Since its release in 2020, Crusader Kings 3 has received several smaller DLCs. However, few have drawn such an overwhelmingly negative reaction as the recently launched `Coronations` DLC on Steam. Players are not merely disappointed; they are expressing significant anger. In response, PDS Black QA Manager Riad has come forward to apologize to players and take responsibility for the DLC`s problematic state.
Riad conveyed his message on Steam, accompanying it with update 1.17.0.1, which aims to resolve some of the issues raised by players. The `Coronations` DLC introduced the ability for players to have their rulers formally crowned and to make solemn oaths to their kingdom`s populace. A core flaw, however, was that many of these oaths proved incredibly difficult to fulfill, or the game simply failed to register their completion. The Steam reviews for `Coronations` have been exceptionally critical, currently indicating an `overwhelmingly negative` rating.
“I`m sorry,” Riad wrote. “Coronations did not meet the standard you deserve, and that`s on me. As the QA Manager for the studio, it is my job to ensure that our releases meet the [quality assurance] vision we have set out. It is clear we didn`t give the project the resources and attention it needed, and the result was a release that let you down. You have every right to be upset, and I want to acknowledge that openly.”
Riad further explained that the majority of Paradox`s resources were dedicated to a substantial Crusader Kings 3 expansion, `All Under Heaven.` This allocation left `Coronations` with fewer resources, ultimately contributing to the launch with broken oath mechanics, which Riad attributed to “last-minute” changes. He reiterated his commitment to doing better for fans and earning back their trust.
A Steam user named Mewzle responded directly to Riad, pointing out that they had purchased every previous DLC for the game and had consistently given the developer the benefit of the doubt. Mewzle expressed a definitive shift in their sentiment towards Paradox, no longer feeling that way.
“If you really feel this way Paradox,” Mewzle stated, “then integrate this garbage into the main game, and STOP producing garbage like this that alienates your player base. This is NOT $5 worth of content and you know it. The modding community could create (and has created) something better than this slop in five minutes and not make a dime … Again, if you truly want to be better, then be better.”
One of the initial changes listed in the 1.17.0.1 update targets the erroneous `Oathbreaker` event that would appear regardless of whether players had successfully fulfilled their oaths. The comprehensive list of fixes is provided below:
Update 1.17.0.1 Bugfixes
- Resolved the issue where the `Oathbreaker` event would always occur, regardless of oath completion.
- Adjusted the building tiers required for three specific `build special oath buildings` oaths from tier 3 to tier 2.
- Reduced the costs and modified effects of the special oath buildings across the board.
- Simplified some triggers for special oath buildings, making them require fewer prerequisites.
- Increased the timeframe for completing these specific oaths from 10 years to 20 years.
- For the spiritual oath specifically, the requirements for tier 3 and tier 2 buildings were swapped.
- The Alliance oath requirement was changed from 5 alliances to 3.
- The generic Building Oath requirement was reduced from 10 buildings to 8, and its available time increased from 15 years to 20 years.
- The Legendary Hunt oath requirement was changed from 3 hunts to 1, and its available time increased from 20 years to 40 years.
- Fixed the `Prepare Heir` oath decision to correctly check for its requirements` scope and removed its gold cost.
- Introduced two new modifiers for AI behavior: warlike oaths will increase AI`s war chance, and peace oaths will decrease it.
- Removed health bonuses and penalties previously associated with `Prepare the Heir` rewards.
- Added additional checks to guide AI in choosing more logical and appropriate oaths.
- Fixed the `End the Struggle` oath to accurately indicate the target struggle area and significantly increased its availability time from 20 years to 50 years.
- Increased the time available to complete the `Repent Oath` from 10 years to 20 years.
- Corrected Anointment Doctrines and Anointment activity types to be available only to faiths with Spiritual Heads of Faith; temporal HoF faiths now have guaranteed access to regular coronations instead.
- Addressed duplication bugs and self-crowning penalties that occurred when a temporal Head of Faith acted as the Coronation host.
- Blocked building oaths for Nomad and Tribal cultures.
This article discusses content related to the video game Crusader Kings III.