Hi everyone!

I know you probably want more info about the upcoming expansion, but we’ll have to keep a lid on it for the time being. Instead I’m going to give you some information about how we work. Our current team consist of me, Doomdark, 4 programmers (and one of those started last Thursday), 3 scripters, 1 designer, 2 artists and 4 QA. On top of this the talented people from Paradox South are working on a content pack and there is also sound and music in production.

The core team is using a subset of the SCRUM methodology and a lot of focus is put on working more closely with QA than before in order to keep quality as high as possible. Our sprints are 3 weeks, and the final week has a focus on fixing bugs (old and new). Nearing the Gold Master (this is the version of the game we will release), we stop developing new features and focus fully on bug fixing and balancing. Since the Gold Master milestone date and the actual release date usually are a couple of weeks apart, we keep working on bugs and minor improvements for the first patch until the release (and beyond). In some cases (like with Horse Lords) the first patch is released the same day as the expansion, but sometimes it’s better to wait for the initial feedback before releasing a patch. As someone in QA noted for Horse Lords: one day after the release the players have tested the game several more hours than the QA team has done during the development of the expansion.

A tidbit of extra info about the expansion: the changes that go into the patch will fundamentally change how a portion of the game is played.

 

[Hadhod]

My two cents to the pic delivered:

Pacts: I could see this consisting of Non Aggression pacts, coalitions against expanding neighbours and such

Would be a nice feature, but I hope there is more to come

 

[Will Steel]

Finally, a hint of improvement on diplomacy!

 

[DC123456789]

I'm personally hoping for proper client states.

 

[Will Steel]

Yeah because in the ck2 era if you are a chrstian empire you are staking a claim to the title of roman emperor. Then again that kind of goes for most of the eu4 era to, the one exception is the brittish empire (and sort of napoleon, though he did compare becomming emperor of the french to charlamagnes crowning) who really claimed a emperor title elsewhere, the incumbent title of emperor of india (not the word the indians used).
Which is very diffrent from the later imperialism everyone proclaims themselves an empire thing. But aside from brittain that all lies in victoria.

Actually, the British snatched the title of 'Emperor of India' from the the last Mughal Emperor, rather than creating it out of the blue for nationalism like in many other places.

 

[Finnway]

The Holy Roman Empire is neither Holy, Roman or an Empire.

Except it actually is an empire in your game.

Shots fired!

Jokes aside. I think Voltaire's quote, accurate though it may be, detracts from understanding what the Holy Roman Empire represented to the people living at that time. And the significance it held in their political and religious worldview. In their wayward minds, it really was the spiritual successor of Rome and leader of the Christian world.

I know some people will point out what a sad, impoverished worldview that is. I'll simply reply that I'm American, so I won't judge

 

[Finnway]

Our three hints at the DLC thus far are:

• It's something Groogy has been wanting to do for a long time.
  
• It DOES NOT expand the map.
• Proper alliances are part of the free patch.
  

 

[DàbiànLājīdàrén]

Our three hints at the DLC thus far are:

• It's something Groogy has been wanting to do for a long time.
  
• It DOES NOT expand the map.
• Proper alliances are part of the free patch.

1. Get a better less whiny fanbase?

2. Nobody really thought it was going to be another map extension and HL was barely one anyways considering how every steppe province is three times the size of a normal one with clans taking up at least 3 provinces, making court sizes relatively tame. RoI is still the only true "Map Expansion" this game has ever actually had. This is non-news.

3. "Proper alliances" could mean anything. It could turn out to be a non-feature like how "clan management" for HL turned out.

 

[TheDungen]

Actually, the British snatched the title of 'Emperor of India' from the the last Mughal Emperor, rather than creating it out of the blue for nationalism like in many other places.

Oh was it that emperor title I thought it was the Samrat Chakravartin one.

Shots fired!

Jokes aside. I think Voltaire's quote, accurate though it may be, detracts from understanding what the Holy Roman Empire represented to the people living at that time. And the significance it held in their political and religious worldview. In their wayward minds, it really was the spiritual successor of Rome and leader of the Christian world.

I know some people will point out what a sad, impoverished worldview that is. I'll simply reply that I'm American, so I won't judge

Bah most europeans don't even remember the HRE, and if they do they mostly remember it because hitler wanted to restore it and consider it a proto germany (which while not entirly untrue is only part of the story) so I don't think being american will hamper you that much.

 

[Will Steel]

Oh was it that emperor title I thought it was the Samrat Chakravartin one.

It is the same title, Samrat Chakravartin. Mughal Emperors used Persian language version of the same title for Muslims and in official documents and seals, and the actual Samrat Chakravartin was used by all Hindus, including the lots of Hindu members of the imperial court (and over 90% of their population).

There was another title that British could've used - the Maratha Emperor or 'Chhatrapati Maharaja', although they destroyed it in 1818. Both title held legitimacy in India, with Mughal one being far more prestigious.

 

[Jamey]

You can safely assume that we won't release two more expansions this year.
The dev diaries won't contain all that much about the expansion (or the patch released at the same time), until we're closer to announcing anything official.
If that bothers you, then feel free to consider these as non-dd:s and just random posts from the dev team. We won't take offense

Are there topics that people would like us to have for these dd:s? If it's not related to the expansion/patch, we might consider putting it in.

I'd love a DD explaining how seduction will be improved so every 16 year old doesn't develop the pox before marriage. Otherwise, I'll continue either disabling WOL or playing mods going forward.

 

[Sahraine]

dawwh. I love hints

This makes coming to the forum more interesting and enjoyable

 

[Lord_P]

!Flanders for France!

 

[Will Steel]

!Flanders for France!

Ahaha I knew this was coming, and rightfully so.

 

[Mikaa]

I am guessing custom kingdoms from the CoA stuff !

 

[Knotz]

This probably means this isn't Myths and Legends and that makes my face unbearably sad.

 

[DukeDayve]

Could pacts mean... diplomatic relations with other people who are neither your allies by marriage or vassal contract? Like France making a pact (perhaps of friendship or non-hostility) with the HRE, even though the French king and Holy Roman emperor have no marriage relations?

 

[Jorlem]

I'd love a DD explaining how seduction will be improved so every 16 year old doesn't develop the pox before marriage. Otherwise, I'll continue either disabling WOL or playing mods going forward.

As much as I think we'd all love this, I think that is something related to the patch, so it is currently off limits for the DDs.

 

[crowdemon]

I wonder if Pacts is part of free content.

 

[KhaineFH]

!Flanders for France!

Don't forget K_Aquitaine problem

 

[VI Imre]

Cadet lines? When?
It was promised in years ago, a month after the initial release of the game, in the post dev diary.