The main map is where the action takes place, but most of your work
will be done behind the scenes, in the various game interfaces. In this
section, we will look at how the game works through these interfaces
and all the interesting things you can do in them.
The character interface
is accessible from the Character
button on the Main
Map. If you want to view your own
dashing nobleman, you can also
click on his portrait at the top-left
of the Main Map. You can also access
the Character Interface for
any other character in the game by
clicking on their portraits wherever
you encounter them.
Here, you will find information
on your character’s personal relationships,
including their family,
vassals, court, allies, and any members
of the court who are currently
residing abroad, whether taking
their education at a foreign court or a
prisoner of war. You can also see your character’s titles, claims, heirs, and spouses.
You also get general information about the character: their culture group
and religion, their role in the world, and their attributes and traits. Hovering
over any of these items will give you some additional information in a pop-up.
There are three especially fascinating buttons here as well. The Wikipedia
Link will take you to the Wikipedia article for that historical character, if there
is one, so you can learn more about them and the situations they faced in life.
The other two buttons, Dynasty Tree and Family Tree, will take you to
beautiful tables where you can view the whole family and history of your
character, arranged as an interactive family tree. To their right is your dynasty’s
Coat of Arms, which is distinct from any titles they may hold.
Clicking on the pen-and-scroll button just to the bottom-left of the portrait
will take you to the Diplomacy Interface where you can interact with
that character. Right-clicking on the character’s portrait brings up several
shortcut buttons, which allow you to speed through the actions you can take
with that character.
Here, you can see and change the members of your court, and send
them out on various missions.
• the chancellor is your highest official of state. As he is responsible
for negotiating with your vassals and with other powers, Diplomacy is
his most important stat. Your chancellor can be sent to Improve Feudal
Relations with your vassals, Fabricate Claims for you in lands that
you covet, and Sow Dissent
to damage the relations between
foreign rulers and
their vassals.
• the marshal is your highestranking
military official and
the commander of your levies.
Because of this, Martial
is his most important stat.
The Marshal can be sent to
Prepare Arrests of potential
rebels and enemies, Train
Troops to increase the size of
a province’s feudal levy, and
to Research Military Tech
to provide a boost to military
research and increase the
chances of a discovery.
the treasurer handles your vast stores of wealth and is the Steward of
the realm. As such, Stewardship is his most important stat. The Treasurer
can be sent to Collect Taxes in a province, boosting the wealth taken from
that province. He can also be sent to Oversee Construction in a province,
significantly speeding up the building time of a project. Finally, the
Treasurer can Research Economy Tech in a county, providing a boost to
research and increasing the chances for a discovery.
• the spymaster handles all of your intrigue and underhanded needs.
Because of this, Intrigue is the most important stat for this character.
The Spymaster can be sent to Uncover Plots by local Lords against your
ruler, Build a Spy Network in a province, increasing the success rate of
actions against local nobles, and Study Technology in foreign provinces,
increasing the chances of ideas spreading to your capital and providing
opportunities to steal technologies.
• the lord spiritual heads up the religious and learning initiatives of
your realm. The Lord Spiritual’s Learning stat directly affects the rate
of technology growth in your realm. The Lord Spiritual can be sent
to Head a Local Inquisition to root out heretics and convert infidels
in the province to your religion. He can Research Cultural Tech in
a province, increasing the speed of technology growth as well as the
chances for a discovery. The Lord Spiritual can also Improve Religious
Relations by leading delegations to discuss religious matters with the
local clergy of a province.
Here, you can view and change the current Succession Laws. The
possible Succession Laws will be laid out in detail in the Appendix,
but you want to tread lightly here. These laws are difficult to change
because the different laws can have a significant impact on the game’s dynamics.
Be prepared, too: any changes to the Succession Laws are going to
anger a significant group of people in your realm and in your court.
You can also see your current heir as well as any potential pretenders to
the throne. You can also make changes to your domain’s laws here. If you are
a King or Emperor, there are additional laws available as well.
The two laws which can only be set by a King or Emperor, known as
Crown Laws, are:
• crown authority – This toggle determines the power a King or Emperor
is able to exercise over his vassals and the domain as a whole.
• investiture – This toggle decides who will appoint the Bishops in your
kingdom: either the Pope or you.
The rest of these laws can be set by any level of ruler:
• feudal levies – This determines the percentage of your vassals’ levies
that have to be provided to their liege in times of war.
• feudal taxation – This determines the tax rate your feudal vassals must
pay. Traditionally, this is little or none because of the levies they provide,
but other arrangements can, of course, be made.
• city levies – This toggle sets the amount of troops your cities are obligated
to provide in times of war.
• city taxation – The cities are the golden geese of your realm, and here is
where you decide how much gold to squeeze from those geese.
• church levies – This toggle determines the amount of troops that church
vassals are formally obligated to provide.
• church taxation - Church vassals can provide you with a significant
tithe. How large that tithe is can be set here. Of course, if they like the
Pope or Patriarch more, that gold just might flow to their coffers instead.
It is important to remember that whether you are Count, Duke, King, or
Emperor, you are not an absolute monarch. There is a very important check
on your authority to set these laws, as your vassals get to vote. A majority must
approve the proposed change before it can take effect.
In the technology interface, you can set your realm’s focus and see
how far technologies have developed not only within your demesne but
within your entire realm. Technology in the Middle Ages progressed
very, very slowly. The game does an excellent job of simulating this gradual
growth as well as its spread, as advances are discovered and slowly drift, on
their own, across the game world.
The three different trees are Military, Economy, and Culture.
While you cannot directly affect the speed of technological growth, the skills of
your ministers and the technology in each tree you choose to focus on will have an
impact on the speed of development, the chances of making a new discovery, and
the chances of discoveries spreading to your provinces from neighboring lands.
You set the focus for each tree by clicking on the area of research you want
to develop the fastest.