Bloodline discussion

[tsf4]

So, I am asking the community's input on bloodlines. So, I have started implementing them, but have found out that the old blood traits are quite useful, and really going from trait to bloodline you lose some things which effects the AI and how chars with it operate, but gain the new bloodline effects. In short, bittersweet.

Also, the conflagration which is Lux history can make it hard to pinpoint who gets a bloodline since its done dynamically through bloodline inheritance. See, with traits, we could more conveniently control who gets the trait and who doesn't (very handy). Set it as patrilineal inheritance, and perhaps not enough chars get the bloodline, set it as all descendants and perhaps all of Europe's royal blood gets it. See why trait for this works better.

My thought is to keep the trait, and the bloodline, but change it up a bit. Bloodline can cover some stat changes and such, as well as give the effect they are famous for, like great heroes showing up since your character is a descendant of Augustus or Alexander. But the trait can be used for the items which cannot be given through bloodline, and can be like "strong traces of Alexander's blood course through this character's veins", which makes sense due to the way the AI will act a bit different with these traits, and this "act" cannot work with the bloodlines, or at least is not stated to work with them but very well could.

So, sorry for the babbling, but I hope this helps explain how I feel about the bloodlines/traits, and I want to hear what you guys think. Keep in mind, I am the developer here, so I am not going to implement something just because RandomDudeX says what he thinks. But, RandomDudeX's thinking might influence my decision! Also, if I hear from the older dev team members, there thoughts and ideas will have more clout with my eventual final decision.

 

[Mr. Alipin]

How about have the Bloodlines proper and the traits be "X's Legacy"? Like Blood of Alexander's bloodline and Alexander's Legacy

 

[tsf4]

Good thought. It really hinges on the fact that I'm not confident in the bloodline's ability to give itself to the right people, and on if the ai_zeal, ai_ambition, etc still work in the game. If one of these can be proved, I'd be set on keeping traits.

But my inclination is to just use bloodlines, and trusting the game to deliver the bloodline to the right people

 

[Okdokiecell]

Good thought. It really hinges on the fact that I'm not confident in the bloodline's ability to give itself to the right people, and on if the ai_zeal, ai_ambition, etc still work in the game. If one of these can be proved, I'd be set on keeping traits.

But my inclination is to just use bloodlines, and trusting the game to deliver the bloodline to the right people

In my experience there were cases where the bloodlines didn't assign as wanted. For example the dynasties of Ptolemy-Caesarion and Ptolemy-Antony due to patrilineal inheritance. For those dynasties I believe the solution is making Cleopatra married to each matrilineally.

 

[tsf4]

Yeah, I'd rather not mess with marriages and the like to get them to work.

 

[wingren013]

Bloodlines can be a bit finnicky in terms of inheritance. What I would do is keep the traits, but add bloodlines for particularly notable characters, where claiming direct descent is a big thing.

It also opens up things like being able to claim your family is descended from a god, a messiah figure, or some mystical creature

 

[tsf4]

Excellent thought, as well. Could even have a decision if you have the trait to claim an even greater piece of your heritage, which would be the bloodline. but only if you have a good amount of prestige, piety, etc etc.

 

[Antiochos]

Maybe restoring one of the empires could give the bloodline, since that character showed dedication to their heritage?

 

[tsf4]

Another good idea, I centered on the prestige and piety requirement because its harder to come by in Lux than vanilla.

 

[tsf4]

Ok, so traits are going to stay, and characters have the option to take a decision to "advance" their blood relation to the ancestor. This gives them and their kids the bloodline, which will contain a few more stat improvements as well as the bloodline "feature".

Thanks for the input!

 

[EmperorG]

Hopefully with these changes, some bloodlines can survive a bit longer. It's disappointing that dynasties nearly two millennium old can die out five years into the game cause the sole member of the dynasty croaks due to RNG.

 

[tsf4]

Yeah, I agree. If the character takes some time from their successes and demonstrates some piety to his familial tradition, then they get a bloodline for the ages