The Republic has been out for a few weeks now and we're happy to say the response has been overwhelmingly positive. As you know, the announcement for the next expansion is imminent, so I thought I'd round off the Republic cycle with a short "post mortem" discussion (though I would prefer calling it "post natal").
Way back when we made the original Crusader Kings, we considered making republics playable somehow, but there was neither time nor a design that would fit the rest of the game. Come Crusader Kings II, we were, again, more concerned with core gameplay and revitalizing the original game, so playable republics remained a gleam in the designers' eyes. However, when we sat down to plan the future expansions, the republics were one of the obvious choices (together with Islam, the Byzantine Empire, etc.)
Initially, we discussed completely waiving the importance of your dynasty, allowing you to play a succession of Doges regardless of their origins. This would entail gameplay more along the lines of Europa Universalis, where you play a country. The main concern with this approach was that it would eliminate one of the most fun and unique aspects of CKII; the building of a Dynasty. Thus, we decided on the "five families" concept and the virtual "Family Palace" holding. I am very pleased with this design choice since it preserves the dynasty based gameplay while still providing something new and different.
The other main innovation in The Republic is of course the Trade Post system. The basic idea has percolated around the office for a long time, and something similar but more advanced was proposed for Europa Universalis IV (though ultimately rejected.) Initially, we considered having a few different trade goods and allowing trade posts in all counties (and not just along the coast), but this was too ambitious given our allotted time. Also, while it would suit the Hansa and a potential republic of Novgorod, it was not very fitting for the great Italian city states. The end result turned out better, I believe. It's simple and it fits the era.
Another feature we agonized over was naval combat. This is a huge deal, and we've basically argued the matter to death. There were some significant naval battles in the rough period, but the only engagements of strategic importance during the entire era seems to have been the Battle of Meloria between Genoa and Pisa and the Battle of Sluys. On the other hand, many efforts to intercept raids and invasions failed miserably. Thus, naval combat in CKII, if ever added, would not be an all or nothing affair, but more akin to skirmishes with very limited casualties. It would still require a great deal of work to implement. End verdict: not worth it.
That's about it this time. I hope you are enjoying the expansion, and stay tuned for information on the next one.
PS
A huge thanks to our beta testers who helped find the bugs, balance the game and research the genealogies of all the obscure Patrician families!
Way back when we made the original Crusader Kings, we considered making republics playable somehow, but there was neither time nor a design that would fit the rest of the game. Come Crusader Kings II, we were, again, more concerned with core gameplay and revitalizing the original game, so playable republics remained a gleam in the designers' eyes. However, when we sat down to plan the future expansions, the republics were one of the obvious choices (together with Islam, the Byzantine Empire, etc.)
Initially, we discussed completely waiving the importance of your dynasty, allowing you to play a succession of Doges regardless of their origins. This would entail gameplay more along the lines of Europa Universalis, where you play a country. The main concern with this approach was that it would eliminate one of the most fun and unique aspects of CKII; the building of a Dynasty. Thus, we decided on the "five families" concept and the virtual "Family Palace" holding. I am very pleased with this design choice since it preserves the dynasty based gameplay while still providing something new and different.
The other main innovation in The Republic is of course the Trade Post system. The basic idea has percolated around the office for a long time, and something similar but more advanced was proposed for Europa Universalis IV (though ultimately rejected.) Initially, we considered having a few different trade goods and allowing trade posts in all counties (and not just along the coast), but this was too ambitious given our allotted time. Also, while it would suit the Hansa and a potential republic of Novgorod, it was not very fitting for the great Italian city states. The end result turned out better, I believe. It's simple and it fits the era.
Another feature we agonized over was naval combat. This is a huge deal, and we've basically argued the matter to death. There were some significant naval battles in the rough period, but the only engagements of strategic importance during the entire era seems to have been the Battle of Meloria between Genoa and Pisa and the Battle of Sluys. On the other hand, many efforts to intercept raids and invasions failed miserably. Thus, naval combat in CKII, if ever added, would not be an all or nothing affair, but more akin to skirmishes with very limited casualties. It would still require a great deal of work to implement. End verdict: not worth it.
That's about it this time. I hope you are enjoying the expansion, and stay tuned for information on the next one.
PS
A huge thanks to our beta testers who helped find the bugs, balance the game and research the genealogies of all the obscure Patrician families!
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