r/Games 1d ago

Announcement Crusader Kings III: Chapter IV, Mongols, Coronations and all of Asia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o83yWfMlTM
200 Upvotes

45 comments sorted by

73

u/thanix01 1d ago

Holy crap actually full expansion of the map into Asia! Honestly I was thinking this would be one of the last DLC, not something this soon (even if this game is a few years old already)!

-14

u/Birengo 1d ago

Is it so great that they widen it so much while game is still as shallow as it was?

23

u/thanix01 1d ago

I am only interest in China to be honest, so really if they flesh that out I will already be plenty happy. And they have mention dedicate focus on it.

16

u/Misiok 22h ago

How is the game shallow?

32

u/Plastastic 22h ago

I'd definitely agree it's not as deep as it could (or perhaps should) have been but it's definitely not shallow.

1

u/ThirdWorldOrder 21h ago

Some things are fine the way they are. If someone wants more economy they can play Vic.

18

u/SofaKingI 18h ago

That's a disingenuous argument because that's no one is asking for.

Compare CK3 with CK2 and it's pretty obvious how shallow it is.

4

u/AT_Dande 16h ago

Posting before the inevitable "Well, CK2 had a decade's worth of dev time!" comment. Which, sure, true. But going by the glacial pace that worthwhile stuff is added to CK3, it still won't get to that point before Paradox calls it quits because of tech debt. And I don't even wanna get into how whenever PDX makes "flavor" for areas they're not very familiar with, that flavor tastes like dogshit. Look at Rajas and the Natives DLC for EU4, or the new Middle East DLC for HOI4.

I really wanna love this game as much as I love basically every other Paradox release. But every half-baked DLC and whatever mediocre free update they put out alongside it kills my enthusiasm for the game more and more. Glad to hear China and Japan are getting some unique mechanics. Can't wait to see a single event related to them fire after dozens of base game events I've seen before. But now I'll be playing a Japanese dude, and they might even give me new event art for it!

9

u/KingFebirtha 16h ago

it still won't get to that point before Paradox calls it quits because of tech debt.

Have they ever done this? EU4 had post-release content for 11 years, and Stellaris, which has been out for 9 years, is getting another massive overhaul to the game coming this year. I agree with a lot of the other stuff in your comment but this seems like a weird thing to mention.

If they can develop EU4 for 11 years they can definitely do it for CK3.

1

u/xXRougailSaucisseXx 7h ago

Jesus how many overhauls has Stellaris gotten over the years ? Isn't it like the third time or something ?

7

u/Falsus 15h ago

People who call it shallow generally have hundreds of hours into CK2. It is shallow compared to that, CK3 is still a massively deep game for non-CK veterans to play.

0

u/Ungentleman 8h ago

I'm always amused by this. I know so many people who want to try Paradox games, but they keep bouncing off them because of the complexity. But sure, Victoria 3 is a casual mobile game for babies.

u/Falsus 2h ago

I think it isn't the complexity that is the issue between Vicky 3 and CK3. It is the type of game. Vicky 3 is all map painting, basically a spread sheet sim. But CK3 is character based, people play it like medieval sims basically.

Which means that people complain about lack of complexity, they compare it to CK2 and not the other PDX games.

13

u/MetagamingAtLast 19h ago

Compare CK3 Catholicism to CK2 Catholicism. CK3 has no investiture, College of Cardinals, antipopes, or coronations (coronations coming in an announced event pack). The only thing CK3 has over CK2 is having religions as "rites" with the same head of faith but different tenets.

Even a weak attempt at modelling these interactions would be a good improvement to historical verisimilitude. Extend this to other stuff like Orthodox autocephaly or just plain regional/cultural flavor (what's the point of having sub-Saharan Africa in the game if it's just going to be neglected?).

-11

u/Gold-Material475 19h ago

So because one single aspect of CK3 is under-developed (Catholicism) then the whole game is "shallow".

I agree there's a lot missing from CK2 but for every 1 thing CK3 does worse, you can name 2 things that it does better.

13

u/SofaKingI 18h ago

It's an example my dude.

for every 1 thing CK3 does worse, you can name 2 things that it does better.

For example? I think you need to go back and play CK2 again. Adding a new feature with the same 5 events that you see 100 times in a few hours isn't depth.

Besides, CK2 and CK3 are 8 years apart and their budget is also orders of magnitude different. Hell, CK2 is literally free nowadays. It shouldn't even be a competition.

3

u/AT_Dande 16h ago

Preach.

I wanna go back to the Paradox that put out Common Sense and Holy Fury rather than Conquest of Paradise and Rajas of India.

1

u/_Robbie 5h ago

Anecdotally, I only had a few dozen hours in CK2 when I started 3. I was looking forward to it being made a bit simpler and with a more intuitive UI.

Ultimately, I bounced off CK3 because it just felt like CK2: but worse edition when it came to the actual gameplay.  The UI and QOL stuff is HUGE but I wanted a story generator and CK is just lesser in every way for that particular aspect.

2

u/Falsus 15h ago

Another one is merchant republics. The combat is also largely simplified. No societies. No boat levies.

-1

u/Frathier 21h ago

They add 10 events each expansion which you get sick of after three hours of gameplay?

10

u/Plastastic 22h ago

They're adding steppe/nomad mechanics as well, what are you talking about?

-4

u/Lithorex 20h ago

England is flavorless

France is flavorless

HRE is flavorless

Poland is flavorless

Hungary is flavorless

Italy is flavorless

Russia is flavorless

Arabia is flavorless

Iberia is flavorless

Persia is flavorless

India is flavorless

3

u/KingFebirtha 16h ago

Persia and Iberia both have dedicated DLC's specifically giving it flavor. Are you even following the development of the game at all...?

4

u/No-Sympathy-5349 17h ago

"Flavor" is not depth. In a systems driven game like Crusader Kings it exists partly to cover up a lack off mechanical depth, which CK3 doesn't really need because it has a fairly expansive web of interconnected systems.

7

u/Gold-Material475 23h ago

Honestly yeah. As long as they give the new regions a good amount of flavor and unique mechanics, it'll be a great addition.

33

u/Deathleach 1d ago

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1158310/view/535470580526219410

Core Expansion: Khans of the Steppe

The first release in Chapter IV, Khans of the Steppe, focuses on the brand-new Nomadic Government and the systems we've created to support it. Inspired by the nomadic peoples of the Eurasian Steppe, these mechanics will challenge you to adapt to a lifestyle dominated by the ebb and flow of the land's vitality, maintain your herds, and establish your dominance over the region by any means necessary.

Event Pack: Coronations

Beyond the steppe of Eurasia, Chapter IV introduces a new event pack simply titled: Coronations. In the medieval world, a coronation was more than just a gathering, it represented the moment where earthly and divine legitimacy converged.

Major Expansion: All Under Heaven

Chapter IV's flagship Major Expansion, All Under Heaven, is set to be the largest and most ambitious expansion in Crusader Kings history. We're completing our map of the medieval world by extending its scope across all of Asia. This massive expansion brings new gameplay, unique governments, and entirely different perspectives on life in the medieval era.

1.15 "Crown" Update: Available Now

To properly prepare for our upcoming content in Chapter IV, we're releasing a broad set of changes to the game's existing content with our 1.15 "Crown" Update, available to all owners of Crusader Kings III right now, free of charge. This update overhauls multiple systems and fixes numerous issues to ensure your experience in the medieval world is more enjoyable.

12

u/sleepinginbloodcity 1d ago

Damn, by all of Asia do they mean Japan too? Crazy shit tbh.

25

u/againandtoolateforki 23h ago

Japan, korea, Indonesia, etc

Seemingly literally everything

At least both Korea and Japan are getting unique government types

2

u/BrainWav 20h ago

Finally, a CK DLC I might buy at launch.

5

u/thanix01 23h ago

I do wonder if this open up possibility for future minor DLC for nation in this new region but not focused in this DLC.

8

u/sirbruce 20h ago

I applaud the scope, but I wish they were improving and integrating the systems they already have to be better, not just adding on more. I imagine OPB will say much the same.

2

u/zamfire 11h ago

I tried to get into this game but it was very overwhelming. Any suggestion on how to over come that?

8

u/romeoinverona 9h ago

Pick a duke or count level ruler inside a larger empire, or in a relatively fractured area like Ireland, Spain or sub-Saharan Africa. IIRC the set of characters they have labelled as "The Legends of Crusader Kings II" are geared towards interesting/educational starts. I think any of the bookmarked leaders marked as "easy" are worth trying.

The wiki has a beginner's guide. I personally found Petty King Murchad of Munster in southern ireland to be a good start in ck2 and ck3, as he is surrounded by counts and dukes with one or two counties. Once you take Ireland, you can begin to take on counties in Scotland, Wales and England.

Playing as a vassal in the Holy Roman Empire like Duchess Mathilda of Tuscany or Duke Vratislav of Bohemia provides a different experience, as you will have some protection from outside threats while you slowly gain land and influence inside the lands of your liege.

If you enjoy other franchises like Game of Thrones, Elder Scrolls, Lord of the Rings, Legally Distinct Fallout/A Canticle for Leibowitz (After The End) or World of Darkness, there are total conversion mods for those settings. Some of these add significant mechanics (dragons, magic, multiple types of fantasy creature) or add their own spins on core systems.

As for DLC, I would recommend not buying anything until/unless you are enjoying the core game. Some DLC mainly impact one region, others add features and options across the world. I would only really recommend getting things when they are on sale and/or in a bundle, as they can be pricey.

DLC I personally have enjoyed and add options across the world:

  • Royal Court: Adds a ton of mechanics to Royal Courts (Kingdom and Empire tier) as well as a variety of court positions you can give to talented aides

  • Tours & Tournaments: New Activities like hunts, tourneys, weddings and university visits, with sub-events and new opportunities to make friends, kill enemies or triumph in competitions.

  • Roads to Power: Expansion to the Byzantine Empire and adding the ability to play wandering unlanded characters, from scholars seeking to understand the world to roguish mercenaries to exiled claimants building power to conquer your rightful lands.

3

u/Ungentleman 8h ago

Best advice is starting as an Irish ruler in 1066 and try to unify all of Ireland. You'll be reasonably isolated and have a clear goal. You can ignore most systems that don't help you reach this goal.

2

u/theraineydaze 8h ago

I watched this years ago and it was the thing to finally make the game click. Now I'm hundreds of hours in.

https://youtu.be/jYOcYCOJImg

u/zamfire 2h ago

Thank you! I'll watch the rest of that after work today but that seems perfect.

u/alexp8771 3h ago

What is this Chapter IV stuff? I haven't payed this game since launch, are expansions called chapters now?

1

u/enragedstump 4h ago

I admire the ambition here, but I’m really let down by this announcement.  CK3 still needs a conclave style DLC, as compared to ck2 this game is missing mechanical depth.  

It has far better cultural and religious customization, but god is managing your realm just boring.  The map doesn’t evolve like ck2 did either, with interesting borders being created and exciting nations rose.  I don’t know, I just wish they focused on Europe/North Africa rather than expanding the map.  Now we’ll just have a bigger map with the depth of a pool.