Introduction
Welcome to the family
Crusader Kings 2 is many things - a historical strategy game, a storytelling device, a medieval simulator. Yet at its heart one of the main things that makes this game stand out from the pack is its role playing element as a dynasty simulator. You aren't just guiding an impersonal nation to victory, you are controlling the fates of your family as you go to war, scheme, and build empires.
Family is very much at the heart of both CK2 and medieval noble life - alliances were sealed by marriages, kings were often brothers or cousins, and whole wars were fought between rival families for control of the throne. The most famous example of this would be the War of the Roses at the end of the medieval period, where the Lancaster and York families fought for generations to control England. Yet despite all this, the opportunities for familial interactions are strangely limited in the game. Their are some minor features such as education of children and opinion boosts, but it never really feels as if there are competing dynasties within kingdoms - just competing individuals. This DLC proposal seeks to improve upon this area, to truly make CK2 a game where blood is thicker than water.
Major Features
Why dynastic factions?
When I first heard that factions were being introduced way back when Legacy of Rome came out, I was excited. I envisaged massive dynastic feuds, wars, and plots as different families within the realm allied and fought with each other. Needless to say, that is not exactly what we got. This system seeks to remedy that.
How dynastic factions are composed
The basis for this system is simple. Within a realm, any dynasty that has at least one landed family member of count level or higher will automatically have their own dynasty faction. All other members of that dynasty within the same realm are automatically a part of that faction. The faction has a head, who is the head of the dynasty. This will be calculated based off of a points system - titles will be the most important way of determining who inherits this position, but other factors such as age and prestige will also help tip the balance should there be two equally qualified candidates. This guy (or girl!) is very important - it is he who sets the focus and ambitions of his dynasty, which has the power to shape whole nations.
Dynastic ambitions
The dynasty head can choose to set an ambition for his dynasty in much the same way that personal ambitions can be set. The available ambitions that a dynasty head can select will be based off a mixture of his/her personal traits, his/her relationship with the current ruler, and dynastic history (titles held, wars fought etc) Amongst other ambitions, a dynasty can aim to:
Any dynastic member who manages to complete this ambition will win a lot of prestige and an opinion boost with the dynastic head, who will also receive a prestige boost. Once ambitions have been set, they cannot be changed until a new dynasty head is appointed when the old one dies, or the ambition has been fulfilled.
Since these replace the factions as they now stand, this means that sometimes different dynasties can be independently working towards the same goal - both may want to declare independence or destroy the same faction. If so, event chains can be triggered that if handled correctly can lead to opportunities for your houses to work together to achieve your ambitions.
Dynastic feuds
Dynasties can sometimes enter into generations-long feuds with other families whilst competing for land, favours, and titles. Within the dynasties tab, there will be a screen showing your relationship between different dynasties. Everytime a dynasty takes another dynasties lands, executes/imprisons another dynasties members, or does something else to offend it, you incur a relationship malus. Once this gets to a certain threshold, a number of event chains can be triggered, including dynasty members duelling in the capital, kidnapping each other, and more. You might even find yourself with a pair of star crossed lovers.
A very possible outcome of any of these event chains is a Dynastic Feud. This signals that the two families are now very much opposed to each other, and would like very much to see the end of each others houses. This gives each dynasty automatic CB's on each others lands, can trigger further event chains, and can be a nightmare for a ruler to try to resolve.
Females
Females will of course belong to their own dynasty up until the point at which they are married. At that point they will join their husbands dynasty unless they possess the trait Loyal Daughter in which case they stay tied to their dynasties.
Parental upbringing
Reasoning
A DLC focusing on family could definitely also look at the relationships between parents and their children. I am well aware that Game of Thrones is not the same as the medieval world, but it is a great franchise for demonstrating how dynasties operated. One thing that strikes me whenever I read the books or watch the show is how parents have been instrumental in shaping their children - whether that is Ned's sense of honour rubbing off on Robb, Roose Bolton's cruelty influencing Ramsey, or Tyrion's position as a black sheep causing him to reject the cruelty of Tywin Lannister. These familial influences are just as evident in our day to day lives today, but they are weak at best within CK2.
Mechanism
This one is quite easy to model. Event triggers can be based off of the personalities and foci of parents - a cruel parent might take his/her child down to the torture chambers to watch whilst a kind parent might take his/her child out to give alms to the poor. A parent with the hunting focus might bring their child along whilst a parent with the intrigue focus might have a child see something they really shouldn't have. All of these can trigger events, causing children and their parents to develop deep bonds or distrust of one another whilst shaping the childs personality.
New event chains
Examples
We've already encountered some causes for event chains in parent-child interactions and dynastic feuds. I see this DLC as an opportunity to really enhance the game's role playing side, and so would propose many more triggers and stories such as;
Mechanism
Cadet branches has been discussed on this forum for years, and many suggestions have been put forward as to how they could be implemented. For those of you who aren't familiar with the concept, cadet branches are junior branches of their dynasty who have split off to form their own. They were very important in medieval times - noteable cadet branches include Capets, Bourbons, and Yorks.
In this DLC, I propose that the formation of a cadet branch be a decision available to landed members of a dynasty who meet the following criteria;
New traits
Examples
Of course this is only a theoretical DLC but I would love to hear your thoughts on this - what you think would work, what you disagree with, any additional mechanisms, traits, or event chains that you think could be included. Ultimately family was incredibly important in medieval life and whilst CK2 shows this better than most strategy games, there is still scope for improvement. I hope that these ideas might spark a discussion towards building on what is already my favourite strategy game. Thanks for reading!
Welcome to the family
Crusader Kings 2 is many things - a historical strategy game, a storytelling device, a medieval simulator. Yet at its heart one of the main things that makes this game stand out from the pack is its role playing element as a dynasty simulator. You aren't just guiding an impersonal nation to victory, you are controlling the fates of your family as you go to war, scheme, and build empires.
Family is very much at the heart of both CK2 and medieval noble life - alliances were sealed by marriages, kings were often brothers or cousins, and whole wars were fought between rival families for control of the throne. The most famous example of this would be the War of the Roses at the end of the medieval period, where the Lancaster and York families fought for generations to control England. Yet despite all this, the opportunities for familial interactions are strangely limited in the game. Their are some minor features such as education of children and opinion boosts, but it never really feels as if there are competing dynasties within kingdoms - just competing individuals. This DLC proposal seeks to improve upon this area, to truly make CK2 a game where blood is thicker than water.
Major Features
- Introduces a Dynasty Faction system that replaces the current faction system
- Parental upbringing now also has an influence on the traits of their children alongside education
- Many new event chains to cover personality clashes within families, aspirations to be the head of the dynasty, and more
- Cadet branches finally implemented
- New traits to cover family relations such as Black Sheep, Loyal Daughter, and Matriarch
Why dynastic factions?
When I first heard that factions were being introduced way back when Legacy of Rome came out, I was excited. I envisaged massive dynastic feuds, wars, and plots as different families within the realm allied and fought with each other. Needless to say, that is not exactly what we got. This system seeks to remedy that.
How dynastic factions are composed
The basis for this system is simple. Within a realm, any dynasty that has at least one landed family member of count level or higher will automatically have their own dynasty faction. All other members of that dynasty within the same realm are automatically a part of that faction. The faction has a head, who is the head of the dynasty. This will be calculated based off of a points system - titles will be the most important way of determining who inherits this position, but other factors such as age and prestige will also help tip the balance should there be two equally qualified candidates. This guy (or girl!) is very important - it is he who sets the focus and ambitions of his dynasty, which has the power to shape whole nations.
Dynastic ambitions
The dynasty head can choose to set an ambition for his dynasty in much the same way that personal ambitions can be set. The available ambitions that a dynasty head can select will be based off a mixture of his/her personal traits, his/her relationship with the current ruler, and dynastic history (titles held, wars fought etc) Amongst other ambitions, a dynasty can aim to:
- Seize the throne (Dynasty head must be ambitious, must not be friends with or have a 70+ relationship with the current ruler)
- Gain representation on the council (Dynasty must currently not have a member sitting on the council)
- Support the ruler (Dynasty head is friends with or has a +70 relationship with the current ruler)
- Claim back ancestral realm (Dynasty has previously owned an Empire/Kingdom title that is now owned by another dynasty)
- Win back ancestral lands (Dynasty has previously owned a county/duke title that is now owned by another dynasty)
- Marry into royalty
- Gain new land for unlanded dynasty members (Dynasty currently has at least 30% of its male members unlanded/not in line to inherit a title)
- Gain independence (Dynasty was previously independent within the past 100 years and has since been subjugated by another dynasty)
- Destroy another dynasty (Dynasty has entered into a dynastic feud with another dynasty)
- Control the papacy (Must have a dynasty member who is currently in the College of Cardinals)
- Convert the realm (Dynasty head is of a different religion to that of his liege, Dynasty head is zealous)
Any dynastic member who manages to complete this ambition will win a lot of prestige and an opinion boost with the dynastic head, who will also receive a prestige boost. Once ambitions have been set, they cannot be changed until a new dynasty head is appointed when the old one dies, or the ambition has been fulfilled.
Since these replace the factions as they now stand, this means that sometimes different dynasties can be independently working towards the same goal - both may want to declare independence or destroy the same faction. If so, event chains can be triggered that if handled correctly can lead to opportunities for your houses to work together to achieve your ambitions.
Dynastic feuds
Dynasties can sometimes enter into generations-long feuds with other families whilst competing for land, favours, and titles. Within the dynasties tab, there will be a screen showing your relationship between different dynasties. Everytime a dynasty takes another dynasties lands, executes/imprisons another dynasties members, or does something else to offend it, you incur a relationship malus. Once this gets to a certain threshold, a number of event chains can be triggered, including dynasty members duelling in the capital, kidnapping each other, and more. You might even find yourself with a pair of star crossed lovers.
A very possible outcome of any of these event chains is a Dynastic Feud. This signals that the two families are now very much opposed to each other, and would like very much to see the end of each others houses. This gives each dynasty automatic CB's on each others lands, can trigger further event chains, and can be a nightmare for a ruler to try to resolve.
Females
Females will of course belong to their own dynasty up until the point at which they are married. At that point they will join their husbands dynasty unless they possess the trait Loyal Daughter in which case they stay tied to their dynasties.
Parental upbringing
Reasoning
A DLC focusing on family could definitely also look at the relationships between parents and their children. I am well aware that Game of Thrones is not the same as the medieval world, but it is a great franchise for demonstrating how dynasties operated. One thing that strikes me whenever I read the books or watch the show is how parents have been instrumental in shaping their children - whether that is Ned's sense of honour rubbing off on Robb, Roose Bolton's cruelty influencing Ramsey, or Tyrion's position as a black sheep causing him to reject the cruelty of Tywin Lannister. These familial influences are just as evident in our day to day lives today, but they are weak at best within CK2.
Mechanism
This one is quite easy to model. Event triggers can be based off of the personalities and foci of parents - a cruel parent might take his/her child down to the torture chambers to watch whilst a kind parent might take his/her child out to give alms to the poor. A parent with the hunting focus might bring their child along whilst a parent with the intrigue focus might have a child see something they really shouldn't have. All of these can trigger events, causing children and their parents to develop deep bonds or distrust of one another whilst shaping the childs personality.
New event chains
Examples
We've already encountered some causes for event chains in parent-child interactions and dynastic feuds. I see this DLC as an opportunity to really enhance the game's role playing side, and so would propose many more triggers and stories such as;
- Sibling relationships - events can be set off such as a rivalry over a love interest or a falling out whilst practicing swordplay that can either lead to great sibling rivalry or strong friendships
- Aspirations to be dynastic head - of course not everyone will be happy with the current head of the dynasty. A new personal ambition to replace the head of the dynasty can set off numerous event chains that can see family members attempt to gain power through diplomacy, intrigue, or personal combat. Of course, the risks of doing this are extremely high...
- Incest - no CK2 game is complete without it. New storylines involving secrecy, bastards, and arranged hunting accidents. Of course, get discovered and it could even trigger a war.
- Vassal dynasty relations - as a ruler, you will gain new ambitions such as to stop a dynastic feud between warring vassals, gain loyalty with vassals dynasties by favouring them, and more.
- Cadet branches...
Mechanism
Cadet branches has been discussed on this forum for years, and many suggestions have been put forward as to how they could be implemented. For those of you who aren't familiar with the concept, cadet branches are junior branches of their dynasty who have split off to form their own. They were very important in medieval times - noteable cadet branches include Capets, Bourbons, and Yorks.
In this DLC, I propose that the formation of a cadet branch be a decision available to landed members of a dynasty who meet the following criteria;
- Must not be vassal to the dynasty head unless the dynasty head is also ruler of the realm
- Must be at least a count
- Must not be the heir to the dynasty head's lands, or one removed from the heir
- Must have a certain amount of prestige
- Must not have the trait 'Content' or 'Humble'
New traits
Examples
- Black Sheep - Gained after an event chain triggered by a child having personality traits remarkably different to that of the parents. - 50 opinion of parents and vice versa
- Loyal Daughter - Gained after an event chain triggered by a daughter bonding with her father. It means that a daughter will remain within her dynasty even after marriage unless she has a child of another dynasty that becomes landed
- Matriarch - Gained by a woman in a dynasty who is not the dynasty head but possesses more prestige than the head. Triggers certain event chains.
- Favourite child - Gained when one child has a much higher relationship with the father/mother than the other children. Can trigger event chains and gives a permanent opinion boost
- Disappointment - Gained if a child gains the lowest possible eduaction trait and the parent has a negative opinion rating of the child. Can trigger event chains and gives a permanent opinion malus
- Invested parent - Can be gained upon a parent having a child (increased liklihood with the Kind, Diligent, Charitable traits or the Family focus). Increased liklihood of parent- child interaction events
- Absent parent - Can be gained upon a parent having a child (increased liklihood with the Cruel, Slothful, Greedy, Depressed or Stressed traits). Decreased liklihood of parent- child interaction events
- Orphan - Gained if both parents die before the age of 12. Can set off certain events that can cause a child to become depressed or turn to vigilantism to fight injustice
- Invested grandparent - Sometimes gained by a character who is already an invested parent when they become a grandparent. Allows for child-grandparent interactions
- And many more!
Of course this is only a theoretical DLC but I would love to hear your thoughts on this - what you think would work, what you disagree with, any additional mechanisms, traits, or event chains that you think could be included. Ultimately family was incredibly important in medieval life and whilst CK2 shows this better than most strategy games, there is still scope for improvement. I hope that these ideas might spark a discussion towards building on what is already my favourite strategy game. Thanks for reading!
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