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Darkrenown

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Hello and welcome to another Developer Diary about getting sick and dying! Previously I talked about this in the personal sense, but today I will tell you what we have done to Epidemics.

In our upcoming but still unannounced DLC, we have added many more scriptable values to Epidemic diseases which allows us to do many more interesting things with them. I’ll skip the technical details here, but Epidemics can now spread along the Silk road when present, and are more likely to spread to rich and coastal provinces while being less likely to spread to poorer inland areas. Different Epidemics can have different speeds and likelihoods of spreading, as well as different maximum provinces they can spread to and durations to last for.

Epidemics also have another effect now, they can cause Depopulation in a province. Depopulation is a modifier on the province which reduces tax incomes, levy/garrison sizes, and supply limits. Different diseases have different chances of causing Depopulation, and the effects can remain long after the diseases have died out.

Of course, I can’t talk about Epidemics without mentioning The Black Death, since it was a somewhat notable event in the CK2 period. In the past, the Plague hasn’t been too impressive, but now… well now we have made some changes:
Plague.jpg

while it's possible for the Plague to come from central asia and bypass India, in this instance it arrived in the North-east of the subcontinent and spread throughout it and outwards. Meanwhile, England has Smallpox.

As well as making The Black Death larger and more deadly, we felt it was a shame you’d have to play until 1300 to experience it. So, in our generosity we made The Black Death more dynamic and there is now a chance for a major outbreak to occur 200 years into any game, regardless of startpoint (and the 1300 outbreak of course remains possible too). After a major outbreak has happened the disease becomes endemic and may break out again, but likely on a smaller scale. I should note that the dynamic Plague is a Game Rule, so if you want to restrict the first outbreak to 1300+ it’s still possible.

Is it all doom and gloom in this DLC? Well no, not entirely. As I mentioned previously, Court Physicians will try to treat your illnesses, and you will also be able to build Hospitals, and/or go into Seclusion to attempt to avoid infection - but those are topics for a future DD. Until then, contemplate your mortality.
4.danse macabre.jpg
 
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I like this a lot. If setting the date for Black Death appearance is a slider, would it be possible to add more than just 200 years in and 1300+? Like say I wanted it to dynamically have the chance to appear 200 years earlier, 1100+, but definitely did not want it earlier than that. Could that be a thing?
 
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So, is there anything we can do to manipulate the spread of these epidemics, however small? I'm guessing through the aforementioned hospitals, but are there other means?

Oh, and any rough ballpark on when we can expect the announcement of the yet unannounced DLC? :)
 
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Buboes, phlegm, blood and guts! Boils, bogeys, rot and pus! Blisters, fevers, weeping sores! From your wounds the fester pours!
 
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I hope it is a hidden performance optimalization mechanics as it will kill millions of characters and my lag will die too!!1
 
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I guess that the name of the DLC is Danse Macabre.

I spy some new interface elements, the third icen from the right in particular is intriguing.
 
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I guess that the name of the DLC is Danse Macabre.

I spy some new interface elements, the third icen from the right in particular is intriguing.

If they don't name the DLC this, I will swim over to Stockholm and hit Johan over the head with a feather duster.
 
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Can you get depopulation-type effects from war and pillage as well? The fact that warfare has such a small effect on development always felt like a missing piece in the simulation.

I suppose it's nice that I don't have to wait for 1300. I kinda got over always having to start at the earliest start date though, game just ticks too slow by the time anything interesting starts happening.
 
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I want the Danse Macabre illustration from the bottom of the post as a wallpaper. Make it happen, Paradox, pretty please.
 
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I like this a lot. If setting the date for Black Death appearance is a slider, would it be possible to add more than just 200 years in and 1300+? Like say I wanted it to dynamically have the chance to appear 200 years earlier, 1100+, but definitely did not want it earlier than that. Could that be a thing?

No slider, if you want to adjust the dates more you can mod the disease file though - what you suggest should be possible.

So, is there anything we can do to manipulate the spread of these epidemics, however small? I'm guessing through the aforementioned hospitals, but are there other means?

Oh, and any rough ballpark on when we can expect the announcement of the yet unannounced DLC? :)

Hospitals do help, other than that: Keep your realm poor and hope no traders bearing gifts arrive :D

Not too distant future.

I hope it is a hidden performance optimalization mechanics as it will kill millions of characters and my lag will die too!!1

It is actually a rather nice side effect, yes.

I guess that the name of the DLC is Danse Macabre.

I spy some new interface elements, the third icen from the right in particular is intriguing.

It is not the name, but it was one of the suggestions, so points for that!

Can you get depopulation-type effects from war and pillage as well? The fact that warfare has such a small effect on development always felt like a missing piece in the simulation.

No, but there is something in a future DD which you might enjoy.

I want the Danse Macabre illustration from the bottom of the post as a wallpaper. Make it happen, Paradox, pretty please.

Will see what can be done. We have some really nice art in this DLC.
 
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I smell a late game DLC - the Hundred Years War, cadet branches, extended population mechanics, and maybe gunpowder weapons ?
 
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Very nice!

What does that flag below the character's portrait do?
Does it open a new tab that shows the disease overview? Or is simply an indicator that the disease is present / character is infected?
 
So basically I am paying you to let me die even more in game? Sweeeetttt
Also like the nice new interface elements... would be nice if you could tell us what they mean ;)
 
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Any chance there may be some interplay between depopulation and culture conversion rates?
 
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