14 DAY TRIAL // Paradox Development Studio is announcing that it is planning to launch another expansion for Crusader Kings II, called Conclave, during the first few months of 2016, expanding the range of interactions between the player character and the vassals.
The new game mechanics will mean that the most powerful of the underlings for each nation will get a say on how it is governed, regardless of their actual competence, which means gamers will have to execute a careful balancing act to keep them relatively happy while also reaching their goals.
Paradox states on the official site, "Balance councilor skill and power to keep your dynasty safe and strong. Ignore powerful underlings at your peril, or simply buy their loyalty with favors. Conclave makes the royal council a force unto itself."
The Conclave councilors in the new Crusader Kings II expansion will also be able to vote on realm laws and try to impede the ruler if they do not have positive relationships with him or simply want to take his place.
The development team is also planning to introduce a new education system for royal children, with event chains and special traits, and the diplomacy is also tweaked, with coalitions, new options for rulers and a bigger focus on alliances created via marriage and non-aggression pacts.
Crusader Kings II is also getting a military combat system that places more of an emphasis on morale and changes the way mercenary companies work, with the Artificial Intelligence also better able to judge how to use its troops and how to make decisions.
The grand strategy game, which has the biggest role-playing elements in the Paradox line-up, has evolved a lot since it was first launched, with each expansion designed to enhance a certain set of gameplay mechanics.
Crusader Kings II might not need a traditional sequel
The game has evolved so much that many fans are wondering what kind of ideas the developers would have for a potential full sequel.
Conclave for Crusader Kings II will probably fail to arrive during the month of January, but fans of the grand strategy genre will be able to experience a new update for Europa Universalis IV.
The team says that it plans to tweak the Estates system to make it more interesting from a gameplay perspective while also making it simpler for gamers to manage the various groups that are struggling to control power.
The way the Artificial Intelligence approaches diplomacy is also being changed in 1.15 for Europa Universalis IV and gamers will also get a rework of the elective monarchy system that's used for Poland.
In 2016, Paradox is also planning to launch Hearts of Iron IV, which is designed to introduce a new set of mechanics for the period that includes World War II, although the company has not yet revealed an official date.
The company is also working on a title called Stellaris, which is designed to bring the mechanics of the grand strategy genre to space and science fiction, creating a complex experience focused on empire management and interactions.
