The beauty of CKII's roleplaying is that it allows you, the player, to write your own stories. It's possible to stumble across a lowborn peasant, promote him into your army, reward his conquests with land, and marry him off to your daughter... founding a lineage that will endure for centuries.
However, it's difficult to become form attachments to the majority of the game's faceless courtiers. They're usually ugly, blessed with terrible stats, and accentuated by nonsensical, conflicting traits. While interesting characters do sometimes appear at random, they're like unicorns - few and far between.
This is why, more often than not, I find myself drawn to courtiers created through special events - Jewish councilors; Chinese emissaries; Court Physicians; wise Gurus. They're interesting not just by nature of their stats, but by their identity. They help breathe diversity and life into the game.
So what makes courtiers like these compelling? Three factors, I'd argue:
However, it's difficult to become form attachments to the majority of the game's faceless courtiers. They're usually ugly, blessed with terrible stats, and accentuated by nonsensical, conflicting traits. While interesting characters do sometimes appear at random, they're like unicorns - few and far between.
This is why, more often than not, I find myself drawn to courtiers created through special events - Jewish councilors; Chinese emissaries; Court Physicians; wise Gurus. They're interesting not just by nature of their stats, but by their identity. They help breathe diversity and life into the game.
So what makes courtiers like these compelling? Three factors, I'd argue:
- They belong to minorities - and thus, they're recognizable. They stand out from the crowd because they aren't like the rest of the crowd. You'll always notice this character when idly tabbing through your court. In the medieval world of CKII, this means a good deal.
- They aren't schmucks - and thus, you'll actually use them. Courtiers spawned at random or using the intrigue tab often have garbage stats and no special bonuses, making you wonder what selection process your councilors could possibly be using. On the other hand, courtiers created by events often have partially preset traits or stats that naturally suggest a position for them.
- They're tied to events - and thus, feel more like proper characters. CKII's dynamic storytelling is a gift, but is at its most satisfying when the parties involved aren't random nobodies. I always love tossing my rivals in the oubliette after they kill servants at feasts - and I also love when my soldier-surgeon Court Physician saves my ruler's life on the battlefield.
- Parsis. In the de jure Kingdom of Gujarat, a Parsi philanthropist with Gujarati Culture, Zoroastrian Religion, and the Charitable trait will sometimes appear. This wealthy character will graciously improve your demesne provinces free of cost. As a reward for his services, your ruler may either offer him a parcel of land or ask him to join your court.
- Bodos. Indigenous Bodo characters (either with the existing Bödpa culture, or perhaps with a new, unique culture) will sometimes appear at the courts of rulers in de jure Bengal and Assam. There's nothing terribly unique about them; they merely provide added flavor to the region.
- Mizrahi Jews. Because it doesn't make much sense to have Ashkenazi in the Middle East. Mizrahi Culture characters will appear at the courts of rulers in the Maghreb, the Levant, the Arabian Peninsula, and Persia. They otherwise function similarly to existing Jewish courtiers, and share the same set of events.
- Relict pagans. Before the year 1000, a rare event will spawn pagan characters in the courts of rulers with particular Cultures (Germanic Anglo-Saxons for Christian Anglo-Saxons; Hellenic Greeks for Orthodox Greeks). Pagans will have high stats and provide modest bonuses, but becoming too chummy with them will lead to another event chain in which religious authorities demand the execution or banishment of the pagan.
- Nestorian scholars. The Bukhtishu family of physicians is already represented in the game's 769 start. During the Golden Age of Islam, Levantine, Persian, and Assyrian Christians were instrumental in the spread of Greco-Roman knowledge. A new event chain might allow Muslim rulers to recruit such characters in order to gain bonuses to their technology.
- Steppe warriors. Rulers whose realms border steppe nomads will sometimes receive an offer from an enterprising warrior and his band of loyal followers. For a price, the ruler may recruit this warrior as a commander. He comes equipped with a modest number of non-despawning event troops. The warrior and his men will sometimes ask their new liege for land. If they are denied, they may choose to leave and take their services elsewhere.
- Muslim slave concubines and soldiers. Especially common in al-Andalus, these characters will spawn with Muslim religion and a random eastern European Culture. Rulers may choose to promote the men as wartime generals, or take on the women as wives or illicit lovers. From time to time, former slave generals will lead provincial uprisings in an attempt to overthrow their former masters.
- Viking thralls. Upon looting a church holding, Germanic Religion characters will sometimes capture a learned monk as a thrall. A unique Honorary Title is created for this courtier; he may also be appointed as Court Physician. Through a separate event chain, the ruler can befriend his Thrall and potentially convert to Christianity - or introduce the monk to the ways of Thor and Odin.
Upvote
0
