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CK2 Dev Diary #17: Crusader Cats

Hello everyone! I’m Virvatuli, one of the Content Designers on The Reaper’s Due, which also happens to be my very first project here at Paradox. It’s been so much fun working on this DLC and I hope you’ll have even more fun playing it! In this week’s DD (another first for me), I will reveal one of Reaper’s most important features. Oh, okay, it might not be that important, but at least it’s my personal favourite and pet project. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you cats.

For the longest time, there’s been a issue regarding the representation of pets in Crusader Kings 2. In the realm of companion animals, there has been a worrisome lack of diversity. Most of you who play Way of Life have probably had a loyal hunting dog, there have been some events regarding birds of prey, and a lucky few Conclave players might have encountered a tiny rodent friend. Sadly, that has been pretty much it on the pet front. To rectify this serious problem we’ve added some additional furry and feathered friends in The Reaper’s Due. As we did, of course we couldn’t leave out the best animal of them all: our Feline Overlords, Befurred Ninjas, Gods of the Internet.

In the new DLC you can befriend a cat in a number of ways. However, as any Dwarf Fortress player or real-life cat lover knows, you do not adopt a cat. A cat adopts you. Once your feline friend has decided that you’re the one and only slave for it, you will receive a fancy “Pet Cat” character modifier (unless you scare it away, you horrible person). It will give your character +1 health, as the cat brings you so much happiness, and +1 intrigue, because we all know that cat owners are a bit more clever than everyone else (hey, it’s science!).

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However, most things can become troublesome in excess, even your love for felines. In every cat owner’s life there comes a time when you ask yourself if you shouldn’t get just one more. At some point, the answer is probably no, at least if you don’t want to scare off all of your friends and repulse the courtiers.

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Unless you want to become even sneakier, that is. Then go ahead and become a Crazy Cat Lady, or a Crazy Cat Lord, if that’s how you identify.

At first thought, one might think that cats would be a very insignificant aspect of a medieval ruler’s life, however, when the Plague comes around to visit this changes drastically. Most of you probably know that the Black Death was likely spread by fleas on rats. Sadly this fact is unknown to ye olde peasant, and when people start to die, some of them might point fingers to our furry protectors. Believe it or not, there are some people who do not like cats. It’s crazy, I know, but trust me on this. How will you deal with their growing fears? Do remember, if you don’t have cats, you’ll have plenty of rats…

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This sneak peak of cats is all you’ll get for now. Don’t worry though, The Reaper’s Due is out on the 25th of August and then you can experience cats for yourself in all their whiskered glory. Next week Darkrenown will talk about more assorted features. Now I need to get back to scripting, there’re still some cat-related subjects which need further exploration… Adieu!
 
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Dogs: yes!
Cats are for loosers: everyone says that.
;)
 
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Claw-some DD. Glad you're back from vacation (I hope it was a Pawsitive one) and back working on DLC meow. I was looking forward to this mewment.

Can we expect any content from Paradox's meowsician @Jazzhole ?
 
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No, cats were invented in 1902 by Satan, but we included them for gameplay reasons.

I think your way of communicating is a bit offensive!
I know you try to be funny, but I actually feel you are giving me "the finger" here - I as a customer ask a question - I have the idea that cats were pet animals in Egypt, but was first really introduced to Europe as a pet in the 15-1600 perhaps - so it is a legit question, and you as a person from Paradox act like this?
I don't get it... It feels like you think you are superior when writing like that.

And sorry, it is not because I sit curled in the corner right now crying - and I can get through it, don't worry - I just want to tell you that the way you communicate is not very "customer-friendly" in my eyes.
 
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Is this a joke?
Were there even cats in Europe during the Middle ages?


They were hated, Killed during the black death. Used as rat-catchers by wikings, and associated with witches.
 
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I think your way of communicating is a bit offensive!
I know you try to be funny, but I actually feel you are giving me "the finger" here - I as a customer ask a question - I have the idea that cats were pet animals in Egypt, but was first really introduced to Europe as a pet in the 15-1600 perhaps - so it is a legit question, and you as a person from Paradox act like this?
I don't get it... It feels like you think you are superior when writing like that.

And sorry, it is not because I sit curled in the corner right now crying - and I can get through it, don't worry - I just want to tell you that the way you communicate is not very "customer-friendly" in my eyes.

It was a joke man, chill. And I dunno the intricacies of cat related history (much to my chagrin) but this doesn't make it seem like cats were an unknown in Europe.
 
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So will the DDs be mostly minor stuff from here on out?

You've already announced some stuff that makes this DLC worthwhile for me, but I want to know if I can relax from being so obsessive about waiting for announcements on Tuesday mornings.
 
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I think your way of communicating is a bit offensive!
I know you try to be funny, but I actually feel you are giving me "the finger" here - I as a customer ask a question - I have the idea that cats were pet animals in Egypt, but was first really introduced to Europe as a pet in the 15-1600 perhaps - so it is a legit question, and you as a person from Paradox act like this?
I don't get it... It feels like you think you are superior when writing like that.

And sorry, it is not because I sit curled in the corner right now crying - and I can get through it, don't worry - I just want to tell you that the way you communicate is not very "customer-friendly" in my eyes.

The internet is full of answers to historical questions!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat#History_and_mythology
The Romans are often credited with introducing the domestic cat from Egypt to Europe;[242]:223 in Roman Aquitaine, a first- or second-century engraving of a young girl holding a cat is one of two earliest depictions of the Roman domesticated cat. However, cats possibly were already kept in Europe prior to the Roman Empire, as they may have been present in Britain in the late Iron Age.

So no one seems quite sure when domesticated cats spread to Europe, but certainly before CK2.

So will the DDs be mostly minor stuff from here on out?

Yes, you have seen all the main features now.
 
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