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Greetings!
What’s the most symbolic image of a medieval ruler you can think of? Maybe they’re riding a horse through a village, maybe they’re perched at the top of a tower overlooking their realm, or maybe they’re leading troops in battle… those are good, but there’s one thing that is depicted more than anything else, something quintessentially medieval, something that truly evokes the feeling of the era -
a ruler on a throne, surrounded by courtiers, vassals, and petitioners.
This is something brand new to the Crusader Kings series, an area we’ve wanted to improve upon for a long time. We have your ruler in the interface, we have your realm on the map - but what really connects them? Now you’ll be able to see your monarch, on their throne, actually ruling!
Kings & Emperors will gain access to the Royal Court, a throne room where their loyal subjects can gather, where glorious artifacts can be put on display, and where the ruler can Hold Court in order to deal with the troubles and wishes of the realm. Similarly to medieval rulers of old, you can aspire to have the Grandest court in the world, or perhaps simply live up to the expectations put on you by your peers - no one respects a stingy monarch!
With the Royal Court, we want to immerse you in the life of a medieval ruler by letting you take the reins and experience rulership first-hand. You’ll not only see your ruler occupy the same space as your family and subjects, but you’ll have the opportunity to engage with many new and exciting systems - sponsor projects, spend gold on lavish amenities, solve strife between squabbling courtiers, appoint jesters, and much more! How will you rule
your realm?
And what is a ruler without subjects, their people? After all, it's they who pay the taxes! Much like with faiths, cultures will be made more interesting and malleable - all in line with our vision of
Player Freedom and Progression.
Different cultures will have different traditions, different opinions of each other, and even shift and change with time. No longer will cultures be static and similar - we want to give you, the player, the freedom and possibility to shape your own culture and guide its progress in a variety of exciting ways. Of course, culture will change at a slower pace than Faiths do - it’ll be gradual over time, tradition by tradition. Though sometimes larger shifts can occur due to isolation, or as the result of two different cultures intermingling.
Grow the acceptance between cultures in your realm, diverge your culture to adopt a new Ethos, or create a Hybrid between two cultures in your realm - adopting the language, traditions and aesthetic choices you find the most compelling. There are many possibilities to explore, and no two games will ever look the same again!
All of this is a big undertaking, as it breaks new ground for the game in more than one way! It’s going to take a little bit longer, but as we get closer to launch we’ll start sharing many more details - both on what’s been mentioned here as well as other things coming in the expansion. We hope you’re excited to join us on this journey!
You can expect the expansion to release later this year.
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