First of I would like to say that this is a wonderfully crafted game that has kept me entertained for lots of hours. However despite what many recent posts in this forum may suggest IMHO there is still much room for improvement in this game (whether DLC or free content). Unlike EU IV where the base ideas where already there from EU III, CK2 has made a huge progress from its predecessor.
Since I am not a native English speaker sorry in advance for any mistakes in the following… not so short post.
For a game that takes part in the Middle Ages I personally believe that religion should really get more attention. So I will through in some ideas about religion since i know Paradox has a good reputation for reading the forums
.
1) Religious Freedom:
A new crown-country law. It will work similar to centralization varying in 5-6 levels from (almost) Free Religion to Absolute Religious Law (set your preferred name here). So with this tab you can set the amount of religious freedom you desire in your country. As in centralization it can only be changed once in a ruler’s life.
With full Religious Freedom you get
+ Much lower penalty to governing heretics and heathens (decrease revolt risk)
+ Higher taxes from temples, bishopics, mosques etc.
+ Courtiers that are of different religion, have the sympathy for other religion trait or are cynical will get a boost in their relation with you.
+ Courtiers from other countries (not your religion) will have a much higher chance of accepting your offers (marriage, alliances, and invite to court).
- On the downside chances of characters and even full regions turning heretic or heathens will increase a lot.
- Zealous rulers of your faith, courtiers, vassals and the clergy will get a dislike penalty.
- Small chance of zealot uprising (like heretic uprising but of your own faith) or factionalism to decrease religious freedom from zealous vassals.
- Some options could also be removed from your religion. Like having a Great Blot as a Germanic faith follower, no option to expel the Jews, no Jizya tax for the Muslim etc.
Finally maybe some events firing if another religion is dominant in your country to peacefully change your religion (although this feature already exists with your capitals religion).
With Absolute Religious Law you would pretty much have the opposite effects.
+ Increased conversion rate.
+ Good relations with your faith’s zealous rulers, vassals, courtiers and clergy.
+ Larger levy from temple holdings of your faith (religious fanatics).
+ Free revoke landed title for heathens, heretics.
+ Full options for your faith (Great Blot, Expel the Jews, Jizya etc).
- The downside again large chance of heretic, heathen uprising.
- Opinion penalty for heathen heretics and other religions sympathizers
- Unlanded courtiers of other religions leaving your country (due to prosecution).
- Decrease religious authority faction from vassals that are either of other religion, cynical & have sympathy for other faiths.
- Small chance of religious rebellion from clergy and zealous vassals. If in this level of decreased religious freedom for many generations the priesthood might decide to go “High Sparrow” on you. If you lose this rebellion a priest will take over and rule the country as a theocracy (with you as a vassal).
Finally maybe some sort of religious inquisition (please see details below)
2) Religious Conversion - Holy sites:
Religious conversion
In the same line with what is mentioned above religious conversion will only be partially influenced from religions moral authority (50%). The remaining 50% would be taken as a multiplier – factor from the country’s religious freedom level.
In this way it will be possible to spread your religion (however slower) without controlling its holy sites.
As it stands right now the game more or less “forces” you to conquer the holy sites of your religion if you want any change of spreading your faith. So depending on your religion you also “have” to take a specific geographical expansion path.
Holy Sites
Since the game now stretches from early Middle Ages it could be a possibility to re-establish (transfer) a holy site. Most in-game religions, at the time, still underwent important changes so I believe that it would not be totally ahistorical to be able to relocate a holy site.
A religion’s holy site could be transferred given the following conditions:
1) Change a religion’s (or heresy’s) holy site only once in every 200-300 years (long cooldown).
2) Certain holy sites (2-3 of them) unmovable for each religion
- Muslim: Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem
- Catholic: Jerusalem, Rome
- Orthodox: Jerusalem, Constantinople (etc for other religions)
3) A holy site can only be re-established (transferred) by a king tier character or above with the use of 1000 piety.
4) The character taking the decision should hold the new holy site as well as the kingdom that county is in.
5) Furthermore the holy site being abandoned should be held from heathens (and be within a kingdom held by heathens).
All the above restrictions would lead only to limited holy site transfer (not such an ahistorical result).
3) Religious Inquisition
Since already in the game’s time period, Inquisition could be a fun added feature (possibly also for some non-Christian religions although ahistorical). A Ruler could turn the Inquisition on/off via country law in the fourth and fifth level of Absolute religious law gaining or loosing opinion with his courtiers (zealous own faith vs cynical, sympathy of other faith & heathens-heretics).
With events firing the Inquisition would pass judgment to courtiers, vassals etc. that are not “true to their faith” (heretic, heathen sympathy for other religion etc.). Their decisions would vary from acquitting the accused character and demanding conversion to banishment or even death.
This could be a way for a cunning ruler to take down the opposition within the realm (even using a favor with the Inquisitor) but could also lead to conflict when a loyal cynical duke or a prince with sympathy for Paganism is found guilty. The Ruler could decide against the will of the inquisition but this would lead from loss of piety and worst relations with the inquisitors to a zealous uprising or perhaps a full scale rebellion to establish a Theocracy.
Thank you for reading thus far. I would love to hear your feedback
Since I am not a native English speaker sorry in advance for any mistakes in the following… not so short post.
For a game that takes part in the Middle Ages I personally believe that religion should really get more attention. So I will through in some ideas about religion since i know Paradox has a good reputation for reading the forums
.1) Religious Freedom:
A new crown-country law. It will work similar to centralization varying in 5-6 levels from (almost) Free Religion to Absolute Religious Law (set your preferred name here). So with this tab you can set the amount of religious freedom you desire in your country. As in centralization it can only be changed once in a ruler’s life.
With full Religious Freedom you get
+ Much lower penalty to governing heretics and heathens (decrease revolt risk)
+ Higher taxes from temples, bishopics, mosques etc.
+ Courtiers that are of different religion, have the sympathy for other religion trait or are cynical will get a boost in their relation with you.
+ Courtiers from other countries (not your religion) will have a much higher chance of accepting your offers (marriage, alliances, and invite to court).
- On the downside chances of characters and even full regions turning heretic or heathens will increase a lot.
- Zealous rulers of your faith, courtiers, vassals and the clergy will get a dislike penalty.
- Small chance of zealot uprising (like heretic uprising but of your own faith) or factionalism to decrease religious freedom from zealous vassals.
- Some options could also be removed from your religion. Like having a Great Blot as a Germanic faith follower, no option to expel the Jews, no Jizya tax for the Muslim etc.
Finally maybe some events firing if another religion is dominant in your country to peacefully change your religion (although this feature already exists with your capitals religion).
With Absolute Religious Law you would pretty much have the opposite effects.
+ Increased conversion rate.
+ Good relations with your faith’s zealous rulers, vassals, courtiers and clergy.
+ Larger levy from temple holdings of your faith (religious fanatics).
+ Free revoke landed title for heathens, heretics.
+ Full options for your faith (Great Blot, Expel the Jews, Jizya etc).
- The downside again large chance of heretic, heathen uprising.
- Opinion penalty for heathen heretics and other religions sympathizers
- Unlanded courtiers of other religions leaving your country (due to prosecution).
- Decrease religious authority faction from vassals that are either of other religion, cynical & have sympathy for other faiths.
- Small chance of religious rebellion from clergy and zealous vassals. If in this level of decreased religious freedom for many generations the priesthood might decide to go “High Sparrow” on you
. If you lose this rebellion a priest will take over and rule the country as a theocracy (with you as a vassal).Finally maybe some sort of religious inquisition (please see details below)
2) Religious Conversion - Holy sites:
Religious conversion
In the same line with what is mentioned above religious conversion will only be partially influenced from religions moral authority (50%). The remaining 50% would be taken as a multiplier – factor from the country’s religious freedom level.
In this way it will be possible to spread your religion (however slower) without controlling its holy sites.
As it stands right now the game more or less “forces” you to conquer the holy sites of your religion if you want any change of spreading your faith. So depending on your religion you also “have” to take a specific geographical expansion path.
Holy Sites
Since the game now stretches from early Middle Ages it could be a possibility to re-establish (transfer) a holy site. Most in-game religions, at the time, still underwent important changes so I believe that it would not be totally ahistorical to be able to relocate a holy site.
A religion’s holy site could be transferred given the following conditions:
1) Change a religion’s (or heresy’s) holy site only once in every 200-300 years (long cooldown).
2) Certain holy sites (2-3 of them) unmovable for each religion
- Muslim: Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem
- Catholic: Jerusalem, Rome
- Orthodox: Jerusalem, Constantinople (etc for other religions)
3) A holy site can only be re-established (transferred) by a king tier character or above with the use of 1000 piety.
4) The character taking the decision should hold the new holy site as well as the kingdom that county is in.
5) Furthermore the holy site being abandoned should be held from heathens (and be within a kingdom held by heathens).
All the above restrictions would lead only to limited holy site transfer (not such an ahistorical result).
3) Religious Inquisition
Since already in the game’s time period, Inquisition could be a fun added feature (possibly also for some non-Christian religions although ahistorical). A Ruler could turn the Inquisition on/off via country law in the fourth and fifth level of Absolute religious law gaining or loosing opinion with his courtiers (zealous own faith vs cynical, sympathy of other faith & heathens-heretics).
With events firing the Inquisition would pass judgment to courtiers, vassals etc. that are not “true to their faith” (heretic, heathen sympathy for other religion etc.). Their decisions would vary from acquitting the accused character and demanding conversion to banishment or even death.
This could be a way for a cunning ruler to take down the opposition within the realm (even using a favor with the Inquisitor) but could also lead to conflict when a loyal cynical duke or a prince with sympathy for Paganism is found guilty. The Ruler could decide against the will of the inquisition but this would lead from loss of piety and worst relations with the inquisitors to a zealous uprising or perhaps a full scale rebellion to establish a Theocracy.
Thank you for reading thus far. I would love to hear your feedback
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