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[pisskop]

Sooooo. hows the game stack up to ckii?  or in general?

[Kanil]

There's less stuff, but what's there is mostly better designed.

If you like the stuff, you probably don't think it stacks up to CK2 very well. If you like the design, you're probably pretty happy with the game.

If Paradox spends 8 more years adding stuff that isn't poorly designed, both groups will probably prefer it to CK2.

[pisskop]

So I did have a chance to try the game...

Well, its a lot harder to 'critically fail' yourself into a corner.  There are a lot less hard checks and also a lot less 'hard checks'.  There seems to be a way to get the better result no matter how you're equipped.  More options for all characters, with the lifestyles.  The stress mechanic is kind of nice, though the only time it really came into effect was with my 'shy' ruler.  Things are a bit more transparent, you know how likely you are to fail, and you know roughly how well you can expect to do.

Vassals seem easy to please.  Councilors have guaranteed outcomes that varies the amount of time rather than chance of success (ie: converting county takes X-years, instead of an X-chance per month to tick.)  I feel like my personal playstyle had less agency than in CKII.

Sway seems really powerful.  So is getting all these favors and hooks.  Its excessive how much money I can squeeze out of .... everyone without pissing anyone at all off.

Wars were rather trivial in the heartlands of Christendom.  Some wonk wrt the rng/alliances, but I rather liked how transparent the 'troop quality' 'retinue' and 'counter' systems work.  I felt like all I really needed was to wait until somebody died or a rather bad war came around, then dow and win.  Warscore ticks up in a nice fashion though.  Wars dont feel exponentially prolonged like some wars in CKII can feel.


I dont like the way they portray baronies.  Just do it the CKII way.  I also dont like how I cant look at how people view other characters, such as who hates the Holy Roman Emperor or who [really] likes my wife.  I like the hereditary system, and I kind of like how they did tech.  There's some spartan options with micromanagement of things like how to get people to your court and how to raise local levies.


How is there no 'hard mode'?  Otherwise, meh, there's definitely a game here, as is.  Hopefully it does get better though.



P:  My overarching thought is thusly:  What if CKII had an 'Arcade Version'?  Streamlined, new paint, flashy music, pretty lights, 'more accessible'?  Thats what CKIII is.

Kind of like how I think of Rome: Total War as the arcade version of Rome: Total Realism, if that make sense.

[Iceblaster]

Tbh I'd have preferred if they went full ham on the stress system, made it matter more as from all I've heard it's more or less easily negated unless you're shy.

[Great Order]

Question: Does anyone know anything that allows AI to summon a couple thousand troops without it affecting their apparent number of troops when I've got them up in the character UI?

And no, they aren't mercenaries or allies. This guy has no allies and in spite of the screen showing them having a max of ~2300 troops they have over 4000

EDIT: Also, does anyone else find that ally AI seems to be actively hamstrung compared to hostile? Hostile AI actually does intelligent things like keep their armies combined, or if they're over the supply limit at least in adjacent provinces, and will chase down smaller armies, whereas friendly AI seems to solely go for besieging enemy provinces and abjectly refuse to reinforce armies when you can beat the opponent handily by combining them.

[EuchreJack]

Also, does anyone else find that ally AI seems to be actively hamstrung compared to hostile? Hostile AI actually does intelligent things like keep their armies combined, or if they're over the supply limit at least in adjacent provinces, and will chase down smaller armies, whereas friendly AI seems to solely go for besieging enemy provinces and abjectly refuse to reinforce armies when you can beat the opponent handily by combining them.

Maybe the ally AI is too realistic, in that it's trying to get itself the best possible outcome (seizing land for itself via siege) and denying you any more help than necessary.  Even when a war can not grant the AI final ownership of a province, if CK3 is like CK2, I think they can get some taxes/loot from occupied provinces during a war.

[pisskop]

I did notice the ai was more about 'getting the phat loots'.

And thus their ai was ultimately predictable in that regard.  I will also say that I got dowed a lot more in CKIII than ever in CKII.

And that the ai is fully capable of making allies relatively intelligently, if not geared towards fighting me.



what I really want to gripe about, if we're doing ai, is how disposition and plots work.  My ai vassals can absolutely hate me, and there's not really a plot against me.  Especially with the dread mechanic.  They just wont make meaningful plots imo.

And another thing is how the different realms interact.  Right now I can take a good sneakthief and murder all my neighbors with impunity.  I can get caught plotting and be at -100 with all my neighbors and be safe to plot to kill/abduct the next of kin.  The game chooses to punish you by disallowing a duplicate plot against the same person for a lengthy 10 years, it doesnt allow the ai to retaliate or take vengeance.

[EuchreJack]

Could there be a plot that you don't know about?  You probably wouldn't know until you're dead/disposed, if competent vassals were behind it.

[scriver]

First DLC will be a Norse flavour pack. The adventure feature seems like it can be quite interesting.

Free patch features will be winter stuff, duelling, and poetry.

[hector13]

Wasn't even paying that much attention to the updates even though they popped up in my steam stuff.

Absolutely delighted about being able to be an adventurer, I've been low-key wanting that for years. I was thinking about starting a new game as a norse character so to have that be the focus of the first update, however minor, is also ideal.

May abandon my previous game due to the update since I'm not sure how it's going to be affected, but since I haven't actually played it in months that isn't a big deal.

[scriver]

Yeah I'm "currently" (as in the last time I played) trying to conquer Africa but there's just. so. damn. much of it.

[Kanil]

Viking whack-a-mole was one of the least enjoyable parts of CK2 for me, so getting adventurers sounds an awful lot like paying money to make the game worse.

[scriver]

Next DLC revealed:

Get ready for our next Expansion, Crusader Kings III: Royal Court!

How will you rule when your subjects come to you with their complaints?
Building the grandest court in the world may please your vassals and attract interesting people, but it also gives your complaining courtiers a place to find you. Make decisions that will smooth the troubled waters in your kingdom, while impressing visitors with your collection of masterpieces and relics.

The Royal Court expansion to Crusader Kings III adds new ways to interact with the characters in your kingdom or empire, as well as major changes to the cultural system of the game, adding greater dynamism and historical fluidity.

Features of Crusader Kings III: Royal Court include:
Throne Room: A visual representation of your royal court will reflect all the accumulated majesty and prestige of your dynasty.
Hold Court: Interact with vassals and courtiers as they come to you with their problems, seeking a royal judgment.
Grandeur: Increase the quality of life at your court with fancier trappings and better food, all the better to impress your rivals and attract higher quality guests.
Inspired People: Talented artists, craftspeople and thinkers can work on new projects, adding treasures and artifacts to your court.
Hybrid Cultures: Make the most of a multicultural realm, developing a new way of life that is specifically adapted to your population and geography.
Cultural Divergence: Split from your traditional culture, adapting it into something new that better fits your aspirations.

From their announcement:

Greetings!

What’s the most symbolic image of a medieval ruler you can think of? Maybe they’re riding a horse through a village, maybe they’re perched at the top of a tower overlooking their realm, or maybe they’re leading troops in battle… those are good, but there’s one thing that is depicted more than anything else, something quintessentially medieval, something that truly evokes the feeling of the era - a ruler on a throne, surrounded by courtiers, vassals, and petitioners.

This is something brand new to the Crusader Kings series, an area we’ve wanted to improve upon for a long time. We have your ruler in the interface, we have your realm on the map - but what really connects them? Now you’ll be able to see your monarch, on their throne, actually ruling!

Kings & Emperors will gain access to the Royal Court, a throne room where their loyal subjects can gather, where glorious artifacts can be put on display, and where the ruler can Hold Court in order to deal with the troubles and wishes of the realm. Similarly to medieval rulers of old, you can aspire to have the Grandest court in the world, or perhaps simply live up to the expectations put on you by your peers - no one respects a stingy monarch!

With the Royal Court, we want to immerse you in the life of a medieval ruler by letting you take the reins and experience rulership first-hand. You’ll not only see your ruler occupy the same space as your family and subjects, but you’ll have the opportunity to engage with many new and exciting systems - sponsor projects, spend gold on lavish amenities, solve strife between squabbling courtiers, appoint jesters, and much more! How will you rule your realm?

And what is a ruler without subjects, their people? After all, it's they who pay the taxes! Much like with faiths, cultures will be made more interesting and malleable - all in line with our vision of Player Freedom and Progression.

Different cultures will have different traditions, different opinions of each other, and even shift and change with time. No longer will cultures be static and similar - we want to give you, the player, the freedom and possibility to shape your own culture and guide its progress in a variety of exciting ways. Of course, culture will change at a slower pace than Faiths do - it’ll be gradual over time, tradition by tradition. Though sometimes larger shifts can occur due to isolation, or as the result of two different cultures intermingling.

Grow the acceptance between cultures in your realm, diverge your culture to adopt a new Ethos, or create a Hybrid between two cultures in your realm - adopting the language, traditions and aesthetic choices you find the most compelling. There are many possibilities to explore, and no two games will ever look the same again!

All of this is a big undertaking, as it breaks new ground for the game in more than one way! It’s going to take a little bit longer, but as we get closer to launch we’ll start sharing many more details - both on what’s been mentioned here as well as other things coming in the expansion. We hope you’re excited to join us on this journey!

You can expect the expansion to release later this year.

In before you can only "hold court" every five years

[Nelia Hawk]

also its 30 bucks...

[pisskop]

It's also not a difficulty patch.

But it's nice that they're adding more flesh to the game.