a claim and then you try to press it? You do need a claim to declare war? Right?

Claims are one way, but if you are a duke, you get to declare war on those who hold de jure counties in your duchy as well. There are other casus bellis as well.

[Darkarbiter]

An interesting developer diary per usual...

[Zlovie]

We've basically covered most of the features in the game by now,

What about technology? Have we got the same system as in CK1 and DV?