I really love this game especially since there are so many different ways to gain power. Before LOR I have played only independent rulers but after LOR I started playing as a vassal in the byzantine empire and I liked it: you are relatively safe, there are always wars to fight, you don't have to deal with these wars personally if you don't want to and you can join factions.
However, after some time I noticed that there are not many ways to interact with a liege. he doesn't seem to care much about what you do. Most of your actions only have negative effects, if any effect at all: your liege dislikes you when you create a title, he doesn't like you for supporting a faction, he hates you when you declare war on him. etc
On the positive side there are even less options: you can send gifts and transfer vassalage and you can crush rebels on his land. I would like to see more options that have a direct effect on your standing with your liege (and in turn the liege rewarding you with more land, gold, power etc. thus opening a new way of playing this game by being a loyal vassal).
some suggestions:
army commanders: atm the liege just summons you and your levies. a new option to decide who should lead your levies that were raised by your liege could have an influence on him. e.g. you can lead troops yourself, send your son or a very skilled commander -> liege likes you +5 (after all you are risking valuable lifes for him). or you can send someone useless or no commander at all -> liege dislikes you -5. send a mediocre commander and there is no effect (after all it's your duty to send someone).
warscore of liege's wars: I like to support wars of my liege, sending all my levies, sometimes even buying mercs etc. but if iirc the liege doesn't care at all. sure I gain gold, piety and prestige but shouldn't my liege notice my efforts? e.g. have your percentage of your warscore have an effect. just like with crusades. have him take notice. still if you are a weak count and use all your resources to support his war you won't have much warscore. so maybe a different mechanic would be better. but anyway there should be some reward if you actively support your liege's wars.
law voting: I think atm your liege doesn't care at all if you support his law changes or not.
swearing fealty: has no effect atm.
increase crown authority faction: why is there no faction for that? and the liege should like you for supporting this. I personally want it too. e.g. I need high crown authority to change my succession laws to primogeniture. I am expanding my realm by destroying heathen and I want none of my fellow dukes to backstab me while doing so. could be hard to code the ai to support that (since vassals seem to tend to lower crown authority). but it could be trait based (e.g. content/craven/etc. rulers support higher crown authority)
dynasty opinion: if you serve your liege/the realm well for a long time, you should have a small bonus for that (e.g. loyal servant +10) that could be inherited (e.g. loyal dynasty +5)
supporting faction claims: in my last game I wasn't member of the 'xyz for byzantine emperor' faction but I was asked to join the war after it started and did so. we won the war but the new emperor didn't care that I played an active part in making him emperor. kinda disappointing. I am not sure if he would have even cared if I had been a member of the faction...
anyway these are just a few suggestions. there's much more that could be done. wdyt?
tl:dr:
make sucking up to your liege rewarding = new style of gameplay = better roleplaying
However, after some time I noticed that there are not many ways to interact with a liege. he doesn't seem to care much about what you do. Most of your actions only have negative effects, if any effect at all: your liege dislikes you when you create a title, he doesn't like you for supporting a faction, he hates you when you declare war on him. etc
On the positive side there are even less options: you can send gifts and transfer vassalage and you can crush rebels on his land. I would like to see more options that have a direct effect on your standing with your liege (and in turn the liege rewarding you with more land, gold, power etc. thus opening a new way of playing this game by being a loyal vassal).
some suggestions:
army commanders: atm the liege just summons you and your levies. a new option to decide who should lead your levies that were raised by your liege could have an influence on him. e.g. you can lead troops yourself, send your son or a very skilled commander -> liege likes you +5 (after all you are risking valuable lifes for him). or you can send someone useless or no commander at all -> liege dislikes you -5. send a mediocre commander and there is no effect (after all it's your duty to send someone).
warscore of liege's wars: I like to support wars of my liege, sending all my levies, sometimes even buying mercs etc. but if iirc the liege doesn't care at all. sure I gain gold, piety and prestige but shouldn't my liege notice my efforts? e.g. have your percentage of your warscore have an effect. just like with crusades. have him take notice. still if you are a weak count and use all your resources to support his war you won't have much warscore. so maybe a different mechanic would be better. but anyway there should be some reward if you actively support your liege's wars.
law voting: I think atm your liege doesn't care at all if you support his law changes or not.
swearing fealty: has no effect atm.
increase crown authority faction: why is there no faction for that? and the liege should like you for supporting this. I personally want it too. e.g. I need high crown authority to change my succession laws to primogeniture. I am expanding my realm by destroying heathen and I want none of my fellow dukes to backstab me while doing so. could be hard to code the ai to support that (since vassals seem to tend to lower crown authority). but it could be trait based (e.g. content/craven/etc. rulers support higher crown authority)
dynasty opinion: if you serve your liege/the realm well for a long time, you should have a small bonus for that (e.g. loyal servant +10) that could be inherited (e.g. loyal dynasty +5)
supporting faction claims: in my last game I wasn't member of the 'xyz for byzantine emperor' faction but I was asked to join the war after it started and did so. we won the war but the new emperor didn't care that I played an active part in making him emperor. kinda disappointing. I am not sure if he would have even cared if I had been a member of the faction...
anyway these are just a few suggestions. there's much more that could be done. wdyt?
tl:dr:
make sucking up to your liege rewarding = new style of gameplay = better roleplaying