It's Wednesday, and time to answer some questions about the upcoming DLC for Crusader Kings II; Legacy of Rome. The focus of this mini-expansion is going to be the Byzantine Empire and the Orthodox church. First off, in order to clear up any confusion from the original announcement, it's a bit smaller in scope than the Sword of Islam so the price is set at $5.99. While I say it's smaller in scope, if you include all the stuff we're adding for free in the accompanying patch (v1.07) it's probably about the same size as SoI and v1.06.

So, let's take a look at what's in the DLC and what's in patch 1.07...

LEGACY OF ROME DLC

• Retinue system. If you don't have the DLC, you won't see the new interface and you cannot hire retinues (and neither will the AI.) The technology that controls the max size of your retinue and relative decrease of normal levy sizes simply does not have this effect without the DLC.
• Orthodox Councillor models
• Major Decisions for the Byzantine Empire
• Byzantine Events

Oh, and we're taking another tack with the DLC this around - if you don't own the DLC, the AI won't be using the new mechanics or events either. Also, from now on in multiplayer mode, the host will control which DLCs are active.

PATCH 1.07

• Faction system. Replaces many existing plots and normal revolt mechanics with factions.
• Personal Improvement Ambitions
• Orthodox Patriarch system
• Have both a Plot and an Ambition at the same time
• Revised levy raising. (You raise a single, large levy from each direct vassal. The opinions of vassals of vassals are irrelevant.)
• Leader Focus on Combat
• More Cultural Buildings
• Improved AI
• Bug fixes (of course)

I will talk about all these features in detail in upcoming dev diaries, but for now, that's all!

 

[Sleight of Hand]

You are not seeing the immense amount of content in the patch..?

Yes, of course. But no one has to pay for that...

 

[apg]

In addition to a "Tyrian purple" interface, some Byzantine Specific Units (Heavy Cavalry - Cataphracts/ / "Greek Fire" for the Byzantine Navy) would had been great
Plus some Byzantine Music/Chants.
The current DLC sounds indeed much to "lite"

well it is only going to be £4.

 

[NADster]

I want a Roman purple interface for the true heirs of Augustus.

+1, and willing to pay for it!

 

[SplingeMcGraw]

I wonder if the levy condensing was to deal with the horrible lag from empires raising all?

 

[Silberkralle84]

You wouldn't have had to exclude them either with the old system.

They could have handled it differently. The old EU3 addon style for example (yes, I know, they wanted to abandon that style) or they could have made it in a way that every player had to deactivate and play without the features even though some had payed for them.
But I think this model is really awesome, ever since I first saw it in action in Magicka.

 

[Spartanlemur]

You are not seeing the immense amount of content in the patch..?

SoH is right. All that's new is that's been changed really are wars, Orthodox church (not even relevant for 90% of the games I play) and a few plots. The biggest issue with the game; the lack of entertaining peaceful gameplay (things to do other than endless feasts, tourneys and fairs) has not even been glanced at.

In truth, i'd rather pay £15 for a full-featured expansion which makes the game feel immensely better.

 

[KingCharlesXII]

Aren't they un historical ? I think, in france at least, the first standing army has been created by charle VII in 1445

My feelings exactly. I was more excited until I saw that.

 

[Meroveeus]

well it is only going to be £4.

So they should add more content (my wishlist is already posted) and charge more then
As you can see it looks like there is definetly a demand here from people who would like to have more content and would also be willing to pay for that.

 

[Sotof]

DLC and Patch are two different pair of shoes.

No they are not. The patch may be free, but the DLC finance the patch. This is simply a more consumer-friendly way to go about making DLCs.

 

[Meroveeus]

No they are not. The patch may be free, but the DLC finance the patch. This is simply a more consumer-friendly way to go about making DLCs.

OK I work for a very big software company - you could be right - but you don't have to (and I doubt it). The patch could be also financed through any other new Paradox Title. Or the costs for future patches are already calculated into the price of the original game when bought.
So I stick to my statement.

 

[Meneth]

So they should add more content (my wishlist is already posted) and charge more then

So far every major DLC (Ruler Designer and Sword of Islam) has had smaller DLC released alongside. There's no reason to expect this to not to be the case this time around.

As you can see it looks like there is definetly a demand here from people who would like to have more content and would also be willing to pay for that.

Then it can be a separate DLC rather than raising the price of LoR itself
Not that it matters much either way to me; I own all the DLC for the game, and will likely continue buying it all.

 

[Sotof]

SoH is right. All that's new is that's been changed really are wars, Orthodox church (not even relevant for 90% of the games I play) and a few plots. The biggest issue with the game; the lack of entertaining peaceful gameplay (things to do other than endless feasts, tourneys and fairs) has not even been glanced at.

In truth, i'd rather pay £15 for a full-featured expansion which makes the game feel immensely better.

* Personal Improvement Ambitions
* Orthodox Patriarch system
* Have both a Plot and an Ambition at the same time
* More Cultural Buildings
* Byzantine Events
* Major Decisions for the Byzantine Empire

All peaceful additions. I do not see the problem.

 

[Sleight of Hand]

Doomdark has acknowledged that this DLC pack will contain less than the previous one, hence the price drop. Like many, however, I'd rather it had been a total revamp of Orthodoxy in general (focusing on the Byzantines and Rus' equally) and been the same price as SoI. In fact, I wouldn't have minded if they'd made Orthodox characters unplayable unless you'd bought it... but I realize they've always been playable, and that may upset some people who feel they're having things taken away from them. I totally get that, but this does nonetheless feel like an opportunity missed.

This also makes me worry that we'll never see a revamp for the Rus' and Abyssinia (who, as many people report consistently, are essentially unplayable due to no access to mercenaries and being heretics surrounded by holy-war loving neighbors with no knowledge of the historical non-aggression pact between Christians and Muslims in East Africa).

 

[Meneth]

OK I work for a very big software company - you could be right - but you don't have to (and I doubt it). The patch could be also financed through any other new Paradox Title. Or the costs for future patches are already calculated into the price of the original game when bought.
So I stick to my statement.

Paradox has stated quite clearly that free patches will be released as long as enough people buy the DLC.
As such, the DLC definitely does finance the patches. Arguing otherwise would be silly.

 

[Sotof]

OK I work for a very big software company - you could be right - but you don't have to (and I doubt it). The patch could be also financed through any other new Paradox Title. Or the costs for future patches are already calculated into the price of the original game when bought.
So I stick to my statement.

I am quite certain that they stated when they introduced these new DLCs that the patches were financed by the DLC. I could remember wrong of course.

 

[Sleight of Hand]

* Personal Improvement Ambitions
* Orthodox Patriarch system
* Have both a Plot and an Ambition at the same time
* More Cultural Buildings
* Byzantine Events
* Major Decisions for the Byzantine Empire

All peaceful additions. I do not see the problem.

In bold are things that we've had added in free patches before. So, in short, you're just paying for some Byzantine flavor events/decisions and a couple of new models for your councillors.

 

[Amadeu of Savoy]

[*]Revised levy raising. (You raise a single, large levy from each direct vassal. The opinions of vassals of vassals are irrelevant.)

I love this!

 

[Phelan]

Aren't they un historical ? I think, in france at least, the first standing army has been created by charle VII in 1445

My feelings exactly. I was more excited until I saw that.

In the timeframe of CK II there were for example the huscarls of Harald Godwinson (3000 men).

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Housecarl

 

[Laur]

One of the things that bothers me most in CK2 is seeing the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire changing location following one of the many civil wars that beset the Empire. Thus, Constantinople becomes the residence of a small count (the former Emperor) and the (new) Emperor finds himself/herself residing somewhere in Vidin, Tyrnovo, Amisos or Dvin, never to return to the Queen of the Cities. Historically, a civil war for the imperial crown did not depend on warscore but on the capacity of the pretender to enter Constantinople and have himself crowned in the Hagia Sophia. Thus, I would like to see this reflected in the game play, either through events or through a permanent cassus-belli and a loss of prestige for the pretender for every month he/she does not control the city.

 

[Meroveeus]

Ok we are getting offtopic but thanks for the information - and I take this kind of statements if made with caution as they are not and can't be verifiable in the end. So this will remain speculative as no one can look into the internal financial books.

Doesn't change the point that the DLC could be more content rich for an approbiate higher price.