Crusader Kings II

Crusader Kings II is a grand strategy game set in the Middle Ages, developed by Paradox Development Studio and published by Paradox Interactive as a sequel to Crusader Kings. The game was released on February 14, 2012. A sequel, Crusader Kings III, was released on September 1, 2020.[1] Crusader Kings II stood out from earlier Paradox Interactive games in that it attracted a more widespread audience, contributing to the growth of the company.[2]

Crusader Kings II
Developer(s)Paradox Development Studio
Publisher(s)Paradox Interactive
Director(s)Henrik Fåhraeus
Producer(s)Johan Andersson
Designer(s)Henrik Fåhraeus
Christopher King
Programmer(s)Henrik Fåhraeus
Johan Lerström
Fredrik Zetterman
Artist(s)Fredrik Toll
Composer(s)Andreas Waldetoft
SeriesCrusader Kings 
EngineClausewitz Engine 
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux
ReleaseMicrosoft Windows
February 14, 2012
OS X
May 24, 2012
Linux
January 14, 2013
Genre(s)Grand strategy, role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player, Multiplayer

Gameplay

The game is a dynasty simulator in which the player controls a Medieval dynasty from 1066 to 1452. Players are able to start at any date between January 1, 1066, and December 31, 1337, though the Old Gods and Charlemagne DLCs allow for earlier start dates of 867 and 769 respectively, along with 936 with the Iron Century update. Through the strategic use of war, marriages and assassinations among many other things, the player works to achieve success for their dynasty.

The game contains numerous historical figures such as William the Conqueror, Charlemagne, Genghis Khan, Harold Godwinson, Robert Guiscard, Robert the Bruce, Harald Hardrada, El Cid, Constantine X Doukas, Harun al-Rashid, Alexios I Komnenos, Richard the Lionheart, Ivar the Boneless, Alfred the Great, Baldwin I of Jerusalem, Boleslaw the Bold and Saladin, but allows for the player to choose less significant figures such as minor dukes and counts, and creation of entirely new characters with the use of the "Ruler Designer" DLC.

Success is defined solely by the player. The only in-game objective is to obtain as many prestige and piety points as possible in order to surpass the various historically relevant European dynasties in a fictional prestige ranking (the three most prestigious ones being the Capetian, the Rurikid and the Habsburg dynasties). The game ends when the player's current character dies without an heir of the same dynasty to succeed him/her, when all landed titles of the count rank or above are stripped from all members of the player's dynasty (including themselves), or when the game reaches its end in 1453 (unless the player is in “observer mode”; then, the game will continue onwards).

The game employs a genetics and education system, through which children will inherit many traits, culture, religion and skills from their parents and guardians. This adds an additional layer of strategy to marriages, such that a player will attempt not only to form beneficial alliances, but also to select marriage partners with strong heritable traits to maximise the quality of offspring and thus strengthen the dynasty. This requires balancing sometimes conflicting interests; for example, while one possible marriage might allow some desirable alliance to be formed with another ruler, it may also require marrying a spouse with some undesirable traits. Such a trade-off can occur in the reverse as well: one possible spouse could possess highly desirable traits but yield no new alliances for the player's dynasty.[3]

While the player can choose any noble with at least a county in their possession to play as, there are some Government types that are unplayable without modding the game. These include Theocracies (such as The Papacy), holy orders, mercenaries, and republics. The merchant republic government type, however, is playable with The Republic expansion. In addition, all non-Christian characters are unplayable without the purchase of the DLC that unlocks them, including Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Taoists, Zoroastrians, Jains, Zunists and various Pagans.

Expansions and Mods
Name Release date Accompanying Patch Description
Sword of Islam 26 June 2012 1.06 This expansion pack allows the player to play as Muslim rulers. It also adds story events involving Sunni and Shia Muslims.[4]
Legacy of Rome 16 October 2012 1.07 Legacy of Rome is focused around the Byzantine Empire, adding new events and game mechanics. It also adds the "Retinue" mechanic allowing the player to maintain a again standing army.[5]
Sunset Invasion 15 November 2012 1.08 The main feature of Sunset Invasion is the fictional invasion of more technologically advanced Aztecs, from the late 13th century onwards to the end of the game alongside a new religion and culture unique to them.[6]
The Republic 15 Jan 2013 1.09 Makes naval-based merchant republics playable with their own unique play-style centering around wealth and elections. It also adds a few new casus belli and events concerning Republican politics and familial feuds.[7]
The Old Gods 28 May 2013 1.10 Adds a new 867 AD start date and makes pagans playable with their own unique mechanics. Also unlocks new revolt mechanics and adventurer claimants.[8]
Sons of Abraham 18 November 2013 2.0 Gives further depth to the three Abrahamic faiths; Christianity in particular, but has also added some content for Muslims, as well as the Jewish faith. Also adds Holy Orders for all faiths alongside new Events.[9]
Rajas of India 25 March 2014 2.1 Makes Hindu, Buddhist and Jain rulers playable. Expands the map as far east as Bengal. With Patch 2.8, Taoist rulers were also added by this DLC.[10]
Charlemagne 14 October 2014 2.2 Unlocks several improvements to narrative aspects of the game, custom kingdoms and empires, vice royalty and the 769 start date.[11]
Way of Life 16 December 2014 2.3 Improves role-playing and immersion, by letting player influence more directly the type of events that may happen, rather than relying solely on personality traits or randomness.[12]
Horse Lords 14 July 2015 2.4 Unlocks playing as a nomadic government.[13]
Conclave 2 February 2016 2.5 Improves interaction with your vassals, gives power to the council and overhauls the education for children system.[14]
The Reaper's Due 25 August 2016 2.6 Improves the Plague, epidemics, minor diseases, prosperity and interactions with your court.[15]
Monks and Mystics 7 March 2017 2.7 Adds societies, artifacts and relics, new councilor jobs and the ability to give commands to allied armies.[16]
Jade Dragon 16 November 2017 2.8 Adds interactions with China, new Chinese artifacts, new Casus Bellis, and Rally Points along with making the Tibetan plateau playable.[17]
Holy Fury 13 November 2018[18] 3.0 Allows the player to "design" Pagan religions upon reformation, introduces new crusade mechanics and events, mechanics for coronations, sainthood and bloodlines and also includes shattered and random maps.[19]

Mods

Aside from the official expansion packs, third-party mods are available on sites such as the Steam Workshop.[20]

When a Crusader Kings II (CK2) game is launched, Paradox servers collect information about the game setup such as game version, single player or multiplayer, and what mods are in use.[21] Data collected on 23 April 2017 showed that at least 42% of users on that day had activated at least one mod.[21] Data also reveals that multiplayer "cheat mods" are popular too, as are graphics or GUI mods.

A few accuracy and realism mods have also been produced by fans such as Historical Immersion Project and CK2+.[22] A large number of total conversion mods are also available:

Paradox actively encourages such modding, and the company regularly tweaked the game in order to make modding easier.[21]

Release and reception

A demo was released on February 4, 2012, which featured four playable characters over a 20-year span.[36] A marketing campaign for the game featured light comedy videos on the concept of the Seven Deadly Sins.[37]

The game, based on the Clausewitz Engine, was met with generally positive reviews and has attained a metascore of 82 at Metacritic.[38] GameSpot reviewer Shaun McInnis stated "Through a complex system of diplomacy and backstabbing, Crusader Kings II makes every power struggle an engrossing one" and he lauded the gameplay while noting the "lackluster tutorials".[33] IGN summed up their review by saying "An intense learning curve, but a unique strategy experience".[34] IGN rated the gameplay and "lasting appeal" a 9/10.[34] A reviewer for Rock, Paper, Shotgun stated that Crusader Kings II was "probably the most human strategy game" he ever played.[39] Rob Zacny of PC PowerPlay, who gave the game a 7/10 score, called it a "brilliant treatment of feudalism in terms of strategy and story" but also stated it "requires major investment to overcome information overload".[35] Kotaku named the game as one of their game of the year nominees.[40]

By September 2014, Crusader Kings II had sold more than 1 million copies, with the expansion pack and DLC sales totaling over 7 million units. This makes it Paradox's most successful release prior to the debut of Europa Universalis IV.[41] According to Paradox Interactive, the game was played by an average of 12,500 players every day, with an average playtime of 99 hours per player.[42]

See also

References
  1. Mass, Edward (May 14, 2020). "Crusader Kings 3 - Release Date, Gameplay Features, Trailer and More!". Strategy Gamer. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  2. Brown, Fraser (December 24, 2018). "The history of the strategy game". PC Gamer. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  3. Joe Martin (February 9, 2012). "Crusader Kings 2 PC Preview". bit-tech. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
  4. Hatfield, Tom (31 May 2012). "Crusader Kings 2 Sword of Islam expansion announced, will let you side with Saladin". PC Gamer. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  5. Petitte, Omri (30 August 2012). "Crusader Kings 2: Legacy of Rome expansion lets you flex your Byzantium Maximus". PC Gamer. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  6. Hafer, T.J. (31 October 2012). "Crusader Kings II DLC sacrifices history, adds Aztec invasion of Europe". PC Gamer. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  7. Hafer, T.J. (December 8, 2012). "Crusader Kings II: The Republic revealed, read our exclusive Q&A". PC Gamer. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  8. Hafer, T.J. (April 25, 2013). "Crusader Kings 2: The Old Gods release date and new details from Monday's livestream". PC Gamer. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  9. Smith, Adam (May 22, 2013). "Pagan Prose: Crusader Kings II - The Old Gods". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved August 30, 2002.
  10. Hansen, Steven (January 28, 2014). "Crusader Kings II expansion Rajas of India opens the map". Destructoid. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  11. Savage, Phil (October 14, 2014). "Crusader Kings 2: Charlemagne expansion out now". PC Gamer. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  12. Tanaleon, James (December 30, 2014). "Crusader Kings II: Way of Life". Wargamer. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  13. Tanaleon, James (July 30, 2015). "Crusader Kings II: Horse Lords - A Review by James Tanaleon". Wargamer. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  14. Morrison, Angus (February 3, 2016). "Crusader Kings 2: Conclave released". PC Gamer. Retrieved August 30, 2002.
  15. McKeand, Kirk (August 24, 2016). "Dev diary celebrates tomorrow's release of Crusader Kings 2 The Reaper's Due expansion". PCGamesN. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  16. O'Connor, Alice (March 7, 2017). "Cult hit: Crusader Kings 2's Monks & Mystics DLC is out". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  17. Parrish, Peter (November 21, 2017). "Crusader Kings 2 – Jade Dragon DLC Review". PC Invasion. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  18. Horti, Samuel (13 October 2018). "Crusader Kings 2's Holy Fury DLC release date announced". PC Gamer. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  19. Donnelly, Joe (19 May 2018). "Crusader Kings 2 unveils Holy Fury DLC". PC Gamer. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  20. Steam Workshop
  21. Meneth (2018-01-18). "CK2 Dev Diary #49: Mods and mod telemetry". Paradox Plaza.
  22. Donnelly, Joe (2017-03-23). "Best Crusader Kings 2 mods". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
  23. Plunkett, Luke (28 May 2012). "There is an Awesome Game of Thrones Video Game. You Can Play it Right Now". Kotaku. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
  24. Adam Smith (May 28, 2012). "A Mod Of A Game Of Thrones: Crusader Kings II". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2012-10-21.
  25. Savage, Phil (April 8, 2013). "Crusader Kings 2's Game of Thrones mod update lets you feast on new scenarios". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2013-04-21.
  26. Livingston, Christopher (August 14, 2014). "Mod of the Week: After the End, for Crusader Kings II". PC Gamer. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  27. Savage, Phil (April 19, 2013). "Elder Kings mod brings The Elder Scrolls to Crusader Kings 2". PC Gamer.
  28. Livingston, Christopher (August 11, 2013). "Mod of the Week: Elder Kings for Crusader Kings II". PC Gamer.
  29. Caldwell, Brendan (3 July 2018). "Crusader Kings 2 mod that turns world into Elder Scrolls is now easier to play". Rock, Paper, Shotgun.
  30. Mass, Edward (March 31, 2020). "The Best Crusader Kings II Mods". Strategy Gamer. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  31. Walker, Alex (May 31, 2018). "Mod Adds The Witcher to Crusader Kings II". Kotaku. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  32. "Crusader Kings II for PC Reviews". Metacritic. 2012-02-14. Retrieved 2013-04-21.
  33. Shaun McInnis (February 16, 2012). "Crusader Kings II Review". GameSpot. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
  34. Eric Neigher (March 5, 2012). "Crusader Kings II Review". IGN. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
  35. Zacny, Rob (1 May 2012), "Crusader Kings II", PC PowerPlay, Australia: nextmedia, no. 203, p. 52
  36. "Crusader Kings II Demo". Fileplanet.com. Retrieved 2013-04-21.
  37. Gonzalez, Christina (10 January 2012). "Crusader Kings II: Greed Enters the Fray in The Latest Deadly Sins Comic Trailer". RTSguru.com. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  38. "Crusader Kings II for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2015-09-30.
  39. Adam Smith (2012-02-23). "Wot I Think: Crusader Kings II". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2013-02-02. When the consequences are so human they mean all the much more and this is probably the most human strategy game I’ve ever played. If it doesn’t wind up being among my very favourite games of the year, spectacular things will occur in the next ten months.
  40. Plunkett, Luke (4 January 2013). "Why Crusader Kings II Should Be Game Of The Year". Kotaku. Gawker Media. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  41. Zacny, Rob (September 20, 2014). "How Crusader Kings 2 caught Paradox by surprise". PCGamesN. Archived from the original on September 22, 2014.
  42. Graft, Kris (September 18, 2014). "Aiming for the 'niche' pays off for million-selling strategy game". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on November 10, 2014.
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