Heir to the Throne - Dev Diary 6

Doomdark · 03-11-2009, 15:21

This week I thought we'd sit back and enjoy the little things, because that is the secret to lifelong satisfaction and contentment (also, I cannot reveal a major feature while the interface still looks like the demented scrawlings of Abdul Alhazred!) So, let us kick off with the removal of the Permanent Terra Incognita. We thought that those mysterious regions forever hidden under a lovely shade of blinding white might as well be explorable: Here be Dragons, but to be honest, nothing else of interest. That is why most of the former PTI areas are still considered "wasteland". Wasteland provinces can be discovered, but are impassable and cannot be settled. This is, in short, mostly a visual improvement. However, a few strips of land here and there could actually be salvaged and turned into normal provinces. In the process, I found myself annoyed with Russia, so I grabbed my musket and my tricorne and prepared to march on Moscow, but then I remembered which century it was (see what happens you spend too much time on our forums?) So, instead, I gratuitously changed the Russian geography so it was more to my liking.

Speaking of geography; as the astute among you have already noticed, other areas of Europe also look a bit different. However, in this case the motivation was not only to correct map errors but also to stop the ungodly Blue Blob before we all choke on snails and Crème brûlée. Yes my friends, it is time to say non to the menace that is France. Or, at least, a timid S'il vous plaît ne me tuez pas! Jesting aside, we hope France is now better balanced, with more initial trouble annexing its vassals and smashing Burgundy.

But enough with the minor map changes. A proper new feature in Heir to the Throne is the concept of Legitimacy, which represents how... well, legitimate, your dynasty is perceived to be. The value is shown in the top bar for monarchies and slowly increases or decreases with positive or negative prestige, number of royal marriages, etc. Many other events also have an impact, like a dynasty or government change, losing wars of aggression and failing to achieve war goals. Much like prestige, legitimacy has a plethora of effects on the state of your kingdom, like revolt risk, pretender rebel chance and Infamy reduction. Legitimacy is intimately tied to the strength of claim of your legal heir: an heir with a weak claim will lower the legitimacy of your dynasty on succession. On the other hand, having a high legitimacy is likelier to produce heirs with a strong claim.

Before we get to the screenshots, which speak louder than my paltry words anyway, I think I will round off by revealing what 'Magistrates' are for. In our early brainstorming sessions, we thought that some type of "focus points" would be a great way to ensure a proper progression of government forms, from primitive to almost modern (like the "Constitutional Republic".) After some shape shifting, this idea eventually coalesced into the form of the Magistrate; an all-purpose official whose chief purpose is to execute decisions, especially at the province level (this is not a hardcoded requirement, but simply a scripted effect of the decisions.) Magistrates are gained much faster for later government types, allowing quicker decision making. Magistrates should also be welcomed by our esteemed modding community, since they can be used in all kinds of clever scripts.

And, as promised, some fresh screenies!

SapientHomo · 03-11-2009, 15:24

Looking excellent. Every Diary makes me want this expansion more and more.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doomdark

However, a few strips of land here and there could actually be salvaged and turned into normal provinces.

Could you maybe give us a few clues as to where the other strips may be or better still show us next week? I'm still hoping you've remembered poor old Sikkim...

Prinz Wilhelm · 03-11-2009, 15:25

Nice stuff! Will be eager to try it out!

marionette · 03-11-2009, 15:25

looks gud hope it all is in FTG

spock2 · 03-11-2009, 15:26

What is that new country in France?

Prinz Wilhelm · 03-11-2009, 15:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by spock2

What is that new country in France?

Avignon? Foix? Armagnac?

spock2 · 03-11-2009, 15:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prinz Wilhelm

Avignon? Foix? Armagnac?

I said new.The one with a naval province between england and britanny

Juan50 · 03-11-2009, 15:27

I fully support anything that accurately represents Idaho as a wasteland in video game form.

Vladislav · 03-11-2009, 15:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by spock2

I said new.The one with a naval province between england and britanny

I think that's part of the duchy of Auvergne.

Xz2 · 03-11-2009, 15:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by spock2

What is that new country in France?

i guess France...

Maldenic · 03-11-2009, 15:34

Hmm, Pskov lacks a legimate heir, does that mean it is a monarchy rather than a republic now? Or does that message come up even for Republics?

I have to say that I like the new expanded role of Prestige, and this new idea of Legitimacy. I really hope that they will end up being as important as Infamy, and Stability, since countries just revolving around stab and BB always seemed a little boring and shallow to me.

LeeDub · 03-11-2009, 15:34

So Magistrates serve to perform decisions... That's a rather unimpressive role, methinks, unless the decisions have been given some love. The PTI removal is sweet, as is legitimacy. Now monarchies will truly be different from republics.

Grubnessul · 03-11-2009, 15:35

Hmm very nice. Legitimacy replaces prestige on the main window?

Maldenic · 03-11-2009, 15:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by spock2

I said new.The one with a naval province between england and britanny

I assume it is Poitou, and is a vassal of England, perhaps. Or a PU under England. Or had England already lost Poitou at this stage?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vladislav

I think that's part of the duchy of Auvergne.

Oh, the flags do look very similar.

unddu · 03-11-2009, 15:37

Im not happy with a nerfed France.

There I said it, I always enjoy wooping French hineys and making that easier is not my idea of fun.

We will see how it turns out.

Doomdark · 03-11-2009, 15:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeeDub

So Magistrates serve to perform decisions... That's a rather unimpressive role, methinks, unless the decisions have been given some love. The PTI removal is sweet, as is legitimacy. Now monarchies will truly be different from republics.

Province decisions will receive a thorough overhaul to make them more interesting.

LeeDub · 03-11-2009, 15:40

I LOVE YOU!

Ummm... Sorry, it kinda just... Slipped off... *runs away*

Raistxl · 03-11-2009, 15:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maldenic

I assume it is Poitou, and is a vassal of England, perhaps.

it's auvergne... it has already been said in a previous diary, if i'm not wrong

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doomdark

Province decisions will receive a thorough overhaul to make them more interesting.

hail to the great dev team!

midget_roxx · 03-11-2009, 15:54

Whats the new "man" on the right of the spy symbol?

sprites · 03-11-2009, 15:55

hmm there is a lot of lost french provinces here it seems :/

03-11-2009, 15:21	#1
Doomdark P.O.P.E. Paradox Dev Team Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posts: 1,817	Heir to the Throne - Dev Diary 6 This week I thought we'd sit back and enjoy the little things, because that is the secret to lifelong satisfaction and contentment (also, I cannot reveal a major feature while the interface still looks like the demented scrawlings of Abdul Alhazred!) So, let us kick off with the removal of the Permanent Terra Incognita. We thought that those mysterious regions forever hidden under a lovely shade of blinding white might as well be explorable: Here be Dragons, but to be honest, nothing else of interest. That is why most of the former PTI areas are still considered "wasteland". Wasteland provinces can be discovered, but are impassable and cannot be settled. This is, in short, mostly a visual improvement. However, a few strips of land here and there could actually be salvaged and turned into normal provinces. In the process, I found myself annoyed with Russia, so I grabbed my musket and my tricorne and prepared to march on Moscow, but then I remembered which century it was (see what happens you spend too much time on our forums?) So, instead, I gratuitously changed the Russian geography so it was more to my liking. Speaking of geography; as the astute among you have already noticed, other areas of Europe also look a bit different. However, in this case the motivation was not only to correct map errors but also to stop the ungodly Blue Blob before we all choke on snails and Crème brûlée. Yes my friends, it is time to say non to the menace that is France. Or, at least, a timid S'il vous plaît ne me tuez pas! Jesting aside, we hope France is now better balanced, with more initial trouble annexing its vassals and smashing Burgundy. But enough with the minor map changes. A proper new feature in Heir to the Throne is the concept of Legitimacy, which represents how... well, legitimate, your dynasty is perceived to be. The value is shown in the top bar for monarchies and slowly increases or decreases with positive or negative prestige, number of royal marriages, etc. Many other events also have an impact, like a dynasty or government change, losing wars of aggression and failing to achieve war goals. Much like prestige, legitimacy has a plethora of effects on the state of your kingdom, like revolt risk, pretender rebel chance and Infamy reduction. Legitimacy is intimately tied to the strength of claim of your legal heir: an heir with a weak claim will lower the legitimacy of your dynasty on succession. On the other hand, having a high legitimacy is likelier to produce heirs with a strong claim. Before we get to the screenshots, which speak louder than my paltry words anyway, I think I will round off by revealing what 'Magistrates' are for. In our early brainstorming sessions, we thought that some type of "focus points" would be a great way to ensure a proper progression of government forms, from primitive to almost modern (like the "Constitutional Republic".) After some shape shifting, this idea eventually coalesced into the form of the Magistrate; an all-purpose official whose chief purpose is to execute decisions, especially at the province level (this is not a hardcoded requirement, but simply a scripted effect of the decisions.) Magistrates are gained much faster for later government types, allowing quicker decision making. Magistrates should also be welcomed by our esteemed modding community, since they can be used in all kinds of clever scripts. And, as promised, some fresh screenies! Attached Thumbnails __________________ Abusus non tollit usum

03-11-2009, 15:25	#3
Prinz Wilhelm Grillad Lövbit Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sweden Posts: 3,562 Blog Entries: 2	Nice stuff! Will be eager to try it out! __________________ Håll Gränsen! - Thorbjörn Fälldin Proud receiver of the Lippe Award of Awesome Victoria Leaderpack v. 2.2! (new version out!)

03-11-2009, 15:25	#4
marionette Second Lieutenant Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Tours Posts: 113	looks gud hope it all is in FTG __________________ It's just a shot away, it's just a shot away...

03-11-2009, 15:26	#5
spock2 Second Lieutenant Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 141	What is that new country in France? __________________ Check out my EU3 IN AAR Who said Czech peope are bad warriors?-an Bohemia AAR

03-11-2009, 15:27	#8
Juan50 Second Lieutenant Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Caldwell, Idaho Posts: 101	I fully support anything that accurately represents Idaho as a wasteland in video game form. __________________ "In the year 2000 - Scientists will finally discover the difference between French Vanilla ice cream, and regular Vanilla ice cream... Cowardice." -- Conan O'Brien, In The Year 2000 (Richter Edition)

03-11-2009, 15:34	#11
Maldenic Second Lieutenant Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 127	Hmm, Pskov lacks a legimate heir, does that mean it is a monarchy rather than a republic now? Or does that message come up even for Republics? I have to say that I like the new expanded role of Prestige, and this new idea of Legitimacy. I really hope that they will end up being as important as Infamy, and Stability, since countries just revolving around stab and BB always seemed a little boring and shallow to me.

03-11-2009, 15:34	#12
LeeDub Major Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 531	So Magistrates serve to perform decisions... That's a rather unimpressive role, methinks, unless the decisions have been given some love. The PTI removal is sweet, as is legitimacy. Now monarchies will truly be different from republics.

03-11-2009, 15:35	#13
Grubnessul Your Friendly Dictator Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Banished to the 8th circle of Hell after mentioning rule 34 to Canonized Posts: 2,113	Hmm very nice. Legitimacy replaces prestige on the main window? __________________ "History is form of cybersex!" EvilSanta Please, call me Grubby General Schenkhuizen, Timeslines: What if Spain failed to control the world? There might be Vikings out there! Or: How I accidentally traded my wife for a halibut (*updated 06/02/2009!!!!!1111oneoneeleven*) (Now with it's own showerscene) MP AAR: Clash of Empires WritAAR of the week in week 43 (21-27 October 2007) ACA Q3, Q4 2007 and Q1, Q2, Q3 2008 for best Comedy and ACA Q3 2007 for best new WritAAR

03-11-2009, 15:37	#15
unddu Armchair Temüjin Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Netherlands Posts: 1,818	Im not happy with a nerfed France. There I said it, I always enjoy wooping French hineys and making that easier is not my idea of fun. We will see how it turns out. __________________ Finished Mantuan WC Sadly abandoned: Mecklenburg: When the bull charges. A Shadow Game WC! Visit my AAR in progress: Mantua WC 2: Done with France, now for the world! Eagerly anticipating: DAO:A FF14/15 My new future drug of choice: SWTOR or FFXV Lord, give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things that I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

03-11-2009, 15:40	#17
LeeDub Major Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 531	I LOVE YOU! Ummm... Sorry, it kinda just... Slipped off... runs away

03-11-2009, 15:54	#19
midget_roxx Major Join Date: May 2008 Location: Canberra, Australia Posts: 782	Whats the new "man" on the right of the spy symbol? __________________ "You can have sex with a man and that is less gay than rollerblading" - Ross Noble

03-11-2009, 15:55	#20
sprites Lt. General Join Date: May 2008 Location: france Posts: 1,555	hmm there is a lot of lost french provinces here it seems :/