• 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.

Dev Diary #97: Pagan Pals - Warrior Lodges

Greetings!

This week we want to show you the work we have been doing on the new society type: Warrior Lodges!

(This is where you scroll down to play the sound clip found in this dev diary, for an insight into the background ambiance of the societies, and how the dev team sounds when we hang out)

It's a society perfect for the rowdy pagan or tribal ruler: the one who drinks, fights, and brags about it to your friends. Of course, underneath that rough surface, lies a heart that swells at the thought of camaraderie, and helping you defeat your enemies.

That said, joining isn't for everyone. You have to fight to prove yourself, and duels are not for the faint of heart.

Fleeing_initiation_duel.png


The ones that do make it into the Warrior Lodge can also insist that their children attempt the initiation!

Once a member, you can enjoy special events on the battlefield, and intimidating power. Going up against a member of a warrior lodge is a calculated risk, but only cowards back out of challenge. While you might lose a leg dueling your friend for sport, you could also end up founding a bloodline as a famous warrior hero, having your legacy stay with your dynasty through centuries.

Warrior Bloodline.png




Each playable pagan religion has its own version of a Warrior Lodge, with some unique touches to them. Art is of course one of them.

Society_Menu.png



Then we have things like Create Fetish, a Power exclusive to the African Warrior Lodge. It allows your ruler to order the forging of a special type of artifact, ranging from mere rain-sticks to scare off ghosts, to large totem masks infused with the energy of ancient spirits.


The mask artifacts come in many varieties and shapes, and as they can be equipped to a separate face slot in your Treasury they can appear on your character’s portrait whenever they are worn. Both their shape and effects will depend on investments made during their creation, as well as on the type of spirit you decide to infuse them with. Do you wish to channel the energy of a benevolent river god, or that of a trickster?

WLfetish.jpg



In addition to Powers, and the various missions you can choose to accept, you might also find yourself involved in side activities, such as feasting events and competitions. Make sure to always pick up the challenges from your fellow warriors, or you might lose influence within their circle, be it a drinking contest, an arm-wrestling match, or the Flyting game of patience, where you and your opponent will hurl all sorts of insults at each other, to see who loses his cool first. If that is you, do not fret: even if your character ends up horribly humiliated, nothing is stopping you from being a sore loser and challenging your opponent to real duel in the aftermath…

WLflyting.jpg


Duels are also no longer locked solely the War Focus, but all Warrior Lodge members can enjoy fighting all up close and personal. In general, duels are a large past time for members of these societies, and Personal Combat Rating has been revamped to fit the new system. Outcomes of the duels vary from mere bruises to severe injuries. There is naturally also the chance of one thing leading to another, and you might find yourself making friends (or lovers)...


Thank you for your time. :)
 

Attachments

  • Warrior Lodge Ambiance.wav
    2,7 MB · Views: 6.357
While I quite like this update, I must admit to being slightly disappointed that we haven't seen some secret societies for polytheists that aren't dedicated to war and fighting yet. Hopefully the religious customization options added to reforming the faith in this DLC will enable polytheists to join the Hermetic society somehow. Pagans really do need some stuff to do that isn't just hitting people in the face with an axe or sword.;)
 
While I quite like this update, I must admit to being slightly disappointed that we haven't seen some secret societies for polytheists that aren't dedicated to war and fighting yet. Hopefully the religious customization options added to reforming the faith in this DLC will enable polytheists to join the Hermetic society somehow. Pagans really do need some stuff to do that isn't just hitting people in the face with an axe or sword.;)

They said that reforming with the Astrology doctrine allows hermetics.
 
I wonder if it will still be possible to converting to, lets say, catholicism, joining the Hermetics and convert back into a pagan religion (without the astrology doctrine) and not getting thrown out of the society.
 
It's not the last DLC. PDX did plan to put out a certain number of DLCs back in the day, but that has changed. Currently the official stance is that they'll keep making new expansions as long as people keep buying them and they have new ideas.

Oh I totally missed that update, thank you for the clarification. That said, I can't imagine what else they could do for a DLC that would fit in the universe of CK2 at this point. I'm sure there are still some good ideas kicking around, but at this point it might be time to wrap up the CK2 experience given how long it's been going. My concern is more of the bloat that came with the Princes of Raja and how that dragged the game to a crawl. The biggest thing I loved about Reaper's Due and it's related patch was how better the game was optimized. If more content is to be expected then I hope staying on top of the game's functionality comes along with it.
 
dude this pagan lodge thing is good and I liked it but why muslim(expect shia) and mazdan characters dont have their own unique societies in reality both of these groups had many
sects and cults and they were influential even in politics I hope someday devs add societies to these religious groups too
The Mutazilites and Ashari should've been made into societies.
 
The main idea with making them Pagan is that Pagans really have no society choices as it is. Christians have monastics and the hermetics. Most Pagans only have satanists and people can turn that off. Yeah, you could adapt them for certain Christians too, but the focus needs to be on Pagans.

Seeing as Knightly lifestyles is the first thing that most people think of when someone mentions Middle Ages, this is incorrect. European Christians should be able to join a society of Knights that allow them to participate in all the fun Knightly stuff, like jousts, tournaments, wooing maidens, reciting cheesy poetry, and so on.

Not to mention that having Knighthood would create a good contrast: on one hand you have the rough Pagan Warriors, while on the other side you have the more refined Knights.
 
Seeing as Knightly lifestyles is the first thing that most people think of when someone mentions Middle Ages, this is incorrect.
No it's not. Yes, knightly society would fit thematically. But one of the biggest complaints since M&M came out wasn't that they they should be in the game, but that Pagans don't have any choice when it comes to societies.
 
Seeing as Knightly lifestyles is the first thing that most people think of when someone mentions Middle Ages, this is incorrect. European Christians should be able to join a society of Knights that allow them to participate in all the fun Knightly stuff, like jousts, tournaments, wooing maidens, reciting cheesy poetry, and so on.
Hey, you can do all those things in CK2. Throw and participate in tournaments, seduce your way across the continent, get depressed over your poetry turning out garbage... And your sons can even beg you to join knightly orders. Sounds like it's already covered, particularly if you count your martial-trained unlanded family/courtiers to be filling in knight slots :cool:
 
Sorry to be that guy, but are they any DD planed for today or did miss some info? (which is quite possible) no biggie if they are none, but at least i'll stop refreshing my forum tab every 5 minute :)
 
Maybe the problem with knightly fighting orders being implemented is aren't we as counts dukes and kings in an entirely different level of society?

Even higher nobility played with the Knightly lifestyle when they desired. That was more or less the only interesting thing to do in peace times. Nobody just sat in their living room, drinking wine and doing nothing.
 
I think the reason the Aztecs doesn't get one is that neither of their famous ones were formed at this point, in fact the aztecs didn't exist until the last century or so. Kind of hard to write events on something with no background info.
Since the Aztec invasion is fictional, their societies could be fictional as well.
Not that I would want them, just saying...