CK3 Orthodox/Slavic mod discussion/recruitment(?)

[sreckom92]

"You silly cat! You want to make a mod for a game that is not even released yet."

Yes, yes, I'm well aware the game is still under development. That doesn't mean we can't have a friendly chat about all the cool stuff we could add via mods to the game. Again, you might say, we still don't know the full list of content and features. On the other hand, as thread title says, we are talking about Orthodox/Slavic part of the game. So, yeah...

I am actually in the process of making this kind of a mod for CK3. Admittedly, I'm only writing down ideas and event text, but you gotta start somewhere.
At this point, I have written text for some 80 events. And I plan on writing MUCH more.

What do I have in plans for this mod?
I am aiming to create a fun experience for Bulgarian and Serbian characters. These are the core cultures for now. Hopefully, if mod development goes well, I'd like to cover every Orthodox/Slavic part of the map.

Okay, but what are the actual features of the mod?
EDIT: Better say: What I would like this mod to have one day.

- Send your children to Constantinople for education. There are risks involved with this decision, and losing money and prestige would be the least of your concerns. Your child and possibly heir could change culture, become a monk or simply give into many vices of the Imperial Capital. Of course, unless you play smart and not completely ignore your children. Rewards could be great, however. Beside increased stats, your child could forge important diplomatic relations and gain insight on byzantine architecture, statesmanship, theology and warfare. Risks and rewards are based on parent involvement, child intelligence and simply RNG.

-Saint protectors and Slavas. You can choose a saint protector for your character, which would give you different modifiers and flavour events. As a Serbian character, you can celebrate Slava, a unique feast. Every saint protector has a Slava dedicated to it, each with unique flavour.

-Literary Schools. Construct a great Literary School in your realm. Benefit from various bonuses, invite scholars and theologians and send your children for tutoring.

-Monasteries. Build a great monastery. Choose from several different styles of architecture, ranging from local to Byzantine and Latin. Abdicate from rule and retire to a monastery.

-Deal with remnant paganism. There are various shrines dedicated to pagan gods scattered across your realm. People are still clinging to old beliefs in some form. Eradicate paganism, adapt it to your religion or simply embrace it.

-Create Code of Law. Choose from a variety of options on how to deal with peasants and nobles. Modify Code of Law with every ruler at great cost of prestige.

-Events. Lots of them. No kinky ones.
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It may sound overly ambitious. I may not implement all of this in the mod. At the very least, I just want some uniqueness to Orthodox/Slavic realms.

What is the point of this thread?
I simply wish to hear thoughts and suggestions from the forum. Or just a simple discussion about the topic...
Yes, I mentioned recruitment in the thread title, but I do not want to commit people to a project which is very much in it's infancy. When the game is released, and the mod is on stable feet, then we will talk. However, I will very much appreciate any advice you may give. Book suggestions on this topic would be nice. Especially books on medieval Bulgaria, preferably in English. Thanks in advance.

I'll leave you with the picture of this fine gentleman.

 

[FondMemberofSociety]

Is pic below that of Simeon I?
Also, I believe your idea of "send to Constantinople" is a good way to circumvent a feudal Byzantine Empire that breaks immersion. It is not feudal in 867 nor 1066, and some day, it should also be the case in game.
I'm not averse to a feudal Palaiologos start though, it is imho already similar enough to use the same mechanics.

 

[sreckom92]

Is pic below that of Simeon I?

Yes!

Also, I believe your idea of "send to Constantinople" is a good way to circumvent a feudal Byzantine Empire that breaks immersion. It is not feudal in 867 nor 1066, and some day, it should also be the case in game.
I'm not averse to a feudal Palaiologos start though, it is imho already similar enough to use the same mechanics.

Yeah, feudal ERE is bad. Looking at CK2, ERE was a project throughout the development of the game. Hopefully we'll see an imperial bureaucracy in the game at some point, and not only for ERE.

 

[Ezumiyr]

That doesn't mean we can't have a friendly chat about all the cool stuff we could add via mods to the game.

Of course not, but that doesn't prevent us to be aware that such discussions have never ended with those projects being actually done in the past.
There are always a lot of discussions about super cool mods that could be done for a game before it's released. I've never seen one of those discussions being translated into an actual mod.

And I'm seeing the usual symptoms here. A few key ideas without real gameplay basis, things like "a lot of XXX" without realizing how much work would be needed...

My advice: if you really want to talk about those topics, just start a thread to talk about it and say how cool you think it would be to have them in the game, and ask how people thing they could work in the game. Don't plan to make a mod, because it's the best way to be over ambitious and start a race for always even more ambitious ideas.

Once we have the game, we'll have a better idea of both what can be not too difficult to mod in, and what areas of the game would need to be expanded on. Maybe the features you're mentionning are just boring, and maybe there are others that would matter more for the feeling of immersion of your mod. Hard to know for now. I'll take an example:

"Monasteries. Build a great monastery. Choose from several different styles of architecture, ranging from local to Byzantine and Latin. Abdicate from rule and retire to a monastery. "
- maybe buildings simply don't have much to offer or there are simply buildings that are much better to build, so you would need to think about what they would be used for
- how would different styles of architecture be translated into the game?
- is abdication even going to be a feature the player or the AI wants to use?
- could the importance of the monks be translated in another feature that could work better? Do we really need monasteries depicted that way on the map?
And while I have some ideas about the answers to some of those questions (no way different types or architecture are going to mean anything in the game), in general it will simply be impossible to answer with precision. Even if I know that there are some people on these forums who are quite convinced that they already know how everything in the game will be and feel like.

 

[sreckom92]

Of course not, but that doesn't prevent us to be aware that such discussions have never ended with those projects being actually done in the past.
There are always a lot of discussions about super cool mods that could be done for a game before it's released. I've never seen one of those discussions being translated into an actual mod.

And I'm seeing the usual symptoms here. A few key ideas without real gameplay basis, things like "a lot of XXX" without realizing how much work would be needed...

My advice: if you really want to talk about those topics, just start a thread to talk about it and say how cool you think it would be to have them in the game, and ask how people thing they could work in the game. Don't plan to make a mod, because it's the best way to be over ambitious and start a race for always even more ambitious ideas.

Sure thing. I'm well aware of that.
Basically, I wrote about ideas that I would love to implement. And yes, I know I'll probably have to abandon some of those.
On the other hand, most of that stuff is events and flavour. That is what I personally want, as I am certain the game will lack that for these specific cultures.

For the last few days of virus isolation, I had super fun in reading about this time period and writing event text. Sure thing, events need code to actually work, and they need to be balanced and tested. I have experience in that department, as I wrote a lot stuff for personal use in CK2. Sometimes the hardest thing is to find inspiration for the very text. At this moment, inspiration is pretty high.

And here is basically what I plan to have in the mod after the game releases:
-random events
-events triggered by decisions
-traits gained from events

I don't think this is too ambitious.
Of course, all the things I mentioned in the OP are quite a tall order. Might as well be hired by Paradox if I accomplished all of this, as the mod would be of full expansion-size. Yeah...not going to happen.

Once we have the game, we'll have a better idea of both what can be not too difficult to mod in, and what areas of the game would need to be expanded on. Maybe the features you're mentionning are just boring, and maybe there are others that would matter more for the feeling of immersion of your mod. Hard to know for now. I'll take an example:

Honestly, this is what I wanted to have in CK2, and felt it was sorely missing. More ways to develop your character, and not only just stat buffing. Events which are not simply repetitive and one-dimensional.

maybe buildings simply don't have much to offer or there are simply buildings that are much better to build, so you would need to think about what they would be used for
- how would different styles of architecture be translated into the game?
- is abdication even going to be a feature the player or the AI wants to use?
- could the importance of the monks be translated in another feature that could work better? Do we really need monasteries depicted that way on the map?
And while I have some ideas about the answers to some of those questions (no way different types or architecture are going to mean anything in the game), in general it will simply be impossible to answer with precision. Even if I know that there are some people on these forums who are quite convinced that they already know how everything in the game will be and feel like.

Alright, I see your point. While I certainly have an idea how would this work, it may simply be too much work for too little gain.

In any case, your words do carry a lot of wisdom. So thank you very much for that.
I do feel confident in pulling off at least basic things that came to my imagination. I played and experimented with CK2 from the very release in 2012. My interest in CK3 will not be a simple passing fancy.

 

[Leivve]

Yeah, feudal ERE is bad. Looking at CK2, ERE was a project throughout the development of the game. Hopefully we'll see an imperial bureaucracy in the game at some point, and not only for ERE.

Why do people keep saying this? They HAVE said they intend to give the Byzantine Empire their own unique government system, but that will be made after release, as right now they are working on the systems that apply to core experience of the game, and directly and indirectly also affects how the Byzantines would play when their time comes. They're not wasting pre-release resources making a single snowflake nation work different when there are more pressing things to work on.

 

[sreckom92]

Why do people keep saying this? They HAVE said they intend to give the Byzantine Empire their own unique government system, but that will be made after release, as right now they are working on the systems that apply to core experience of the game, and directly and indirectly also affects how the Byzantines would play when their time comes. They're not wasting pre-release resources making a single snowflake nation work different when there are more pressing things to work on.

Personally, I haven't heard that quote. I mean, awesome if true.
Yeah, I agree they shouldn't waste resources on a single realm.

 

[Leivve]

Personally, I haven't heard that quote. I mean, awesome if true.
Yeah, I agree they shouldn't waste resources on a single realm.

Byzantines they named specifically, but they have also said they want to bring Merchant Republics, Hoards, and everything else that didn't make the priority cut for release. Part of doing CK3 is that they can future proof the base systems, since they know X thing will be included in the game. Rather then just bolting them on the side like they had to with Merchant republics and hoards.

 

[FondMemberofSociety]

They're not wasting pre-release resources making a single snowflake nation work different when there are more pressing things to work on.

As the state/nation/whatever that triggered the Crusades, I'd say that this particular snowflake deserves a little more special attention.

Seriously, though. I want Alexios or any Byzantine Empire within the appropriate timeframe to be able to mail the pope, and tell him to get that crusade rolling. The pope deciding that the act is necessary by himself always seemed off to me.

 

[Leivve]

As the state/nation/whatever that triggered the Crusades, I'd say that this particular snowflake deserves a little more special attention.

Seriously, though. I want Alexios or any Byzantine Empire within the appropriate timeframe to be able to mail the pope, and tell him to get that crusade rolling. The pope deciding that the act is necessary by himself always seemed off to me.

Byzantium being important to the start of the crusades is debatable, as the pope had many alterior motives to call the first crusade.

You also are conveniently ignoring the point that they plan to come back to Byzantium, and Byzantium isn't a core mechanic by which the rest of the game will be built upon.