Home Trending Latest threads New posts Developer diaries
Jump to latest Follow Reply
  • We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
Crusader Kings III 20444 Console 337 Suggestions 6151 Bug Report 4590 Tech Support 2574 User Mods 1934 Multiplayer 169 AARs (After Action Reports) MP Open Beta Feedback 27
Previous dev diary Next dev diary
Show only dev responses

Crusader Kings III: Chapter IV


Hello everyone! I'm the Community Manager with Paradox Studio Black, and today we're excited to present to you the next stage in Crusader Kings III's development: Chapter IV. Today, we'll go over the themes of each piece of content that make up the Chapter, as well as give a brief peek at their features. Without further ado, let's get into it.



Khans.png


Core Expansion: Khans of the Steppe​

The first release in Chapter IV, Khans of the Steppe, focuses on the brand-new Nomadic Government and the systems we've created to support it. Inspired by the nomadic peoples of the Eurasian Steppe, these mechanics will challenge you to adapt to a lifestyle dominated by the ebb and flow of the land's vitality, maintain your herds, and establish your dominance over the region by any means necessary.

Key Features​

Nomadic Government​

Nomads don't live in a single static location; historically they travelled across the steppe as climate and fertility demanded, and we've strived to recreate that experience in Khans of the Steppe. You'll guide your people and herds across the region, tapping into the fertility of the land for as long as it lasts. Once resources run dry, you must migrate anew. Chieftains can roam peacefully by negotiating with neighboring shepherds, or seize new pastures by force.

Herd​

Representing your horses, cattle, and overall strength within the steppe, the new Herd system becomes a cornerstone of diplomatic, martial, and economic actions. Use it to fuel your warbands, or as currency in your negotiations.

Dominance​

Prove your might on the steppe through Dominance, increasing it alongside your power and territory. At its highest level, you might even claim the mantle of Genghis Khan; the Universal Ruler.

Seasons & Survival​

Life in the steppe is harsh, affected by the changing climate and weather patterns. A White Zud could blanket the land in snow, decimating fertility and putting pressure on you to find greener pastures. Meanwhile, milder conditions can bring bountiful growth to your herds, ushering in a period of prosperity.

Khans of the Steppe releases on April 28, with dev diaries scheduled for every Tuesday until then. Be sure to mark your calendars if you're eager to try your hand at this new style of governance and rulership.




coronation.png


Event Pack: Coronations​


Beyond the steppe of Eurasia, Chapter IV introduces a new event pack simply titled: Coronations. In the medieval world, a coronation was more than just a gathering, it represented the moment where earthly and divine legitimacy converged.

Coronation Activity​

Coronations function as a new activity type, letting you experience the event first hand. Coordinate with religious authorities and conduct the perfect ceremony to establish your right to rule in the eyes of your vassals and subjects. Plan it wisely, because the consequences of this activity can echo throughout your entire reign and beyond.




AUH.png


Major Expansion: All Under Heaven​

Chapter IV's flagship Major Expansion, All Under Heaven, is set to be the largest and most ambitious expansion in Crusader Kings history. We're completing our map of the medieval world by extending its scope across all of Asia. This massive expansion brings new gameplay, unique governments, and entirely different perspectives on life in the medieval era.

Key Features​

From Ireland to Cathay​

From the celestial might of Imperial China and the unique governments of Japan and Korea, to the god-kings of the Indonesian archipelago, each new area in All Under Heaven features new cultures, faiths, and flavor.

Hegemony​

To properly represent the power and influence of China in this period, we're introducing a new tier of title above an empire: the Hegemony. This new title tier allows for further granular representation of the division of power within large-scale realms.

Dynastic Cycle​

The fate of the imperial dynasties follows a cyclical pattern, reflecting historical eras of stability and eras of chaos. Players will struggle to maintain the Mandate of Heaven and prove that they are the right choice to navigate the empire through treacherous waters.

Imperial Treasury​

A new centralized treasury system for the Chinese Emperor represents the flow of wealth upward and into the empire's coffers, letting you decide how to spend (or squander) resources that could make or break the stability of the realm.

While no release date is being announced at this time, you can expect our normal in-depth developer diaries to start for this expansion shortly after the release of Khans of the Steppe, with our first dev diary tentatively scheduled for May.



1.15 "Crown" Update: Available Now​

To properly prepare for our upcoming content in Chapter IV, we're releasing a broad set of changes to the game's existing content with our 1.15 "Crown" Update, available to all owners of Crusader Kings III right now, free of charge. This update overhauls multiple systems and fixes numerous issues to ensure your experience in the medieval world is more enjoyable.

Update Highlights​

Court Position Overhaul​

A more intuitive interface for appointing and managing your court's less essential roles. New court positions are introduced, while existing ones are given tasks that their holders can be directed to perform for various benefits. Additionally, you can now choose to replace vacancies manually, or set specific positions to be refilled automatically.

Army Automation and AI Improvements​

Focus on what's important to you while you let the AI handle martial affairs. There's also new interface elements to clarify what allied armies (or your own, if automation is enabled) are actually doing, making it easier than ever to coordinate your war efforts.

Improvements to Crusade AI​

The AI will now gather its armies before striking at its enemies as a properly coordinated force. Expect more unified Great Holy War offensives, and fiercer opposition as a defender.

From quality-of-life changes to bug squashing, the 1.15 "Crown" update refines the overall experience of the game. It's also available right now, so give it a try and let us know what you think!


​

Instant Unlock: Crowns of the World​

For those eager to dive into Chapter IV content as soon as possible, anyone who purchases the Chapter IV pass will immediately receive the Crowns of the World cosmetic pack, unlocking various culture-specific crowns and turbans. Whether you play in Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa, you're sure to find new stylish ways to represent your royal persona.


​

Community Q&A​

We want to ensure that the content in Chapter IV is the best it can be, and a huge part of that is building strong communications and relationships between us and our players. Your feedback on existing content as well as upcoming features is vital to this effort. To facilitate this, we're collecting questions from all of you until March 19, and will publish a video responding to as many of these as we can on March 26th. Submit your questions below in the comments, or on any of our social media channels.


Chapter IV is the most ambitious content cycle in Crusader Kings history, offering everything from the struggles of maintaining your herd as a nomadic ruler in Khans of the Steppe, to the weight of ceremony and duty in Coronations, culminating in the completion of our map of the medieval world in All Under Heaven. Whether you choose to play in the new areas being introduced to the game or your existing favorites, Chapter IV will redefine the stories you make in Crusader Kings III.

The 1.15 "Crown" Update and the Chapter IV pass are both available right now. The Crown update is available for free to all owners of Crusader Kings III, while those who purchase the Chapter IV pass will immediately receive Crowns of the World as well as all the content mentioned above as soon as it is released.
 
  • 159Love
  • 65Like
  • 63
  • 7
  • 7
  • 3Haha
Reactions:
Sort by date Sort by reaction score
camocat9 said:
They didn't say it added the most map-wide gameplay features, they said it was their most ambitious expansion. You say "besides adding Asia" as if that isn't the entire reason it's considered the biggest expansion. Whether or not you would personally enjoy playing in this region, you can't deny that it is one of the biggest expansions from the scope they are promising. Roads to Power added one new government type and a universal gameplay system. This will be adding a massive map expansion, and 3 (4, maybe) new government types. I would assume that Hegemonies, the step above Empires, are a universal gameplay system that you could choose to form anywhere on the map, too.

I don't think you need to be from Asia to enjoy an Asia expansion as you are implying, either. Would I have liked if the existing map was fleshed out a bit more before expanding the map to Asia? Yes. Am I going to complain about them adding Asia because of this? No. Whatever happens, it's probably going to be an enjoyable experience that adds new options for gameplay.
Click to expand...

Not to mention there might be a whole list of gameplay mechanics that even the western part of the world can make use of. Like how Landless adventurers isn't limited to just the Byzantines
 
  • 9Like
  • 3
  • 2
Reactions:
Will hegemonies be available for other areas - or only China?

Any elaboration on what will be coming with the free patches with the various dlc? Some teasers maybe?
 
Mangi Qahan said:
As far as I know, the late Mongolia (if you mean the Yuan Khanate in the 14th century) did not have this type of armor, especially the row of buttons on the chest is obviously a design from the late 16th century.
Click to expand...
I get what you mean and it's good that you point it out. But, I can tell you that the in-game asset is quite more precise and different from the chapter art, it's not even supposed to be exposed metal or chain like the chapter art has.

The in-game assets has an outer layer of patterned cloth with metal rivets dotting it. There is a lot more spacing between the sparce lacings that hold the armor together. I would share some images, but I better not! :D
 
  • 22
  • 9Like
  • 2
Reactions:
Very excited for this year's expansions!

Questions for the QnA:

-With the new hegemony title tier: will this tier be DLC locked completely, or will it be similar to the implementation of the Struggle mechanic (As in the base tier is free, but the DLC-specific content is locked).

-Does the implementation of a new title tier indicate that modders are able to introduce their own tiers, or is this something still closely code-dependent and thus inaccessible to modding?
 
  • 4Like
  • 1
Reactions:
Gertax said:
I get what you mean and it's good that you point it out. But, I can tell you that the in-game asset is quite more precise and different from the chapter art, it's not even supposed to be exposed metal or chain like the chapter art has.

The in-game assets has an outer layer of patterned cloth with metal rivets dotting it. There is a lot more spacing between the sparce lacings that hold the armor together. I would share some images, but I better not! :D
Click to expand...
I'm glad you're aware of this problem. Although accuracy is not strictly required for artistic creation, at least there shouldn't be designs that are beyond the times.
 
Ok for Steppes.

China and even Japan. I'm not that sure. It's not needed for now. Some mechanics are more pressing.

CK3 = Middle East + Steppes + Europe + North Africa. I wouldn't mind if there was no india or china or japan.
 
  • 10
  • 5
  • 1Like
Reactions:
This looks ambitious, and I look forward to it reaching fruition. Best of of luck to all of you! My questions:

  • How will performance be affected / how are you managing performance hits whilst keeping other events etc going?
  • Will Imperial Admin become less performance heavy, and therefore derived systems - eg Celestial Government?
  • Will landless adventurers have appropriate flavour for the new regions?
  • What made you decide to do this (now)? How far in advance was your road map planned?
  • How will you avoid blobbing, doomstacks etc with a realm like the Chinese dynasties?
  • How does Treasury differ from normal gold?
  • Will the update alongside All Under Heaven come with more dissolution and decline mechanics - especially without warfare? Currently, many realms go on an upward trajectory, and don't make dissolving fun even when it does happen (although the landless systems have vastly improved that).
  • I know the game being easy isn't a major concern and you like it being deep but not intimidating to players, but with more and more powerful realms becoming possible, how will you keep the game challenging and fun to more experienced players?
  • Is there anything else on your radar following your recent (and great) realm maintenance patch?
 
  • 4
  • 2Like
Reactions:
I feel a heavy sense of sadness for one specific little thing: that this year the naming conventions are completely and utterly broken for all new DLC.

NoLo, RoCo, ToTo, WaWa, LePe, LeDe, RoPo, they all aligned nicely. Only FaIb, FrFo, and WaNo broke it, but overall there was never a year without at least one major DLC sticking to the naming pattern.

But with KhSt, Co, and then AlHe, the universal flow of energy, the cosmic Qi, my Feng Shui, is disturbed.
 
  • 11Haha
Reactions:
Question: What exactly will be included in the map expansion, China, Korea, Japan, Mailand SEA and the Malay archipelago are specified, but where arethe borders? Will Machuria be included, what about expanding the map north a bit to inclued a small bit of Siberia? Which parts of the Malay archipelago are included, Java, Borneo. Sumatra and all of the fillipines are essential and definitely would be included, but what about Sulawesi, Nusa Tengura, Timore, Maluku and many more smaller islands. Also, please confirm if the Andaman and Nicobar islands will be added, the Seychelles, Hokaido and even Sakhalin.
 
I have just one question for Q&A: will any of the new gameplay mechanics from Khans of the Steppe or All Under Heaven apply to the entire map as well? Like imperial treasury? (I think it would kinda fit for the Byzantine)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Coronation is kind of europe-centered.

What about the other regions? Will the muslim world have the equivalent which is Bay'ah ceremony or It will be coronation?
 
  • 1
Reactions:
Questions to Devs:
1. Will there be any core mechanics added for all nations/factions/characters etc with the Core Expansion and/or Major Expansion?
Seeing as we got this in the past, e.g intrigue, royal court, landless lords etc will nations in Europe get any rewamps along with these beside the event packs. Hence, "Core expansion".
2. If you don't own the Major or Core expansion, will the map still be altered and will you be able to face off the new mongol hordes / migration?
 
  • 1Like
Reactions:
Though not within the timeline of CK3, I'll be surprised if you could also add costumes of Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, which could also be used in Vic3. It seems that he was kind of well-known among players for being a brother of Jesus Christ.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back