The upper middle class -- the single most fundamental problem with Crusader Kings.

[TheDarkMaster]

Wouldn't the most basic version of this be the pool of characters one could recruit to their court? A handful of people live in each county, get married, have kids, and can be brought into the local ruler's court for a small fee? If not doing anything, they retire into the local recruit-able pool. These characters don't do anything except have annual death, birth, marriage, and stat update checks. More features could be added later, but at its core this would be what the player would see when interacting with them.

As was said earlier, they'd also be used as local leaders for various things like revolts.

 

[Taevyr]

You have stuff like Flanders which had powerful burghers which even defeated the French in the battle of the golden spurs.

And were promptly slaughtered and forgotten about again the day afterwards. Everyone always forgets that part....

 

[Denkt]

And were promptly slaughtered and forgotten about again the day afterwards. Everyone always forgets that part....

Well similar tactics was used by the English to great effect in hundred year war and people remember that infantry defeated cavalry in that battle which is a quite big deal.

And we also have stuff like battle of hemmingstedt in which a outnumbered militia defeated an army of higher quality by using terrain to great effect.

 

[Woifee]

I think mayors and cities are the way to go with. They just might profit more of local wealth than feudal rulers. So they get lots of cash.

so how about a faction only mayors can join where they can press lower taxation and more autonomy. Or whatever.

 

[Yourss]

Actually, the new religion "builder" would be a very good model for a "society" and/or "culture" builder. Allowing for differences in how different realms are administrated.

 

[icedt729]

The middle class or the the middling sort as they were known did not really start becoming a significant percentage of the population, nor begin to accrue significant political clout until the beginnings of the 15th century. The middle class as we know it today is really the result of the social shake up born out of the aftermath of the black death.

You're confusing two different things here.

The Black Death raised wages and lowered rents *overall* (in Western Europe but not necessarily elsewhere). This did not create a middle class, it improved conditions for the lower class of agricultural laborers and craftsmen at the expense of the upper class of major landlords. And this effect didn't even happen in all of Europe, much less every part of the CK map.

There are about four or five definitions of "middle class" kicking around in this thread, but "tenant farmer" is not one of them.