Crusader Kings III News

Well met!

There is a possibility you have noticed the colourful banners decorating the halls of the upcoming Royal Court expansion and wondered just how they work. If so, you are in luck!

► Read our Dev Diary #86 - Under the Banner

💡 Enjoy the FAQ Royal Court and read all there is to learn about our upcoming Expansion




As I’m sure you’ve heard if you follow these diaries, equippable Artifacts are returning to the franchise in a big way, and banners are one of the types of Court Artifact which can adorn your hall.




Banners
There are currently three types of commissionable banner: Dynasty and House banners depict the respective arms of your family, while Realm banners display the arms of a specific title (generally the primary title of the commissioner). These banners are a cut above the standard colors carried by your armies and heralds; heirlooms in their own right.

You may wonder what happens if the design of a crest changes during gameplay, such as after the Norman conquest, or when using the new Coat of Arms designer to make ground-breaking contributions to the field of heraldry.

Never fear, you will not need to commission new banners every time you nudge a fleur-de-lis; the Artifact’s designs are tied to their corresponding dynasty, house, or title, and will automatically reflect the results of your questionable artistic skills.




All Courts begin the game with a House banner, and also with a Dynasty banner if the ruler is a Dynasty Head. Additional banners may be commissioned at any time if you employ an Antiquarian. You will also be presented with these banners upon gaining a Court for the first time if relevant, reflecting your new status as a King or Emperor.




You can also see above that you must be a member of the respective family or cadet branch to gain the full benefits of a Dynasty or House banner. While you may gloat by displaying the banners of other families — acquired through war or subterfuge — doing so will only improve your Court’s grandeur.

The three banner types grant different bonuses when equipped, with greater benefits from better quality Artifacts. While House and Realm banners use the same logic as other Artifacts to determine their quality (based on the skill of the weaver and other factors), Dynasty banners are their own breed.


Dynasty Banners
Each Dynasty will generally only have one banner in the world at any given time. Unlike House and Realm banners which can be commissioned at will, Dynasty banners can only be commissioned by Dynasty Heads, and only if one does not already exist within range of you.

However, House Heads of a Dynasty will always have claims on their Dynasty’s banner, allowing them to duel or wage war for them at will.




In addition, the quality of a Dynasty banner is directly tied to its Dynasty’s Renown, granting greater benefits as your family’s fame grows.



The highest tier is unlocked upon reaching Legendary Dynasty Renown level. You may be relieved to hear Dynasty banners will never lose tiers, only gain them.

To avoid unnecessary headaches, the AI knows that a Dynasty banner really belongs to the Dynasty Head, and is inclined to return it to its proper place if it ends up elsewhere, even if they are from another House (as long as they have good relations with them).


War Banners
In addition to these creatable banners, there is also a type gained only by event: the War Banner.




These captured banners can only be gained after battles, and will display the emblem of the defeated side’s primary title; perfect for commemorating your glorious victories.

Banner Relics
Lastly, there are also some historical banners knocking around, such as the Banner of Muhammad, and others of more dubious provenence may be found by adventurers.




I hope this has temporarily sated your hunger for banner information.
Until next time!

Hello and welcome to Dev Diary 85 for Crusader Kings III!
This is Areysak, Content Designer (some of you might remember me from Imperator).

As the release date draws nearer and nearer, I’m here to talk to you about Artifacts.
Again?! - you are probably thinking.
YES, because artifacts still have more to offer! Let’s take a closer look.

► Read our Dev Diary #85 - An Artifact's Life

💡 Enjoy the FAQ Royal Court and read all there is to learn about our upcoming Expansion




First, you probably know by now that artifacts are an investment that requires time and gold. An inspired character makes them for you, but how can you make them feel like they are really yours?

… Why not inscribe your name on them!

While an inspired character is hard at work making a fancy artifact for you, they might ask for your input on dedications: do you want this artifact to preserve the glory of your name for posterity? Or maybe you want to impress your lover, memorialize your deceased soulmate, or even make the artifact testify to your faith. A dedication is forever!


Event to add dedications to artifacts in the making


Event to add dedications to artifacts in the making


Dedicated artifact


Occasionally, an inspired character might also seek your input on what functionalities you expect out of their artifact. Should your armor shine so bright that all your knights are inspired to greatness on the battlefield whenever you lead them, or should it favor practicality and make you more effective in mountain areas? You can choose an angle for your artifact that will make certain modifiers more likely to appear at creation.


Event to set the artifact’s focus


On a separate topic, artifacts don’t exist in a void, but are living items in a living world, meant to be used, exchanged, stolen… and damaged. With use and time, an artifact’s durability lowers. What happens when your grandpa’s armor gets rusty, or your sword loses its edge? You need an expert! The Antiquarian at your court specializes not only in maintaining but also in repairing your artifacts. With just a couple of clicks (and some gold) your artifacts will be as good as new!


Repair interface


Sometimes, however, just repairing an artifact doesn’t really strike your fancy… Grandpa’s armor has seen its fair share of adventures, but it’s ancient, and you have newer and cooler stuff to wear! Before you hit a flea market to get rid of it (and possibly have Grandpa curse you from his grave), you have another choice: reforge! By reforging an inventory artifact, you change it into a pedestal artifact to expose in your court. Of course, its modifiers will change accordingly - wearing armor might make you tougher to kill, but it will hardly be of any help if it stays on a stand by your throne! On the other hand, your courtiers might be impressed by its fine decoration.


Reforge interface


Reforged armor


Reforged weapon


In some cases, however, you might not care enough about an artifact to repair or reforge it… When artifacts reach 0 durability they get destroyed and disappear from the game. Before that happens, however, other possibilities might open up for you through events. Perhaps a scrap collector will offer to buy it in exchange for some gold (don’t expect too much, though, they collect scraps, not riches!), or your antiquarian might find a way to repurpose it.


Event for decaying artifacts


Event for decaying artifacts


Finally, some artifacts gain a reputation or a story through time! The sword of an often-triumphant general will be remembered as a fearsome weapon, while the crown that sat on the heads of your dynastic predecessors for generations will be recognized as a symbol of your people. But be careful, because if either you or your artifact gain an ominous reputation, your artifact might be known as a cursed item!


Crown with a reputation


Event from an artifact's life


Armor gains a reputation


An artifact can gain a reputation


That’s it for today! I hope you enjoyed this DD, and are looking forward to next month’s release as much as we are!

Welcome comrades! We’ve not got anything major on the docket for the day’s dev diary, so we’ll be taking a little peak at a cultural tradition that’s dear to my heart instead.
Just to whet the appetite for more content a little.

💡 To fully experience our Teaser on the forums and share your thoughts, you can click the link below.
► Read our Winter Teaser #5 - Mendicant Mystics Making a Mess

💡 Enjoy the FAQ Royal Court and read all there is to learn about our upcoming Expansion






Mendicant Mystics is a moderately uncommon tradition, one that synergises well with faiths that already boost the mystic lifestyle. Moreover, though, there’s something that just _speaks_ to me, personally, about the idea of impassioned people wandering the world, sharing their wisdom and message.

Consequently, I’ve spruced it up a little bit, adding some flavour to the idea of living in a culture where wandering know-it-all is a valid career choice. To reflect this, the following events will all _try_ to grab characters from the pool first, so wandering characters of such a culture are often at risk of deciding to become a mystic once they hit the road, and if a mystic breaks in to annoy you once, there’s every chance the same mystic might come knocking a second time down the line...




After all, who better than a stranger covered in twigs and mud to teach your children some valuable life lessons?


Or, indeed, yourself.


Really, they’re altruists...



… of course, for some folks, the wandering may get too much eventually.



Hmmm, can’t really put my finger on why I like the idea of mendicant mystics so much. Something about them just seems delightfully familiar to me, I guess. Ah well.

Thanks for reading folks, and we’ll see you next week for the first dev diary of the year!

On the First day of Christmas
My good lord brought to me
A sword with a gilded filigree.​

Hello and happy holidays! Hope you’ve had a grand time celebrating, or maybe you’re already preparing for the new year?

💡 To fully experience our Teaser on the forums and share your thoughts, you can click the link below.
► Read our Winter Teaser #4 - Artifact Weapons

💡 Enjoy the FAQ Royal Court and read all there is to learn about our upcoming Expansion




With the Royal Court a plethora of new weapon looks will be made available.
They can be carried into duels, or shown off in your courts where they will be placed prominently on weapon stands for all to view. In this teaser we’ll be showing off a few more of them up close.​



The King of France, Charles II, trying to live up to his ancestor Charles Martel “The Hammer” name in battle, wielding the signature weapon.​



When they are crafted or generic weapons are wielded the game will pick an appropriate weapon from either the culture of the character's origin. So any weapon a character has acquired and equipped in their personal inventory will be wielded.​


Swords and sabers, elegant and a way of showing off one's wealth


Daggers may not have reach, but they’re much more up close and personal. Et tu, Brute?


What self respecting berserker would be caught without his axe?


Mace, for chasing off attackers since before recorded history.


For the experienced spearman.
​
And with that its a wrap for this short teaser, hope your holidays have been a great one and until next time, Happy new years!

The Steam Winter Sale is here! ❄️
Up to -20% on Crusader Kings III, treat yourself with a royal gift for Christmas and invite your friends to play as your vassals! 😏
► Buy Crusader Kings III

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1158310/Crusader_Kings_III/