Greetings, fellow medievalists!

'Tis Thursday, and time for another entry in my ongoing chronicle of fabulousness. You have asked of technology, so today, being the just and kind ruler that I am, I shall speak of technological advancements.

The technology system is, in fact, quite similar to the one in Crusader Kings. There are three main areas of technological advancement; Military, Economy and Culture. Each of these categories contains eight different technologies. For example, in the Military category, we have things like Castles, Bows, Tactics, and Light Armor. Every province in the game has its own level of advancement for all technologies (level 0 to V.) So Thrake might have Castles III, Legalism II, etc. Technology levels control what types of buildings can be built in the county holdings, the quality of the levies raised there, and many other things.



Technology tends to spread to neighboring counties like in Crusader Kings. You can increase the rate of innovation by focusing on one technology per category - also like in the original game. However, you now also have the option of sending one of your councillors to a county to increase the rate of innovation. For example, your Marshal can research military technology in one of your counties, and the Spymaster can study technology in a foreign province, which might spread its advancements to your capital.



The three technology categories are each associated with a character attribute, Military with Martial, Economy with Stewardship, and Culture with Diplomacy. All three are also helped by the Learning attribute (which is new to Crusader Kings II and the primary attribute of the Lord Spiritual). The rate of innovation thus depends on your ruler's skills (and those of the councillors and spouse.)

Until next time!

 

[InboxMadness]

Can your Spymaster get beheaded if he is discovered trying to steal technology?

 

[Sotof]

However, i'm kind of sad to hear that there is no trade in the game (except perhaps the one modelled by the Trading Practices tech)... it really bloomed in the second part of the Middle Ages.

Maybe a DLC will include trade. Paradox could do wonders with the new system.

 

[Doomdark]

Are the amount of holdings available to a province based on how large a population it would be able to support then? Or by how many people lived there historically?

On roughly how fertile the province was.

 

[Doomdark]

Can your Spymaster get beheaded if he is discovered trying to steal technology?

Well, something like it.

 

[iron0037]

There is no trade in the game. Population is represented indirectly by how many - and how developed - Holdings exist in a county. It does not affect the rate of innovation however. The initial tech levels will favour the Muslim world.

Hey Doomdark,
Thanks for the reply. Your answers make sense given the character-centric focus of the game. A lot of other things will be abstracted and pushed to the background because of it. I suppose that it will take some getting used to on my part. As a "builder" strategy gamer, a good chunk of the fun for me is watching my domains prosper. Seeing the my population, trade connections, and GDP increase brings me a great deal of satisfaction .

Consequently, I second the notion that trade would make a good mini-expansion down the road. A population model is extremely difficult and I understand that, but maybe keep it on the drawing boards.

 

[The Valkyrier]

Here is everything I own and every cent I'll ever make for the rest of my life.

Please let me play now.

 

[Subcomandante]

Strange that the council members move to other provinces in person to be caught and punished, they're the seven top people who rule perhaps a nation, and at least a sizable province.

There is no trade in the game. Population is represented indirectly by how many - and how developed - Holdings exist in a county. It does not affect the rate of innovation however. The initial tech levels will favour the Muslim world.

Oversea routes will surely be present to simulate the spread of tech and diseases along those routes.

Thanks for the reply. Your answers make sense given the character-centric focus of the game. A lot of other things will be abstracted and pushed to the background because of it. I suppose that it will take some getting used to on my part. As a "builder" strategy gamer, a good chunk of the fun for me is watching my domains prosper. Seeing the my population, trade connections, and GDP increase brings me a great deal of satisfaction

I hope there is still enough opportunity to build up provinces with buildings, and these buildings affect characters and their education.

 

[Nick B II]

As a "builder" strategy gamer, a good chunk of the fun for me is watching my domains prosper. Seeing the my population, trade connections, and GDP increase brings me a great deal of satisfaction .

There's still a lot of that.

In CK1 most non-military techs had a direct economic result. Either you could raise taxes without pissing people off, or your income magically went up 5%. province improvements will also be present, and be quite important economically. There seem to be a lot of them (one screen had "Shallow Moat" as an option for a castle, which implies there's at least two levels of moat).

Which means it's quite possible to build a crappy country into an unstoppable Force of Conquest simply through economic development. It's just that while you're doing that you'll also have to spend a lot of time on inter-personal stuff most games abstract out, such as what to do with your scheming fifth daughter...

Nick

 

[Tengri]

The one in armor is a marshal, so that probably means he trained in the military. The other mayor, probably, was educated in the court or church.

Does that imply that he is not necessarily a noble, but merely a burgher? Seems as if the nobility wouldn't like being led by someone lesser than themselves.

 

[InboxMadness]

Does that imply that he is not necessarily a noble, but merely a burgher? Seems as if the nobility wouldn't like being led by someone lesser than themselves.

As far as I know, all the characters in the game are noblemen of some level. On the other hand, I don't think Christian Counts would accept a Pagan High Chief as their leader even if he holds a higher rank title. hmm... devs comment please.

 

[Nick B II]

Does that imply that he is not necessarily a noble, but merely a burgher? Seems as if the nobility wouldn't like being led by someone lesser than themselves.

Keep in mind there will only be 100-200 people in all of Ireland. In CK1 it was only 13 provinces, and 10 people a County was a high population. CK2 will probably have slightly higher populations as Barons exist and get families of their own, but I'll be stunned if anyone ever has a game with 300 courtiers in Ireland.

It's safe to assume that anyone who actually appears in-game is nobility, probably very high nobility.

Nick

 

[Tengri]

I don't think Christian Counts would accept a Pagan High Chief as their leader even if he holds a higher rank title. hmm... devs comment please.

Thay had that in CK1, and it resulted in some nasty-grams from the church. Glad it's still in there.

 

[Sotof]

On roughly how fertile the province was.

Sounds good. Thanks for the info.

 

[Arilou]

The titles (Mayor, Chief, Bishop) what do they mean? What type of holding they've been assigned? (So someone assigned to a town is a mayor, a cathedral is a bishop, and a chief is... a pagan holding?) or what?

 

[InboxMadness]

The titles (Mayor, Chief, Bishop) what do they mean? What type of holding they've been assigned? (So someone assigned to a town is a mayor, a cathedral is a bishop, and a chief is... a pagan holding?) or what?

Chief is Pagan Count.

 

[jmschaub]

I'm sensing a partiality toward Sweden in these diaries

 

[Sotof]

I'm sensing a partiality toward Sweden in these diaries

Now why would that be?

 

[Willem IV]

If you can have a Pagan as Steward, would it be possible to have a Muslim, Pagan, Orthodox as Lord Spiritual?

 

[InboxMadness]

If you can have a Pagan as Steward, would it be possible to have a Muslim, Pagan, Orthodox as Lord Spiritual?

In CK1 you would get an event punishing you for having heathens in your court.

 

[Wezqu]

If you can have a Pagan as Steward, would it be possible to have a Muslim, Pagan, Orthodox as Lord Spiritual?

I think it goes like it did in CKI you can have person from any religion as an advisors but not as the religious advisor. So no you could not have muslim, pagan or ortodox as Lord Spiritual if you are Catholic.