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Tinto Flavour #6 - 14th of February 2025 - Bohemia

Hello, and welcome one more week to Tinto Flavour, the happy Friday when we take a look at the content of the new, super-secret Project Caesar. Today we will be travelling to the Kingdom of Bohemia, a charming place that is worth setting video games in…:

"Charles IV, King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor, had a long and successful reign…

The lands of Bohemia are a territory inhabited by Slavs in the heart of the Germanic Holy Roman Empire. After a long period under the Přemyslid dynasty, the current de Luxembourg rulers may tighten the ties the country has with the Empire, although King Jehan the Blind de Luxembourg is more Francien than German, having been educated in the royal court of Paris.

Keeping both the Nobility and the common folk satisfied under a foreign King, and navigating the political intricacies of the Holy Roman Empire will prove a hurdle for anybody. Fortunately, Bohemia is a strong Kingdom, but will it succeed in its ambitions?"

Country Selection.jpg

As usual, please consider the UI, 2D and 3D art as WIP.

Here you have the lands of Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia:
Bohemia.jpg

You might notice some location and country changes… More about that at the end of this post!

Bohemia starts in a very interesting diplomatic situation:
Diplomacy.jpg

From top to bottom: Rivals, Enemies (Rivals are the countries chosen by the player, while Enemies are the countries that chose our country as a Rival), Wars, Embargos, Subjects, and Alliances.

Here is a clearer view using the Diplomatic map mode:
Diplomatic Situation.jpg

Jehan ‘the Blind’ is Count of Luxembourg, his inherited and main title; King of Bohemia, after his marriage with Elizabeth Přemyslid, the last princess of that dynasty; and Duke of Wrocław and overlord of Silesia, after his agreement with King Casimir III of Poland on the Treaty of Trentschin, in 1335. His heir is his son Charles, who rules over Moravia. You can also notice that Lower Bavaria is your ally, and all the countries involved in the ongoing Teuton-Polish War. As usual, take the map as WIP, as we’ve already internally discussed that the colouring needs to be improved, to portray better the diplomatic situation shown above.

Bohemia starts with a unique government reform, the ‘Bohemian Commonwealth’:
Bohemian Commonwealth.jpg

It also has a couple of unique Estate Privilege. The ‘Inaugural Diplomas’ were granted by King Jehan in 1311, after he acceded to the throne:
Inaugural Diplomas.jpg

While ‘Ius Teutonicum’ is a privilege for the Commoners, it represents the German settlements across the country:
Ius Teutonicum.jpg

This privilege can be coupled with the ‘Invite German Settlers’ that we mentioned in Tinto Flavour #1, making for a strong combination if you want to grow the population of your country.

As a side note, the Parliament of Bohemia has a flavour name, that we added following your feedback in Tinto Talks #41:
Zemsky Snem.jpg

Let’s take a look at some of the unique advances of Bohemia, now. The first unlocks a unique unit, the ‘Wagenburg’:
Wagenburg.jpg

Wagenburg2.jpg

We also have advances for later ages, such as the famous ‘Bohemian Crystal’ in the Age of Discovery, or ‘Bohemian Thaler’ in the Age of Reformation:
Bohemian Crystal.jpg

Bohemian Thaler.jpg

Let’s take a look now at the narrative content for Bohemia because it is very interesting. The main historical event of the period probably is the Hussite Wars, which we’re representing with a Situation:
Hussite Wars1.png

The situation may trigger around 1400, with this event initiating it:
Hussite Wars Trigger.png

These are the two options:
Hussite Wars Trigger2.png

Hussite Wars Trigger3.png

If the player selects the first, Bohemia will convert to Hussitism:
Hussite Bohemia.png

Hussitism.png

Jan Hus will be a character appearing in the game and founding this religion, but we will talk about him in a future Tinto Flavour devoted to another situation, the ‘Western Schism’.

The Pope will be able to declare a Crusade to restore Catholicism in Bohemia with a follow-up event, and the Hussite Wars will start after that:

Hussite Wars2.png

I triggered the situation from the console, so we obviously have some weird behaviors here with the countries called to arms, the leaders, etc.; please take this panel as a ‘template’ of how the situation will look like when triggered organically in a regular gameplay.

Apart from the side of the situation (Defender of Rome and Defenders of Bohemia), and their respective leaders, there are a few actions that can be performed by Bohemia through the situation:
Force Conversions.png
Prepare the Defenses.png

Aligh with the Moderates.png

Align with the Radicals.png

The currency that you have to pay to perform these actions is called ‘Religious Influence’. We will talk more about it in the future Tinto Talks devoted to Catholic and Protestant religions.

More content and events will trigger during the situation. And, finally, these are the conditions that may end the Situation, either with a Catholic or a Hussite victory:
Catholic Victory.png

Hussite Victory.png

The 30 years that the situation may last is subject to future balance, as usual.

Let’s take a look now at some of the Bohemian Dynamic Historical Events:

‘Maiestas Carolina’ is an event that unlocks a unique policy of the same name for the Legal Code law, if the first option is selected:
Maiestas Carolina.png

Maiestas Carolina2.png

There will be the option to found a University in Prague:
University of Prague.png

And also to sponsor an artist to craft a new fancy crown:
Crown of Bohemia.png

Crown of Bohemia2.png
You may notice that King Jehan wears a fancy, new crown, compared with the previous event. The name of the country will also change to ‘Crown of Bohemia’, and the ‘Crown of Saint Wenceslas’ will be created as a ‘Regalia’ work of art.

Last, but not least, I think that I might be willing to get a cold beer after this Tinto Flavour:
Liquid Delight.png

Brewery.png
Pivo, prosím!

…And much more content will be available for Bohemia, but that’s all for today! I won’t be available for the replies, but my fellow coworker @Roger Corominas will be replying instead of me. For next week, we will have the HRE Tinto Maps Feedback on Monday, and next Friday’s Tinto Flavour country will be Bavaria. Cheers!
 

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If you want to radically convert (the modifier you get gives you bonuses)
Could you put that in the tooltip for both align with the radicals and align with the moderates? I assume there's an opposing modifier for the other option.
 
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Some follow up questions for the Hussite wars. Since the Pope can call a crusade and since TT #12 said that crusades are international organizations, does that mean there will be an international organization linked to this situation as well? If yes, can other countries on Bohemia's side take leadership of the Hussite cause if they are more powerful?

And speaking of other countries, who can become involved? Is it proximity based? And can countries supporting the Hussites embrace Hussitism through the situation and then also use those situation abilities? If so, can they continue the Hussite cause even if Bohemia itself switches back to Catholicism?

Can Hussites in Bohemia sway undecided countries to help defend them by, I dunno, offering them the Bohemian crown?
 
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That for characters that are descendant from characters already present in game, that is not something we can force to happen (or rather, it would be too limiting if we had to force it)
I get it if its like many generations on, but IMO sons of historical characters who start the game off should be fine to fudge in. Sigismund and Wenceslaus in this case, or for another example the Yongle Emperor(Zhu Di), etc. Once you get a few generations on I understand its simply not feasible but for early ones IMO it should be fine.
 
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1. I would change the "Death to catholicism!" in the Hussite wars event to something else. The Hussites considered themselves catholics, so they would not say that. I am not sure what would they say though. Maybe "Death to *name of current pope".
2. Until when does Bohemia get flavour content? They formed a personal union with Hungary and Austria since early 16th century and at some points even earlier, but since personal unions are now much more nuanced, I think they should be considered worth of flavour at least until the battle of the white mountain in 1620.
3. The crown of saint Wenceslas was only used for coronations as far as I am aware of and than it was placed on the skull of saint Wenceslas for the rest of the reign, so it is not very realistic to show the king wearing it on regular basis.
To 1) Hussites saw themselves as the one true successor of the Apostolic Church, which in the west got corrupted by the Papacy. The moderates soon after started to call themselves "Kališníci" - Calixtines.
Few questions:
1) What determines ones primary title?
2) IIRC, there are some Přemyslids left in Silesia, how plausible is it to get one of them on your throne?
3) Relatedly, how does Bohemian succession work? Traditionally Bohemia had something like an elective monarchy as I understand, is that represented in-game?
4) If Luxembourg held on to the Bohemian Crown and managed to integrate it as the senior partner, would they keep the electorate (and get at least some Bohemian flavour?)
To 3) as long as there was a strong legitimate male heir, the succession wasn't contested (except for in Sigismund's case there was an open rebellion but even then there was no serious other claimant). Usually the new ruler just confirmed existing rights and got his coronation. This is also the reason why all ruler's after the death of Václav III married into the Přemyslid dynasty and Charles IV was more keen on his Přemyslid heritage (also in opposition to his father). There was no one who wanted to place a "proper" Přemyslid on the throne, because he was after all the grandson of Václav II.
 
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This is currently how we have it, as the war was technically still ongoing. However, we are always open to iterations and reviews.
The war had been 'frozen' for many years. Consider an 'armistice' as the starting point for the international situation in this region.

I believe that starting the game with a war involving a dozen or so countries in Central Europe is too risky. Only the economic and military potential of the participating states will be taken into account, without considering the political and international situation. The winner will be determined solely by who is stronger on paper, and I’m not sure if that’s the goal.

The war was frozen, and the focus was rather on finding a way to end it. Such a 'global' war on day one could lead to bizarre situations on the map of Central Europe right at the start of the game.

Unless, of course, you have some mechanics up your sleeve to prevent that.


EDIT:
You could also give all participating sides a significant 'war fatigue' modifier, encouraging them to seek peace.
 
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Some questions and ideas:
  • Any content related to the potential election of a Jagellonian / Habsburg as historically happened ? How the union system will deal with the crowns of Bohemia and Hungary being in a Union?
  • Bohemia had a interesting set of offices (chancellor Marshall...). Part of them were reserved for the knights. Is there any representation of that conflict between high and low nobility?
  • Any content regarding the burghers? Royal cities were really important in Bohemia
  • Any content regarding the county of Kladsko? eger/Cheb?
  • Any content regarding taxing beer?
  • Historically there were two major conflicts with the Habsburg regarding their centralisation. I guess you'll have content for that but... Is it Habsburg linked or can it be triggered by any centralising king?
The office holders from time to time were even more powerful than the king himself. Jindřich z Lipé was notorious for being the true king behind John the Blind just a couple of years prior to the game's start date; it also happened later on during the regency for Ladislaus Postumus or during the Jagellionian kings.
It's why I'd suggest at least adding a privilege for the nobility which simulates them reigning free.

Or maybe their (Latin) names could be used as flavour names for the offices like:
  • supremus Regni Bohemiae burgravius
  • supremus magister curiae
  • supremus marchalcus
  • camerarius supremus
  • iudex Bohemiae
  • supremus cancellarius regni Bohemiae
  • summus iudex curiae
  • summus notarius terrae
  • subcamerarius
  • Carlsteinae burggravius of the lords
  • Carlsteinae burggravius of the knights
  • burggravius Reginogradecensis

I'd also agree that the Imperial City of Eger should be a vassal of the Bohemian crown instead of an integrated part. For this purpose I want to cite from this source (https://www.egerlaender.de/userfile...eschichte/Verpfändung des Egerlandes 1322.pdf ):

King John (of Bohemia) now legally took possession of the pledge. The people of Eger paid him the customary homage. On the 23th of October 1322 in Prague, John granted them a constitutional charter in seven articles. The people of Eger were probably satisfied with this constitutional charter. Not only that John had granted them all their earlier privileges, including that of Emperor Rudolf of Habsburg on the 7th of June 1279, the right of Eger as an imperial city, the freedom from customs granted by King Albrecht on the 7th of March 1305 against Nuremberg, the freedom from any court granted by the same ruler on the 25th of June and many other important rights. He made a special promise to them to maintain the Egerland in its present state and to make them completely independent of his supreme officials in Bohemia. Only with him or his representative, the captain, whom he wanted to nominate, should they henceforth have to deal with.This also established the position of the Egerland as a separate territory, completely independent of Bohemia under constitutional law. From another important document it can be concluded that the people of Eger were also asked for their opinion and that they were given a kind of legal deposit of the pledge.From then on, this document formed the basis for the constitutional position of the Egerland against Bohemia. All of John's successors in Bohemia and the respective German emperors up to and including Emperor Charles IV confirmed this "Polladium".Repeated attempts to include the Egerland in the Bohemian Diet resolutions remained unsuccessful and for centuries the rulers negotiated with the citizens of Eger in all matters concerning the land of Bohemia through imperial commissioners specially dispatched to Eger. Article 1 of the Osnabrück Treaty of 24 October 1648 expressly declares the Egerland "as not belonging to the Kingdom of Bohemia".

(I put it into a translator for your convenience)


So even after more than three centuries the Egerland was still seen as separate to the Kingdom of Bohemia!
 
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Good breakdown of Bohemia.
 
How will the Hussite internal factions (Ultraquists and Taborites) be modeled? Will they just be simple modifiers to your country or will they distinctly split off from Hussitism as their own religions?
 
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Few questions:
1) What determines ones primary title?
2) IIRC, there are some Přemyslids left in Silesia, how plausible is it to get one of them on your throne?
3) Relatedly, how does Bohemian succession work? Traditionally Bohemia had something like an elective monarchy as I understand, is that represented in-game?
4) If Luxembourg held on to the Bohemian Crown and managed to integrate it as the senior partner, would they keep the electorate (and get at least some Bohemian flavour?)
1) Your highest title, imo.

2) Slim at best. You see, Nicholas I was a bastard. And while he was legitimised, the papal bull specifically excluded him from Bohemian succession. And he wasn't really powerful until receiving a lot of land under Jan the Blind.

3) Actually a really good question. It's less so that Bohemia was an elective monarchy, but more so the succession laws were weak, estates were poweful and dynasties were getting replaced quickly. So the estates ended up having a lot of say.

4) Presumably. Bohemia remained an elector under Habsburg rule, so I don't see why that would change if Luxemburgs remained in control. I'd actually see them becoming more Bohemian due to how much more valuable Bohemia was, and them being from Western Germany would become a fun fact, similar to the Habsburgs being from Switzerland.
 
Can you please rename Elizabeth Přemyslid to Eliška Přemyslid? It sounds strange to have an English first name there. (If she even appears in the game as the king's wife, I don't know how that works).
Her own name was Eliška, especially since you put a lot of emphasis on names being in the original language.
Otherwise it looks good, thanks for your efforts devs!
 
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1-I know that, I meant the type/kind of vassal since the icon is a bit different from the others
2-Why? That's a weird decision since it's more appropriate as the flag of a united Bavaria amd there are better choices;
This one here is better
View attachment 1254319
it was used for the Palatinate too but the Rhine had another variant Coa and eventually flags too
View attachment 1254325
And if you think that that the first one is too similar to the banner of Munich Bavaria then just use the modern Coa
View attachment 1254324

1. Oh, sorry, I thought you were asking for the country. It is a fiefdom, a special type of vassal.
2. The Palatinate one is already being used for the Palatinate. We think that the current one is the most accurate at the start of the game, but we can take another look at it.
The lozenge CoA was introduced in around 1337 by the Wittelsbachs, so from that point of view it's the most fitting for that year. Though I can also understand that differentiation between all the different branches is needed, but e.g. the current CoA of Lower Bavaria was created in the late 19th century.

I would probably go with:
- lozenge CoA for (Upper) Bavaria as HREmperor
- Landshuter CoA (as main residence city) for Lower Bavaria (or quartering it with the lozenge CoA)
- Quartered lion and lozenge CoA for the formable Bavaria (the whole duchy and electorate used this one with a crown in the middle)

But it is rather hard because all of them used the same flag (though the Palatinate can just use the lion).

1739554533695.png

(around the start date)
 
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The diplomatic mapmode looks really good. Seeing these constant marginal improvements is really nice.

I'll comment on this bit of UI.

1739554531066.png


The icons looks good, except for the alliances one. Perhaps rotate it a bit more its not immediately clear that its two clasped hands imo.
The embargo one is also a bit too shiny - it is perhaps the least important and it stands out the most.

The war panel's color scheme is great. Since we are rarely involved in more than 4 wars at a time, with the large majority of the time either 0 or 1/2 wars, making each separate war icon larger seems sensible. In a square for example, you have more space to write out essential characteristics of the war, like war goal/type, current war score... I'm also not a fan of the orange/green circle - the number used in subjects tab is much cleaner imo. In general the subjects tab looks really good making the war one similar to it makes sense. - also from a logical standpoint why is more of my screen occupied in telling me the characteristics of a minor vassal (out of the 20 I've got) rather than important stats about the WAR i'm currently engaged in

That's it, thanks for this TT.

Edit : maybe the circle is a good idea for quick visual inspection. psa 6 ppl liked this post before I posted this edit part - they may not agree with it!
 
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Will place names and locations be variable based on what cultures control them? I know earlier you all said that the names cannot be changed by us currently, but I am just wondering if like Wroclaw will become Breslau if Prussia controls it, or if Anvers becomes Anjou if Britain controls it. Just curious

Also, cheers on the great work! I cannot wait to play this.
 
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i assume he means mainly the Polish succession
I sort of hope it's both (love economic stuff)
yeah i hope to see something to represent the Szekely seats
So same, so far they seem to focus a lot on the Ostsiedlung of Germans but the Székely and Jász-Cuman privileges and contributions are just as interesting imo. I wonder if there is a way to portray the differences between them too.
honestly ironic since the Rosenbergs were the almost always on the catholic side
Truly an interesting scenario but honestly I love it!
 
will Hussitism spread naturally beyond the borders of the Bohemian state? Can a Bohemian player encourage that? How easily can nearby german princes convert?
I really want to know how Hussites will interact with Lollards, Krstjani, Calvinists, and Lutherans, but this is not the tinto talk for it i think
 
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