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Hello there! Today we are going to talk about some of the remaining rulers (you know, that are neither Christian nor Muslim) you can find in the Iron Century bookmark.

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The situation in the rest of the world.

Eirik Bloodaxe: Previous king of Norway, known for murdering his brothers. He was pushed out by the Norwegian nobility and replaced by Hakon the Good (see the Dev Diary about Recommended Rulers). Situated in the northern stretches of Scotland with his army and fleet, Bloodaxe is in many ways posed to strike in any direction. Much like Haesteinn in the 867 bookmark, I am sure we will see some interesting Bloodaxe playthroughs not long after you guys get your hands on the bookmark.

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Lestek Piast of Poland: Forefather of more well known rulers such as Mieszko and Boleslav the Brave, he still plays an important role in the local Polish politics as one of the strongest rulers of the region. Though the Polish eventually turned to Christianity under Mieszko (which is actually alive as the grandson of Lestek in the bookmark, as is his father Siemomysl), who’s to say you can’t bring Poland into a more interesting turn of events? Bordering the other Slavic tribes, as well as Otto in the west and Bohemia in the south is sure to bring an interesting playthrough nonetheless.

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Gorm the Old of Denmark: At 59 years old, his nickname is certainly fitting. Father of the more well known ruler Harald ‘Bluetooth’, he is the king of Denmark in the bookmark. He borders some Swedish tribes on his eastern front in Scania (which is held by his bastard son Valtoke), and Otto of Germany to the south. His son Harald would later go on to rule both Denmark and partly Norway, after the death of the Norwegian king Harald Greycloak.

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Yngar/Igor of Kievan Rus: After the death of Rurik, Helge/Oleg expanded the influence of the kingdom and they are left with a massive kingdom from Holmgard/Novgorod in the north and all the way down to Kønugård/Kiev in the south. However, Yngvar/Igor is growing old and his hold over his vassals are tenuous at best. If peace and their loyalty can be secured, however, you sit with a potential powerhouse ready to take control of the eastern stretches of Europe. You only need to beat back the Pechenegs, the Khazars and every Russian vassal who look at you a bit shifty-eyed. I am sure it’ll be fine!

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Historically speaking, the 10th century is when you saw a proper shift towards Christianity across the map. The Russians turned to Orthodoxy, while the Scandinavian, Hungarian and Polish lords turned to Catholicism. But who ever accused us of having a historical game after you click the start button, right? Now then, to turn a bit eastwards.

Cao Yuande of the Guiyi: Cao Yuande is second ruler of Guiyi Circuit, having inherited his realm from his long ruling father Cao Yin. Guiyi is a small outpost of Han people, surrounded by nomads or stronger realms. Fortunately you start the game allied with the powerful kingdom of Khotan and the Uyghurs at your eastern border. It will be challenge, but turning your kingdom into an empire is not an impossible task.

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Khagan Deguang of the Liao Dynasty: Duguang, or Taizong, of the Liao became involved in Chinese internal strife during the Ten Kingdoms period. Eventually Taizong declared himself as emperor of China but was unable to keep his throne. With two other nomadic realms starting as their tributaries, the Liao dynasty is in a strong position to spread their influence across the map.

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Makan Kakinid of Dihistan: Makan was involved in various dynastic struggles in Tabaristan, always willing to fight anyone. Despite being defeated by the Ziyarids twice, he always managed to bounce back. Eventually Makan turned against his protectors, the Samanids, and was killed for his troubles. Perhaps you can be more succesful than the historical Makan?

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Tomorrow we'll go through some decisions and bloodlines added in The Iron Century. As well as the announcing the release date of the Bookmark.

And here's a link to the ongoing AAR: https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...century-mini-aar.1179523/page-2#post-25485539
 
There's a Jewish Patrician in the new (mostly) Muslim Merchant Republic of Pechina.

Quick question for you, Snow - were the Merchant Republic clothes/hair removed or disabled? I don't see them on Republic characters in 3.1.1, and realized that I didn't see them last patch, either...

If so, thank goodness. Non-Christian MRs will finally stop looking so silly.
 
His stats and traits are set. For some reason he keeps losing tribal kinslayer, even though I've fixed
He could get a starting event giving him the trait and a short story of who he is, what he did and why is he no longer king.
 
Quick question for you, Snow - were the Merchant Republic clothes/hair removed or disabled? I don't see them on Republic characters in 3.1.1, and realized that I didn't see them last patch, either...

If so, thank goodness. Non-Christian MRs will finally stop looking so silly.
They were moved from the hardcoded layer to the script layer in the first patch after HF, so it's entirely possible that the vanilla game is now using that feature to limit MR clothing to appropriate eras and regions. (I made use of it as soon as it appeared, to dress southern patricians in my mod like ancient Roman patricians instead of early Renaissance Hanseatic ones.)

nd
 
Taizong (which means great ancestor) was Yelü Deguang's temple name, which was given posthumously after his death. It would be better to use Deguang, as he would be still alive in 936!
Don't in-game offmap Chinese emperors already use their temple names? I just want him to be treated the same as Chinese emperor :p
 
Taizong (which means great ancestor) was Yelü Deguang's temple name, which was given posthumously after his death. It would be better to use Deguang, as he would be still alive in 936!
Don't in-game offmap Chinese emperors already use their temple names? I just want him to be treated the same as Chinese emperor :p
I've just open the game...
Yeah look, his name is Yizong (his temple name) instead of Li Cui:
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Deguang should be called Taizong because of it :p
 
Can developers please somehow simulate the birth of Svyatoslav the brave? He's the guy who completely annhilated the Khazarian empire and crushed the Bulgarian empire. He was the son of Igor, the ruler of Kievan Rus' in 936. It would be cool if devs would add an event where Igor and his wife Olga have a child of destiny named Svyatoslav. During Sviatoslav's rule, Kievan Rus' became the biggest and strongest state in Europe.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sviatoslav_I_of_Kiev
 
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Weren't Liao supposed to assumed Chinese bureaucracy? So, shouldn't their government be Chinese Imperial instead of Nomadic?

Edit: I also like the name Taizong (his chinese-styled name) more than Deguang :D

The Liao were an interesting bunch. Part of their lands (which aren't on the map) were governed in a way that'd be roughly Chinese Imperial, while other parts of their lands (that partially are on the map) were governed in a nomadic/tribal manner.

Since they can't have both government forms at once, since having a bunch of castles in the middle of the steppes to let them be Chinese Imperial would likely have side-effects (such as that part of the steppes being worth more to conquer as a non-nomadic ruler as it would become productive more quickly and not having to upgrade the holdings to avoid them breaking free on succession), and since the part that's on the map wasn't the Chinese Imperial part of their realm, Nomadic is better.

As for Taizong/Deguang, the former is a temple name, and thus technically should be awarded on death (even if that's not how it works in the game), and it would be a bunch of extra work to ensure that his successors got temple names as nomads since that's tied to the Chinese Imperial government type, so Deguang seems better.

Would it be possible to get an event, that if somehow a republic jew gains control of Israel, they become feudal?

You'd risk causing a game over for any vassal patricians if that happens, and they could be players.
 
You'd risk causing a game over for any vassal patricians if that happens, and they could be players.
If this were to be done (and I'm neutral on whether it should) then becoming King of Israel should cause you to abdicate your republican title, and have your patrician house replaced by another. And if the Republic is King-Tier, then it's independent, and if it's Duke-tier, it can be a vassal of Israel.

nd
 
The Liao were an interesting bunch. Part of their lands (which aren't on the map) were governed in a way that'd be roughly Chinese Imperial, while other parts of their lands (that partially are on the map) were governed in a nomadic/tribal manner.

Since they can't have both government forms at once, since having a bunch of castles in the middle of the steppes to let them be Chinese Imperial would likely have side-effects (such as that part of the steppes being worth more to conquer as a non-nomadic ruler as it would become productive more quickly and not having to upgrade the holdings to avoid them breaking free on succession), and since the part that's on the map wasn't the Chinese Imperial part of their realm, Nomadic is better.
If we can't have both ways, just making him + descendants have temple name would be a great flavour as it a compromise between the two.

As for Taizong/Deguang, the former is a temple name, and thus technically should be awarded on death (even if that's not how it works in the game), and it would be a bunch of extra work to ensure that his successors got temple names as nomads since that's tied to the Chinese Imperial government type, so Deguang seems better.
There is already in-game events which give temple name a character with title flag uses_temple_names_by_script in jd_chinese_invasion_events.txt, here:
Code:
#Rebel General's Empire continues temple names, triggers for any title with the uses_temple_names_by_script title flag
#Fired from various on_new_holder on actions
character_event = {
    id = JD.60204
    is_triggered_only = yes
    hide_window = yes

    trigger = {
        FROM = { has_title_flag = uses_temple_names_by_script }
        NOT = { has_character_flag = given_temple_name_by_script }
    }

    has_dlc = "Jade Dragon"

    immediate = {
        if = { #Chinese Imperial but not Chinese/Altaic, let convert culture
            limit = {
                has_character_flag = chinese_imperial_government_preserve
            }
            repeat_event = { id = JD.60212 days = 1 }
            break = yes
        }
        FROM = { save_event_target_as = temple_name_title }
Shouldn't be that much of a work :p
 
What about Africa? It wasn’t showed yet as far as I remember, at least not detailed.
 
Dear devs, do you personally think this start date will give the best overall experience to anyone playing the game, or is it more of a refreshing new toy for those already familiar with previous start dates?

If you start the game will this start date be the default one?
 
Dear devs, do you personally think this start date will give the best overall experience to anyone playing the game, or is it more of a refreshing new toy for those already familiar with previous start dates?

If you start the game will this start date be the default one?

I very genuinely have no idea if it will give the best overall experience or not. It is hard to say when it has been in such a vacuum, and only the beta testers have given it a go. I have tried to make it as interesting as I have been able to, at least.

We have not changed the default start date of the game, that is still 1066.
 
I'd like to ask the same question I asked in a previous dev diary, especially since this time it is relevant to the topic at hand.

The question of new bookmarks always brings me to Lithuania, much like 867 and 769 had - because, as someone who lives there and fairly immersed in its history, I can tell that PDS always grasps at straws when filling the region out with rulers. 867, in the Paradox timeline, is the start of the legendary House of Palemon, while 769 has all fictional rulers (though I feel like they missed a real opportunity to fill the Baltics in 769 with Widewuto's sons - though they were from the 600s, there isn't going to be a 600s bookmark regardless, so they can safely be recycled for the 8th century).

However, since 867 is the start of the House of Palemon in CK2, and Palemon is the leader of Lithuania in TOG bookmark (even though he should be Roman and Hellenic if the legend were taken at face value), who is in control of Lithuania in the 936 start date? Palemon's three sons are characters in 867, so none of them should be alive by 936.

Kernius, perhaps? He only has a daughter Pajauta while his brother Gimbutas is in control of Samogitia - oddly similar to Charlemagne and Carloman :p
 
If this were to be done (and I'm neutral on whether it should) then becoming King of Israel should cause you to abdicate your republican title, and have your patrician house replaced by another. And if the Republic is King-Tier, then it's independent, and if it's Duke-tier, it can be a vassal of Israel.

nd

That might be an option, though there'd have to be various checks to ensure that you don't accidentally get a game over due to not holding a castle or something like that.

If we can't both ways, just making him + descendants have temple name would be a great flavour as it a compromise between the two.

There is already in-game events which give temple name a character with title flag uses_temple_names_by_script in jd_chinese_invasion_events.txt, here:
Code:
#Rebel General's Empire continues temple names, triggers for any title with the uses_temple_names_by_script title flag
#Fired from various on_new_holder on actions
character_event = {
    id = JD.60204
    is_triggered_only = yes
    hide_window = yes

    trigger = {
        FROM = { has_title_flag = uses_temple_names_by_script }
        NOT = { has_character_flag = given_temple_name_by_script }
    }

    has_dlc = "Jade Dragon"

    immediate = {
        if = { #Chinese Imperial but not Chinese/Altaic, let convert culture
            limit = {
                has_character_flag = chinese_imperial_government_preserve
            }
            repeat_event = { id = JD.60212 days = 1 }
            break = yes
        }
        FROM = { save_event_target_as = temple_name_title }
        if = { #New Chinese dynasty = new founder name
Shouldn't be that much of a work :p

Nomadic titles are dynamically created when the game starts (as some e_dyn_1345678), so setting that flag isn't as straightforward as for a feudal title, and nomads are weird when it comes to various things that are taken for granted for Chinese Imperial empires. For example, a vassal clan can take over the title on succession in certain circumstances (which isn't something that Chinese Imperial empires have to deal with), they might decide to settle somewhere (in which case the new nomadic state remains a pretender despite the actual pretender not ruling it and the settled realm doesn't automatically inherit the flag or any flags that track which temple names have been used (and could also be king tier and thus not a pretender empire)), and the Grace system would remain enabled despite them having pretensions since that stuff checks for the Chinese Imperial government type.

It might still be possible to make it work, but it definitely is more complicated than just setting a flag on whichever title (k_mongolia, I believe) the Liao hold in the history files and then calling it a day.
 
Do I see new negative genetic trait on Igor Rurikid, or is it (otherwise hidden) trait for freckles?
P.S. I agree that the title "Grand Prince" would be more suitable.
It's probably a random trait like most of the rulers have right now.

Also I just realised that this whole time I thought the start date would be in the 980s and not the 930s