Imperator - Development Diary - 24th of June 2019

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Hello everyone and welcome to another Imperator Development Diary. Today we are in a bit of a “filler” development diary mode, as we have already told you all about the Pompey update, and you can already try it as a beta. Our goal is to have the patch finalised this week though..

So let’s take a look at the most popular nations to play in the last 2 weeks.

  1. Rome 19.85%
  2. Sparta 4.92%
  3. Egypt 4.17%
  4. Macedon 4.16%
  5. Carthage 2.85%
  6. Epirus 2.46%
  7. Seleucids 1.92%
  8. Ulutia 1.60%
  9. Phrygia 1.53%
  10. Judea 1.43%
  11. Athens 1.32%
  12. Byzantion 1.29%
  13. Brigantes 1.23%
  14. Syracuse 1.14%
  15. Knossos 0.94%
  16. Massilia 0.90%
  17. Bosporan 0.87%
  18. Maurya 0.81%
  19. Armenia 0.80%
  20. Caledonia 0.79%

It is clear that Rome is the most popular nation by far, even before adding in the new events and co-consuls for the Pompey Update.

We hope to be back with some more interesting diaries next week.
 
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I am glad that Judea is tenth in the list!
It’s a really interesting start, sandwiched between 2 of the Diadochi, you have to bide your time waiting for Phyrgia to implode while keeping Egypt sweet.
 
Hello everyone and welcome to another Imperator Development Diary. Today we are in a bit of a “filler” development diary mode, as we have already told you all about the Pompey update, and you can already try it as a beta. Our goal is to have the patch finalised this week though..

So let’s take a look at the most popular nations to play in the last 2 weeks.

  1. Rome 19.85%
  2. Sparta 4.92%
  3. Egypt 4.17%
  4. Macedon 4.16%
  5. Carthage 2.85%
  6. Epirus 2.46%
  7. Seleucids 1.92%
  8. Ulutia 1.60%
  9. Phrygia 1.53%
  10. Judea 1.43%
  11. Athens 1.32%
  12. Byzantion 1.29%
  13. Brigantes 1.23%
  14. Syracuse 1.14%
  15. Knossos 0.94%
  16. Massilia 0.90%
  17. Bosporan 0.87%
  18. Maurya 0.81%
  19. Armenia 0.80%
  20. Caledonia 0.79%

It is clear that Rome is the most popular nation by far, even before adding in the new events and co-consuls for the Pompey Update.

We hope to be back with some more interesting diaries next week.
Isn't next week July, the holy month of the Swedish calendar?
 
It’s a really interesting start, sandwiched between 2 of the Diadochi, you have to bide your time waiting for Phyrgia to implode while keeping Egypt sweet.

Judea, Tartessos and Syracuse have been the 3 countries I've played lots when wanting to test out how things feel for "smaller" countries.
 
I am glad that Judea is tenth in the list!
It’s a really interesting start, sandwiched between 2 of the Diadochi, you have to bide your time waiting for Phyrgia to implode while keeping Egypt sweet.
Yeah, I tried it once. Was going well, expanded down... Until it didn't go so well and Egypt declared war on me :)
 
Hello everyone and welcome to another Imperator Development Diary. Today we are in a bit of a “filler” development diary mode, as we have already told you all about the Pompey update, and you can already try it as a beta. Our goal is to have the patch finalised this week though..

So let’s take a look at the most popular nations to play in the last 2 weeks.

  1. Rome 19.85%
  2. Sparta 4.92%
  3. Egypt 4.17%
  4. Macedon 4.16%
  5. Carthage 2.85%
  6. Epirus 2.46%
  7. Seleucids 1.92%
  8. Ulutia 1.60%
  9. Phrygia 1.53%
  10. Judea 1.43%
  11. Athens 1.32%
  12. Byzantion 1.29%
  13. Brigantes 1.23%
  14. Syracuse 1.14%
  15. Knossos 0.94%
  16. Massilia 0.90%
  17. Bosporan 0.87%
  18. Maurya 0.81%
  19. Armenia 0.80%
  20. Caledonia 0.79%

It is clear that Rome is the most popular nation by far, even before adding in the new events and co-consuls for the Pompey Update.

We hope to be back with some more interesting diaries next week.
Odd that none of the historical "serious player" Asia Minor principalities are in there: Aeolia (aka Pergamum), Ionia/Ephesus, Bithynia, Heraclea Pontica, Paphlagonia, Pontus, Cappadocia... Or Parnia into Parthia, with its natural transition through up to four government types in the first decade if you want, one of the biggest blasts I've seen in the game!

I'm particularly surprised Thrace/Alchimachids isn't in the list - as perhaps the most challenging of the Diadochi, given the remaining four all place in the top nine. And not so different strategically to the Bosporan Kingdom at number 17...

Perhaps I can boost Thrace's popularity with a hint: easy access to horse archers from day 2 (ie after the first day tick, even in the 1.1 beta patch);)
 
Yeah, I tried it once. Was going well, expanded down... Until it didn't go so well and Egypt declared war on me :)
See what I do is, any events where you get a choice between 2 Citizens or 4 Slaves from Egypt, take the citizens. Switch to a appeasing stance as soon as, and improve opinion with Egypt. And when you start expanding leave Philistine alone. Egypt likes it for some reason.

Before Phyrgia implodes (a month before) cancel tribute, so you don’t get dragged into the rebellion.

For conquest your first target should be Samaria. It’s small and easy to overrun. Then Nabatea, try to take it all of you can. If you do, you get a southern port, and more importantly Camels.

Your military at first should focus on CHEAP. First thing to do is get rid of the Heavy Cavalry, they are far to expensive. Just spam out Light Infantry at first, and as your eco improves, add archers, and when you get them Camelry. With Judea eco at start, you can afford up to 20k of Light Infantry on normal maintenance. That is enough to overrun Samaria. As long as they don’t get pretenders raising an army of their own.

Focus on expanding into Phyrgia lands, or what was Phyrgia land. Lots of pops, lots of potential slaves. Keep doing that, and when you eventually go to war with Egypt, be ready for a long and hard struggle.
 
See what I do is, any events where you get a choice between 2 Citizens or 4 Slaves from Egypt, take the citizens. Switch to a appeasing stance as soon as, and improve opinion with Egypt. And when you start expanding leave Philistine alone. Egypt likes it for some reason.

Before Phyrgia implodes (a month before) cancel tribute, so you don’t get dragged into the rebellion.

For conquest your first target should be Samaria. It’s small and easy to overrun. Then Nabatea, try to take it all of you can. If you do, you get a southern port, and more importantly Camels.

Your military at first should focus on CHEAP. First thing to do is get rid of the Heavy Cavalry, they are far to expensive. Just spam out Light Infantry at first, and as your eco improves, add archers, and when you get them Camelry. With Judea eco at start, you can afford up to 20k of Light Infantry on normal maintenance. That is enough to overrun Samaria. As long as they don’t get pretenders raising an army of their own.

Focus on expanding into Phyrgia lands, or what was Phyrgia land. Lots of pops, lots of potential slaves. Keep doing that, and when you eventually go to war with Egypt, be ready for a long and hard struggle.
Thanks! Gonna try that when the new patch releases.

Overall I'm having lots of fun in the beta. Looking very good :)
 
First one actually! :)

However, I don't really like filler dev diaries...

I prefer a filler DD to 23983409499211 posts asking if there will be a dev diary. Also prefer it to spending the night wondering if I should check to see if there was a dev diary. Plus it's actually interesting to know there will be one next week (generally not much going on at PDS in July).
 
That is what you call a spartan DD.

How Will played countries influence development of the game? Will most played regions get more content?
 
Thanks! Gonna try that when the new patch releases.

Overall I'm having lots of fun in the beta. Looking very good :)
You also want to do everything you can to get your income up. I always trade with Egypt for Gemstones, as they give a +20% to tax income to the province they are in. Use the tax omen as well, and convert the two non-Jewish pops in Judea as well. It’s possible to get your income up to +4 gold a month. Not much, but better than what it was.

Also fill your National ideas, as a theocratic monarchy that brings down omen cost.
 
Ulutia? the only Irish tribe in the game as high as number nine, rather surprising, especially since the more familiar Thrace, Parthia and Pontus aren't in the top 20.
What's the big appeal? only one neighbour and the large amount of tribe free land available for colonisation in the rest of Ireland?
 
Ulutia? the only Irish tribe in the game as high as number nine, rather surprising, especially since the more familiar Thrace, Parthia and Pontus aren't in the top 20.
What's the big appeal? only one neighbour and the large amount of tribe free land available for colonisation in the rest of Ireland?

If I was to make a guess, it is because of a notable amount of Irish players and there only being a single tag in Ireland at the moment.
 
Ulutia? the only Irish tribe in the game as high as number nine, rather surprising, especially since the more familiar Thrace, Parthia and Pontus aren't in the top 20.
What's the big appeal? only one neighbour and the large amount of tribe free land available for colonisation in the rest of Ireland?

Same reason, people call Ireland "newbie Island" in CKII, I assume. It's isolated enough that you can basically ignore the actual map and just pay attention to a tiny amount of tags.

That or because Germans and French people have to pick from tons of identical tags with different names and Irish people don't :)
 
Hello everyone and welcome to another Imperator Development Diary. Today we are in a bit of a “filler” development diary mode, as we have already told you all about the Pompey update, and you can already try it as a beta. Our goal is to have the patch finalised this week though..

So let’s take a look at the most popular nations to play in the last 2 weeks.

  1. Rome 19.85%
  2. Sparta 4.92%
  3. Egypt 4.17%
  4. Macedon 4.16%
  5. Carthage 2.85%
  6. Epirus 2.46%
  7. Seleucids 1.92%
  8. Ulutia 1.60%
  9. Phrygia 1.53%
  10. Judea 1.43%
  11. Athens 1.32%
  12. Byzantion 1.29%
  13. Brigantes 1.23%
  14. Syracuse 1.14%
  15. Knossos 0.94%
  16. Massilia 0.90%
  17. Bosporan 0.87%
  18. Maurya 0.81%
  19. Armenia 0.80%
  20. Caledonia 0.79%

It is clear that Rome is the most popular nation by far, even before adding in the new events and co-consuls for the Pompey Update.

We hope to be back with some more interesting diaries next week.
I am wondering what the devs are gleaning from this finding as a logical conclusion. Are you seeing this as proof that people want to play nations at the top of the list more and so you are going to focus development on them? Or might you perhaps see this as a sign that players don't see enough content in those nations in the lower parts of the list, so you need to put some more love into them to make all nations interesting? I am hoping the conclusion is the second option, so that you don't create a self fulfilling spiral in future development.
 
Please fix the regnal numbers for Macedonia and buildings not changing when culture does. Also Egypt needs to have Male preference succession not whatever they have now.
 
Thanks for this, interesting stuff.

Also, if it isn't out of place here, I have a bit of feedback on 1.1: Just on the matter of the requirements for Rome to undertake the Decision to form a Dictatorship feeling a notch less acheivable. It feels more difficult to pump populist support, since you can only reasonably bank so much stability before using actions that remove it.

Perhaps you have better info on it that me, but here is hoping I am not wrong and that decision sees a little tweak at some point.

Thanks again for all your work, cheers.