Crusader Kings II

[Monk]

Paradox had a huge mega stream today. The topic? Everything they have coming up in regards to grand strategy. If you got an hour or two head on over to check it out. Archived stream here. http://www.twitch.tv/paradoxinteractive/b/382958953

The Old Gods begins at 1 hour and 39 minutes


If you don't, list below from what I saw.



Features revealed and talked about:



*Pagans are now locked to Gavelkind, which given how easily they expand seems a good balance choice.

*New Technology system allowing you to actively invest in certain technologies. Every month you get technology points which you can then invest where and how you want to. You also get points if your neighbors far outpace your tech, techs cost more or less points depending on how far ahead or behind of the curve you are.

*Technology buffs have been spread out more significantly to slow down the tech race.

*New ambitions which allow you to push toward certain objectives ("Become King of Norway")

*As time goes by pagans can either convert to other religions or reform their religion and declare a religious head. Reforming your religion opens the ability to crusade and act like the more established faiths of the game. For the Norse, you must capture holy sites in order to bring your people together under one figurehead. Norse Crusades are called "Great Holy Wars."

*The biggest benefit of reforming is the ability to move away from Gavelkind. The biggest negative to reforming is the "raised vassal levy" penalty which you can effectively ignore as long as you an unreformed pagan religion.

*The Varangian Guard will form through narrative events (just like the holy orders).

*"Petty Kings." Dukes of certain cultures call themselves Kings but still are considered dukes. They use a similar naming convention that Muslim dynasties do until they can become "real" kingdoms.

*A ton of new nicknames.

*Adventurers can get a special CB to claim coastal duchies and become vassal of the de jure ruler, imitating the historic rise of Normandy.

*Armies (maybe only norse or pagans, it's not clear) can be toggled to raiding mode, which allows them to attack anything solely for the loot a province has, not to take the fortifications. You don't seem to need to declare an official war to raid. Your raiding target is automatically hostile to you.

*You have to make it home for the gold from raiding to get into your treasury, setting up the possibility to destroy raiding armies and deny them their loot.

*Zoroastrians mechanics are teased. No information given (future dev diary probably)

*"Take Concubine" Diplomatic option.