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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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Not because I need to make this a big discussion, but since people keep commenting, I feel I need to respond - I clearly stated in my post that I knew he/she tried to be funny and was making a joke, but that I didn't feel that it was the time or the place to make such a joke. So it seems rather needless for your comment that it is just a joke. I clearly know that!

I think the tone is quite aggressive in many threads - I don't mean to make it worse myself, but it is sad when people just argue with "calm down" or "chill out", as I/or others have got into a rage of some sort. It should be aloud to express opinions, questions and worries, without being punked about it.
I guess the issue is that some use this forum as a big joke community, while others like myself use it as a serious information channel. Of course there should be place for us all?

I had a question, which was only answered by a sarcastic joke by a Paradox member. I explained that I felt the joke was provocative to me, I felt looked down upon, and not what I would expect from a member of Paradox, but perhaps from a 13-year old child. The respond to this was the member saying I could just look on the internet - no comments about the obvious bad and out-of-place joke.

It doesn't matter if I am an idiot, or get upset about something that wasn't mean to upset me - but if you do the same thing in real life, the normal thing to do would to appologuise and state that it wasn't meant to upset them. My conclusion is that I continue to feel looked down upon by Paradox members, and that there often is a witch hunt from other users on those who are a bit annoyed about stuff regarding Paradox. I think Paradox should take this more serious - it is a simple customer experience, and though they might survive without my support, they should think about how they communicate on the forum, and how what they say is received.
I have always expected Paradox members here to be support-members, and have received great help from them. I have always respected them. But now it feels like they are just a band of sympathizers or thugs, that only bring joking to the forum. I KNOW THIS IS NOT THE CASE - but it feels like that...

Lets leave this discussion at this, I don't want to make a big deal out of it (thought writing all of this, might suggest otherwise) Sorry!
I look forward to the DLC, and really like the game and the work that is put into it from Paradox.


All I see is someone trying so, so hard to be offended.

Oh, and as you require, a disclaimer: I apologize if any of the prior words and/or combinations of said words may have intentionally and/or unintentionally made you upset.

I mean this in the most polite way.
 
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This is ridiculous. Why focus on naval battles, cadet dynasties, immersion, combat, the freaking speed of the game when we can add cats! You heard me correct! Cat pets for that is the most important addition to the game. One more reason not to buy the DLC. Paradox get your sh*t together, seriously.

This is equivalent to someone nicely making you a snack of cheese and crackers, and you tossing it on the floor, angry that it was not a four-course meal. The scope of what you want and what this is are nowhere near similar. Besides, the amount of content that can be added to a game like CK2 is so immense you could make a list for ages, its not always going to be something you're happy with. Nothing to swear and get in a fit about.
 
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So if cats add extra intrigue, do dogs add extra marital? Also, would it be possible to have tame exotic animals like tigers in India, bears in Europe, wolves along the Steppes, etc. which would grant you extra prestige?

I asked this earlier and one of the developers liked it.

So I'm guessing, yes :)
 
So if cats add extra intrigue, do dogs add extra marital? Also, would it be possible to have tame exotic animals like tigers in India, bears in Europe, wolves along the Steppes, etc. which would grant you extra prestige?
Dogs should be adding extra intrigue given their ability to guard and to wake their owner up if there are plotters sneaking about the place.
 
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For the middle ages though, I'd like it to be Game of Thrones type of serious.

As a historian who focuse on the Middle Ages... I cry every time somebody thinks Game of Thrones is a good representation of the middle ages...
 
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Any word on if we will be able to get this content in some other way, besides through a mobile device? I'd love to buy the micro-DLC, but it isn't available through Steam.

Possibly, but no ETA. I asked the gamebook producer and was told something along the lines of "Maybe, if there's a market". Although in theory anyone you know could buy the gamebook on their mobile and log in with your paradox account to unlock the content for you.

I hope people like me who (due to a RL allergy to cats) absolutely hate those little buggers, get options to kill them all.

Yes, it's one of the epidemic blamegame events.

So now... my ideal character would be satanspawn, who's a mystic and has the Necronomicron, is an immortal and has a cat(s?). Maybe throw wolfblood in there for more fun.

I really need Witch Queen to be an acquirable title.

You could aspire to be a cannibal too!

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.

Repeating myself, but "cat riots" are also a possible result of an epidemic, so cat dislike is certainly shown.

Thats nice, but let me know when I can finally designate my pooch as my lawful heir :D

One day...
 
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Is this a joke ? Cats ? Some new disease/age-related traits would be nice like Dementia( - learning, dlip. ), Osteoarthritis( - martial ) or something like that. But nope, f####### cats -_-
 
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Is this a joke ? Cats ? Some new disease/age-related traits would be nice like Dementia( - learning, dlip. ), Osteoarthritis( - martial ) or something like that. But nope, f####### cats -_-

You know the whole DLC is focused on disease...?
 
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and adding age-related health traits doesnt make sense to you ? But cats do ? Ok.
Since cats were a) blamed by the people for the Plague and b) by hunting rodents actually helped to stop it from spreading, then yes, it makes sense to add cats. Is it really worth getting upset that they're not adding specifically what you would like to see, but are adding something else?
 
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Is this a joke ? Cats ? Some new disease/age-related traits would be nice like Dementia( - learning, dlip. ), Osteoarthritis( - martial ) or something like that. But nope, f####### cats -_-

We are getting a few new diseases and symptoms iirc, they're not age related specifically but I really only need so much granularity.
 
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Since cats were a) blamed by the people for the Plague and b) by hunting rodents actually helped to stop it from spreading, then yes, it makes sense to add cats. Is it really worth getting upset that they're not adding specifically what you would like to see, but are adding something else?
Im upset because they add such insignificant things like cats to a character-based grand strategy game.
 
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Im upset because they add such insignificant things like cats to a character-based grand strategy game.
It's a small-ish ("Way of Life - level") flavour based DLC, which still adds a whopping number of significant game mechanics and improves on existing ones. Why is adding this a problem then? I honestly don't get it.
 
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Possibly, but no ETA. I asked the gamebook producer and was told something along the lines of "Maybe, if there's a market". Although in theory anyone you know could buy the gamebook on their mobile and log in with your paradox account to unlock the content for you.
Thanks for looking into it. Here's hoping it will be added eventually, as this app will likely soon fade from sight and mind, and most CK2 players will never learn of it as it is not on the list of dlcs on steam like the other ebooks.

(I'll be perfectly honest, to me this is a mini-DLC that has two longish event chains and an additional song, and comes bundled with a bonus ebook.)
 
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