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Imperator Dev Diary 2020-14-12: The Longest Diary

Greetings all!

Today, you’ll be taken through a deep dive into the Antigonid mission trees coming in the Heirs of Alexander Content Pack.

Before we get started on that, however, I have a few housekeeping points to mention. Firstly, this will be the last dev diary of the year, as we are now leading up to Christmas vacations. Secondly, this also means that indeed, Marius and Heirs of Alexander will not be coming this year. This is a -very- comprehensive update, and we are going to take the time to get it right.

Yet you came here not for housekeeping, but for content; and content we shall provide.

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Some of you noticed this button in an early version of the UI rework - the time has come to explain more.

Selecting Heirs in Monarchies

No longer will the line of succession be an immutable certainty, altered only by accidental death.

For a hefty cost in resources and perceived legitimacy; you will be able to grant your approval to anyone in your ruler’s direct line of succession. As you might imagine, this may have consequences amongst the other successors…

This minor feature was something we’ve wanted to add for a while, and in the course of doing so, it became apparent that this allowed for the creation of an additional government type; namely, an elective monarchy.

Elective Monarchy

Strictly speaking, there were no traditionally elective successions that we know of during our starting time period (yes, that is a challenge - prove me wrong!), however, the election of Kings was a tradition which exists in many of our core nation’s histories - including Rome.

Monarchy government types will be able to enable Elective Succession with a Law, as with all other succession types.

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This variety of succession law greatly reduces all ordinary contributions to succession value; and instead gives all eligible characters in your nation a ‘vote’ towards the next monarch, chosen from amongst their valid successors.

The factors behind their preference for any given candidate are quite wide, including difference in stats, culture, religion, and quite prominently: age.

You will still be able to anoint a chosen candidate with the Anoint Successor feature, however this will be much less impactful than it is in other succession types.

In practice, elective monarchies can result in an unpredictable succession that yields you a monarch of advanced age - why would this be good?

Well, aside from being pretty fun, and encouraging out-of-the-box thinking in order to manipulate elections, successors in Elective Monarchies do not receive a pretender loyalty malus: they put all of their energy into getting themselves elected, and not stirring up trouble.

Unit Models

We’re not all the way there yet, but here’s a preview of the Scythian Levy:Legion models:

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And the Iberic culture group Levy:Legion models:

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And now it’s over to @Chopmist to take you through the Antigonid mission coming in the Heirs of Alexander DLC, in our latest attempt at creating the longest dev diary known to man.

/Arheo
 
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this will be the last dev diary of the year, as we are now leading up to Christmas vacations.
Enjoy it, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Some questions:

@Arheo

There are many new gate (mountain pass) tiles in the screenshots. If a gate is between 2 tiles, do they still count as adjacent for all purposes (diplomatic range, ability to annex, etc.)?

@Chopmist
Avenging the recent setbacks of his mishap-prone son Demetrius will be a pressing concern, the defeat at Rhodes being particularly galling given Ptolemy’s involvement.
Does it mean AI Rhodes will always build the colossus?

That’s right, you can switch tags to the newborn satrapy of Pergamon, ruled by the Attalids (if they are still around) as subjects of Thrace. If you do, the Antigonids will be taken over by the AI and splinter along the lines of their first option.
I. Why only as Pergamon? It would be interesting to play as Sardis or Phrygia. Please add an option to continue playing as any of them.

II. Can you add a similar choice to switch to the Mamertine Republic from Syracuse?

III. Have you added the currently missing Attalids?

Seleucus going so far as to marry Demetrius’ daughter, though the warm relations quickly faded once it became clear her father had not accepted defeat.
What about the marriage between Thrace and Egypt? will it be implemented via Events?


The Only NEW negative thing to criticize:

It seems @Samitte ‘s proposals (tribes and temple states) will not be implemented?
That’s very unfortunate, they would make Anatolia a much more fun place to play.

EDIT:
I. Will characters now be able to have multiple nicknames?

the Antigonid mission trees coming in the Heirs of Alexander Content Pack
II. We still think this will be a serious mistake. @Slavicist has started a dedicated thread iin this topic.
 
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Does this mean that if you do manage to take Corinth, or if you decide to stay in the east, you'll only have access to one unique mission tree as the Antigonids?
That's what I'm understanding too, it seems like horrible game design to lock most of the content for those with a successful run, and only give it to those who "fail".

Now it should be said that in a way, the mission trees were always more about flavour than about being the most efficient way to play tall or wide, I mostly ignore them unless they directly fit into what I already wanted to be doing in terms of expansion (like things that give free claims or converting pops). I can see how people who like doing missions to begin with wouldn't mind failing their start so they could go for the narratives and unique effects they provide, and other players will just go for more standard optimal plays from the beginning.

So in that sense it's probably not all bad.
 
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@Arheo Does this mean that succession types and who will be made the heir of a monarchy will be more open to modding?
 
Absolutely incredible. This is what I have been waiting for since release. The Antigonid tree is brilliant - you've managed to provide a realistic scenario for Antigonid collapse without being heavy handed (and made a pretty interesting looking campaign of revenge and resurgence in the process - Demetrius is the new Byzantium haha)! Not only that, but we now finally have the possibility of seeing the famous Antigonid Macedon (the REAL Hellenistic Macedon), AND we can play as Pergamum, the great (but often overlooked) rival of Alexandria for pre-eminence among the Greek cities. Wow! This is just brilliant, and the way the Antigonids lands are partitioned, absolutely brilliant. No complaints 10 out of 10, brilliant. Cannot wait.
 
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@Chopmist Aeolis (used to represent the League of Ilion), as the name in brackets implies, was focussed on the Troad, not on Aeolis. I can't see if any new provinces have been added, but its extent seemed to have been from Assos in the very south of the Troad, to Parion in the very north. And everything inbetween, of course.

Aeolis is of course a larger region then what spanned the League of Ilion, and not all of the Troad was considered part of Aeolis, but if the ingame tag is meant to represent the League of Ilion - thats its apparent extent. (Following D. Magie: Roman Rule in Asia Minor) Alternatively, the league of Ilion can become its own tag, with the Aeolian league being seperate and releasable ontop of the League of Ilion, since the only overlap is Assos.

Furthermore, what culture does Pergamon have as it spawns? Aeolian would be preferred, if we look at the Attalid cultural influence on the region (which was definitely not Macedonian).
 
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Will it be possible to take the Antigonids in after their empire collapses when playing as Macedon?
I wish to have Antigonid Macedon, but without the hideous yellow color.
 
I think there should be Historic Mode option button so AI does not pick Alt-History missions. I not want game to get crazy and goofy. I want nation to act historical.

I really love how physical map on Imperator look. The new art is much nice. Greek Leagues not work in game. Members kill each other. Take each other land. No way to bring back dead country usually. No way to get country to leave a League. No internal League mechanic. Not really coordination tools.

Do Antigonus inherit Alexander's army in real life?
 
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Elective Monarchy

Strictly speaking, there were no traditionally elective successions that we know of during our starting time period (yes, that is a challenge - prove me wrong!), however, the election of Kings was a tradition which exists in many of our core nation’s histories - including Rome.

One could quibble. The Classical Aeacids were the hereditary kings of the Molossians, and the king of the Molossians was generally elected king of Epirus. (probably more as a formality and salve to the pride of the two southern Greek tribes) Thereafter follows roughly a century of Aeacid kings (perhaps keeping to this formality, perhaps not) followed by the resumption of an Epirote league, and a Molossian attempt to redominate it. We could represent this as three government-type changes or as something not unlike this elective monarchy.

We do also see foreign leaders elected by leagues (such as Philip V being elected as hegemon of the Cretan League). Is something like that a possibility? Or are potential successors limited to people within the country?

I also think this system would model some of the tyrannies and oligarchies of the Hellenistic age better than the current successor/pretender system or the republic system. A lot of these autocratic institutions had at least a semblance of election.
 
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Surely, this won't be an important thing for most of the players, but unfortunately, I have to say that the panoply of these Iberian units is very historically inaccurate. They use both, fantasy elements that never existed and anachronistic elements that were obsolete in the 3rd century BC.
 
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You know me as critic of the new UI art :)
This time, I really hope the blank white icons for ports, forts, mountain passes are WIP.
Or do you need me to post comparison screenshots of then and now? :)

Otherwise, great work devs! Cant wait to play 2.0 and buy the new DLC!
 
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With the new Alexander CB, is it likely that many of these lands will already be lost during the 4th war - assuming that event chain still fires as it currently does?

It is very possible!

Plutarch notes that Demetrios escaped to Ephesus immediately after Ipsos. If they go West, what is Ionia's relationship to the Antigonids?

The Antigonids will keep their Greek subjects, including Ionia and Aeolia, if they go west.

Does going east only allow for the first mission to be fulfilled? And I assume that if the Antigonid cause does not waver and they manage to defeat all rivals somehow, that there will be other missions available which are hinted at below?

That's right.


The Attalids have been added, along with many other previously missing historical characters.

Furthermore, what culture does Pergamon have as it spawns? Aeolian would be preferred, if we look at the Attalid cultural influence on the region (which was definitely not Macedonian).

Pergamon will be Aeolian!

Will it be possible to take the Antigonids in after their empire collapses when playing as Macedon?
I wish to have Antigonid Macedon, but without the hideous yellow color.

There is a possibility to continue as Macedon with the Antigonids in the civil war event shown, but the Antigonids are also able to choose their colour and flag after forming Macedon through the 2nd tree.
 
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It is very possible!

After Ipsos the victorious Diadochi split up the gained land more or less in a "peace conference" as I would guess. So it makes totally sense, that a certain amount of land is already conquered by the enemies of Antigonos. I just hope that there won't be much border gore, otherwise I like what I see in terms of the war of the Diadochi.

The Attalids have been added, along with many other previously missing historical characters.

Perfect :)

Can the player (as Thrace) decide, if the land of Pergamon is kept or if Pergamon is released as subject? And if Thrace is played by the AI, does it always release Pergamon in every circumstance? (Even if the player doesn't play as the Antigonids/ doesn't choose to continue as Pergamon)
Because in the screenshots the land of Pergamon is owned by Thrace, but in one screenshot Thrace released Pergamon and gave up the affected area.
 
It is very possible!



The Antigonids will keep their Greek subjects, including Ionia and Aeolia, if they go west.



That's right.



The Attalids have been added, along with many other previously missing historical characters.



Pergamon will be Aeolian!



There is a possibility to continue as Macedon with the Antigonids in the civil war event shown, but the Antigonids are also able to choose their colour and flag after forming Macedon through the 2nd tree.

Thanks for answering my questions which came as a hail of arrows!
I should also say that this was good work and I'm really excited to play it. I tried my hand at modding a lot of these events several months ago and I'm glad to see these immersive historical events be added to the official game. (Now I can role-play the fate of Demetrios and still get achievements).
 
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Looks good, looks immersive, you know what else is good immersive 100% certified historical fresh? That's right:

I'M ONCE AGAIN ASKING FOR THE REMOVAL OF PUNIC CULTURE AND RELIGION FROM THE GYMNESIAN ISLANDS.

Please not even funny anymore, Pitiüses (Ibiza, Formentera) islands phoenician settlements no disputes there, Mallorca and Menorca, no such luck pal, Give me Talayotic Culture or give me death!

''The end of the TCMi (Talayotic Culture Minorca) took place with the incorporation of the island to the Roman world, which, according to classical written sources, took place in 123 BC. During this long period which predates the Roman conquest, a series of cultural traits did not changed over time and, consequently, formed part of the same culture'' Source: http://menorcaheritageseminar.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/1_Talayotic-Culture-of-Menorca.pdf

There was some punic influence yeah, but like you can also say that of Italy, the Iberian Peninsula, Grecee, Gaul and i don't see you making them all punic culture, just the places were there was punic settlements should be, and Mallorca and Menorca there were not

I'm not the only one to point this out in here: https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/threads/balearic-islands.1307909/

THERE ARE DOZENS OF US DOZENS

EDIT: Attaching previous post of mine replying to another DD: https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...5th-of-june-2020.1399409/page-4#post-26662539 TO PROVE THAT MY DETERMINATION WILL NOT WANE TILL THE ISSUE IS RESOLVED
 
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So fascinating diary and progressives.

However, as I'm native of the Cilicia, Mopsouestía Port is wrong, definitely. I hope you'll rearrange it settlement's status and remove it's port. Actually, even Ceyhan river doesn't allow the port there! :D
 
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