Hi folks!

It's been a while, and I bet you're all wondering what we've been up to... Now, I can't reveal anything about the upcoming expansion quite yet, but, to tide you over, I thought I'd talk a bit about our other efforts. As you know, with every expansion comes a slew of free improvements and fixes. This time the focus has been on the latter; clearing up old bugs and issues (the change log is currently 620 lines long). Sometimes, that has required us to do some fairly major code rewrites. For example, we got rid of the rule that your 'government type' was determined by the type of your Capital Holding. (You know how it was game over when you got a Temple Holding as a capital, even for a tiny period? Well, now that kind of thing cannot happen anymore.) The government form is now something more persistent, and can have various rules that override those of your religion (whether you can raid, take concubines, etc.) To go along with this change, we also reworked the portrait frames to clearly distinguish between the various government forms.

In a similar vein, almost since release we've been plagued by bugs with characters leading multiple regiments and/or flanks, which could even cause crashes. Part of the problem was that the whole system was rather strange, so we decided to consolidate it in the following way: only the ruler, the Marshal and characters you have appointed Commander (a new title) can lead flanks or your own demesne and retinue regiments. Vassal levy regiments can still be led by your loyal vassals, but a character can never both lead a flank and a regiment. Mercenaries become more useful because they come with their own, good, leaders. Flank leaders apply their martial bonus to all regiments in the flank. Oh, and the combat system has been updated under the hood to correct various quirks that few people ever noticed, but which could sometimes cause never-ending battles and such.

In the process of implementing the new Commander title, we decided we might as well throw in a more convenient Honorary Title view. This is a perfect example of how what starts as a simple bug fix can turn into a whole new little quality-of-life feature. In this whole house cleaning process, we've also made some serious optimizations to the speed and memory usage of the game.

To finish off, here are some random snippets from the change log:

Spoiler

- Revised the pagan Subjugation CB so that it completely subjugates the target but no Holdings ever change hands
- Added "Stop Seduction" and "Stop Spying" decisions
- Failing to imprison vassals of vassals now correctly forces them to abdicate and flee the realm
- AI will not join wars against spouse
- When your heir has an equal tier title to yours, _your_ laws are now copied to his primary title on succession
- Character Finder: The 'Married' filter now excludes concubines too
- Character Finder: Councillors now correctly show up too!
- Fixed a problem with allies of vassals staying in the war when the vassals's liege joins the other side
- Fixed some cases of ANY_ALL in location tooltips
- Duels now potentially give the Kinslayer trait
- The Yazidi Sheikh and Hurufi Caliph now have access to the Muslim subjugation CB and the Jihad CB
- The Paulician faith can now properly mend the schism
- The Hashshashins can now resurface after being scattered
- Fixed some issues with 'excommunication' for Yazidis
- Sons with traits blocking them from inheritance no longer count as "unlanded sons", causing prestige loss
- AI: Toned down seduction by characters with many children
- AI: Toned down impregnation chances for seduction affairs with characters with many children
- Handsome and lustful men now also populate the cabins in the wild for the pleasures of people who find them attractive

That's all for now, but from now on, we plan to post a dev diary every Tuesday, even if it's a short one!

 

[Silfae]

I don't know about County-revokation, that looks more like just too much micro-managing. What I would rather see for Byzantium is "patrician" houses in the capital, to better represent the centralized government and the imperial court.

 

[Zolotaya]

... Or by making it so that when any viceroyalty is granted, the AI will get the entire area belonging to the title and assign provinces only as viceroyalties whenever it goes over its limits?

I would very much like this type of solution. Before anything would be implemented, I'd hope some ai improvements in how it hands out titles would occur.

The results seen so far are not encouraging. (when asking ai to hand out titles) and ofc I would want all the little bugs squashed such as the higher viceroy inheriting the courts and retinues of the dead lower viceroy.

 

[TheDungen]

I think that byzantium should have special government with free revocation of counties and duchy and kingdom viceroyalties. But to counter that powerful vassals should get claim on the empire.

I like that. As soon as a vassal has at any time more power (or 50% or 75%, needs playtesting) than the emperor he gets an event that has an option of getting him a claim on the imperial title (if I could take it why shouldn't I). In order to make this better one could also lower the too many held duckies threshold with 1 (meaning the emperor has to empower his vassals).

The other option is that anyone could start a faction for the imperial title, not just people with claims.

 

[TheDungen]

I don't know about County-revokation, that looks more like just too much micro-managing. What I would rather see for Byzantium is "patrician" houses in the capital, to better represent the centralized government and the imperial court.

How so? You only do it if you want to do it.

 

[TheDungen]

I would very much like this type of solution. Before anything would be implemented, I'd hope some ai improvements in how it hands out titles would occur.

The results seen so far are not encouraging. (when asking ai to hand out titles) and ofc I would want all the little bugs squashed such as the higher viceroy inheriting the courts and retinues of the dead lower viceroy.

Again that makes every role aside from the emperor unplayable.

 

[Carmilla]

Again that makes every role aside from the emperor unplayable.

Thats an issue with the lack of a proper beaurocratic government. If we had that then we could've had a proper way of dealing with it.

That said it doesn't make it unplayable, it just makes it extremely hard since the player will have to scramble to obtain non-viceroyalty provinces or alternatively put in some sort of code that turns of the viceroyalty of a title if a player starts up that character. Or a third way is to have it so the player has to work for it to enact an appropriate law for it to work.

 

[fanoI]

The only possibility is to make all "viceroy" patrician so if all is revoked they will continue to be playable... but then what they could do? The only thing I think is to have a decision to beg the Emperor to grant him a title...

 

[TheDungen]

Thats an issue with the lack of a proper beaurocratic government. If we had that then we could've had a proper way of dealing with it.

That said it doesn't make it unplayable, it just makes it extremely hard since the player will have to scramble to obtain non-viceroyalty provinces or alternatively put in some sort of code that turns of the viceroyalty of a title if a player starts up that character. Or a third way is to have it so the player has to work for it to enact an appropriate law for it to work.

Exploits or console. That's unplayable for all intents and purposes. The game isn't designed to be played with the console as a crutch (though I can agree it sometimes feels like it is) or exploiting the game mechanics.
Honestly that is one of the big issues with CK2 that you feel like you're playing against the mechanics as often as with them.

Yeah to work like it should work an imperial administration would need the ability to play landless characters.

The only possibility is to make all "viceroy" patrician so if all is revoked they will continue to be playable... but then what they could do? The only thing I think is to have a decision to beg the Emperor to grant him a title...

Again it's a very convoluted solution. Revokable counties is nice because it solves issues while only being a minor change to the structure of the game. Granted it does nothing to solve the underlying problems relating to historical inaccuracy.

Imperial administration really needs to be it's own goverment type, with the ability to hold both cities and castles without penatly.

 

[Thure]

Again it's a very convoluted solution. Revokable counties is nice because it solves issues while only being a minor change to the structure of the game. Granted it does nothing to solve the underlying problems relating to historical inaccuracy.

It changes a lot, because it would make ALL vassals unplayable... This isn't a 'minor change to the structure of the game'.

 

[TheDungen]

Why would it make all vassals unplayable? The AI doesn't revoke your titles unless it has a reason to. You're really better of than any heathen or heretic under medium crown authority, first of with so many vassals he can revoke it's increadibly unlikely he'll revoke your title. Secondly you don't have any negtive relationship modifier, meaning again there will likely be someone he dislikes more than you (and if not that's what your chancelor is for). Being a subject of an imperial title is less cozy than being a feudal lord.

And even then, losing titles doesn't mean something is unplayable, getting a game over means it's unplayable (if there is no remotly intuitive way it could have been avoided). Losing titles means it's realistic.

 

[Thure]

Why would it make all vassals unplayable? The AI doesn't revoke your titles unless it has a reason to. You're really better of than any heathen or heretic under medium crown authority, first of with so many vassals he can revoke it's increadibly unlikely he'll revoke your title. Secondly you don't have any negtive relationship modifier, meaning again there will likely be someone he dislikes more than you (and if not that's what your chancelor is for). Being a subject of an imperial title is less cozy than being a feudal lord.

Viceroys work that way that the titles get revoked if your characters die... So you can't continue too play, because when you die as count you lose all your titles. And if dukes, counts and kings are viceroys... you can't play as any vassal of the Byzantine Empire or the Carolingian empire because all titles will revoked after your death.

 

[Damarrocarion]

Why would it make all vassals unplayable? The AI doesn't revoke your titles unless it has a reason to.

This reason can be as simple as "Oh, I just got increase for my personal demesne. Lets see, I think I revoke this guys lands". You can quite easily observe it in AI realms.

 

[Lord_P]

This reason can be as simple as "Oh, I just got increase for my personal demesne. Lets see, I think I revoke this guys lands". You can quite easily observe it in AI realms.

"Caliph has revoked Damascus" every single game.

 

[TheDungen]

Viceroys work that way that the titles get revoked if your characters die... So you can't continue too play, because when you die as count you lose all your titles. And if dukes, counts and kings are viceroys... you can't play as any vassal of the Byzantine Empire or the Carolingian empire because all titles will revoked after your death.

Yeah but I didn't say Viceroys I said regular counties with free revocation.

 

[Carmilla]

Exploits or console. That's unplayable for all intents and purposes. The game isn't designed to be played with the console as a crutch (though I can agree it sometimes feels like it is) or exploiting the game mechanics.
Honestly that is one of the big issues with CK2 that you feel like you're playing against the mechanics as often as with them.

Yeah to work like it should work an imperial administration would need the ability to play landless characters.

I thought scheming ones way to the seat of power was one of the many points of the game? Granted the game doesn't give one enough ways to seize the throne to simulate the kind of plotting that went on in the roman empire.

 

[TheDungen]

This reason can be as simple as "Oh, I just got increase for my personal demesne. Lets see, I think I revoke this guys lands". You can quite easily observe it in AI realms.

True if they have free desme slots they will. But I'm fairly certain it's not random which provinces they revoke.

 

[TheDungen]

"Caliph has revoked Damascus" every single game.

Because it's the capital right? Or at least the arbaian empire treats it as such. Again it's not random. Just stay away from the capital and keep good relation with the emperor and you should be fine. In fact the byzantine empire already has a decision that revokes the county of constantinople if it's not held by the emperor.

 

[TheDungen]

I thought scheming ones way to the seat of power was one of the many points of the game? Granted the game doesn't give one enough ways to seize the throne to simulate the kind of plotting that went on in the roman empire.

And if it was possible to claim duchies with any reliability I'd agree. But trying to fabricate a claim on a duchy before your first character dies is kind of hard unless you start at the border where you can holy war for one. Which granted is a very roman idea, to wage war on barbarians and infidels to improve your standing in the capital.

 

[Lemont Elwood]

Nonsense, the Koran has Jewish inspiration behind every corner. Jesus is a cameo character in it, appearing most notably as a talking newborn to declare that he is definitely not the Son of God just a prophet who will be overshadowed by Mohammed.

Do you say that to mean that Islam has a Jewish basis, rather than a Christian one? If so, I agree. Islam may have come after Christianity in terms of chronological order, but it was Judaism which Muhammad was trying to develop a relationship with.

 

[Thure]

Nonsense, the Koran has Jewish inspiration behind every corner. Jesus is a cameo character in it, appearing most notably as a talking newborn to declare that he is definitely not the Son of God just a prophet who will be overshadowed by Mohammed.

You might be right about the relationship between the religion... but Jesus in the Quran is more than an cameo character in it. They still believe in his virginal birth. And while God wasn't his father God was the one who created Jesus in Mary's body.

ANd Jesus will be the one who will slay the false Messiah