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CK2 Dev Diary #17: Crusader Cats

Hello everyone! I’m Virvatuli, one of the Content Designers on The Reaper’s Due, which also happens to be my very first project here at Paradox. It’s been so much fun working on this DLC and I hope you’ll have even more fun playing it! In this week’s DD (another first for me), I will reveal one of Reaper’s most important features. Oh, okay, it might not be that important, but at least it’s my personal favourite and pet project. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you cats.

For the longest time, there’s been a issue regarding the representation of pets in Crusader Kings 2. In the realm of companion animals, there has been a worrisome lack of diversity. Most of you who play Way of Life have probably had a loyal hunting dog, there have been some events regarding birds of prey, and a lucky few Conclave players might have encountered a tiny rodent friend. Sadly, that has been pretty much it on the pet front. To rectify this serious problem we’ve added some additional furry and feathered friends in The Reaper’s Due. As we did, of course we couldn’t leave out the best animal of them all: our Feline Overlords, Befurred Ninjas, Gods of the Internet.

In the new DLC you can befriend a cat in a number of ways. However, as any Dwarf Fortress player or real-life cat lover knows, you do not adopt a cat. A cat adopts you. Once your feline friend has decided that you’re the one and only slave for it, you will receive a fancy “Pet Cat” character modifier (unless you scare it away, you horrible person). It will give your character +1 health, as the cat brings you so much happiness, and +1 intrigue, because we all know that cat owners are a bit more clever than everyone else (hey, it’s science!).

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However, most things can become troublesome in excess, even your love for felines. In every cat owner’s life there comes a time when you ask yourself if you shouldn’t get just one more. At some point, the answer is probably no, at least if you don’t want to scare off all of your friends and repulse the courtiers.

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Unless you want to become even sneakier, that is. Then go ahead and become a Crazy Cat Lady, or a Crazy Cat Lord, if that’s how you identify.

At first thought, one might think that cats would be a very insignificant aspect of a medieval ruler’s life, however, when the Plague comes around to visit this changes drastically. Most of you probably know that the Black Death was likely spread by fleas on rats. Sadly this fact is unknown to ye olde peasant, and when people start to die, some of them might point fingers to our furry protectors. Believe it or not, there are some people who do not like cats. It’s crazy, I know, but trust me on this. How will you deal with their growing fears? Do remember, if you don’t have cats, you’ll have plenty of rats…

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This sneak peak of cats is all you’ll get for now. Don’t worry though, The Reaper’s Due is out on the 25th of August and then you can experience cats for yourself in all their whiskered glory. Next week Darkrenown will talk about more assorted features. Now I need to get back to scripting, there’re still some cat-related subjects which need further exploration… Adieu!
 
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Is this a joke?
Were there even cats in Europe during the Middle ages?
No, cats were invented in 1902 by Satan, but we included them for gameplay reasons.
I think your way of communicating is a bit offensive!
I know you try to be funny, but I actually feel you are giving me "the finger" here - I as a customer ask a question - I have the idea that cats were pet animals in Egypt, but was first really introduced to Europe as a pet in the 15-1600 perhaps - so it is a legit question, and you as a person from Paradox act like this?
I don't get it... It feels like you think you are superior when writing like that.

And sorry, it is not because I sit curled in the corner right now crying - and I can get through it, don't worry - I just want to tell you that the way you communicate is not very "customer-friendly" in my eyes.



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Since cats were a) blamed by the people for the Plague and b) by hunting rodents actually helped to stop it from spreading, then yes, it makes sense to add cats.

It just occurred to me, and I'm genuinely curious and sorely lacking knowledge on the subject, but: how exactly did cats help to reduce/prevent the plague? If it was caused by infected fleas, weren't the cats just as likely to be carriers as rats?
 
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RIDICULOUUUUS.
No, i'm not being a dick, if this feature manages to be good i'll be impresed, first impression: ridiculous.

Good news, you can be impressed. This feature has been in the game for a long time. This is an event chain. What you have issue with is the content of it.
 
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It just occurred to me, and I'm genuinely curious and sorely lacking knowledge on the subject, but: how exactly did cats help to reduce/prevent the plague? If it was caused by infected fleas, weren't the cats just as likely to be carriers as rats?

Cats eat rats, less rats -> less plague. And even if cats could also be carriers for the Nurgle-fleas, there's going to be a lot fewer cats than rats around. So do you want 1 plague cat or 200 plague rats?
 
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Finally cats
 
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It just occurred to me, and I'm genuinely curious and sorely lacking knowledge on the subject, but: how exactly did cats help to reduce/prevent the plague? If it was caused by infected fleas, weren't the cats just as likely to be carriers as rats?
I'm not sure about this specific cases, but there's a lot of subspecies of fleas and most of them focus on one type of host: so it's quite possible that rat fleas wouldn't like cats.
 
I've always considered the Infirm trait as covering senile dementia.
yes, youre right.

Of course, it's a strategy game with RPG-elements, not the other way around!

Which is precisely why major DLCs add new and important strategy/gameplay mechanics, along with the free patches. Honestly, I think most of the strategic core of the game was updated via patches, wasn't it? But this is a minor DLC, and has always been promoted as such.

Minor DLCs such as Sons of Abraham or Way of Life have always been more focused on adding new RP-elements and event chains, since they are easier to create and properly test than large-scale core mechanics changes. And still they feature one or two new mechanics which change the game significantly, so you don't buy just event-packs - Legacy of Rome is a prime example, by adding retinues. And the Reaper will have those as well - the way Plagues are reworked, and the prosperity mechanics will be hugely important strategically from what I can see.

I join you in your hope that the next DLC will feature more core-game improvements. It was announced to be a big one, so it's fair to expect those. From a minor DLC not so much.

Yeah right, they have not even fixed the problems of the last "big" dlc Conclave. You know what happens if I start a new game? My Councilmembers (opinion doesnt matter, even with +50 they start a new faction) start faction "increase council power in XXX". You know what happens if i play as Charlemagne and defeat my brother and reunite Francia ? DEFENSIVE PACTS EVERYWHERE. So youre telling me that it makes sense that a TENGRI King makes a DEFENSIVE PACT with Pagan German, Slavic, Romuva rulers ? Yeah right, THEY FIXED IT .............

Here take a look at these screenshots (sc from 4.8.2016)
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This is my main problem with Paradox. They create soo many dlc and they dont even fix the previous ones.
They have the time to create CAT-RELATED EVENTCHAINS/TRAITS but they cant fix the existing problems ?
Priorities, right ? To be honest i lost every hope that they fix all these problems that this game has right now, and the list of all these problems/issues is long.
 
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Is there going to be a "Appoint Cat to council" option for truly insane rulers?

I love Glitterhoof and all, but if cats are going to be in the game, I want my most insane rulers to appoint cats to the council.

(Then I secretly plan to make a dynasty of Thundercats using the same methodology as the From Norse to Horse folks.)
 
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What an unexpected but not unwelcomed tidbit.

Forget the science that says cat owners are more clever, what about the science that says pets promote health in humans. Which is probably why these cats also give +1 health.

One little extra health is going to be important when this thing hits I think.

Oh god are the hunting dog and the cat(s) going to interact?

I think people are going to need both a hunting dog AND a cat to buff their health once all the new improved plagues and epidemics hit . . .
 
I skipped conclave because it felt like nerf the player dlc which bored me.
....but cats? I'll but the dlc day 1 for that!
 
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You had me at "Crazy Cat Lady" Can I have a Norweigan Forest Cat, please ? Lots of them ?