October report
Yet again, we've reached the first Saturday of the month, so it is time for an update.
In the previous update I mentioned a fair bit of hidden complexity in the Magnum Concilium. The good news is that this feature is almost entirely finished! More on what "almost entirely" means later. The bad news is that it consumed way more time than I was expecting
To review, the Magnum Concilium was a great council of lords convened now and again by English kings to discuss important matters within the realm. In the time of the Conqueror, it was not particularly formalized and was held at the king's will. In later centuries, this body evolved into Parliament. In our time period, it is far closer to the former than the latter.
Not only can laws be affected, as discussed last time, but so too can other things. When acting in unison with the lords of the realm, many things can be done cleanly that would otherwise be considered tyrannical. Perhaps you want to increase taxes or disseise an enemy? These are among the possibilities.
Of course there's no guarantee that your tenants-in-chief will agree to such things. If you share a common enemy, then naturally they will want to see them suffer. Likewise lords who feel they do not possess enough land will happily support you in a bid to conquer more land, as they're likely to gain some of the spoils.
Other methods of building consensus are available as well. You could always try to argue in favor of your proposal. Favors gained through various methods can be called in as well.
Perhaps most interesting though is that the other lords have certain ideas about what aught to be done at these councils. If you lend your support to their causes, they might well support you in turn, assuming they aren't among your enemies of course.
When I say that this feature is "almost entirely" finished, I mean that everything is done that presently can be done. From the beginning of this feature, some actions were planned that involve the player's heir. Holding a grand knighting ceremony when he comes of age for example, or compelling the lords to pledge loyalty to your intended heir as you enter your twilight years.
While NPCs have no problems marrying, reproducing, and all that, I removed the player character from that system when I wrote the courtship and marriage content. At present, the player character isn't exactly producing heirs. I want all of that to be handled via events, as these sorts of things are fairly momentous life events, after all.
That content is next on the agenda. More next time!
The Magnum Concilium continued
In the previous update I mentioned a fair bit of hidden complexity in the Magnum Concilium. The good news is that this feature is almost entirely finished! More on what "almost entirely" means later. The bad news is that it consumed way more time than I was expecting
To review, the Magnum Concilium was a great council of lords convened now and again by English kings to discuss important matters within the realm. In the time of the Conqueror, it was not particularly formalized and was held at the king's will. In later centuries, this body evolved into Parliament. In our time period, it is far closer to the former than the latter.
Not only can laws be affected, as discussed last time, but so too can other things. When acting in unison with the lords of the realm, many things can be done cleanly that would otherwise be considered tyrannical. Perhaps you want to increase taxes or disseise an enemy? These are among the possibilities.
Of course there's no guarantee that your tenants-in-chief will agree to such things. If you share a common enemy, then naturally they will want to see them suffer. Likewise lords who feel they do not possess enough land will happily support you in a bid to conquer more land, as they're likely to gain some of the spoils.
Other methods of building consensus are available as well. You could always try to argue in favor of your proposal. Favors gained through various methods can be called in as well.
Perhaps most interesting though is that the other lords have certain ideas about what aught to be done at these councils. If you lend your support to their causes, they might well support you in turn, assuming they aren't among your enemies of course.
What's next
When I say that this feature is "almost entirely" finished, I mean that everything is done that presently can be done. From the beginning of this feature, some actions were planned that involve the player's heir. Holding a grand knighting ceremony when he comes of age for example, or compelling the lords to pledge loyalty to your intended heir as you enter your twilight years.
While NPCs have no problems marrying, reproducing, and all that, I removed the player character from that system when I wrote the courtship and marriage content. At present, the player character isn't exactly producing heirs. I want all of that to be handled via events, as these sorts of things are fairly momentous life events, after all.
That content is next on the agenda. More next time!