Dread loss and natural dread

[Xain]

Hi all,

I have this screenshot from today's livestream

We know what "dread" is. But anyone has any idea of what "Dread loss" and "Natural dread" mean in this context (a ruler being kidnapped and put under house arrest)?

 

[Riamus]

This is an assumption, but it would make sense based on the tooltip if natural dread is the immediate dread gained in the event/action. Dread loss percentage would be how much dread they lose over time. On house arrest, they'd lose dread twice as quickly as if they were in the dungeon (I'm assuming dungeon would be the base that this is compared to - i.e. 0% value). I could be wrong, though.

Edited because I changed my view on dread loss after more consideration.

 

[I_am_Nemo]

This is an assumption, but it would make sense based on the tooltip if natural dread is the immediate dread gained in the event/action. Dread loss percentage would be how much dread they lose over time. On house arrest, they'd lose dread twice as quickly as if they were in the dungeon (I'm assuming dungeon would be the base that this is compared to - i.e. 0% value). I could be wrong, though.

Edited because I changed my view on dread loss after more consideration.

I'd think those modifiers would be relative to being free, rather than any other level of imprisonment. Especially since house arrest seems to be the default imprisonment now, rather than the dungeon.

 

[Riamus]

I'd think those modifiers would be relative to being free, rather than any other level of imprisonment. Especially since house arrest seems to be the default imprisonment now, rather than the dungeon.

Except it says dread "loss" and is a +100% value. If relative to being free, I'd expect it to be -X% instead of +X%. But you may be right and the label is just not the best. They may look at it that dread is "negative" so an increase in dread is a "loss", so it means they get +100% more dread while in house arrest than when being free. I don't like that way of wording it, though.

 

[Olden Weiss]

I assume you lose dread slowly over time by simply refraining from dreadful actions, and the modifier we see here doubles the rate (by increasing it by 100%).

Natural Dread, I assume, is based on features. Scarred characters, for instance, are likely to have natural Dread. I assume this dictates the "floor" for the Dread value. No matter how sweet and gentle you are, if you're a hulking giant covered in scars, you're always a little scary.

 

[Asiak]

I believe dread loss, is how much your accumulated dread is being subtracted over time.

So if you killed 5 people for, made up numbers, 50 dread, then that dread is going to be slowly reduced because you are in jail. And the fact that you are in jail negates or brings down any previously accumulated fear of you people had from you killing those people.

Natural dread sounds like dread you accumulate gradually over time probably through traits or perk picks, it's also the same principle. If you are known as a cruel ruler overall, that doesn't matter if you are in prison.


The take away from this I think, is how compromised will a dread or semi-dread based ruler be if captured? Because if most of that person's vassal control relies on dread and that dread is now negated by being locked up, those vassals will not be afraid to rabble anymore.

And comparatively if a well liked ruler who doesn't rely on dread either in part or in full, but relies on opinions and good standing is locked up, conceivably a more benign ruler will have a much less fractured realm as a result of imprisonment.

 

[I_am_Nemo]

Except it says dread "loss" and is a +100% value. If relative to being free, I'd expect it to be -X% instead of +X%. But you may be right and the label is just not the best. They may look at it that dread is "negative" so an increase in dread is a "loss", so it means they get +100% more dread while in house arrest than when being free. I don't like that way of wording it, though.

I assume you lose dread slowly over time by simply refraining from dreadful actions, and the modifier we see here doubles the rate (by increasing it by 100%).

This was my guess as well; you have a natural dread loss (or decay) that is accelerated as a result of being imprisoned.

 

[DreadLindwyrm]

The imprisoned person loses dread at a rate of X/month normally.
Because he's imprisoned he loses it 100% more quickly (meaning he loses it at a rate of 2X / month) because he's locked up and can't do much to hurt anyone.

He also has a natural dread score of -20 (presumably where his dread will settle to over time) again because he's locked up and can't hurt people.

 

[Riamus]

So if you killed 5 people for, made up numbers, 50 dread, then that dread is going to be slowly reduced because you are in jail. And the fact that you are in jail negates or brings down any previously accumulated fear of you people had from you killing those people.

Ah, yeah, that makes sense. I hadn't considered the loss was because you weren't able to intimidate people while locked up.