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CK2 Dev Diary #17: Crusader Cats

Hello everyone! I’m Virvatuli, one of the Content Designers on The Reaper’s Due, which also happens to be my very first project here at Paradox. It’s been so much fun working on this DLC and I hope you’ll have even more fun playing it! In this week’s DD (another first for me), I will reveal one of Reaper’s most important features. Oh, okay, it might not be that important, but at least it’s my personal favourite and pet project. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you cats.

For the longest time, there’s been a issue regarding the representation of pets in Crusader Kings 2. In the realm of companion animals, there has been a worrisome lack of diversity. Most of you who play Way of Life have probably had a loyal hunting dog, there have been some events regarding birds of prey, and a lucky few Conclave players might have encountered a tiny rodent friend. Sadly, that has been pretty much it on the pet front. To rectify this serious problem we’ve added some additional furry and feathered friends in The Reaper’s Due. As we did, of course we couldn’t leave out the best animal of them all: our Feline Overlords, Befurred Ninjas, Gods of the Internet.

In the new DLC you can befriend a cat in a number of ways. However, as any Dwarf Fortress player or real-life cat lover knows, you do not adopt a cat. A cat adopts you. Once your feline friend has decided that you’re the one and only slave for it, you will receive a fancy “Pet Cat” character modifier (unless you scare it away, you horrible person). It will give your character +1 health, as the cat brings you so much happiness, and +1 intrigue, because we all know that cat owners are a bit more clever than everyone else (hey, it’s science!).

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However, most things can become troublesome in excess, even your love for felines. In every cat owner’s life there comes a time when you ask yourself if you shouldn’t get just one more. At some point, the answer is probably no, at least if you don’t want to scare off all of your friends and repulse the courtiers.

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Unless you want to become even sneakier, that is. Then go ahead and become a Crazy Cat Lady, or a Crazy Cat Lord, if that’s how you identify.

At first thought, one might think that cats would be a very insignificant aspect of a medieval ruler’s life, however, when the Plague comes around to visit this changes drastically. Most of you probably know that the Black Death was likely spread by fleas on rats. Sadly this fact is unknown to ye olde peasant, and when people start to die, some of them might point fingers to our furry protectors. Believe it or not, there are some people who do not like cats. It’s crazy, I know, but trust me on this. How will you deal with their growing fears? Do remember, if you don’t have cats, you’ll have plenty of rats…

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This sneak peak of cats is all you’ll get for now. Don’t worry though, The Reaper’s Due is out on the 25th of August and then you can experience cats for yourself in all their whiskered glory. Next week Darkrenown will talk about more assorted features. Now I need to get back to scripting, there’re still some cat-related subjects which need further exploration… Adieu!
 
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So if cats add extra intrigue, do dogs add extra marital? Also, would it be possible to have tamed exotic animals like tigers in India, bears in Europe, wolves along the Steppes, etc. which would grant you extra prestige?
 
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I don't really like cats, but still seems like an interesting addition. Now you'll need to add the "Allergy to Cats" trait if you want this feature to be accurate.
 
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is this supposed to be a DD?
 
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Er, medieval Europeans hated cats. At most, they were in some nunneries and abbeys. And it was sort of taboo to even do that since it was the same nuns and monks that spkoe out about cats being Satan's tools and the friends of witches etc. Muslims didn't hate them, and liked them for their cleanliness. This should really only be for Muslims unless you're a lunatic, cynical etc.

Seriously Paradox, act like historians and not Tumblr kids.

Edit: Thirteen Tumblr kids disagree, but can't refute anything I've said.
 
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Er, medieval Europeans hated cats. At most, they were in some nunneries and abbeys. And it was sort of taboo to even do that since it was the same nuns and monks that spkoe out about cats being Satan's tools and the friends of witches etc. Muslims didn't hate them, and liked them for their cleanliness. This should really only be for Muslims unless you're a lunatic, cynical etc.

Seriously Paradox, act like historians and not Tumblr kids.

Liking cats gives you a whopping -10 General Opinion, and from the event chain teased, it looks like you might be mistaken as a witch because of it as well.

I'd say it seems like Christian Europe's dislike for cats is pretty well represented as it is.
 
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Liking cats gives you a whopping -10 General Opinion, and from the event chain teased, it looks like you might be mistaken as a witch because of it as well.

I'd say it seems like Christian Europe's dislike for cats is pretty well represented as it is.
Only if you become a crazy cat lady/lord. Just having one only gives a bonus.
 
What about dogs, falcons, hawks, and horses and monkeys/chimps/tigers (India)?

Please make sure that pets aren't set to live long. The modifiers should go away anywhere around 9-14 years (minimum and maximum).
 
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What about dogs, falcons, hawks, and horses and monkeys/chimps/tigers (India)?

Please make sure that pets aren't set to live long. The modifiers should go away anywhere around 9-14 years (minimum and maximum).
I guess it works like the Hunting Dog modifier. In other words, it dies after some years.
 
For realism, it should lower the health of your children - children have a higher chance of death when a cat's in the household. Also, a chance to contract toxoplasmosis (i.e. being 'French') and go insane (and lowered fertility in women).
 
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For the middle ages though, I'd like it to be Game of Thrones type of serious.

Considering it was Game of Thrones that came up with Ser Pounce to begin with, might I suggest that you just miss the moments of humor throughout?
 
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I think that if you're a Catholic zealot you shouldn't be able to get a cat. And perhaps a -5 Church opinion with one cat and a -10 to church and only -5 to general opinon if you get cat lady/lord. If Muslim the one cat, or crazy cat etc. should give you bonus to general opinion.

Though obviously we haven't seen where this event ends up, hopefully it's nuanced for religion/culture etc.
 
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Considering it was Game of Thrones that came up with Ser Pounce to begin with, might I suggest that you just miss the moments of humor throughout?

So you believe that George R. R. Martin is secretly in favour of doing the exact opposite of what he himself explains in several interviews when it comes to precisely world depiction? Might I suggest that you just miss the moments of the point?
 
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What about dogs, falcons, hawks, and horses and monkeys/chimps/tigers (India)?

Please make sure that pets aren't set to live long. The modifiers should go away anywhere around 9-14 years (minimum and maximum).

I believe the average lifespan of a cat is 15 years

I think that if you're a Catholic zealot you shouldn't be able to get a cat. And perhaps a -5 Church opinion with one cat and a -10 to church and only -5 to general opinon if you get cat lady/lord. If Muslim the one cat, or crazy cat etc. should give you bonus to general opinion.

Though obviously we haven't seen where this event ends up, hopefully it's nuanced for religion/culture etc.

It depended from what I understand tabby cats had a more positive image with Christians while black cats had a extremely negative image during the middle ages and the first religious condemnation of general. cats of being demon associated didn't come until Gregory the nine in the 1230s.

Of course in the 14th century you had mass slaughter of cats by Christians who saw them as witch familiars but given the medieval church view that the belief in witches was heresy or more pointedly pagan superstition I am uncertain how much church support those acts had.
 
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So you believe that George R. R. Martin is secretly in favour of doing the exact opposite of what he himself explains in several interviews when it comes to precisely world depiction? Might I suggest that you just miss the moments of the point?
I'm suggesting that George utilizes humor as a relief to what would otherwise be unrelenting darkness, much in the same way Shakespeare did. There is humor in both the books and the show, and like I said, the show specifically even has a 'funny cat' character. I never said anything one way or another about world depiction.
 
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I'm suggesting that George utilizes humor as a relief to what would otherwise be unrelenting darkness, much in the same way Shakespeare did. There is humor in both the books and the show, and like I said, the show specifically even has a 'funny cat' character. I never said anything one way or another about world depiction.

You were replying to a comment about world depiction and the claim that fantasy settings benefits from being built in such a way (and my opinion about the good effect it would have on CK2). That was the reason for that paragraph and the source of it is George himself. To argue against that is to argue against George's very own reasoning, so using his own creations is probably not the best approach...

For being someone who is pointing out to other's what they're missing, you are missing things quite well yourself.
 
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