Crusader Kings III News

Create your own stories in Crusader Kings III ✨
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Hello!

This Dev Diary is collectively written by members of the Art Team who work on these illustrations. We would like to share our process and some of the artistic choices that go into making these images.

🎁 If you would like to see more of our excellent 2D Artists' work, we are launching a Displate contest starting today and running until the launch of Flavor Pack 2 on May 31.
This contest will provide the winners with either a Displate of their own or a discount code for a few more lucky winners. For details on the contest, see here. [link].

This fantastic team of artists will also be hosting a Live Art Stream on May 18 from 14:30 - 16:00 CEST on our Twitch channel!

• Petter: Lead 2D Artist
  
• Oscar: Illustrator
  
• Alessandro: Illustrator
  
• Ahmed: Illustrator
  
• Jon: Illustrator
  
• Nils: Lead Character Artist
  

► Read our Dev Diary #97 - Event Illustration Showcase and Workflow

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1303184/Crusader_Kings_III_Fate_of_Iberia/




[h2]Types of Event Illustrations​[/h2]
[h3]Scene Illustrations​[/h3]
These are the illustrations that show up as backdrops in CK3 events. They have a different style and context than those in CK2. As opposed to being the main storytelling device, their purpose is now to support our amazing new 3D characters and the story they are telling through their appearance and animations. The images are there to add context to the characters’ situation, but make no mistake: the characters are the star of the show.

As such, we make a number of artistic choices to support this goal:

• We avoid characters in the background and other elements one would expect to move.
  
• We do our best to design the composition in such a way that draws attention to the characters instead of the background.
  

Lastly, an additional tool provided by our 3D artists is the custom lighting setup that helps each character blend into the scene.

Here are some of the Scene Illustrations added with Fate of Iberia.
Click to enhance!



[h3]Story Illustrations​[/h3]
The “Story Event” is a new, yet familiar, addition to Fate of Iberia. Not every type of Event we would like to create fits neatly into the previous format of “Character standing in a scene”. Some Events are more epic, involving a bigger cast of figures, or describe a more abstract idea not well captured by a single posed character. This type of illustration is a more epic version of the old CK2 event format we know and love.

These images are painted in a more expressionistic style and can contain a variety of characters and action. Here are some added in Fate of Iberia - expect to see more in the future!




[h2]Process - Scene Event Illustration​[/h2]
[h3]Step 1 - Concept and Brief​[/h3]
The first step starts with Game Design. The Designers have some idea of which types of events they would like added to any expansion, and from this emerges a prioritized list of images. We typically want some images that can be used in many instances and some that are more unique and interesting.

The Designers will provide an initial set of references deemed suitable and historically accurate. The Artist will then supplement these with more artistic references, like inspiration for lighting, materials, and details. This is a collaborative process.

[h3]Step 2 - Modeling and Lighting​[/h3]



The base for these illustrations is always a 3D scene. This provides us with several benefits:

• Accurate scale and perspective become trivial.
  
• Iteration of lighting and camera angles happens much faster.
  
• We can reuse assets in multiple scenes, speeding up the process significantly.
  

It also helps us maintain a consistent style.


​
[h3]Step 3 - Polishing​[/h3]
Our main priority is always framing the characters such that they are clearly legible.



Here, for example, you can see how the same corridor could be longer.



Or shorter.

The choice of using a shorter corridor here was twofold:

• The more intimate space is suitable for a broader range of events, rather than just those set in a massive palace.
  
• The corridor lines that go towards the vanishing point far away risk guiding the eye out of the scene. By making the line shorter, we allow the character to take more focus.
  

When we approach the final iteration, we keep doing tests to make sure we are respecting our goals. Here, for example, you can see elements that are too close to the character, which were then corrected in the final image. The vanishing point lines are placed in such a way as to not to excessively distract the player.





It is helpful to view the image in grayscale to get a clearer sense of how the light and dark values work.

If we do our jobs correctly, we end up with an image that is interesting, pretty to look at, and doesn’t overpower the character.


Example 1: MENA Interior​ By Ahmed



The modeling process starts with a template scene in Blender which includes a correct camera lens and human models for scale.



To speed up the process, materials are sourced from various free and commercial sources online. Common materials like Wood, Stone, Tiles, Fabrics and much more can be found in very high quality. The image shows various PBR Materials (source: www.textures.com)



Blocking out the big details of the scene to get a feeling of the space.



Walls were added behind the camera to block the sunlight and have the room closed from all directions, to make it darker. The focus was storytelling at this stage, and any added details should support this goal.



Some adjustments in Photoshop were made to get a feeling of the mood. *God rays” were added as well as some coloring tweaks:



Placing a character and UI to see how it will appear in-game. The flipped scene looked better!



After some feedback, it turns out some changes to the composition were needed. Placing the table further back in the scene looked better for the overall composition and prevented the character from looking off-scale.

The simplest way to solve this was going back to Blender. The table is now placed further back in the scene.



Back in Photoshop again, the color temperature was adjusted. Less greens and more reds.



Fixing the lighting, making the lights pop more, adding color temperature to the lights.



3D Characters with correct lighting done by our Character Artists.



The Background behind the blonde bearded guy needed more separation. I went back to Photoshop and some fog was added.



The result.

I hope you found this interesting and enjoyed the process as much as we enjoyed working on these images! As you can see the process can differ and each event image can present a distinct set of challenges, but with guidance and support from our art leads and colleagues we can reach those results.



Example 2: Iberian Throne Room​ By Alessandro

I was excited to be able to do the background of the main menu, partly because it presented a new challenge for me, partly because it was an eye-catching and immediately visible image.

First, we had some discussions about plausible historical references and moods for the scene, as well as the relation to previous works on the game.






Because of the setting, the warm and welcoming atmosphere seemed appropriate, so I immediately started thinking about a yellow and red color scheme.

In the references, white is often used, and it was an interesting idea, but in order not to do something too like the standard Mediterranean Throne Room I opted for a real color. In my image there are still some white elements, but since I decided to use a very saturated sun, the result is still tending towards yellow.





After the initial sketch stage, some technical problems became apparent. The throne itself, one of the focal points in the background, was completely covered by the characters. The second problem concerned the mood.

I wanted to create some interesting shadow patterns from the sun, but this would have created problems of credibility and shading with respect to the characters, so I had to opt for a different solution.

Often when I find myself in complex situations, I prefer to think about it in the final stages, it helps me not to get stuck on an illustration for too long, thinking about too many alternative solutions that in practice I do not yet know how to deal with, making myself waste time.

I started to define the details of the image, making it more saturated and darker, adding purple as a complementary color for the light seen from the windows, to create richer color variations.

I tried different approaches especially for the furniture elements and the floor. I liked the idea of creating a texture that combined large, open areas with more detailed areas - so I tested out a variety of materials.



Speaking during the review meetings we decided to work the floor further, and I decided to add an additional color to create a darker but still rich texture, which I interrupted by larger elements, creating that type design that was in my plans from the beginning.



At this point I started to make the whole image more harmonious. Since it will show up in the Main Menu, it needs all the necessary care and detail. You can see that a whole series of patterns have been added to the walls, like plants and more.



When we got to the end, we felt it lacked something, and there was still an issue with the strange shadow that had been looking for at the beginning.
The solution was to cut the shadow and make the floor pattern less invasive (but still visible), and in general made the whole image deeper, and with distinct levels of reading.

I hope you enjoy the result as much as I enjoyed making it.


​


Example 3: MENA Dungeon​ By Jon



This was the first time I did an event scene illustration for CK3, which was exciting and maybe a little bit intimidating. I really like the art style used in these illustrations and I was looking forward to trying it out myself.

When I started working on this illustration, I had a few things in mind. Since it was going to be a dungeon, it would be sparsely decorated and only have the most basic, roughly cobbled together, furnishing. There was not much room for props, architecture or artworks that could connect this illustration with the area. In order to make this illustration stand out from the other dungeon scenes, I focused more on materials and mood.

[h3]Layout and Lighting​[/h3]
Before I started to work on materials and other details, I needed to come up with a good layout for the image. I started by blocking out some basic objects - walls, arches, bars, doors - and tried various layouts and lighting for the scene.

Each layout was tested with characters and UI elements on top, to get an idea of how it would look in-game. It was important that the illustration didn't compete with the other elements by being too busy or by having too much contrast.





After going back and forth, I eventually settled on this design.



[h3]Materials and Mood​[/h3]
When I had settled on a layout, I started to play around with the materials in the scene. I imagined this area being one of the older parts of the building, perhaps it was used for something more extravagant at one point, but now the walls are eroded, the stones have shifted, and the surfaces are worn. The only source of natural light would be a small window placed high on the wall.

I gathered references of buildings in the area, looking for interesting textures and variations in the materials. I tried to achieve a combination of chiseled stone blocks in some areas, with rough, eroded walls and uneven patches of mortar in others.



[h3]Props and details​[/h3]
Another area that I experimented with quite a bit was the metal bars separating the rooms. The first versions of these were based on Moorish patterns, but I wasn't happy with the way they came out. To improve them, I collaborated with our content designers, who helped me find references of other types of Moorish artworks to base the new designs on. In order to make these appear less fancy - this was a dungeon after all - I gave them an eroded material and banged them up a bit.



In addition to the material and design of the bars, I also put in some extra attention to the lighting to make the silhouettes more clear. The left panel would receive a fair deal of natural light from the window, making it stand out from the dark corridor behind it. The left panel would receive less light, so in order to make it more clear I placed an artificial light source behind it, perhaps a lantern burning next to a sleeping guard.



Lastly, I worked on the props for the scene. I wanted to keep them simple - the unfortunate residents would only have a couple of rough benches to sleep on, and would only have access to the most basic necessities.

[h3]Rendering​[/h3]
Once I had everything I needed in my 3D scene it was time to render it. At this point I want all the major aspects of the illustration solved. Since I know that I am going to paint over it, it is not the end of the world if a texture looks wonky somewhere, but I want to avoid doing any major changes once I start to work in photoshop.

I did some test render where I tweaked the lighting and some details until I got a result that I was happy with. After that it was time to bring the illustration into photoshop. This is what the raw render looks like compared to the final image.



[h3]Painting​[/h3]
When I started in Photoshop I focused on the major things first, such as darkening some areas, tweaking saturation and adding haze and other effects. Then I started to paint over the 3D image - simplifying some areas while adding additional detail to others. This is where I push the image and try to make it as nice as I can. While doing this I am also paying attention to the mockup, testing it regularly to make sure that the image works well in the game.

[h3]Finalizing​[/h3]
Throughout this process I worked closely with my colleagues. The support and feedback that I get from my art team is incredibly valuable and appreciated, and I know for a fact that this image would come out way worse if I didn't have their input. I also get a lot of help from our designers, providing tons of cool ideas and references for what to put in the illustrations.

At this point I am mostly doing minor changes, looking for ways to improve the image and testing it in the game. Creating this illustration was incredibly fun and rewarding, and it´s since become one of my favorite things to do for our games.






Process: Story Event Illustration​ By Oscar

[h3]Sketch and brief​[/h3]
Our Designers and Game Director had this idea for a scene showcasing the possibilities that the Struggle represents - a sense of standing at a crossroads overlooking the landscape and not knowing what the future holds.



With this in mind, I started making some simple shapes in black and white to get a composition going. I wanted a strong triangular shape with some characters on it that would lead the eye toward the right side of the image and the horizon.



I kept refining and adding details and tried to add some more definition to the values. I looked closely at various reference images to get inspiration. I made the foreground elements darker so that you get a good separation between elements and a clear focal point.
Color​


Time for color! I overlay some textures with color and use blend modes to establish a mood. I want it to feel a stormy with patches of light shining through the clouds to illuminate the landscapes and characters. This will allow me to model the lights to highlight the important elements to create focus. I also thought it would be a nice detail to give the characters colored flags, it would add a sense of wind and add some much-needed color variation to the scene.



I remove the characters for now and start working on the environment, I add rocks and grass and block out the tree from the first sketch. I add some photos of foliage that I paint on top of to add some color and texture variation to the ground.

[h3]Refinement​[/h3]


I add some more small bushes and work out textures for the ground. I also work a bit on the background so I keep all elements of the environment on the same level of finish. I add a second tree and refine them for some depth in the foreground, adding just a bit of light hitting the top of the trees is a nice way to further push the feeling of dappled light in the scene.

[h3]Finishing and characters​[/h3]


I add back characters and clouds and some brighter clouds on the horizon, to reflect stormy weather and I thought the scene needed some more variation in the sky.



Now I’ve added back all the characters that were planned, I added back the colors of their banners and now it’s mostly a question of where all characters should be positioned to create a nice flow in the image. I’m pretty happy with how the clouds turned out and I think they convey a feeling of wind quite well.



The finishing touches, mostly has to do with small fixes and changes to characters and clouds, I move some elements around and push values ever so slightly to make the image finished. I add some extra small details, like the small tree sticking out of the hill and do some light color adjustments and vignetting to make the composition just a little bit stronger.

I’m happy with how the picture turned out. Throughout the entire process the art team and our content designers have given me many references and plenty of excellent feedback to push the image further.

Hey folks!

Lucia, Nils, and Joacim from the CK3 Art Team are very excited to walk you through some of the new 3D art that you will soon be seeing all over the Iberian Peninsula!
This will be a long one, so grab a hot beverage of your choice and enjoy the ride!

► Read our Dev Diary #96 - Fate of Iberia 3D Art Showcase

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1303184/Crusader_Kings_III_Fate_of_Iberia/




[h2]Goals​[/h2]
With the Struggle being the main focus of Fate of Iberia, we decided early on that we would put equal attention into the portrayal of both the Muslims and the Christians there. The character art team has brought forth new headgear, clothes and hairstyles for both parties — which you might have seen floating around in the wilds of the web or in the trailer.

Meanwhile, on the environment art side the focus has been on bringing life to the Iberian map. You might remember a few of the monuments featured in last week's Dev Diary, but this time we will give you a sneak peek into the creation process. Those of you who are looking to add some Iberian flavor to your courtrooms – fear not, we got you covered with several new court artifacts!


[h2]Character Assets​[/h2]
Nils: When designing new clothes, headgear and hairstyles, the first step - unsurprisingly - is to decide how they should look. In stark contrast to most historical movies and TV shows, we actually at least try to base them on historical examples. With Fate of Iberia, we were fortunate that there are quite a few good sources available of how people dressed and looked in the Iberian peninsula during this time. So we start by collecting all the reference material we can find, put it in an enormous pile and begin forming an idea of what kind of assets we want to add. In addition to historical accuracy, we also look for things like interesting and unique appearance, how well it would translate to a 3D model (i.e. how much pain it’s going to cause us when making it), and if it fits in with other styles already in the game.

As a bonus, a lot of nerd points can be earned during this process. I mean, who isn’t going to be impressed when you start casually throwing around Spanish or Arabic words for obscure medieval clothing items?

Let’s look at some examples:


Showing reference image, concept art and the finished asset of one of the new Christian outfits. We designed these clothes primarily based on a 12th century manuscript illumination depicting Alfonso II of Aragon. The outfit consists of an undergarment with narrow sleeves called a Brial and a looser outer garment known as a Piel. The latter has decorative trims on sleeves, collar and at the hem of the skirt. Both Brial and Piel were often split in the front and back to better allow for riding.



One of the new Muslim outfits. This one was based mainly on an illustration in the 13th century “Codex Rico”, a part of the "Cantigas de Santa Maria" - A famous collection of four codices containing medieval poems with musical notation and many detailed illustrations. The image depicts the Almohad caliph Abu Hafs Umar al-Murtada wearing a loose robe known as a Jubba. On the upper sleeves are sewn on “Tiraz” bands, a very popular fashion throughout the medieval Islamic world. The sleeves and neck opening are also decorated with embroidered or brocade trims.


This is based on several sources depicting very similar styles of garments. The examples shown here are from an Andalusian manuscript telling the story called "Hadith Bayad wa Riyad" - An Arabic love story and the "Libro de los Juegos" (Book of games) - A 13th century book commissioned by Alfonso X of Castile containing rules for a large number of medieval board games as well as 150 miniature illustrations. As you can see the clothes are quite similar to the male garment above. Female and male fashions at this time generally had more similarities than differences, and sometimes it is even hard to tell whether an illustration portrays a man or a woman.



This Christian Armor is based on 13th century mural paintings of the Conquest of Majorca by James I of Aragon, presently found in Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya in Barcelona. The sword, with leaf shaped pommel and guard decorations, is based on a sword still in existence, allegedly from the 13th century, at the Royal Armory in Madrid. The armor consists of chainmail Hauberk with mittens, chausses (leggings), a surcoat and something called a “Perpunt” - a light gambeson worn on top of the rest of the armor for additional protection. For head protection a chainmail coif and a “Cervellera” helmet is worn. NGL, this must have been a sweaty experience in the Spanish summer!



This… interesting looking headdress is based on numerous examples from both illustrations and sculptures and must have been considered extremely fashionable at the time. It was probably constructed from strips of ruffled linen or silk wrapped around a light wood base, decorated with embroidered or woven bands and held in place by a “Barbette” (chinstrap). As with most things, the taller the better is the rule here!



The very badass helmet above might look like some impractical fantasy creation but is in fact based on numerous depictions in the "Cantigas de Santa Maria" illustrations. The conical shaped helmet is decorated with a large gilded metal leaf. A day when the Rule of Cool perfectly aligns with primary sources is a good day, in my book.



If we’re really lucky, there might be a suitable extant item that survives to this day, as is the case with this “Capiello” of Fernando de la Cerda, the heir of Alfonso X of Castile (Who seems to - Fernando that is - have had a very CK life and tragically died a father of two at the age of 19). This distinctive cylindrical headgear was hugely popular in 13th century Spain. An extant example like the one shown above is, of course, the ideal type of reference, but unfortunately very few medieval garments have survived in as good condition as this.


[h2]Character Art Process​[/h2]
So, we’ve decided what to do, that’s all nice and well, but what are the steps involved in actually creating one of these assets? Follow along in this exclusive behind the scenes look at the Character Art workflow! Exciting, right!



Once we have the finished concept art, we start off in a program called Marvelous Designer to create a 3D version of the garment. This is similar to designing clothes in real life as you work with sewing patterns that are simulated to create a natural fall. Again, whenever possible, we try to base the patterns on surviving examples.



The pattern, created using Marvelous designer, for one of the new female Christian outfits. This dress, called a Brial, is constructed based on historical patterns from similar garments that have survived to our time.

We then add any additional details by 3D modeling in a program like Maya or Zbrush. In this case, the belt and brooch at the neck were added at this stage.



The final “High poly” model.

This model consists of several million polygons, which is too much to render in the game (if you appreciate frame rates above 0.1 anyway). Therefore, the next step is to create the “low poly” - meaning the model that will actually be exported to the game. We do this by matching the shape of the “high poly” model as closely as possible but with - you guessed it - a much smaller number of polygons (in this case around 4400, which is around 1000 times less than the high poly model!).



Showing the “low poly” model being created with the “high poly” model as a guide.

The details are then transferred from the high to the low resolution mesh using a normal map. We do this in a software called Marmoset Toolbag.



The models – both low and high –- imported into Marmoset Toolbag for the “baking” step. Coloring is temp.



The resulting textures that we get out of Marmoset allow us to display all the fine details from the high poly mesh. From top left they are called Normal map, Curvature map, Ambient Occlusion map and Color ID map. This will all be on the test so you better pay attention.

We create textures in a program called Substance Painter. But because we use dynamic colors and materials in CK3 the textures at this stage are mostly a neutral white – in the game those white areas will make use of dynamic materials.


Before exporting to the game we need to create something called “blend shapes” - which we use to deform the asset to fit different body types. We also do something called “skin bind” at this stage - which means attaching the clothes to the skeleton that animates the body.



Showing blend shapes before export. From left to right: Average, Overweight, Underweight, Muscular, Old.



Showing the clothes skinned (attached) to the rig (animation skeleton). The pose is anachronistic.

Finally, we are ready to export the asset and look at it in the game. This involves a considerable amount of scripting work to make sure the game knows how to find the asset and when it should show up, what it should be called, who should wear it and so on.




Above you can see the final result with dynamic materials applied. We created new sets of patterns and color combinations for the Iberian assets (of which you can see more examples in the screenshots below).

After all that is done and looking good we can move on to working through the never-ending list of clipping bugs that arise when combining these assets with each other…

And that’s all there is to it! As you can see, very quick and easy.


[h2]Iberian Army Units​[/h2]
With Fate of Iberia, we’re adding two new sets of army units representing the Christian and Muslim styles, to be used by Iberian heritage culture. Of course, each model represents a specific tier of army quality so we need to keep this in mind when designing their appearance. Generally, the first tier is supposed to represent something like a drafted peasant, the second tier a professional soldier, and the third tier a knight or equivalent.

Below you can see the concept art and 3D models for all 3 Tiers of the Christian Unit. The Tier 1 model was mainly based on manuscript illustrations depicting commoners and peasants. As you can see, he is not wearing any armor at all. The simple armor of Tier 2 consists of a gameson and a steel helmet. Lastly, we have the Tier 3 unit model — its design is similar to the one used for the new Christian armor that characters can equip, and was based on the 13th century mural paintings of the Conquest of Majorca of James I of Aragon, currently found in Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya in Barcelona.




Much like its Christian counterpart, the design of the Tier 1 Muslim unit represents an unarmored soldier wearing the same kind of clothes as a civllian. Tier 2 is also dressed similarly to the Christian Tier 2, with a gambeson and a helmet. Finally, the design for Tier 3 represents a more heavily armored warrior, with a hooded chainmail hauberk and helmet with noseguard.




How different is the process of creating units from other character assets? Well, let’s delve a bit into that. To create a unit, we go through the same steps outlined above. We start off by creating the pattern in Marvelous Designer and simulating the cloth there.



Belts and similar elements are simulated alongside the cloth to get the fabric to fall correctly, but details are added in the next “high poly” stage in Zbrush. Below you can also see the shield and sword that the unit will use in battle.



The next step is creating the “low poly” version of this unit. Of course, the unit appears quite small on the map so the polygon budget is smaller than for other character assets.



Finally, texturing is done in Substance Painter. Units have a fair amount of wear and tear added in the texturing stage (things can get muddy when you’re fighting wars). Similarly to other character assets, the white parts of the texture will receive a dynamic material in-game.



And that's how units are made! Now, over to my eminent colleague Joacim for a look at the environment art side of things.


[h2]Holdings​[/h2]
For the Iberian peninsula we looked at creating a style of holding that represented the region and makes it stand apart from the Mediterranean, Western and MENA styles. Since Iberia was such a mix of cultures and architectural styles mingled between the cultures and religious influences, we’ve created a style that works for the area as a whole. Below you can see screenshots of the two Iberian cities together with four new castle models.



Here we have the new church and mosque temple holdings.



Lastly, the models for new walls can be seen in the screenshot below:




[h2]Monuments​[/h2]
All over the landscape you’ll now find multiple different kinds of monuments. Some magnificent works that have stood since the age of Rome, others that have been erected since, and some that are yet to be initiated by your architects.

[h3]Roman Walls of Lugo​[/h3]
These walls in Galicia were built sometime around 263 and 276 A.D. to protect Lugo, or Lucus Augusti as it was known to the Romans.



Just like with units, we try to hold off from investing too much of our polygon budget into the 3D models for holdings and monuments. Below you can see a screenshot of the low poly model for the Roman Walls of Lugo. Positioning map assets correctly in Maya is an essential step, to prevent them looking out of place once they are actually in the game.



[h3]Mosque of Cordoba​[/h3]
The great mosque of Cordoba is claimed to have been built on the site of a Visigothic basilica, and is one of the oldest structures still standing from the Muslim era of Al-Andalus.



[h3]The Alhambra​[/h3]
One of the distinct monuments of Iberia from the base game that has now gotten some visuals. A fortress palace whose construction began in 1238 historically. Will you begin the construction early to show off your splendor?



[h3]Santiago de Compostela​[/h3]
The Cathedral (construction historically began in 1075) was built in the Romanesque style. While the modern day cathedral has seen its facade rebuilt and modernized over the centuries, we’ve recreated this original look of the cathedral for this era.



[h2]Artifacts​[/h2]
If you have the Royal Court expansion, you will also be finding some of these new artifacts having unique visuals when presented in your court. But worry not, artifacts are also available as trinkets if you don't have the Royal Court to display them in.

[h3]Aquamanile​[/h3]
Don't let the animal shape of this bronze craft fool you! It’s actually an ewer for dispensing water which was generally used for washing your hands.


[h3]Armillary Sphere​[/h3]
To determine the path, journey and position of celestial objects, scholars would have these spheres created to better understand the skies and stars above them.



After reference gathering (sometimes accompanied by concept art, sometimes not), a low poly blockout is created for artifacts. Below you can see the blockout model for the Armillary Sphere, with a basemesh of a CK3 character next to it, for scale.

After reference gathering (sometimes accompanied by concept art, sometimes not), a low poly blockout is created for artifacts. Below you can see the blockout model for the Armillary Sphere, with a base mesh of a CK3 character next to it, for scale. It’s important to make sure that the silhouette and the shapes appear distinct and are readable from a distance, since Artifacts are seen from a certain distance by the player in the courtroom.



High poly details are added in Zbrush, after which a game-ready low poly model is created in Maya or Blender:




[h3]Votive Crown​[/h3]
A votive crown is one not meant for wearing, instead it is a religious offering, made for display and to be suspended at altars or shrines. Just like a regular crown they consist of fine craftsmanship, precious metals and stones. Most of the surviving examples of these today come from 7th century Visigothic Iberia.


[h3]Tizona​[/h3]
One of the two swords of the famous El Cid, the other being the sword known as Colada. Its design is based on the museum displayed sword claimed to be the famous blade.



[h3]Chessboard​[/h3]
In Iberia, games of skill and tactics were highly praised, and multiple types of chess can be acquired to show your strategically inclined mind.



[h3]Bell of Santiago​[/h3]
This grand bell (which you might remember being featured in a previous Dev Diary), if recaptured and recast, can be put in your court to display that feat.



[h2]Closing Comments and Upcoming Livestream​[/h2]
We hope that this sneak peek has got you excited for Fate of Iberia and we can’t wait for you to get your hands on the full experience on May 31st!

For those of you who are interested in seeing more of the behind the scenes process of creating 2D and 3D assets for CK3, we have some good news. On May 18th, 14:30 - 16:00 we will host an art livestream with several artists from the team. We will walk you through the pipeline without holding back on the technical details, so if that’s something for you, be sure not to miss it! The livestream will air on the ParadoxInteractive Twitch channel, at twitch.tv/paradoxinteractive.

As always, we look forward to your thoughts and we will stick around in the thread for a few hours to answer any questions.

Hello and welcome to Dev Diary #95, about the flavor that makes the flavor pack!

I am Hugo (@Hugo Cortell), and today my fellow content designer Ola (@Vaniljkaka) will walk you through some of our design for culture, faith, and everything else before I introduce you to our events & decisions.

► Read our Dev Diary #95 - Flavor of Iberia

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1303184/Crusader_Kings_III_Fate_of_Iberia/



In a region as dynamic and well-documented as Iberia, we were truly spoiled with possible content, and had to make some hard choices as to what would work best in the context of Crusader Kings III. Yet we have filled the Fate of Iberia with flavor content high and low, from fairytales whispered by a fireplace to grand designs of priests and kings. In the Fate of Iberia, you might encounter the Estadea, the wandering dead of Galician myth, the legendary Garduña thieves, great smiths of Toledo, cheese-making Vikings, and Andalusian polymaths dreaming of flight.

For Fate of Iberia we’ve roped in talented content designers from all over our organization to help us pack Iberia full of historical flavor. There is hardly any subject that does not get some love.


[h2]Culture and Faith​[/h2]
Iberia’s cultures were in a pretty good place already, thanks to the culture rework in the Royal Court. But, we’ve done a pass on their traditions to make sure they’re fitting and interesting. If you have the Royal Court Expansion, you’ll be able to make some compelling hybrid cultures here - why not Sephardi-Norse, or Berber-Castilian? It can also be a good way to get involved in the Struggle from the outside. Among other additions, you’ll find that Castilians are now Tabletop Warriors, able to challenge others to a grand game of chess!


The Kingdom of Castles, indeed!

Concerning faith, our new shared Head of Faith mechanic will add dynamism to Iberia’s fractured religious landscape. More info regarding this will come in a future Development Diary!

There are events for Muslims, Christians, and pagans, but the big addition is the Mozarabic Faith. They’ll encourage historical “what if” playthroughs and some dramatic decisions, exploring the deep Visigothic roots of Iberian faith. Try to take control of Toledo if you play a Mozarabic Christian - it can allow you to convene a new great church council, echoing the one in 711. But take heed - such a council might also affect the struggle… How will your realm be affected by the vicious debates to follow? There are also other new decisions available to Mozarabs - including the ultimate prize, the restoration of the Kingdom of Toledo!

The Mozarabs have a long history of adapting to changing circumstances.


Toledo plays a central role for the Mozarabic faith.

Basque Paganism, the other new faith, is a syncretistic belief with Christian and pagan elements, the most prominent vestige of pagan faith in Western Europe, ensconced in the Pyrenees. Among rulers, it is a dead religion at game start, but its traditions persist among the common folk, and an opportunistic ruler might find reason to Champion the Faith of the Country Basques, and bring it back to prominence.


Remnants of pagan belief have endured in the redoubt of the Pyrenees.


[h2]Special buildings, Dynasty tracks and Artifacts​[/h2]
For monuments and special buildings, there are some you might expect - the great mosque of Córdoba, the basilica of Santiago, the walls of Toledo - and some you might not. We’ve begun exploring having natural wonders as province features, so you’ll find the Rock of Gibraltar here, too. While Iberia certainly has a rich history, it’s not as overcrowded in ruins of past splendor as say, Mesopotamia or Rome, so while there are some Visigothic and Roman monuments here, we focused on things built over the course of the Middle Ages. There’s accordingly also a few you can build yourself, after the game has started.


The Great Mosque of Cordoba in all its glory! Art has done a tremendous job in bringing the monuments to life.


The Tower of Hercules, as it is also called, still stands today, the oldest extant lighthouse in the world.

We’re adding new artifacts as well of course, among them the famed Bells of Santiago - or in 1066, their melted-down and reforged state as aquamaniles in the Muslim Court of Toledo. Historically, of course, they were turned into mosque lamps, but that would have been hard to represent well in our 3D courts, so we went with aquamaniles instead. You’ll also be able to find armillary spheres, scallop shells from the pilgrim road to Santiago, chess boards, Visigothic votive crowns, and much more. If you have the Royal Court Expansion, of course some will be impressive items that our art team devoted lots of attention to, to be proudly displayed in your court.


Once the pride of Galicia, they now decorate the Toledo court.

The two new dynasty legacies are Metropolitan and Coterie, expressing the themes of flourishing cities and interwoven, intrigue-riddled dynasties that seemed fitting for medieval Iberia. In the Coterie legacy, you can gain various benefits related to your dynasty and its members, useful for diplomacy and intrigue. The Reliable House perk, will give you 10% of your councillors’ primary skills, while the ultimate perk in this legacy, Pragmatic Roots, makes the Disinherit interaction available for all dynasty members. The Metropolitan Legacy will aid you with development, construction and prestige, unlock a unique Expand Cities decision, and give you some added motivation to build new city holdings in your realm. The Republican Education perk introduces the Town Maven trait, that dynasty members might receive if they are educated in a county with hig development. Metropolitan is a great track if you prefer playing tall, building an economically strong realm.


Coterie members can share secrets with each other.

I’ll now leave it to Hugo, to talk more about our decisions and events.


[h2]Events & Decisions​[/h2]
Fate of Iberia contains a multitude of events and decisions ranging from struggle-specific events which shake-up plans, to flavor events designed to enrich the experience with classic paradox comical occurrences and references to regional curiosities.


[h2]Struggle Events​[/h2]
As mentioned above, struggle events help add a bit of chaos to the overall equation, presenting many opportunities themed around the current phase for cunning strategists to turn one’s disaster into another’s advantage during the greater conflict. Struggle events are exclusive to characters partaking in the struggle.


Such as this event, in which the player is able to give their word in exchange for a claim on a county. Failing to keep your word will certainly have consequences…


Some events will have you deal with unexpected losses, though you can still gain something from the situation if you play your cards right.

Protecting someone's secrets is a great way to make new friends.
Always trust someone in a sombrero, they clearly know what they are doing.
Other events can grant you advantages when you least expect it, but tread carefully as success is not guaranteed and things can always take a turn for the worse.



Struggle events —though all related, are quite different in the opportunities, benefits, and challenges that they present, encouraging players to adjust their strategy as circumstances call. I would certainly start conquering my neighbors if I got ahold of some good steel, especially since it’d help me get those catalysts I’ve been after for a while…


[h2]Flavor Events​[/h2]
We have also included a variety of smaller, flavor-focused events that help bring the Iberian peninsula to life and create a greater breadth of content for players in the region to experience. Many of these events are inspired by recorded happenings in the region, while others are simply classic Crusader Kings’ events in a Mediterranean flavor. From a story about frightening “thunder stones”, to the myth of legendary Christian mobsters to a peaceful siesta event, you can be sure you will be getting a full Iberian roster of fascinating, action-packed, and ridiculous events.


Would you eat a whale? Would Allah approve? It probably tastes like chicken anyway.


For anyone who has had horchata, this story should sound familiar. Well, with the exception of the whole “now you must only ever make horchata” option.

People from far away come to Iberia in search for a better life, can you provide that?
The Content Design team recommends you read books, they are good for you!


There'll be no shortage of opportunities to improve your realm.


[h2]Decisions​[/h2]
Besides new events, Fate of Iberia also features unique decisions which can be taken throughout the duration of the struggle at specific phases. Let’s take a quick look at two of them now.

We’ve seen a lot of comments and requests in the previous dev diaries not to ignore the Jewish achievements of the period. In Fate of Iberia, one of its decisions allows you to make the most out of these achievements by enabling you to sponsor a golden age of science.


Sponsoring sciences is a noble but expensive endeavor.

As the sponsor, you will receive various positive modifiers, though everyone else in the struggle will receive a weaker version of them too. This decision is not exclusive and anyone can “steal” the golden age from you, doing so will strip you of the modifier and replace it with its weaker counterpart. I fully expect this to be the correct kind of chaotic during multiplayer matches.


Though not listed in the tooltips, sponsoring a golden age also gives you bragging rights in multiplayer lobbies.

Though not listed in the tooltips, sponsoring a golden age also gives you bragging rights in multiplayer lobbies.

Of course, this decision isn’t just a couple of modifiers strapped to a button. Sponsoring a golden age will lead to one of three random events that provide you with the opportunity to easily recruit highly talented scholars and members of the scientific community.


Making the doctor wait will add them to your court, while performing the operation may help you improve relations with your elderly vassal. Of course, under the... "right mindset", this can also become a learning opportunity for your young child, pre-industrial cataract surgery was a lot more successful with a young assistant present.


Now, for a more standard decision example: In classic Crusader Kings 3 fashion, we also have plenty of decisions to form titles and gain control over land, such as the “Iberian Foothold” decision, which encourages large foreign powers to make a dash for their piece of the metaphorical Iberian cake by letting them end the struggle from the outside. Though the military investment will certainly be large and the many disunified states in Iberia won’t take their conquest laying down…


There are plenty of opportunities to rewrite history in Crusader Kings, will you unite Iberia under the French banner or will a post-unification Iberia conquer Europe?


[h2]Closing Comments​[/h2]
We hope the content displayed in this dev diary has gotten you excited about our upcoming Flavor Pack, and look forward to hearing your thoughts on the discussion comments below.