CK2 - Dev Diary #123 - Iron Century

[Tuscany]

Hello!

As you probably know by now we released our 3.1.1 patch yesterday. Hopefully those of you who have managed to try it are enjoying it, and those of you who haven’t will jump in this weekend. Let us know what you think about the court and tech changes, and as always if you run into any issues, please report them in the bug forum!

Now onto something new, there have been a few hints here and there about what we have been working on. However now we can officially announce that we will be releasing a new historical bookmark called: The Iron Century. The bookmark will start on the 7th of August 936, a previously unplayable date and our first in the 10th century.

In Europe Otto marches on the path to an Empire, Rival Caliphs battle for control of the Muslim world and the last remnants of the vikings stir to the north. Hundreds of other characters have their own stories to tell. A thousand possibilities await in the Iron Century.

Next week we will do something special and have a new dev diary about the 936 bookmark every day from Monday to Friday to cover the setting of the medieval world in the 10th century. Also I want to make it clear that ‘The Iron Century’ update will be completely free.

A correction from last weeks dev diary is that the correct weekday of our Crusader Kings stream is Wednesdays 16:00 CEST and not the previously mentioned Thursdays.

Thanks for reading everyone!

CK2 Team

 

[Divine]

HYPE!

 

[Tuscany]

CK2 Dev Dairy, eh? Will there be news of improved cow milking technology?

Ooops

 

[Tuscany]

Who is the fellow in the drawing?

Maybe its Otto the great? Maybe its a different emperor? Could it be you?

 

[Gruffa]

Do the suits in marketing know you're giving away so much free content? Did you just lie to them and tell them that CK2 has been discontinued?

@Tuscany we need to talk.

 

[Tuscany]

@Tuscany we need to talk.

Oh no, pack it up team we've been made!

 

[Alfray Stryke]

The bookmark will start on the 7th of August 936

Given the teasers shown thus far, I think someone pointed out that the featured rulers that have been shown off might include the Jannabids, so might we getting a new government and/or religion for them?

a new dev diary about the 936 bookmark every day from Monday to Friday

What have we done to deserve this?!! Is this the end of CKII?

 

[wazp]

Do the suits in marketing know you're giving away so much free content? Did you just lie to them and tell them that CK2 has been discontinued?

WAT. More free stuff? TUSCANY!

 

[Tuscany]

WAT. More free stuff? TUSCANY!

Oh no, this is bad, oh dear.

 

[Tuscany]

New start date sounds awesome. Will this fill the gaps between it and 1066 or be stand alone like past expansions?

This will be standalone.

 

[Tuscany]

Will achievements been added to the new start date along with some for great works?

1) Will there be 64-bit update? I desperatly want more people could play this beautiful game.
2) Please, tell us there will be new achievements. This date and wonders are essential for them!

No achievements this time. Hopefully we can add some to cover wonders and the start date in the future.

 

[Snow Crystal]

Will Eric Bloodaxe be a playable character?

Bloodaxe is the Haesteinn of Iron Century.

 

[Alfray Stryke]

Any chance the Boudicca bloodline that's in the game files will have an event to reward it in this update? Otherwise it's sitting there doing nothing.

 

[Snow Crystal]

Do you mean that this one is Eric Bloodaxe?

No, he's in Northern Scotland. What I meant is that he'll have sort of the same role, hopefully.

 

[Tuscany]

-Devs: "Here's a new bookmark, and it's completely free! Here's also an awesome picture of a King in armor, carrying a sword, leading his men into battle."
-Player: "I dunno...."
-Devs: "Here's the same picture....but with the King flailing his arm like a propeller!"
-Player: "gimme! gimme! gimme!"

Making the propeller gif has been Divines main duty for the past 2 months or so.

 

[Tuscany]

Did you also tell him he was doing it for free?

We will have to wait until the cheque bounces!

 

[Snow Crystal]

Yes! This is how I like my bookmarks, tbh - I know there's been talk about how unused the alternate bookmarks are and dropping to just one, and how having a lot is a so much work for so little reward, but I hope this is the path going forward for all PDX games. A few specially selected bookmarks rather than just one or infinite.

Also, important question: will this mean the Great Schism gets further looked at? Right now in all dates, Orthodox and Catholicism are separate when they should be combined earlier on, but given how close we'll be starting to the actual Schism, this new date is maybe at a perfect time to look at that issue?

Sadly, we will not add anything for the Schism with the bookmark.

 

[Alfray Stryke]

Sadly, we will not add anything for the Schism with the bookmark.

This is the main reason I will argue that if CKIII is made it should start in 1054.

 

[Snow Crystal]

I am looking forward to them adding one for Iron Century as well.
Already speculating on some proposed achievement names.

• Iron Centurion
• Iron Centuries
• Five Centuries

Iron Renaissance was the name I had in mind, if we're making one.

 

[MonzUn]

1) Will there be 64-bit update? I desperatly want more people could play this beautiful game.
2) Please, tell us there will be new achievements. This date and wonders are essential for them!

Tuscany already answered number 2, but regarding 64-bit; we are still looking into it but have no definitive answer on whether we can make it or not.
The age and all the things that's been added since the game was first released means that there are a lot of things to update and more potential issues we need to handle.
We will update you guys when we have some news on the subject