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CK2 Dev Diary #99 - Do you like me yet?


Greetings.

Today we will be focusing on a couple of new actions made available by Holy Fury: Sway and Antagonize.

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This feature will allow players to have a more personal relation with other characters within diplomatic reach, giving them the chance to choose one person to Sway and one to Antagonize.
Once a target has been selected through the new buttons - which will be accessible both through the character’s window as well as by right-clicking on the character’s portrait - the player will regularly receive events giving him the opportunity to either increase or reduce the target’s Opinion of him.
Success chances when trying to Sway another character are influenced both by the player’s Diplomacy as well as by the target’s “compatibility” with your character. Trying to Sway a character with traits opposite to your own (such as Deceitful vs Honest) might prove to be a harder task than befriending somebody with whom you share some interests. On the other hand, some of the events triggered through the Sway action will give you the chance to influence the targeted character’s traits as well, thus increasing your degree of compatibility.

Additionally, you will find that different rulers have different ideas on how to best Sway their target, based on their own personality and lifestyle traits. After all, an Impaler’s idea of a good time is not the same as an Hedonist’s, and a Cruel character trying to be charming might end up presenting some questionable gifts to his target...


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Some offenses are more serious than others, and if you have committed a terrible act against the target character in the past (such as, for example, torturing him), you will have a harder time Swaying him, as you’ll first need to obtain forgiveness for your past misdeeds. This can be accomplished through special events fired while Swaying a character that truly hates you. If successful, rather than gaining a positive opinion modifier, you will see the target character lose the negative opinion modifier caused by your past crime.


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Antagonize works in the opposite way: its chances of success are based on Intrigue rather than Diplomacy, and the action will push your targeted character into hating you more and more, all the way to becoming your Rival.
This is not all, of course: Antagonizing a character will give you the opportunity to hurt him indirectly, destabilizing either his realm or his mind. Additionally, if your ruler is Cruel, Deceitful, or has any other wicked trait, Antagonizing will be a good way to refine his skills and maintain a good mental state.

Both Sway and Antagonize come with a large set of flavor events, providing new and varied ways to either befriend or hinder your ruler’s most and least favorite acquaintances.
 
I know it's not the topic of current dev dairy, but....
Can one of you devs post the picture of "Crusader Empire" - ouremer (or smth like that).
I really want to see its colour and CoA.
Snow crystal...please.

Did they say it was going to get either a unique color or CoA anywhere I didn't think so.

Swaying will let you finally ask someone to come to your court? No more need of covering target with money?

Not to imply it takes that much money, I mean sure like 400 or 800 for some of the higher nobility. I actually wonder if between swayying and favors it's gonna be too easy.
 
Since it sounds like Sway uses the good old opinion system, probably not - but if I were a dev, I’d consider making this an option via event.

You would be surprised what the opinion system allows.

I mean when you with business focus make a trade route to some foreign infidel's realm, you can become friends with him. Now either because he has +100 friends with you, or because of some unforeseen thing under the hood, he will allow you an infidel to maybe marry one of his. You can also become friends with people through Hermetics.

This of course is concubines though not offer vassalization.
 
No, being in China, he is always well beyond range. You can Sway/Antagonize the Western Protectorate General though, if you are within his diplomatic range.
You also cannot Sway your religious head, though you can Antagonize it, if you so desire.

What if your religious head is a secular ruler like the Calif or the Fylkir and/or your Liege (or your Leige's Leige etc.)
 
Sound fun. Can't wait to play as a lonely tyrant against vassal antagonizing swarm.
Now I can antagonize my other sons to make them rival, then pick duel and slay them under the name of Odin. This make gavelkind and muslim succession easier to deal with.
And also swaying help with incest and cuckholdry as well. :)
 
It sounds like Antagonizing has a chance to improve intrigue. Do sway events occasionally improve diplomacy?
No, the main reward of Swaying somebody is the increased opinion bonus; while there are other positive side effects that can happen from time to time, the main reward is that. Antagonize is different in that sense because having a person hate you is not by itself positive, it is the additional effects that make the action worth taking (outside RP of course).
 
I've wanted a feature like this for so long! My god this DLC has pretty much given me everything I've wanted to see added to the game that already wasn;t, and plenty I never knew I wanted! And there is more to come! Please tell me when I can play this glorious updated!
 
Love this feature, but I have one question about this part.

On the other hand, some of the events triggered through the Sway action will give you the chance to influence the targeted character’s traits as well, thus increasing your degree of compatibility. 

Will the AI be able to change our character's traits too? Is there some way we could stop an unwelcome "swaying" attempt?
 
Will the AI be able to change our character's traits too? Is there some way we could stop an unwelcome "swaying" attempt?
If the AI is competent enough it might happen, but there are precautions that the player can take to avoid it.