Coming back to the game after a year - Which DLC is necessary?

[Baron Badwolf]

Wait until they go on sale on Steam and then grab all the ones you don't have; for a couple of bucks each, they're all worth it. But for now, Conclave is the only one I'd say you absolutely must get - so many added features, and as someone else mentioned, the game is now kind of broken without it.

re: Horse Lords, I put off getting it for a while because I too prefer to play in western or southern Europe. However, I bought it on sale and was pleasantly surprised that it still impacts me. The biggest change from a Christian point of view is the ability to attack anyone at any time and make them your tributary. That's pretty hot. Nothing like, as the Duke of Brittany, forcing the HRE to pay tribute.

 

[Audoucet]

This has been an illuminating thread for me since I happen to be in pretty much the same position as the OP having just came back to the game after an extended absence, although the DLCs that I've missed also include the Sons Of Abraham, is that worth getting?

Also several people here have referred to seduction as being a controversial mechanic in WOL, could anyone elaborate on why this is the case?

Because every NPC with seduction, so well 1/8 of every characters in the game, will randomly seduce everybody and eventually succeed. So your wife WILL cheat on you, get pregnant, and sick with lover's pox.You have an option to investigate if you have doubt, it will cost you money, fail most of the time, and when it succeeds, it won't even give you a justification of imprisonment against the seducer.

You will eventually just ignore your wife's unfaithfulness, close your eyes, and pretend that your children are really yours. Cause it's just the best thing to do.

 

[breadbasket1]

Because every NPC with seduction, so well 1/8 of every characters in the game, will randomly seduce everybody and eventually succeed. So your wife WILL cheat on you, get pregnant, and sick with lover's pox.You have an option to investigate if you have doubt, it will cost you money, fail most of the time, and when it succeeds, it won't even give you a justification of imprisonment against the seducer.

You will eventually just ignore your wife's unfaithfulness, close your eyes, and pretend that your children are really yours. Cause it's just the best thing to do.

Ah okay thanks, that sounds pretty funny actually, but yeah probably not something I'd want to happen

 

[Audoucet]

the problem is, you can get inbred traits, because your empress of Persia, daughter of a Scandinavian King, just got impregnated by her cousin...it happened to me once, I got an inbred from a wife I wasn't related. but to be fair, it's pretty rare.

 

[themunck]

This has been an illuminating thread for me since I happen to be in pretty much the same position as the OP having just came back to the game after an extended absence, although the DLCs that I've missed also include the Sons Of Abraham, is that worth getting?

Also several people here have referred to seduction as being a controversial mechanic in WOL, could anyone elaborate on why this is the case?

Sons of Abraham doesn't contain anything essensial, but I do find the the pilgramages and the catholic option to ask the pope for money to be quite nice. And the Jeanne d'Arc and Antichrist event chains are both awesome.

Seduction was controversial because it meant that any courtier to took it (IE, 10% of ALL characters in the game) would be able to seduce anyone of the opposite gender, leading to a whole host of bastards and such. And if someone tried to seduce your wife, there was no way to stop it, or even knowing it before the bastards started coming.

 

[breadbasket1]

Sons of Abraham doesn't contain anything essensial, but I do find the the pilgramages and the catholic option to ask the pope for money to be quite nice. And the Jeanne d'Arc and Antichrist event chains are both awesome.

Seduction was controversial because it meant that any courtier to took it (IE, 10% of ALL characters in the game) would be able to seduce anyone of the opposite gender, leading to a whole host of bastards and such. And if someone tried to seduce your wife, there was no way to stop it, or even knowing it before the bastards started coming.

Ah thank you for this, I think I vaguely remember hearing someone describe the Antichrist event occurring for them on a podcast and being pretty blown away by how crazy and entertaining it sounded. I think I'll get a few of these when the next sale rolls around.

 

[TheGreatSnoop]

Seduction was controversial because it meant that any courtier to took it (IE, 10% of ALL characters in the game) would be able to seduce anyone of the opposite gender, leading to a whole host of bastards and such. And if someone tried to seduce your wife, there was no way to stop it, or even knowing it before the bastards started coming.

So is it still like that or has it been toned down and made okay?

 

[themunck]

So is it still like that or has it been toned down and made okay?

It has definitely been tuned down now. Seduction is harder, and the AI takes it far less frequently.

 

[Dragatus]

So what goes when you disable the DLC? I don't really mind the new education system/council mechanics, enjoy SR and coalitions but really don't like the new CTAs and especially the loss of crown authority.

If I disabled the DLC would I keep SR/coalitions and get crown authority back? That would sorely tempt me to sacrifice the council/education mechanics. What else would I lose?

You would keep SR and coalitions and the new alliance system, but lose council mechanics. You would also get crown authority and other old laws back.

This has been an illuminating thread for me since I happen to be in pretty much the same position as the OP having just came back to the game after an extended absence, although the DLCs that I've missed also include the Sons Of Abraham, is that worth getting?

If you enjoy playing a Catholic then it is well worth getting. It enables two new Catholic holy orders, the college of cardinals (anyone can play the pope game, not just emperors), asking pope for money, pilgrimages, and several fun event chains. I think it also makes Jews playable.

So is it still like that or has it been toned down and made okay?

It has been toned down. The last patch added a "rejecting seduction" opinion modifier. So now once a seduction attempt fails, all further attempts will automatically fail for a time and the "target" will also reject all other seducers that try their luck during that time.

 

[Emperor Walter]

This has been an illuminating thread for me since I happen to be in pretty much the same position as the OP having just came back to the game after an extended absence, although the DLCs that I've missed also include the Sons Of Abraham, is that worth getting?

Also several people here have referred to seduction as being a controversial mechanic in WOL, could anyone elaborate on why this is the case?

Sons of Abraham I think just makes Jews playable and adds the College of Cardinals. It's nice flavor but I really can't think of anything essential about it.

Seduction is controversial because (a) it can be easily abused (like seducing every female in your court), and (b) at the beginning courtiers tended to spam it so everyone in the court would wind up with the "lover's pox" std.

 

[yezhanquan]

Borrowing money from Jews is a SoA DLC feature, if my memory serves me.

 

[Talq]

Seduction was controversial because it meant that any courtier to took it (IE, 10% of ALL characters in the game)

at the beginning courtiers tended to spam it so everyone in the court would wind up with the "lover's pox" std.

No, courtiers don't spam it - focuses are only available at count+ level & always have been. That said, even one ruler with seduction focus will seduce a lot of people.

 

[yourworstnightm]

None of the DLCs are "necessary."

Especially none of the ones listed by the OP. One could argue that the Old Gods and Legacy of Rome are required for all they add. But all in all the game is perfectly playable without the expansions.

 

[nkibilko]

Every last bit, except maybe early western clothing, because it looks horrendous