Hey all!

So today I felt that I was going to spoil some of the bigger stuff we are working on with the new patch, I thought Birken was a bit too mean keeping you guys on edge for so long. As several of you have noted we now have a Pacts tab in the character screen and I am going to tell you guys what it is all about.

So why it was changed is because we decided that we wanted to rewrite a bit how alliances worked in Crusader Kings making it much more predictable who will be in your war. No, as some of you tried to guess we have not made it no longer required to marry other rulers to forge an alliance, that is still a very big part of the core gameplay in the game. What we have done is that we have divided it up in two steps, Non-Aggression Pacts and Alliances.

Now now, don’t fetch your pitchforks yet! The idea we have is to make the marriage much more focused on its strategical nature than just finding your “soulmate” with impressive tracts of land.

Now when you first marry off your daughter or son you will be figuratively negotiating an agreement with the other ruler to come to terms over your issues with each other, resulting in a Non-Aggression Pact between your two mighty realms. This can later can be improved into a proper Alliance. This is an action done separately after the marriage as been finalized. You don’t have to wait until your family members have grown up however as betrothals also counts when formalizing these pacts.

This does mean that you do not have a Non-Aggression Pact with your close kins but they can still be made into allies without a marriage. Meaning you no longer get the penalties of attacking close kin unless you choose to make your them your ally.

Picture has been censored to not reveal undisclosed features​

With these changes the AI has also been changed a bit to be more capable in recognizing Realpolitik instead of purely going on opinions. It is not much but the AI is now capable of properly identifying threats and will try to form Non-Aggression pacts with these, or if they refuse, ally someone else with a common interest to contain the threat. The idea is also that the AI no longer wants to aid these threats, but instead only preserve the status quo and keep them off their back. They will refuse to ally these threats most of the time in order to not help them become stronger.

Since we now have a distinct action you can perform to ally someone we have also changed how they relate to wars to make it less of a guessing game.

Allies for both sides will be shown in the Declare War screen showing who will join the war on what side. Also important to know with these changes is that allies are now required to honor their alliance, meaning they can not refuse a call to arms. So now you know exactly who you can count on when the war starts. However if your ally is starting an offensive war against someone you have a Non-Aggression Pact with you have to stand out.

All of this is in the Free Patch that will be coming with the next expansion.

 

[dizzbolt]

This will surely make MP games more fun to play as well!

 

[Voy]

I have a feeling that we will hear the announcement of this expansion next week.

My money is on that too.

 

[TheDarkMaster]

Is the AI now smarter with marriages?

I don't want to see a Jewish France again.

The biggest problem the AI has with marriages right now is anything involving a female ruler or heir. That's when things all fall apart.

 

[Matthias_Wlkp]

Would it be possible, that an alliance is automatically created when you install a kinsman through a claim war?
Are alliances going to be considered by AI, when presented with faction demands?
Are allies automatically drawn to rebellion wars as well?

 

[sakayume]

I think I will miss dynastic alliances, if they're done away with.

 

[Slayen]

I think I will miss dynastic alliances, if they're done away with.

You can still form an alliance with other members of your dynasty, it is just no longer automatic.

I will, however, slightly miss getting a request from some random lord, being confused, and then seeing that they are a member of my dynasty and be left wondering "When the heck did my family become Kings of Norway?"

 

[melkor88]

It is good to see even more depth added.

 

[SaintxNio]

I am so confused on this new expansion. Is it mainly going to focus on DIPLO or WARRRRR!!!!

Paradox is doing such a good job hiding info xD

also

So if I behtrols my 13yrs old Heir to a Kings 19yrs old daughter(Who I hope is still a Virgin and not a mother of 3 bastards), I get a Non-Agression pact ? Which mean where not allies yet and are still enemies, but we cant attack one another?

 

[james24eagle]

We need dowries and marriage contract negotiations.

 

[theStormWeaver]

I am so confused on this new expansion. Is it mainly going to focus on DIPLO or WARRRRR!!!!

Paradox is doing such a good job hiding info xD

also

So if I behtrols my 13yrs old Heir to a Kings 19yrs old daughter(Who I hope is still a Virgin and not a mother of 3 bastards), I get a Non-Agression pact ? Which mean where not allies yet and are still enemies, but we cant attack one another?

Correct. It can become an alliance through diplomatic interaction one you have a NAP.
I think this is an awesome addition to diplomacy. It creates a much finer set of controls over your foreign relations. As Malcolm III, I would definitely want a NAP with the Bastard, but wouldn't want to be pulled into his war for France.

 

[SaintxNio]

Correct. It can become an alliance through diplomatic interaction one you have a NAP.
I think this is an awesome addition to diplomacy. It creates a much finer set of controls over your foreign relations. As Malcolm III, I would definitely want a NAP with the Bastard, but wouldn't want to be pulled into his war for France.

Oh wow, I am starting to like this now. Hopefully I can now have a real Ironman-Man gameplay as Finland in 769 start and not have to worry about the norse and OP Nomands in the east

 

[alfian]

Will you add new Cultures; Bosnian (Kotromanic) & Albanian (Progonic).

 

[Lord_P]

Will you add new Cultures; Bosnian (Kotromanic) & Albanian (Progonic).

In my honest opinion, Slovene and Slovak would be more needed, although it's still odd that EU4 doesn't have them. They just sprung out of nothingness just in time for Victoria 2?

 

[sreckom92]

In my honest opinion, Slovene and Slovak would be more needed, although it's still odd that EU4 doesn't have them. They just sprung out of nothingness just in time for Victoria 2?

Cultures and culture conversion should definitively be given a look.
And why not Albanian, Bosnian, Slovene and Slovak?

 

[qbln]

any performance improves in this patch/expansion?

 

[Matthias_Wlkp]

Is there a chance for a word from the devs about how the new alliance mechanic will affect factions and civil wars?

 

[Rags17]

Cultures and culture conversion should definitively be given a look.
And why not Albanian, Bosnian, Slovene and Slovak?

Why not Bavarian or Alemanian while we're at it ? "German" culture in 769 ? PUHHH - leez !

 

[Keizer Harm]

Why not Bavarian or Alemanian while we're at it ? "German" culture in 769 ? PUHHH - leez !

What we really need is a hedgehog culture.

 

[Rags17]

What we really need is a hedgehog culture.

hedgehog= {
        graphical_cultures = { hedgehoggfx }
   
        color = { 0.8 0.2 0.2 }
   
        male_names = { Harry Spike Nick Ruffles Pointdexter Sharpie Needles "Mister Snuffles" Groogy etc }
        female_names = { Harriette Spikina Nicola Ruffles Pointsettia Sharperella Needelia "Miss Snuffles" Groogerella etc }
        from_dynasty_prefix = "the "
        bastard_dynasty_prefix = "Spits"

       allow_looting = yes
       seafarer = no   # Are you serious ?!

        modifier = default_culture_modifier
        # Chance of male children being named after their paternal or maternal grandfather, or their father. Sum must not exceed 100.
        pat_grf_name_chance = 30
        mat_grf_name_chance = 10
        father_name_chance = 25
   
        # Chance of female children being named after their paternal or maternal grandmother, or their mother. Sum must not exceed 100.
        pat_grm_name_chance = 20
        mat_grm_name_chance = 40
        mother_name_chance = 5

        tribal_name = "TRIBAL_NAME_PROV_HEDGEHOG"
        founder_named_dynasties = yes
}

You're welcome.

 

[Moarice]

hedgehog= {
        graphical_cultures = { hedgehoggfx }
     
        color = { 0.8 0.2 0.2 }
     
        male_names = { Harry Spike Nick Ruffles Pointdexter Sharpie Needles Mister Snuffles Groogy etc }
        female_names = { Harriette Spikina Nicola Ruffles Pointsettia Sharperella Needelia Miss Snuffles Groogerella etc }
        from_dynasty_prefix = "the "
        bastard_dynasty_prefix = "Spits"

       allow_looting = yes
       seafarer = no   # Are you serious ?!

        modifier = default_culture_modifier
        # Chance of male children being named after their paternal or maternal grandfather, or their father. Sum must not exceed 100.
        pat_grf_name_chance = 30
        mat_grf_name_chance = 10
        father_name_chance = 25
     
        # Chance of female children being named after their paternal or maternal grandmother, or their mother. Sum must not exceed 100.
        pat_grm_name_chance = 20
        mat_grm_name_chance = 40
        mother_name_chance = 5

        tribal_name = "TRIBAL_NAME_PROV_HEDGEHOG"
        founder_named_dynasties = yes

Your welcome.

This is beautiful.