It's Wednesday, and time to answer some questions about the upcoming DLC for Crusader Kings II; Legacy of Rome. The focus of this mini-expansion is going to be the Byzantine Empire and the Orthodox church. First off, in order to clear up any confusion from the original announcement, it's a bit smaller in scope than the Sword of Islam so the price is set at $5.99. While I say it's smaller in scope, if you include all the stuff we're adding for free in the accompanying patch (v1.07) it's probably about the same size as SoI and v1.06.

So, let's take a look at what's in the DLC and what's in patch 1.07...

LEGACY OF ROME DLC

• Retinue system. If you don't have the DLC, you won't see the new interface and you cannot hire retinues (and neither will the AI.) The technology that controls the max size of your retinue and relative decrease of normal levy sizes simply does not have this effect without the DLC.
• Orthodox Councillor models
• Major Decisions for the Byzantine Empire
• Byzantine Events

Oh, and we're taking another tack with the DLC this around - if you don't own the DLC, the AI won't be using the new mechanics or events either. Also, from now on in multiplayer mode, the host will control which DLCs are active.

PATCH 1.07

• Faction system. Replaces many existing plots and normal revolt mechanics with factions.
• Personal Improvement Ambitions
• Orthodox Patriarch system
• Have both a Plot and an Ambition at the same time
• Revised levy raising. (You raise a single, large levy from each direct vassal. The opinions of vassals of vassals are irrelevant.)
• Leader Focus on Combat
• More Cultural Buildings
• Improved AI
• Bug fixes (of course)

I will talk about all these features in detail in upcoming dev diaries, but for now, that's all!

 

[Sirmoneybags]

Nice, very, Nice, already forking out my debit card cant wait for DD1 for more detail on the features and all.

 

[grumphie]

quick question: `do i get it right that this retinue system mean well be able to do something usefull with our endgame stacks of useless cash and that endgame castles(that currently raise ridiculous amounts of levies) are nerfed? that would be great. i do hope retinues dont ruin armies over time due them having a limit and levies shrinking, or that retinues can be used as a first wave to already position them before starting the war.

 

[The Fool]

Sounds good, pleased about the price... can't wait for the next DDs and getting the DLC.

 

[grumphie]

Yes

(note: due the large amoutns of yesses, this was supposed to eb quoting the nerf heavy cav buff longbows)

does that also mean well get easier acces to heavy cav? if they stay as scarce as they are now i wouldnt mind their OP ness but a scarce nerfed unit is quite worthless.

 

[grumphie]

Can we expect to see in the interface a button for bulk load all selected raised troops into the boats?
Mechanical loading troops one by one playing for large coastal empires is tediously.

true. im currently playing sicily. I WAS BUSY LOADING PEOPLE IN TO BOATS FOR OVER TEN MINUTES(i own about the entire medditereanian) ONLY TO NOTICE I FOROT TO DECLARE WAR. a board all/board all possible button would be godsend.

 

[DominusNovus]

Paradox don't want your money. THEY ONLY WANT YOUR SOUL! Available on Steam in Q4. *nod*

I'm enjoying imagining Andre the Giant reading that line, wearing a holocaust cloak, on fire, and floating towards a castle gate.

 

[costevie]

doomdark, are you willing to say how 1.07 will fix the litany of continued problems with mac CK2?

 

[Emperor Basil]

Very much like the sound of this. Very very much.

I'd look forward to reading more details.

 

[Me_]

• More Cultural Buildings

Personally I'd prefer

• Cultural Buildings no longer destroyed on when a ruler with different culture takes over. Instead they become inactive and can become functional again when a character with appropriate culture takes over. Can only have 1 type of cultural building in a barony but there's now a destroy building button.

 

[grumphie]

I second this. Constantinople was not just a city in the empire. Just like Rome it was the cultural and political center. Imagine the west roman empire ruled from a spanish province city.

wha? you can bind something liek embark to a keyboard shortcut?

 

[CrackdToothGrin]

Doomdark, you had previously mentioned the likely ease of implementing a dynamic naming system to the portrait_properties.txt file the same way you can to the portraits_culture.gfx file when I had asked during the run-up to SoI. Is there any chance of this getting implemented?

 

[PeterCorless]

true. im currently playing sicily. I WAS BUSY LOADING PEOPLE IN TO BOATS FOR OVER TEN MINUTES(i own about the entire medditereanian) ONLY TO NOTICE I FOROT TO DECLARE WAR. a board all/board all possible button would be godsend.

I've done that... >.>

Yeah... "Mustering" seems to be the most time-intensive activity in the game. I usually save, declare war, mobilize the boats and begin to move them into the adjacent sea zones, save again, let a few days pass, group the boats that are now in the sea zones, save again, and move the troops into the boats or towards the coasts or other inland rallying points. And then I save again, just so that if the game crashes, I don't need to go back and redo the "mobilization phase" of war.

 

[Vessol]

Paradox delivers again. Offering a meaty patch with an excellent purely optional DLC. I really do love the new system you guys are using and hope you continue it.

 

[Imperium Dei]

Thanks for the update; it all looks very interesting and affordable

 

[Sotof]

I'm enjoying imagining Andre the Giant reading that line, wearing a holocaust cloak, on fire, and floating towards a castle gate.

You are doing it right.

 

[Selenimar]

How will retinues be different from mercs? Weaker but always available, like it worked in Sengoku? In the end the wars there were still fought mainly by levies, because the ronin were rare and retinues were pitifully small compared to the breeding output of upgraded provinces.

 

[Aardvark Bellay]

wha? you can bind something liek embark to a keyboard shortcut?

http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ow-to-add-an-Embark-shortcut-key-(and-others)

and general keyboard shortcuts in the FAQ
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?590444-Keyboard-Shortcuts

 

[DLFebin]

true. im currently playing sicily. I WAS BUSY LOADING PEOPLE IN TO BOATS FOR OVER TEN MINUTES(i own about the entire medditereanian) ONLY TO NOTICE I FOROT TO DECLARE WAR. a board all/board all possible button would be godsend.

At least you can raise fleets before the war. I usually unite all my fleets to 2-3 stacks, send them to counties with high attrition limit, after that I declare war and sending my people to those locations.

 

[Lord Xia]

Is this going to add more for non-Byzantine Orthodox players? If I play Georgia or Nubia, will there be additional events and options? Right now, Orthodox is the most boring of the four major religious factions. I know, unlike Islam and Catholicism, Orthodox doesn't have a "Holy War" concept. But it would be nice if it had some other features to make it more interesting to play.

 

[Bad_Haggis]

Is this going to add more for non-Byzantine Orthodox players? If I play Georgia or Nubia, will there be additional events and options? Right now, Orthodox is the most boring of the four major religious factions. I know, unlike Islam and Catholicism, Orthodox doesn't have a "Holy War" concept. But it would be nice if it had some other features to make it more interesting to play.

A Duchy De jure Casus Beli?