Expressing extreme frustration with "Chess with Death"

[soulmata]

I don't know that a solution exists out there, but I have to vent about how infuriating the stupid "Chess with Death" event is.

Over the past week I've tried to start a total of 8 games. All of them I've started as a single count, either in Britanny or Ireland. And all 8 - every. single. game. was ended within 14 years due to Chess with Death showing up.

Not only should this be statistically improbable, but it's pretty much evaporated my joy from the game. I like playing with the rules the developers rolled it with - but someone at PDS decided it would be "really fun" and "oh so hilarious" to give you a nearly-unavoidable instadeath with a ridiculously high chance to happen, and happen repeatedly.

8 games in a row - every single one of them ended because I die from Chess with Death, either with no heirs or my heir is a baby. I haven't had a single character make it to 35 years old yet. They all get a supposedly "RARE" "supernatural" event where whoops nope! You can't defend yourself from this garbage, you just get to die ha ha ha ha WHAT A FUN MECHANIC.

Anyway. I'm pretty much venting at this point. The game's lost its charm. Normally I can fight and struggle my way through any nonsense the RNG throws at me. But now after the past 25 or so hours in-game, this apparently now default feature that's oh so fun is going to ruin it no matter what.

 

[Serenity84]

That's extremely bad luck.

In any case you can play the game however you'd like. That's what the rules are there for.

 

[RonBurgundy]

I have 152 hours in right now and I've only experienced it once. I believe you can turn off supernatural events in the starting menu though.

 

[henzington]

I actually finally won a game only to get small pox and removed the bonus just after.

 

[chrnno]

I played two hundred hours or so since it was added and I have yet to get it even once.

 

[Naughtius Maximus]

Is there some religious or trait requirement for this? I have never gotten it but generally play Zunist/Zorastrian in Persia. (as opposed to Germanic/Christian like most players)

 

[Tatterhood]

I think I've only gotten it playing Christians. And it definitely seems overly common for them. I lost three rulers to it in one campaign.

 

[soulmata]

That's the rub, though. I don't want to turn off all supernatural features because just one in particular seems really broken. I /like/ some of the BS the game throws my way. When it's proportional. If this happened 1 in 200 years, that would be fine. At the rate it's happening, I can't believe it's solely RNG. I'm starting a 9th game tonight. How much do you want to bet I'll roll Mr. Death before I'm 35?

In my last game, I died at 35 - my heir took over at age 14. I decided I'd roll with it.

He made it to 23 before Death showed up again. To play "Chess" again. And then he died, forking the kingdom over to his 17 year old brother.

Eight games in a row, then two rulers about 10 years apart.

 

[Rags17]

Sounds like either extremely bad luck or some sort of bug. I actually had it happen to two successive rulers - the first one I invited the traveller home and tried giving up my son, the second time I tried everything opposite and still lost, but to be fair both had lousy Learning stats.

If you reckon that it's a bug then register your copy of the game and post to the Bugs forum

 

[soulmata]

Ninth game. Age 27, started at age 16 as a ruler-designed chief with no attributes or traits. Just a blank slate. Age 27 came around and boom, Chess with Death.

Note: I don't use any mods or any such thing. It's a steam copy of the game, files verified.

 

[Dragatus]

And here I am playing the DLC since September and I have yet to get that event even once.

It's a matter of probability. The event may be very rare but when you have tens of thousands of people playing it becomes likely that someone is going to get it a lot. It's a bit like the lottery. You're highly unlikely to ever win anything, but someone will.

 

[ruzen]

Since Dev's still improving the game rules (in upcoming patch) I think they could make supernatural tab more customizable. I do want to close few of them but have supernatural on.

 

[soulmata]

And here I am playing the DLC since September and I have yet to get that event even once.

It's a matter of probability. The event may be very rare but when you have tens of thousands of people playing it becomes likely that someone is going to get it a lot. It's a bit like the lottery. You're highly unlikely to ever win anything, but someone will.

I don't buy this as being probability only. I think there is some condition the player can somehow trigger(?) that makes this far more likely, that I am unintentionally doing.

 

[soulmata]

Case in point: Game 9, I received Werewolf, Spawn of Satan and Chess with Death, back to back. Died at 27 before anything mattered.

 

[Dragatus]

I don't buy this as being probability only. I think there is some condition the player can somehow trigger(?) that makes this far more likely, that I am unintentionally doing.

I doubt it. The event is triggered on a yearly pulse an this are the conditions:

    min_age = 16
    only_playable = yes
    only_capable = yes
    war = no
    has_dlc = "Reapers"
    ai = no

    trigger = {
        NOT = {
            has_game_rule = {
                name = supernatural_events
                value = off
            }
        }
        OR = {
            religion_group = christian
            any_realm_province = { any_neighbor_province = { owner = { religion_group = christian } } } 
        }
        is_nomadic = no
        NOT = { has_character_flag = chess_with_death }
        immortal = no
    }

    is_triggered_only = yes

    weight_multiplier = {
        days = 1
        modifier = {
            factor = 2
            OR = {
                any_realm_province = { disease = bubonic_plague }
                any_realm_province = { any_neighbor_province = { disease = bubonic_plague } }
            }
        }
        modifier = {
            factor = 1.5
            age = 70
        }
        modifier = {
            factor = 1.4
            NOT = { health = 2 }
        }
        modifier = {
            factor = 1.2
            NOT = { health = 4 }
        }
        modifier = {
            factor = 1.3
            trait = gamer
        }
    }

At least this shows how you can avoid it entirely. If you are at war when a new year begins you won't be eligible to get the event. Or play a nomad, then you won't be able to get it either.

 

[soulmata]

I laughed the fact that turning it off doesn't even turn it off. What a joke of a feature. "Supernatural Events: OFF. Wait, unless you're Christian, then we turn it back on. Haha."

 

[Dragatus]

You're reading that wrong. The condition is that you don't have supernatural events turned off (so they have to be turned on). And you have to fulfill all conditions.

So supernatural event shave to be turned on, you have to either be Christian yourself or have a Christian neighbour, you must not be a nomad, you must still be mortal, and you must not have played chess with death yet.

Then the weight multipliers increase the chance of the event triggering if you're over 70 years old, if you have low health, or if you're a Gamer. All those add up.

 

[soulmata]

OK, makes more sense that way.

 

[Urzhail64]

Having Gamemaster improves your chances of beating Death. I've received it a few times and having the gamemaster trait is a HUGE plus. Genius trait is another that will affect the outcome as well.

 

[Maal]

Something strike me as odd. As per forum time, you started your game after "Yesterday at 23:58" and posted again at "Today at 01:50" that you got both Werewolf, Spawn of Satan and Chess with Death... less than 2 hours to get all 3 of those, considering the odds and all it is absurd... That along it being the 9th game in a row that you died early because of the Chess event? While it is in the realm of probabilities i just can't believe that no external factors are involved (console/mods/rules). I'm not really calling you a liar, it is just too odd for me.