Crusader Kings III News

[p]Hello hello! Lachek here to talk about a feature that will be coming to the whole world with All Under Heaven, but which will have a special impact on China - Natural Disasters.[/p][p][/p][p]When considering the success rate of medieval rulers, we often consider how cleverly they played important factions against each other, how they picked the right time and place to lead their armies to victory, and in Crusader Kings terms, how they managed their dynasty's blood through setting up capable successors and arranging the right marriages. But another important factor is how they respond when disaster strikes. When the unthinkable happens, will you be prepared or caught short? Will you be able to look after your people with the selfless care your crown demands, or will someone else swoop in and seize the opportunity to demonstrate their own benevolence? Will you stand tall, or will you have to cash in all your goodwill and sell your soul to restore control over your provinces?[/p][p][/p][p]These are the signs of a skillful ruler we're challenging you to display with the Natural Disasters feature.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[An illustration of the impact of a Natural Disaster on the people of the realm][/p][p][/p][p]Famously, the devastating Huang He (Yellow River) floods in the 11th-12th centuries not only inflicted casualties to the tune of hundreds of thousands lives lost, but also undermined the Song dynasty's ability to fund defenses against the Jurchens and Mongols. And the Huang He was not content with contributing only to the fall of the Song dynasty - in the 14th century, when China had fallen to the Mongols and was ruled by the Yuan dynasty, it flooded again, precipitating the famine and revolts that eventually gave rise to the Red Turban rebellion and the subsequent rise of the Ming dynasty. The scope of devastation inflicted by floods and earthquakes upon China was enormous, and directly tied to the people's view of how suited they were to hold the Mandate of Heaven.[/p][p][/p][p]But calamity is indiscriminate - it can happen to anyone, anywhere. The Rhine flooded frequently, causing difficulty for local princes and townships in the Holy Roman Empire. The Aleppo earthquake of 1138, which may have claimed over 200,000 lives, weakened Muslim states in the Levant and served as a temporary boon for the Crusader states in the area - until the power vacuum paved the way for leaders like Nur ad-Din to emerge, who later became a central figure in resisting the same European invaders.[/p][p][/p][p]In designing this feature, we had to be careful to ensure that natural disasters shake up the political landscape of the region appropriately while not punishing players caught up in it through no fault of their own. True, natural disasters are by their very nature random, and there's not much even the wisest ruler - particularly in medieval times - can do to stop an earthquake or flood from happening. To address this we leaned into the governance aspect of natural disasters - how do you respond to a calamity occurring in your realm?[/p][p][/p][p]To illustrate this, let me take you on a bit of a journey.[/p][p][/p][p]The year is 1081, and Caliph al-Majid "The Trickster" rules the Fatimid Sultanate, freshly crowned at a mere 34 years of age after the untimely death of his father, claimed before his time by a mild tickle in his throat. All is well in the realm, were it not for my unceasing war against Emir Hussain "the Priest-Hater" of the Hashimid Emirate and his godless supporters, and the 627 issues Errorhoof is screaming about on this debug build. Life is pretty good in Egypt, under the circumstances.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[Screenshot of the Fatimid Sultanate and its ruler shortly after the Coronation][/p][p][/p][p]The Nile is revered for its frequent flooding, but this year is different. The water won't stop rising. Something is amiss.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[Event signaling the imminent flood of the Nile River][/p][p][/p][p]The river expands even beyond the floodplains, engulfing everything in its path. We know what's coming, but the (as yet) unwashed masses by and large do not yet.[/p][p][/p][p]A Natural Disaster is a type of Situation, like The Great Steppe from Khans of the Steppe, and the Dynastic Cycle and Silk Road also from All Under Heaven. Situations have participating characters, geographic regions, and can go through phases, each with their own effects and modifiers. I see that we're now in the Warning phase of the disaster, which has no effects. This will soon change.[/p][p][/p][p]As the first warning signs appear, we get a choice of waiting to see what happens or immediately devoting ourselves to addressing this calamity. If the disaster had affected our court, we'd also have an option to go into isolation - though this would cost us dearly in the court of public opinion in the short term, it's better the ruler survives to see the disaster through to its conclusion than perish alongside his people, right? Right?[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[Screenshot of the Natural Disaster panel in the Warning phase and the future Disaster Relief Great Project, alongside an event where the ruler has to choose what approach to take to it][/p][p][/p][p]Soon thereafter, the disaster reaches its Impact phase. People at large now understand the terrible danger they're in, and who do they blame? You, of course![/p][p][/p][p]When Impact hits, you lose Legitimacy. Usually the amount is bearable if you're a well-established ruler with a good track record and the trust of the people, but me, a recently crowned Caliph who can't seem to wrap up a war against the Priest-Hater? It hurts.[/p][p][/p][p]Note that this Legitimacy loss will be substantially higher if you are the Emperor of China, due to the entanglement between the welfare of the realm and the Mandate of Heaven. A flood or earthquake in China could be spun as proof of the ruling dynasty's corruption, and if the disaster strikes during a period of instability in the Dynastic Cycle, it hits even harder.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[Screenshot of the Natural Disaster panel in the Impact phase with negative consequences, alongside an event where the ruler loses Legitimacy, affected counties are struck by a negative modifier, and Control decreases in the disaster region][/p][p][/p][p]People will die. My half-brother, Prince Muammar, is among them. One less claimant to the throne, perhaps.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[An event showing a roster of dozens of characters who died in the latest flooding event. Players may also die this way if they're not careful, but are given more of a chance to react in their final moments.][/p][p][/p][p]Not only people, but the land itself will be affected. Hopefully the Priest-Hater isn't in a position to take advantage of this…[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[An event showing how fortifications were damaged across the affected provinces as a result of the latest flooding event][/p][p][/p][p]Your counties can be afflicted by many different consequences of the disaster.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[An event showing holding taxes being greatly reduced, along with a continuous loss of development, across the affected provinces. Modifiers are cleared after the Recovery Great Project is completed.][/p][p][/p][p]Finally, the worst is over. We now enter a Recovery phase, where we can try to rebuild what was lost and restore the people's faith in your rule. But even this phase is not harmless. For every month we remain in disrepair, we lose more Legitimacy.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[Screenshot showing the Disaster Situation panel in the Recovery phase, with a -0.25 monthly loss of Legitimacy applying to all affected rulers until the situation is resolved. In addition, governorships in the affected area are cheaper to revoke during the Recovery phase, letting an administrative ruler more readily manage their roster of governors to eliminate dead weight and elevate more promising ones.][/p][p][/p][p]The road to people's hearts is paved with gold, of course - the more the better. But it's not all doom and gloom - once this Great Project is complete, not only will you remove most or all of the negative modifiers you suffered due to the disaster, but you will also gain rewards for every contribution you made. In addition, for Floods specifically, the affected provinces gain bonuses from the silt and moisture left behind.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[Screenshot showing the Flood Recovery Great Project, with three mandatory contributions required to construct alongside three optional ones. Each costs Gold (or Treasury, if you have it) and provides a number of possible benefits or rewards to the ruler who contributes to the project.][/p][p][/p][p]The cost of each component of the restoration can be sizable, and depend primarily on the number of counties affected, their development, and the severity of the disaster. No two disasters will play out the same in this regard, so you might want to carefully consider which is best to do first given the expense.[/p][p][/p][p]Land Drainage, for example, will tie up much of your army for 10 years but give you a permanent +10 Direct Vassal Opinion boost as soon as you fund it. The primary rewards, in terms of Legitimacy and Learning Experience in this case, aren't gained until the whole project is completed. Meanwhile, Survivor Recovery will give you a Popular Opinion boost upon taking it, but also a tax burden to carry through the recovery efforts until the project is completed.[/p][p][/p][p]Optional contributions are not necessary to complete the project, but if you can afford them, they can give you much greater rewards. Resettling refugees requires you to give up some land until the project is complete - resulting in a reduced domain limit for characters of most cultures - but yields twice the Legitimacy and a Levy Reinforcement boost.[/p][p][/p][p]All of these rewards and costs are scaled by innovations - Elephants make it easier to remove debris, for example. But of course, as time passes, so does Development, and recovering from late-game natural disasters can be much more expensive, especially if you haven't kept up with your technological progress. China starts with many relevant innovations to help it control disasters even in 1066, while others will need time to catch up.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[Screenshot showing the effects of the Land Drainage mandatory contribution, which costs 300 Gold in this instance and imposes a 10 year long Levy Reinforcement penalty on contribution, but also yields a positive Vassal Opinion modifier. When the project is completed, the ruler gains Legitimacy and Learning Lifestyle experience. Note that if the contributing character is not an independent ruler, they still benefit - governors gain Governor Effectiveness experience, and characters in realms that use Merit gain Merit.][/p][p][/p][p]If you cannot pay yourself, perhaps there are others who can? The Natural Disaster Recovery project screen gives you insight into who else might be willing to foot the bill for a part of this project, and it also lets you try to convince them to do so. My vassal Emir Hisn al-Dawla, for example, is on decent terms with me and might be willing to help with the Land Drainage while I deal with Housing Reconstruction…[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[Screenshot showing a list of two vassals who are potential contributors to the project on account of being able to afford it. One can be convinced to contribute by the player while the other refuses.][/p][p][/p][p]…only in exchange for a Strong Hook, but that will do. At least he will suffer a -75% Levy Reinforcement rate for a while, so in the event he rises up against me…[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[Character Interaction where the player is trying to convince the vassal to contribute. They will only do so in exchange for a Strong Hook currently. Other options are a regular Hook for a smaller Opinion modifier, or using a Hook you have on them.][/p][p][/p][p](deep breath) Grand. This is doable. It'll be fine. Teamwork makes the dream work! Maybe in a few years I'll get another wealthy vassal who I could convince to handle the last part, since this war against the Priest-Hater is really taxing me…or maybe I could fabricate a hook on that wealthy nephew of mine who refuses to play ball. Though if I could only raise the cash myself somehow, I sure could use the Legitimacy to cement my rule once and for all…[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[Screenshot of the Disaster Recovery Great Project, showing two dynastic seals stamped over two of the three mandatory contributions, and a remaining total cost of 376 Gold for the final one][/p][p][/p][p]Natural Disasters will be displayed on-map in two different ways:[/p][p][/p]

• [p]A map pin will appear on disaster epicenters, at quite generous zoom levels to let you easily spot them even when they don't occur in your realm. Selecting the map pin will open the Situation panel for the disaster, and will also display which counties are affected with a border[/p]
• [p]Terrain shaders will be applied when zoomed in, so you can really feel the devastation! Here's where I would show you an epic screenshot, but these are currently getting their final touches applied after the recent map graphics upgrades, so you'll have to wait to see them in-game[/p]

[p][/p][p]Natural Disasters obviously do not care about realm borders. A flood will affect all counties adjacent to the river, and an earthquake can span counties in multiple realms. Where a single disaster overlaps many realms, a recovery project will be constructed in each. You only pay for the provinces in your realm, but it's also only those provinces that reap the benefits of your contributions. The disaster situation will disappear once the final recovery has been completed.[/p][p][/p][p]Finally, let's talk about frequency - and about China. Natural Disasters are rare occurrences. You might play a full campaign and not be directly affected by one at all, even across centuries. To some degree this also depends on the terrain in your realm and what part of the world you're playing in. Regions that historically suffered earthquakes or floods during this era have a higher probability of being afflicted by one. When a region is afflicted, it is more likely to be centered in terrain suitable for that disaster. Mountainous regions will be more prone to suffer earthquakes, and provinces far from major rivers won't get flooded.[/p][p][/p][p]However - quite naturally - the larger the realm, the larger the risk one part of it will be struck by disaster at any given time. For a realm the size of China, the likelihood of having to deal with them is high. Thankfully, the Emperor has access to two tools to deal with this problem that most rulers don't: the Imperial Treasury, which can be used in place of Gold to pay for Great Projects, and a great many Governors whose fat salaries should really be put to better use than improving their Estates when the future of the realm is at risk. With the increased impact on Legitimacy, due to the unceasing turning of the Dynastic Cycle and the people's perception of how disasters are a sign from the Heavens that change is needed, natural disasters could possibly break - or make - a Chinese dynasty.[/p][p][/p][p]We hope you will enjoy this opportunity to prove your benevolence as a ruler, or for the more cunning among you, use the upheaval to your advantage![/p]

[p]Hello again, my good players, modders, friends, enemies, mum and dad! I am (yet again) Jason, and I’m here to give you more details about Coronations, the central feature of our similarly named event pack.[/p][p][/p][p]I think we should just run through a particular character's Coronation experience from beginning to end. Afterwards, perhaps have a quick discussion of the possible choices our protagonist didn't make, and get into a Coronation guest's perspective and possibilities.[/p][p]Please note that everything shown in this dev diary is a work in progress, and the numbers you see here today are liable to change before the release of Coronations[/p][p][/p][h2]Coronations: From Crownless to Becrowned-Upon[/h2][p]Please meet our hero: young King Ailill of Scotland. He’s just taken the throne and he’s facing some rather tough circumstances. Not exactly hated throughout the realm, but certainly not liked by all. A strong faction stands in opposition to our sweet boy Ailill, and his little two-county demesne leaves him little strength with which to dissuade them.[/p][p][/p][p]\[But hey… he’s a nice guy.] [/p][p][/p][p]Notice his head is a little bare? As a king yet to hold a Coronation, the Uncrowned law has been set on King Ailill upon his succession: he’s losing vassal opinion, and his Legitimacy is being both drained and its gain neutered. This needs to be sorted.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[The principal reminder to hold a Coronation, but there are a few others in suitable places][/p][p][/p][p]Fortunately (or because a certain guardian angel interfered on his behalf), King Ailill has enough gold to hold a Coronation right away. This is a doubly good choice because it’ll keep the mighty Liberty Faction off his back temporarily… although whether the Coronation will weaken or swell that Faction remains to be seen.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Ailill may only hold a regular Coronation; as a Catholic king, he cannot hold a papal Anointment, which is a rite reserved for emperors alone. He will be crowned in his capital, St. Johnston. As the site of other coronations of the past, this barony boosts his activity’s chance of success. The middling options for ceremony and celebrations are all he can afford, but they should serve well enough.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The Intent our boy selects will have a significant impact on the outcome of this pricey endeavor. Some suit his precarious situation well, while others represent a bit of a strategic miscalculation.[/p][p][/p][p]Exalt the Crown is great for when you’re in a safe situation. Rather than striving to please attendees, you’ll strive towards bonuses for your Dynasty and Coronation artifacts, as well as tack additional rewards onto the Oath you will hopefully manage to complete.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[Note that all these Intents let you gain Opinion with a certain subset of your vassals][/p][p][/p][p]Weaken Detractors could help Ailill against the Faction opposing him: he may get opportunities to peel off its members or lower its discontent. Sadly, Ailill is a compassionate feller and he’s not interested in bullying his attendees or entrenching the hatred of his enemies.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Embrace Supporters could be a useful Intent, as King Ailill has some important friendly vassals whom he could further strengthen and please.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Impress Attendees is a reliable fallback, particularly for those facing unpopularity. It will give Ailill the most opportunities to boost his general image and counteract losses to Magnificence (the Coronation’s success metric). He’s going to go with this Intent.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The Activity is announced, and invitations go out. The king’s guests choose their own Intents: some are helpful to their host, some are hostile, and others - pure self-interest.[/p][p][/p][p]And so, it begins! Note, on the right, that the most powerful of Ailill’s supporters and detractors - those who can affect the course of his Coronation - are shown, with their Activity Intents. The Coronation’s Magnificence is currently extremely low, and likely to spawn negative events or effects for King Ailill. It was damaged by the existence of the strong Liberty Faction, and wasn’t particularly high to begin with.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]If you’re a member of a culture or faith that practiced Coronations involving a priest placing the crown, you get the event below - and a choice between having the crown put on you and crowning yourself. The latter practice was surprisingly common in, say, medieval Iberia. This event obviously does not trigger if your Coronation is an Anointment, and is all about being recognized by the Pope.[/p][p][/p][p]Ailill will crown himself king without the church’s intercession… because I showed off the “you are crowned by a priest” event in last week’s dev diary.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The Prelude phase of the Coronation has begun: in its random events, the host and guests begin to meet, to engage in politics, and discuss the ceremony to come.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[An opportunity to unleash supporters against detractors; a faction leader, no less!][/p][p][/p][p]Throughout the Coronation, its host will receive Petition events from groups of guests who all hold the same Intent. Most of these are largely beneficial, and the Host may choose between accepting the petition (to increase Cultural Acceptance, etc.) and disappointing the petitioners in exchange for some Magnificence.[/p][p][/p][p]King Ailill’s guests do not all have friendly Intents, and those intending to Disrupt Loyalists confront him in order to strengthen their faction. They are only able to do so because the unfriendly Detractors at the Coronation outnumber, or outmatch, Ailill’s present Supporters.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]With his focus on impressing everyone during the Prelude (at the expense of gaining pretty much anything else), Ailill has increased Magnificence up to an appreciable 63/100 for the beginning of the Ceremony. The people of St. Johnston are pleased with the regal spectacle![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The ceremony proceeds, with Ailill gaining or losing some currency based on his popularity among each of the Three Estates: the nobility, the clergy, and the common people.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[The common people get a say about their king… sort of][/p][p][/p][p]The time comes for Ailill to crown himself! If he had any zealous vassals, they would now be displeased along with his realm priest.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]When all the ceremonial events are complete and an Oath is chosen, or all possible Oaths are turned down (more on this below), it’s time for the celebratory feast![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]This final phase of the Coronation can still play host to politics, but now also presents chances to lose accumulated stress, and more opportunities to gain positive relations.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[This is actually an Exalt the Crown option - but I couldn’t resist showing it off][/p][p][/p][p]If the host is true to the Intent they began the Coronation with (that is, if they never switch it out) they may claim an additional reward at the activity’s end. Our guy Ailill was utterly focused on Impressing his Attendees.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]And, well, you’ve all seen Activity Conclusions before! So I think this wraps up Ailill’s Coronation.[/p][p][/p][p]To summarize how it went: as I mentioned earlier, Ailill incurred significant opportunity cost to choose options that improved Magnificence, but it furnished him with more Prestige and Legitimacy at the close of his Coronation. He achieved those ends pretty well; he made his most powerful vassal into a new friend/best bro, swayed most attendees into liking him more, made it to the next level of legitimacy, and gained a good chunk of prestige. But he spent a bunch of gold on this, and he’s still likely to face a civil war now that festivities are over. What’s more, Ailill’s realm has been sort of torn by the divide between his supporters and detractors… who, at the Coronation’s end, lose opinion of one another and get closer to becoming rivals.[/p][p][/p][p]So yeah, this new Coronation activity is a hive of drama, wherein I’d say we got acquainted with young King Ailill ( #1 goodestboy of Alba) and his particular crop of vassals and contemporaries pretty well.[/p][p][/p][p]Now, let’s take a look at how the activity plays out for a guest.[/p][p][/p][h2]The Guest Perspective[/h2][p]Attending Coronations as a guest is highly encouraged, particularly if it happens to be your liege’s Coronation! AI vassals are basically required to attend. And if you disinvite them for being haters - they send you a snarky letter inviting themselves back.[/p][p][/p][p]Guests come not to murder and seduce and all those usual things: they come to figure out where they stand with this new ruler, to find opportunities for personal gain… or just to be nice and have a good time. We really wanted to allow guests agency through Intents, and thereby lend attending Coronations a tangible purpose, expanding your expected outcomes beyond the usual stress loss and opinion gains with random attendees.[/p][p][/p][p]Here are the Guest Intents, some of which are available only to vassals:[/p][p][/p][p]Bear Witness, the default Intent, is for those simply into having a good time… or maybe those specifically interested in cultural acceptance with attendee cultures, piety, or legitimacy. The latter is a pretty juicy gain from just attending someone else’s activity![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[The default Guest Intent][/p][p][/p][p]Offer Support is a great choice when you favor the crowned sovereign, want their goodwill, and intend to help secure their position. This is a particularly handy Intent when you’re setting up your dynasty in other realms, and looking for opportunities to help them succeed.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Advocate Domain is a vassal-only Intent, and pretty nifty for those intensely interested in their little corner of the realm. In their time of fresh uncertainty, a new liege might prove quite generous in inducements and concessions towards your lands’ prosperity.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Vassals interested in getting their contracts changed may pick Profess Rights and hope for a major boon from their liege. With such a narrow focus, you may see fewer rewards… but we all know how big it is if you do get the treasure of all treasures: reduced vassal taxes.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The Seize Advantages Intent yields prestige, gold, or claims on titles in or near the host’s realm; expect opinion hits though, as it’s not the friendliest Intent.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Definitely not the friendliest of Intents, Disrupt Loyalists is your path to reducing the Magnificence of the Coronation, and thereby costing the host Prestige, Legitimacy, and Opinion. It’s particularly useful for faction members, and those with rivalries against the host and their supporters. A terrible foe with Disrupt Loyalists may even critically succeed… and get the chance to coup their despised host.[/p][p][/p][p]But be warned: this Intent will create ill will with the sovereign being crowned, and with those who love them.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]As you can see, there is a good selection of Intents for guests - Intents that should prove relevant to your gameplay interests.[/p][p][/p][p]Some answers to potential questions: you can attend the Coronation of your spouse, and you will be recognized as consort. You can’t be the officiant at a Coronation. You can only attend as a full-grown adult (although the ruler getting crowned has a minimum age of 12. We want waiting for adulthood to be a little punishing… not too punishing).[/p][p][/p][p]Below is a guest-facing petition event, the culmination of their Intent. In this instance, the guest has the Advocate Domain Intent and is the only attending vassal who has selected it. Nice guy Ailill chooses to accept.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]As the Coronation progresses, the guests get random flavor events in the Prelude and Feast phase. They receive some events in the Ceremony phase where they bear witness to the host becoming a proper sovereign.[/p][p][/p][p]For instance, if you’re a vassal and receive the event below, this is a big opportunity to speak out and either voice contempt or total support (or do neither of these things). Being a sufficiently devoted detractor can lead to rivalries, be warned.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]There are plenty more random and systemic events I could include in this, but I think y’all get the idea.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h2]Oaths[/h2][p]Hello there, this is Joachim, better known around these parts as \[USER]@Snow Crystal\[/USER], with a small section on Oaths. Oaths are a new mini-feature we added to the Coronations as a part of the middle phase of the activity. You will be able to choose an Oath to open up a special decision and set yourself a long-term goal for the crowned ruler in question.[/p][p][/p][p]Our aim in making these Oaths is to give the player some tangible goals to choose from, to give their rule a more substantial focus, in addition to your regular decisions.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]We have changed the event screen for the occasion to show you more options at once and give you more alternatives. Hopefully, this will enable the player to find something that fits their interests for their next ruler. Of course, if none do, you can refrain from taking an Oath if you are uninterested.[/p][p][/p][p]Now, let’s have a look at some of the options here, so we can take a better look at exactly what the Oaths are like.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Each Oath comes with a time restriction, some requirements, and rewards. Some of the Oaths are a tad more simplistic and more likely to be available, as they are almost always relevant, like the conquest Oath we have a picture of here, whereas others will be a bit more involved.[/p][p][/p][p]The exact rewards you get will be affected by the Coronation Magnificence, so a higher Magnificence will provide a higher amount of legitimacy and prestige.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The Oath decision will be available at the top of the decision screen in a new special Oath category, as well as in the Current Situation screen, both of them showing the amount of time remaining. Those who fail to uphold their Oath in time will lose legitimacy and prestige as they lose face among peers, vassals, and peasants.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]After that, it functionally works like most decisions do. You fulfill some requirements, and you get some (occasionally spicy) rewards for your actions. With all that said, let’s take a look at a handful of the Oaths we have added.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]So these come in many different forms, really. They are still a work in progress, but hopefully some of these have piqued your interest.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h2]Bye![/h2][p]Jason again. Thanks for reading! It’s been a personal pleasure to explore the long-awaited possibilities of coronations in Crusader Kings III, to expand on what our in-game Activities can be, and to write y’all some of my most fanciest events yet.[/p][p][/p][p]I truly hope you enjoy our event pack. If there’s anything you’re exceptionally interested in or hopeful for with this new Activity, then please let us know below![/p]

[p]Hello everyone! Studio Black is working at full capacity after the traditional Swedish Summer Break, so today’s dev diary is going to cover a broad range of topics from a few different members of our development team. We’ll be talking primarily about Celestial Government mechanics, but we’re also providing a bit more detail about Border Warfare and the new Wanua government’s unique mechanics.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][p]Goeiedag iedereen, Daan here! One of the new features we’ve been iterating on since the “Mechanics of China” Dev Diary is the Imperial Treasury (or just “Treasury” for short).[/p][p][/p][p]A key thing we wanted to improve is how Treasury flows to parts of the Empire that don’t have their own tax income, such as Ministries. How much should a Ministry receive from the Emperor in Treasury? Well that would depend on the economy of the Empire, which is related to the size of the realm, its development, etc. Absolute numbers like “they get 10 Treasury per month” do not scale well, if at all.[/p][p]Other centralized numbers like Salaries suffered from similar issues - what makes a high salary in 876, is a paltry sum in 1178.[/p][p][/p][p]To provide a more scalable number instead of a “fixed” modifier number, we have implemented a new set of laws that distribute the Treasury excess (called “Budget Capacity”) over a number of recipients.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[A window showing the Treasury Budgets before budget Enactment, with changes to Ministry and Salary Budget percentages, costs and effects WIP][/p][p][/p][p]We have added three categories for this centralized Treasury Budget:[/p]

• [p]Salary Budget - Treasury which goes to all vassals and sub-vassals that should receive Salaries. It is given as Gold income[/p]
• [p]Ministry Budget - Each of the Ministries will receive a slice of this budget as Treasury income[/p]
• [p]Military Budget - Each of the holders of Military Province Types (circuit type) will get a slice from this budget as Treasury income (in addition to their regular Treasury income that is based on Taxes sent)[/p]

[p]Any unallocated budget will be income for the general Treasury, to be spent by the Emperor as they please.[/p][p][/p][p]You can run a budget Deficit too if you desire, but it will draw from your collected Treasury. Running a Deficit could prove potent, if you want to keep your Government happy and powerful. Don’t run out of Treasury though, as being in Treasury Debt will impact you similarly to being in Gold Debt.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[Part of the Budgeting Window showing what running a deficit looks like - WIP][/p][p][/p][h3]Calculating Budget Base Rates[/h3][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[Game concept for the Budget Base Rate][/p][p][/p][p]How this budget is distributed among the recipients is calculated via the Base Rate. It represents what one “standard” recipient of this type would receive. Each recipient can get more or less of this Base Rate, depending on things like their Title Rank and Merit Rank (in the case of Salaries), but also potentially any individual modifiers.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[Breakdown of a Governor’s Salary, based on the Base Rate, the Tier of their Primary Title, and their Merit Rank][/p][p][/p][p]Calculation example: Say that you have a Budget Category that would get 100 Treasury allocated to it, and it has 8 recipients, of which 6 have a “Base Rate” of 100% and 2 have a “Base Rate” of 150%.[/p][p][/p][p]6 * 1.0 = 6 base rate units[/p][p]2 * 1.5 = 3 base rate units[/p][p]Total: 9 base rate units (distributed over 8 recipients)[/p][p]100 / 9 = a Base Rate of 11.1[/p][p][/p][p]Each of the normal 6 recipients would receive 11.1 Treasury per month, and the two higher-rate recipients would receive 16.6.[/p][p][/p][h3]Enacting a Treasury Budget[/h3][p][/p][p]Now if this Base Rate was calculated continuously, your Treasury Budget would always be “perfectly balanced”. But that is not how Budget-setting usually works in the real world, and kind of boring.[/p][p]So instead Budgets get Enacted, which sets the Base Rate to a fixed number until a new Budget is Enacted in the future.[/p][p]Is the per-recipient payout (aka the Base Rate) significantly less than the previous Budget? People will get angry - an opinion malus. If they get more, they are happier![/p][p]Lower and Higher levels of Budget allocation for each category will also provide additional effects. For example, setting your Salary Budget very low might encourage local corruption.[/p][p][/p][p]How frequently you can and should Enact a budget is still something we’re balancing.[/p][p][/p][p]Example: You have expanded your realm, and have more vassals without a corresponding increase in tax income? You might have to give more allocation to Salaries to keep everyone at the same level, but that comes out of someone else’s slice. Piss off all the Military Governors? Or the Ministers? A rough choice. Maybe running a small Deficit for a while can’t hurt?[/p][p][/p][h3]Manipulating the Treasury Budget as a Vassal[/h3][h3][/h3][p]In Imperial China, many would come with suggestions for the Emperor on how the budget should be distributed. Political Movements will push their agenda, and a wise Emperor should heed their advice.[/p][p]Of course you can also increase the relative budget of your own Ministry / Circuit / Salary by manipulating your Vassal Contract.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][p]PDS_Arky back with more news about everything China and one extra tidbit about a new feature that will affect the whole map.[/p][p][/p][h3]Emperor Playing Favors[/h3][p][/p][p]Let’s start with the Son of Heaven, His Grace, The Chinese Emperor. As a Player you will have access to 2 decisions that allow you to signal what Era and which Movement you Favor. Being in the Favored Movement has an impact on the Catalysts and increases the effectiveness of influencing others (through schemes or interactions). Similarly, the Favored Era also triggers Catalysts, while also affecting the pro-dynasty movement's members' behaviour and which Era will be established when getting out of Unstable Eras. The AI doesn’t use the decisions because the AI Emperor is more malleable and follows the most powerful Movement’s wishes. Only if the pro-dynasty movement is in power does the Emperor choose based on personality: civilian- or economy-oriented will choose Advancement, while militant rulers choose Expansion. For the Favored Movement, the AI Emperor decides based on the Debate activity outcomes; more about them and Player impact in the Debates section of this developer diary.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[Decisions to choose Favored Era and Movement][/p][p][/p][p]Based on external and internal feedback we decided to change some names of the Eras, to avoid confusion with Era Types and to better convey the state of the Cycle. Thus the names of Eras and their Types are as follows:[/p]

• [p]Advancement - Stable[/p]
• [p]Expansion - Stable[/p]
• [p]Tension - Unstable[/p]
• [p]Conquest - Unstable[/p]
• [p]Division - Chaotic[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Elder & Disciples Update[/h3][p][/p][p]The Elder-Disciple relationship is an integral part of climbing the meritorious career ladder in China, and since Merit is currently used only in Governments with Domiciles an overview tab was added to the Estates. There you can manage your Disciples and your Elder. If the Elder has other Disciples besides you, you will see them there too. In order to kickstart it, the game will assign the relationships at game start randomly (based on merit and being in the same Movement or just realm proximity). In the next step we’ve added a few shorthand interactions to more easily break existing relations or establish new ones. If you didn’t like the starting bunch or were still under the limit, you can change them. Yes, now there is a limit to how many people you can mentor at once. One of the reasons for the limit is that Disciples always follow the Elder to be part of the same Movement, thus bringing your flock would significantly swing power and make the power struggle either trivial or volatile. However, the limit can be increased, mainly by domicile upgrades.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[Elder/Disciple view in Domicile window][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[Find Elder interaction accessible in the new view][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[Disciples following Elder if he is convinced to join another Movement][/p][p][/p][h3]Live the Bureaucratic Dream[/h3][p]The career path wouldn’t be complete with an ultimate goal. You would like to become the new dynasty on the Heavenly Seat. How to achieve this without breaking the Cycle? We turned to existing mechanics to represent it. Creating a new variant of the Prime Ministership Diarchy (the existing one is Vizier), called the Grand Secretariat. The regent is called the Secretary Director and will be responsible for the administrative work of the Son of Heaven, keeping the Ministers busy throughout new Mandates. The Scales of Power will provide them a way to stage a coup, just as for the Vizier.[/p][p][/p][p]What’s unique about this type of regency is that it is tied to the Grand Chancellor Minister by a new realm law, available only for the Celestial Government. The law makes it flexible and allows it to be changed to follow other ministers instead.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[Grand Secretariat, the new Diarchy for Celestial Government][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[New way to swing the scales of power by using Movement Power][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Nibble Around the Edges[/h3][p]Leaving China for a moment, I can share more details about Border Warfare.[/p][p][/p][p]Imagine two scenarios:[/p]

• [p]A conqueror is rampaging nearby and swallowing lands that you have claims on, so you are left with three options: murder them, fight head-on, or roll over and die.[/p]
• [p]You restored Rome, again. And didn’t choose the hard option, again. Now you are out of challenges and can either get to tediously conquer the world or start a new Rome restoration run.[/p]

[p][/p][p]We wanted to make both scenarios more interesting, so that living next to a powerful realm is not miserable while playing as it is still challenging.[/p][p][/p][p]Let me introduce Border Policy Realm Law, which will simulate that the Top Liege is busy with courtly matters in the capital, and won’t pay attention to insignificant wars over backwater counties far away. This allows characters to declare wars on vassals of that Liege and forbids the top liege from intervening for 3 years. This will make larger realms less safe and stable. Keeping peripheral, weak vassals will make them easy targets for neighbouring rulers to attack and defeat them before their Top Liege can respond. Your vassals should manage this long without your help, right? Or you can win a war yourself, before the Emperor of China realizes what you are doing in his backyard.[/p][p][/p][p]The law is toggled automatically based on set triggers. At least one of these has to be true for the law to toggle:[/p]

• [p]Top Liege is Hegemony Tier,[/p]
• [p]Realm Size is larger than 160 (for context this means that the Holy Roman Empire is the only other realm, besides China, that starts the game in 1066 with the law enacted),[/p]
• [p]Top Liege’s House unity is antagonistic,[/p]
• [p]Top Liege is in a civil war.[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]\[Border Policy Realm Law][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[Warnings in Declare War interface when targeting a vassal][/p][p][/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][p]Hi, I’m PinkAxelotl (or your examiner if you fancy). I’ve written about the Examinations in previous diaries. Now, I want to introduce you to a new activity intended for the Dynastic Cycle: Debates.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[Debate Event][/p][p][/p][p]Debates allow you, a member of a movement in the dynastic cycle, to either seize leadership of your movement or duke it out scholar-style with another member to become the Dynastic Cycle’s favored movement. The events in this activity are all about the interplay existing between movements, as well as about gaining disciples or an elder to support you in your meritorious journey.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[Examination Event][/p][p][/p][p]Speaking of Merit, the Examinations are your be-all and end-all for accumulating this resource. This is most true for landless administrators. With the latest rework to the activity, you can now attend an exam while landed, for the purpose of helping your family and disciples to take their exams. The different exam levels have been further fleshed out, with the Provincial Examination now being its own activity as well. This is available to host for all governments that utilize Merit. The naming convention has been changed from Imperial Examinations to Civil Service Examinations, which is how they will be referenced henceforth.[/p][p][/p][p]Since we have created a lot of character art for China and Japan, we have been asked what we are doing for Southeast Asia. I'm pleased to share that we are adding a set of clothes and headgear for both men and women within the present scope.[/p][p]We have decided to base it primarily on the Khmer Empire’s attire.[/p][p][/p][h3]Clothing/Headgear[/h3][p]We are adding outfits and headgear based on some amazing preserved examples, as well as sculptural and relief depictions from the ruins of Angkor in present-day Cambodia.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[Reference for male and female outfits][/p][p][/p][p]Below is an example of a WIP female crown. The abundance of detail makes working with these a dream come true for 3D artists. (or nightmare if you’re on a tight deadline!)[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[Female crown][/p][p][/p][h3]Ethnicities & General Improvements[/h3][p]On top of the overall improvements to East Asian ethnicities and the addition of Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans, we are including new ethnicities for mainland Southeast Asia as well as the islands.[/p][p][/p][p]Some work has also been done on base head textures and render settings which should help to improve character appearances all over the map. [/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][p]Heyo! Chaddling here. You might have seen me writing about design choices previously, but I’m here now to talk about a new coded system we’re implementing for Wanua government: Bartering. Before you get ahead of yourselves, let’s be clear–this isn’t a trade system. Rather, it’s a unique mechanic we’ve made for Wanua characters to reflect the historical merchants of the region. All values in the subsequent screenshots will change as we balance the feature.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[A window showing a Bartering Army][/p][p][/p][p]Wanua characters will be able to raise a Bartering Army that can go Barter with other characters on the map. When arriving in a Barony that has Loot, Bartering Armies exchange their Barter Goods (a new currency for Wanua characters) for that Barony’s Loot.[/p][p][/p][p]The Barony then gets a nice timed modifier reducing its Loot to 0, but increasing things such as Development. Upon returning home, the Bartering Army exchanges their Loot for Gold.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[A WIP representation of detailed icons in the new Bartering map mode][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[A WIP window showing Bartering action progress][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[An interface notification showing player-facing information available when a Bartering army returns home and exchanges their Loot for Gold][/p][p][/p][p]This is the primary way for Wanua characters to earn Gold. Most of their Buildings, Vassals, and Tributaries will not provide Gold income, but Barter Goods. Men-at-Arms will cost Gold to recruit, but Barter Goods to maintain.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[A tooltip showing the monthly income breakdown for Barter Goods][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[Men-at-Arms detailed tooltip showing maintenance paid in Barter Goods][/p][p][/p][p]Raiders are hostile to Bartering Armies outside the latter’s home realm and can engage them in combat to seize their Loot.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[A debug tooltip for showing how Bartering Armies are considered hostile for Raiding Armies and vice-versa][/p][p][/p][p]This whole system is unlocked by a new government rule, which can be added to any government should modders wish to do so. In tandem with that there are a slew of new defines and script support, including triggers, effects, and on-actions that are available to customize the system.[/p][p][/p][p]Hope you’ve enjoyed this quick look at our unique mechanic for Wanua characters in Southeast Asia! Chad out.[/p][p][/p][h3]Administrative Window Updates[/h3][p]Hello, Jens here. Even though we’re mainly working on the Eastern parts of the world this time around, this UI update will change all of our Administrative realms, including Byzantium.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[A window for administrative governments displaying a list of all titles in the realm and what actions you can take in its subwindow as you select one of them][/p][p][/p][p]Here we’ve reduced the size of the Coat of Arms to make space for additional details, and we’ve added a couple of shortcut buttons, such as changing the vassal directive. Opening a title’s details here now lets you control its Thematic Army directly, which was previously possible only through the Military View.[/p][p][/p][p]The Noble Families tab looks fairly similar, with the addition of displaying the % of counties the house is ruling over within the realm.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[A tab in the administrative government window displaying a list of all noble families in the realm with the most important characters featured at the top][/p][p][/p][p]Additionally, we’ve added the “Your Family” tab! This will be the window’s primary tab when opened. Here you gain a quick overview of your family members and can easily plan and manage their title appointments from each character’s perspective. Previously the only way was to first select a title and then scroll to your preferred candidate.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[A tab in the administrative government window displaying a list of all your family members where you can manage their title appointments][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]\[A tab in the administrative government window displaying a list of all titles in the realm your selected family member could be appointed to. Clicking a title opens up a subwindow where you can influence their candidate score.][/p][p][/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][p][/p][p]And that’s all we have for today! We hope you’ve enjoyed this brief look at some of the things we’re currently working on for All Under Heaven. We’ll be back on Thursday to discuss more about our other DLC coming out soon, Coronations, so be sure to check back then for a detailed breakdown.[/p]