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vertinox

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Although Rome had almost the same concept of characters as CK did, it often felt hollow or less alive with its Characters.

I suspect this was the fact you could simply ignore dynasties most of the time and just focus on people who were rebellious without looking at their names.

I know not everyone agrees on this, but I liked the fact that characters in CK often had their own agenda (even the ruler) that was opposed to the players wishes and often did stupid things.

Its like watching the Sapranos seeing everyone backstabbing each other, being greedy, and having affairs every time their spouse turns their back.

And sometimes it was heart felt seeing an old character die after all their life's works (well even if it was an army of bastards).

Though having that kinslaying inbred 80 year old king who just won't die can be just as fun to play trying to keep the kingdom together than that 18 year old genius.

So I hope Paradox focus's more on the characters than any other part of the game as that is what made CK fun.
 
I do not fear this could go wrong.
After all, the CK games are about establishing a DYNASTY not a COUNTRY.
 
I think CK captured the mix well, all it needs is tweaking and updating.
 
Agree with the OP. CK1 had the right amount of strategy though some enhancements might be in order (maybe a better recruitment system), but the great thing about the game was all the character and flavor it had. I want to see more events, and more chaos brought to my realm when I least expect it!
 
I agree with everything vertinox said.

There is a wonderful post in the CK forums from ages ago where a guy said 'I had spent all this time an effort doing blah blah, and then some ponce named Henry inherits it all', or something to that effect. The thing that made CK so much fun is that a baffoon of a king who won't die could really screw you over for a while, which is as it was historically.
 
I know not everyone agrees on this, but I liked the fact that characters in CK often had their own agenda (even the ruler) that was opposed to the players wishes and often did stupid things.

Its like watching the Sapranos seeing everyone backstabbing each other, being greedy, and having affairs every time their spouse turns their back.

As far as I remember, the same thing was in Rome. Depending on their traits and personal ambitions, certain characters did act on their own (kill someone, steal from treasury, governors raising their own popularity by giving the province what the ruller wouldn't...). In monarchies, personal ambitions sometimes force the player to help certain characters in order to make them friendlier which sometimes makes the enemies of those characters turn against them.

The greater problem is balance: while you can say that RP is important, this is a strategy game and if the RP elements hurt strategy too much, this will annoy many players.
 
All the "Like The Sims 4, for adults" cynicism aside, I think that CK lives and dies with its characters. The more you identify with them, the more fun you are going to have building a dynasty. It should definitely give every character a unique personality, which as a side effect also makes it easier to follow who is who.
 
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agreed, there is nothing quite like seeing your reborn empire of charlemagne (with the "De Vermandois" family as its rulers ofcourse), go down in flames, forcing you to reload as a distant cousin 6 times removed, whose last name you accidently changed to "Von Lothringen", since they lived there and turned German!.

Ah the memories
 
I too loved the RP aspect of the game.

My very best ruler (some kind of supergenius, uber-God that made other nations tremble in fear as he lead his glorious Navardan armies across the Iberian peninsula) went utterly insane after getting stressed because he couldn't perform his 'marital bedroom duties' while besieging a castle. By the time of his death, his stats dropped by something ridiculous like 20 point each. It was almost sadening:(

Huzzah for CK2!

Edit: The more I think about it, the funnier I find the idea of somebody literaly going clincly insane because he couldn't get any for a couple of years :D
 
stress not the individual but the dynasty.
 
You don't really play a dynasty as much as a country with a dynasty that has to be maintained. Did you even get prestige for your family having other titles?

I think the scope ought to be you play as the head of your dynasty whoever that may be. Or you can be a hidden puppetmaster of the whole thing and watch as the different dynasty members slug it out for control.

There would be nothing more satisfying than watching a wretched son arrange his more skilled brothers murder out of jealousy and put himself first in line of succession IF he pulls it off.

CK1 is really hard to read as a game from a design point of view because of the whole fiasco with Snowball.

PS if you're going to put Ethiopia on the map again please be sure it's all the way on the map. :p
 
Agree, concentrate on the characters, not the countries. :)

CK has remained as my favourite Paradox title (and I haven't still gotten bored of it unlike rest of their older games) precisely because it feels like the game has a soul, or that you're part of all the treachery in the court.

I would also like to see more concentration on events and character interaction than on warfare and nation-building.