The Little Things -- A Suggestion Box for Crusader Kings II

[RedRooster81]

I made this thread to add some suggestions, but please feel free to add your own. I was thinking of small details that might add to the ambiance of the game and add an RP aspect, as I do a play-through of CK1 (as France). Some can be modded in, of course, but here is a place to list your own ideas for adding some color and flavor. If it catches on, I keep this first post edited with your suggestions, with attribution, of course. In short, I am posting ideas that would give you something to do as a player, for those slow years. I personally go on a conquering binge out of boredom (sometimes, I admit). Some of these ideas might seem tedious, but I am already batting around ideas for players who are like me into the roleplaying aspect of CK. Stuck as lord of a small, poor county with no just cause to conquer your neighbors? Get into some trading, establish an honorary order for your courtiers and sons, commission your court notary to chronicle your family's exploits (Well, milord, your great-grandfather was second-cousin thrice removed of Charles the Simple... okay, that's all I've got).

Now the list:
1. An in-game text editor. Rather than the automated EU3-style country history, allow for a text editor in-game for players to make their own chronicles. Will be helpful for creating AARs.

2. Honorary titles and interpersonal tags:

2a. (more moddable) Like in EU Rome, honorary titles like cupbearer, herald, etc., maybe some religious ones like deacon, etc., civic and military honorary, confraternal, mendicant (Franciscan, Augustinian, maybe special inquisitor tag?), and crusading orders (e.g., Knight of the Garter, Golden Fleece) ; these might have prestige and/or piety bonuses, maybe small pensions.

2b. (less moddable) betrothals before marrying age (could lead to events, as well as tying together a couple at a young age; negotiations for dowries, intrigue, marriage choices affect relations within court and with other rulers); also room for religious or personal vows, like of chastity or poverty

2c. Faction tags (again like Rome): across the kingdom; within the player's court: support for regent (if applicable), support for various heirs

3. royal monopolies, provide small income to courtiers or vassal lords, for monopolies on trade in rare commodities; other opportunities to show favors to courtiers, with recurring loyalty bonuses.

4. off-map events (inspired by the Patrician games): rumors from afar (Mongols, anyone?); the Silk Road; trans-Saharan trade

5. temporary residents at court; visits from royal authorities; foreign ambassadors and papal legates; representatives of mendicant or military orders (e.g., local Templar prior), travelling merchants, pilgrims, or scholars

 

[Don_giorgio]

i would like to suggest the creation of special traits with men who received ecclesiastical education... Example: if a male completes his ecclesiastical education can choose to enter the clergy and then acquires the trait "Deacon" (lowest rank of clergy) and he cannot get married after having this trait... However he can have bastards... Few years later he can acquire the trait "Priest" which could give him more piety... then he can be elected Bishop (Diocese Bishop or provincial Bishop) acquiring the trait "Bishop" which could mean more piety and gold for him and his liege... p.s. despite having the deacon/priest/vishop trait chatacters are still eligible for other offices i.e. u can have a character with a "priest" trait be your chancellor... Finally it could be the trait "Cardinal" (only for Catholics though) given by the Pope to clergymen who have one of the 3 traits... I think that traits like these could make Church an important factor in the game rather than having the Pope in CK sitting in Rome and doing nothing...

 

[unmerged(157596)]

More options for fosterlings/wards:
- send them back to father's court as punishment (prestige hit for both fosterling and father)
- force rebellious lords or enemies to give heirs as fosterlings (as hostages)
- imprison or kill fosterlings (I guess this will be in anyways if we will have Rome-style court options)
- chance of changing fosterling's culture to your own (minor prestige boost, father lose some prestige)
- chance of fosterling refusing to go back to own court when no longer a minor (major prestige gain, great loss of face for biological father)
- chance of mistreated fosterling running away (loss of prestige/piety)
- chance of mistreated fosterling attempting assassination
- having a fosterling in a foreign court means faster assimilation of tech from that court

 

[TempestDK]

- Ability to bookmark characters. Once bookmarked, I get popups (or log messages, depending on my notification settings) when something significant happens: death, child birth, marriage, inheritance, coming of age etc. It will make it easier to keep an eye on some potential bride/groom, or just to keep track of a favorite character. Bookmark is cleared on death.
- Bookmark page in ledger. Basically just a page to keep a nice overview of all my character bookmarks.

 

[Panjer]

- Ability to bookmark characters. Once bookmarked, I get popups (or log messages, depending on my notification settings) when something significant happens: death, child birth, marriage, inheritance, coming of age etc. It will make it easier to keep an eye on some potential bride/groom, or just to keep track of a favorite character. Bookmark is cleared on death.
- Bookmark page in ledger. Basically just a page to keep a nice overview of all my character bookmarks.

I will declare Paradox the best thing since sliced bread if they do this.

 

[TempestDK]

I will declare Paradox the best thing since sliced bread if they do this.

They already are ... but they will be better than buttered sliced bread

 

[General_BT]

I love the honorary titles/positions idea--it could add even more depth to interpersonal relations and political rivalries. You might want your heir to gain the extra prestige from being a "Knight of the Golden Fleece," but the need to mollify one of your most powerful barons means you hand it to him. Stripping the titles from characters also could have an effect--a previously loyal baron becomes a rival when you take 'cupbearer' from him!

Perhaps (Real pipe dream here), players could spend money, prestige, and piety creating their own 'tokens of honor.' I'm pissed I had to make Baron so and so a Knight of the Golden Fleece, so I make a new order called the "Knights of Nee,' and give that title to my heir. Oh, if only that were possible...

 

[Ruwaard]

i would like to suggest the creation of special traits with men who received ecclesiastical education... Example: if a male completes his ecclesiastical education can choose to enter the clergy and then acquires the trait "Deacon" (lowest rank of clergy) and he cannot get married after having this trait... However he can have bastards... Few years later he can acquire the trait "Priest" which could give him more piety... then he can be elected Bishop (Diocese Bishop or provincial Bishop) acquiring the trait "Bishop" which could mean more piety and gold for him and his liege... p.s. despite having the deacon/priest/vishop trait chatacters are still eligible for other offices i.e. u can have a character with a "priest" trait be your chancellor... Finally it could be the trait "Cardinal" (only for Catholics though) given by the Pope to clergymen who have one of the 3 traits... I think that traits like these could make Church an important factor in the game rather than having the Pope in CK sitting in Rome and doing nothing...

I like this idea and in general that was true, however if a member of the clergy inherits Family feudal possessions he should be able to ask for dispensation, so that will be allowed to marry. Often this wasn't a problem, but sometimes rivals ''convinced'' the church not to give a dispensation.

 

[Ruwaard]

- Ability to bookmark characters. Once bookmarked, I get popups (or log messages, depending on my notification settings) when something significant happens: death, child birth, marriage, inheritance, coming of age etc. It will make it easier to keep an eye on some potential bride/groom, or just to keep track of a favorite character. Bookmark is cleared on death.
- Bookmark page in ledger. Basically just a page to keep a nice overview of all my character bookmarks.

Another good idea, perhaps it could be expanded to include Houses and courts as well (or a specific branch of a House, for instance the Royal House in the Royal court of the kingdom you want to acquire for the dynasty).

 

[RedRooster81]

Another good idea, perhaps it could be expanded to include Houses and courts as well (or a specific branch of a House, for instance the Royal House in the Royal court of the kingdom you want to acquire for the dynasty).

I support this sort of idea. I don't know how much time I've spent in CK1 waiting for a certain heiress to turn 16 so that I can marry her to my first son and begin granting him titles. I wonder what marriageable age will be in CK2? Actually, 12 seems pretty standard for both males and females, however much that goes against modern norms. I hope for betrothals and marital alliances of a formal sort.

 

[RedRooster81]

I love the honorary titles/positions idea--it could add even more depth to interpersonal relations and political rivalries. You might want your heir to gain the extra prestige from being a "Knight of the Golden Fleece," but the need to mollify one of your most powerful barons means you hand it to him. Stripping the titles from characters also could have an effect--a previously loyal baron becomes a rival when you take 'cupbearer' from him!

Perhaps (Real pipe dream here), players could spend money, prestige, and piety creating their own 'tokens of honor.' I'm pissed I had to make Baron so and so a Knight of the Golden Fleece, so I make a new order called the "Knights of Nee,' and give that title to my heir. Oh, if only that were possible...

Why not? Orders were an important aspect of High Medieval upper class life, actually still so in some regards. So go ahead and create the Ancient Order of Ni and make your heir Grandmaster of the Ancient Order of Ni and Keeper of the Most Sacred Herring (if my Monty Python radar has bleeped correctly, in which case all reference to the ancient command word IT will be stricken from the realm). Anyone who was anyone wanted to be a Knight of the Golden Fleece. Be sure to mod in a nice prestige and piety bonus to the trait as well... It's stuff like this that keeps the game interesting, especially with a OPM or the equivalent.

 

[Don_giorgio]

I like this idea and in general that was true, however if a member of the clergy inherits Family feudal possessions he should be able to ask for dispensation, so that will be allowed to marry. Often this wasn't a problem, but sometimes rivals ''convinced'' the church not to give a dispensation.

yeah.. i d love to see Church becoming an important factor of the game with some unique traits... the same traits would apply to the orthodoxs too (deacon, priest, bishop) with the exception of the "cardinal trait a rank that didnt exist the east... Another good thing would be the creation of the "Patriarch" trait given to the Diocese Bishop of the Imperial capital (wherever the capital may be.. i.e. Constantinople has fallen to an enemy and the Emperor moves to another city) and i would like to add a twist on that... When the Diocese Bishop in the Imperial capital dies or he is removed by an event another one will be elected from among the other Bishops or clergymen... There could be an event though that the Emperor could disagree with the option (i.e. his rival is elected) and pushes his own candidate thus causing a schism etc.
Plus u can have the Pope or the Patriarch convoking a Council to deside about spiritual and/or secular matters or simply to excommunicate each other...
p.s. females with ecclesiastical education could have the option of becoming nuns and abbeses and have some influence in some matters... Although historically at least in the east the rank of deacon (called a "deaconess") was open to them... One famous case was rhe Deaconess Olympias sister to St. Basil Bishop of Caesareia... She was considered more educated than her brother and had trmendous influence in Constantinople over spiritual issues...

 

[unmerged(31881)]

Dead children should not get portraits.

Frankly, it's all kinds of wrong. If an individual does not survive to 16, then leave them with the shadowy silhouette in perpetuity thereafter.

Maybe add some other grim token of their posthumous nature... but they shouldn't be assigned adult portraits merely because time has passed since their birth.

 

[RedRooster81]

yeah.. i d love to see Church becoming an important factor of the game with some unique traits... the same traits would apply to the orthodoxs too (deacon, priest, bishop) with the exception of the "cardinal trait a rank that didnt exist the east... Another good thing would be the creation of the "Patriarch" trait given to the Diocese Bishop of the Imperial capital (wherever the capital may be.. i.e. Constantinople has fallen to an enemy and the Emperor moves to another city) and i would like to add a twist on that... When the Diocese Bishop in the Imperial capital dies or he is removed by an event another one will be elected from among the other Bishops or clergymen... There could be an event though that the Emperor could disagree with the option (i.e. his rival is elected) and pushes his own candidate thus causing a schism etc.
Plus u can have the Pope or the Patriarch convoking a Council to deside about spiritual and/or secular matters or simply to excommunicate each other...
p.s. females with ecclesiastical education could have the option of becoming nuns and abbeses and have some influence in some matters... Although historically at least in the east the rank of deacon (called a "deaconess") was open to them... One famous case was rhe Deaconess Olympias sister to St. Basil Bishop of Caesareia... She was considered more educated than her brother and had trmendous influence in Constantinople over spiritual issues...

Good ideas all. I like the idea of females becoming abbesses; erecting abbeys for men and women were important pious acts (which I would say should have ongoing piety bonuses), but the patron tended to have the right to name who would have leadership positions in the abbey. IIRC Doomdark has said that you can name your vassals to your council, meaning that the Kings of England, France, and Castilla can name the Archbishops of Canterbury, Reims, and Toledo respectively as their Diocesan Bishops. So that will be cool. I like the entire idea discussed here of an ecclesiastical career track (military and civil career tracks would be good too), from subdeacon to cardinal.

 

[LordofSaxony]

1. An in-game text editor. Rather than the automated EU3-style country history, allow for a text editor in-game for players to make their own chronicles. Will be helpful for creating AARs.

I agree with everything else for the most part, except this one. I like the automated EU3-style country history. Sure, it can use a bit more brushing up (ie, no more festival, and other repeats), but I liked reading it.

With that said, I would like them to keep it as-is, but give players options to append notes, delete it, or even a menu option to not have it and just have a blank area where you can input your own information. I'm all for player made AAR's, but I like the automated method of cataloging my experiences, so I can sit back and enjoy the game and go back over it after.

 

[RedRooster81]

I agree with everything else for the most part, except this one. I like the automated EU3-style country history. Sure, it can use a bit more brushing up (ie, no more festival, and other repeats), but I liked reading it.

With that said, I would like them to keep it as-is, but give players options to append notes, delete it, or even a menu option to not have it and just have a blank area where you can input your own information. I'm all for player made AAR's, but I like the automated method of cataloging my experiences, so I can sit back and enjoy the game and go back over it after.

It was a thought that came to me one night. There are problems in EU3 with the auto-history function if you are using years outside of the vanilla (case in point, the Dark Years Mod, which starts in 900). I like making notes as things happen, so maybe what you suggest could be a compromise position of sorts. I am hoping that the developers will read this thread, and also start the ball rolling on mods, although it is a bit early, I admit.

 

[.Spartan]

It was a thought that came to me one night. There are problems in EU3 with the auto-history function if you are using years outside of the vanilla (case in point, the Dark Years Mod, which starts in 900). I like making notes as things happen, so maybe what you suggest could be a compromise position of sorts. I am hoping that the developers will read this thread, and also start the ball rolling on mods, although it is a bit early, I admit.

I would also like the option of adding note with proper attributes provided by the game, such as date, time and location -etc...

I dont why it would be difficult to have a "living journal" tab which would show important events chronologically with a simple "add or edit" feature. I firmly believe some sort of combination system of auto generation and user comments would be the best thing for all concerned parties. It would also be neat to have a screen shot button which would save a shot in a folder and show as a hyperlink in the text. So when one exports the journal it looks like a book with pictures and all but I'm not a programmer so what do I know...

 

[Alexandre]

I'd like a king who inherits part of another kingdom to hold that area not as sovereign, but as a feudal vassal of the second king. He'd need to work, like the Kings of England did with their French domains, to seperate his new holdings from the kingdom that it was originally part of. This would keep you from suddenly losing territory which *should* be part of your nation.

 

[General_BT]

I'd like a king who inherits part of another kingdom to hold that area not as sovereign, but as a feudal vassal of the second king. He'd need to work, like the Kings of England did with their French domains, to seperate his new holdings from the kingdom that it was originally part of. This would keep you from suddenly losing territory which *should* be part of your nation.

Maybe there should be a series of tasks one must accomplish to become fully independent. It'd decrease the amount of sudden lurches from fully vassal to fully independent (maybe keep an event or two for truly disloyal vassals allowing them to make the leap), and it'd force the player as liege to watch all his vassals (even loyal vassals could take initial steps that a future disloyal one could capitalize on), and a player as character to prepare and worm his way to breaking free, as opposed to declaring independence at will... 'tis an idea! Hack it apart, maybe something will come out of it?

 

[Cèsar de Quart]

This thread is full of wonderful ideas. Devs, please, listen to them!

I'd love the "tokens of honour" to be doable. I don't think it would be hard. After all, it's three or four "source" events or tokens which the player can name. So, if I am King of France and in 1300 I decide to start appointing the Kingdom's Peers among the greatest nobles, I can name the title they get (as a "trait"). The default Peerage gives them boost in loyalty and also makes them more prestigious, but takes a small amount of the king's authority over them. They are more dangerous if they rebel. That's the default Peerage. My Peerage will be called, I don't know, "Cousins". The King's Cousins. If I'm the King of Spain, I'll start naming the Grandes de España, but it'll be the same. I could as well name them "Great Guys" or "Chumps". They would still be Peers.

Then there would be the pertinence to a national knightly order. Like the Duke of Burgundy created the Golden Fleece, or many other orders created not as an actual knightly order, but as a gentlemen's club (the Order of the Dragon, the Order of Santiago after Ferdinand II's takeover, the Golden Fleece itself...). I could create the "Order of the Holy Pajamas of Saint Thomas Beckett", with the motto "Damn he who thinks I'm crazy", and it would work the same way.

I love the amount of creativity and role-playing this features could add to the game.