Crusader Kings III, released in September last year, not only promised strategy lovers tremendous experience, but managed to attract even those who distanced themselves from such deep strategy games. It was one of those games that I enjoyed and loved. So like many players when the Royal Court was announced, I was happy and naturally followed closely. And when I got a first look at this additional package, I couldn’t be expected to say no, could I:)
I did a quick CK3: Royal Court tour over the weekend and got plenty of notes. Let’s take a quick look at what innovations this additional package will offer us in February:
Let’s see what news there is from the court people.
Paradox does strategy games very well, especially historical strategy games, and I don’t think there’s much objection. After all, the Europa Universalis, Hearts of Iron, Victoria and Crusader Kings series have each become series that manage to attract gamers and gain significant player communities.
Maybe one thing they do better than that is that they manage to keep the games they make alive for years to come, which is where additional packages come in. Again, let me say at the end, we are facing an additional package that indicates that they will continue this tradition for CK3.
Instead of adding new civilization, units, etc., the Royal Court focuses on a different topic: the Palace. When we look at history, we see that palaces are a center not only for the administration, but also for culture. The Royal Court is an additional package prepared with this in mind; Of course, he does it again by blending it with the management aspect of the business.
One of the innovations that comes with the additional package is the role of our throne room. Here we welcome both the managers at our disposal, our family members and our guests, from time to time we listen to the issues of these names, the events they want to raise and decide as we see fit. The part of the job that can be considered ‘court’ also manifests itself in the form of decisions we make in some of the disputes that arise or about the claims expressed.
One of the important elements of the painting that comes to life in the minds when mentioned in the throne room must be grandeur. That’s exactly what the additional package brings, our grandeur level. The quality of the in-room service (e.g. meals) helps you impress your guests while also allowing you to welcome more senior guests. That’s how you impress your opponents when the time comes.
Let’s talk about how we put our throne room on and laid it when we’re talking about grandeur:) We can use many valuable items to color our throne room, from the flags of our dynasty to important weapons, artifacts, hunting trophies, writing artifacts. As the number and value of these increases, so do the effects.
In your throne room, you can host adventurers, travelers, inventors, writers or poets from time to time, and you can be subjected to requests for support for what they plan to do. If you accept these demands, support their work financially and spiritually, and the work can be successfully terminated, the weapon produced, the discovered historical artifact, the book written, etc. are among the objects that can adorn your throne room. Sometimes they become our king’s crown, armor, weapon. In fact, from time to time, animosities can arise between members of the dynasty because of these objects. Your brother, the other heir to the throne, can show me a stick under the table saying, “If you don’t want us to get apart, send me this antique from our priest:)
If you have adopted the motto of quality life, if you want to level up our palace a little more, you can use the new assignments for this. You can appoint a physician to deliver your health into reliable hands, a buffoon to relieve your stress and relax, a clown to laugh at, a groom to offer better care to your horses, a guard who will stretch his chest to attack you. They both contribute to your grandeur and play a role in facilitating your management in one way or another.
And when it comes to the cultural part of it, it’s about the culture. there are a few points that can be specified. The first is that you can get away from the dominant culture on your land (and in some cases in a geography that includes your neighbors) and build a new culture (Cultural Divergence). Naturally, you are the leader of this culture, and how accepted this culture will become an important issue for your reign.
A similar situation applies to hybrid cultures. In some cases, it is also possible to create a mix of two cultures and create a hybrid culture. In doing so, you can choose which culture will be more dominant in different topics, or you can adopt a middle ground where both cultures have equal influence. Of course, you can also take advantage of some of the advantages that come with this new culture.
When we talk about culture, we need to talk about language. The language used in your palace is naturally the dominant language. Your vassals, guests, and service are also expected to use this language when coming to you with requests or offering their loyalty. Those who do not have this language can fall into situations that can embarrass themselves. It’s important to learn a language, as a similar situation applies to you. Learning a new language with the support of people who have mastered the language is an element that can also affect your influence on your neighbors or the lands you have conquered.
Now, about being ashamed. There are certain conditions for you to convene the Royal Court (I’m not sure if the Royal Court is a proper translation, but let’s continue for now) and one of them is that you have the status of King or Queen (we can call you Sultan or Emperor). So if you are one of the vassals of a king or one of the bannermen of a sultan, you have no chance to convene a Royal Court, on the contrary, you can join the delegation of that king/queen or sultan, offer your loyalty to them and make demands on them. When you offer your loyalty, if you do not master the language of the palace, you can be disgraceful, and if you cannot express your request on solid enough foundations and speak it properly, you can leave the palace with your neck bent by the king’s harsh response. But if you know your stuff, if you’re talking well, it’s possible to add land to your land without firing a single bullet or getting involved in assassination plots.
As many times before, there are many details that can be explained this time, and I have basically just sorted them into substances; I can tell you for hours how those details increase the enjoyment we get from the game, but I don’t:) After all, the Royal Court will arrive in about 2 months, on February 8, 2022, and I hope that we will then talk at length about this additional package.
But let me end the first look by saying, 3 days was not enough for me, again I can say that a full and very enjoyable gaming experience is waiting for us. Crusader Kings 3 was already a very good game. It is now understood he will move on with the Royal Court, putting the experience on top of that experience. I’m looking forward to it, I’m following it very closely.
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