Crusader Kings (video game)

Crusader Kings
Developer(s)	Paradox Interactive
Publisher(s)	Paradox Interactive
Engine	Europa Engine
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X
Release date(s)	EU August 27, 2004 NA September 28, 2004
Genre(s)	Real-time strategy, Grand strategy
Mode(s)	Single-player, Multi-player(LAN, Internet)
Rating(s)	ESRB: Everyone PEGI: 3+
Media/distribution	1 CD-ROM
System requirements Windows: 256 MB RAM, 4X CD-ROM drive, DirectX 8.1, Windows 98 Mac OS: 500 MHz CPU, 256 MB RAM

Crusader Kings is a grand strategy game made by Paradox Interactive about the period from December 26, 1066 until December 30, 1452. It was released in 2004. Unlike other past Paradox titles (Hearts of Iron, Victoria and the Europa Universalis series), Crusader Kings focuses on building a dynasty instead of a country, having similarities to role-playing games and even The Sims. The lead game programmer was Johan Andersson. As with the other Paradox Interactive history games, Crusader Kings must be considered a macro-management real-time strategy game (as moves are played out simultaneously and continuously) but typically involves far more planning than the fast-paced action that is usually associated with real-time strategy.

Main Features

While the game has historically accurate scenarios to start from, featuring interesting personages such as William the Conqueror, Robert Guiscard, Alexius Comnenus, El Cid, Friedrich Barbarossa and Edward III, a significant part of the game's charm is that from that point on, a new alternate history always starts building. Unlike past Paradox titles, there are very few predetermined historical events and no predetermined historical personages that would always appear after game start. Twists to the story are created by simulating the lives of tens of thousands of individuals of note (courtiers and nobles), intermarrying, having children, moving, inheriting, plotting, accumulating wealth and titles etc. Each is at birth assigned a number of inherited scores ('DNA') that determine health and fertility as well as administrative and military capabilities and the characters will, through the course of their lives, usually add a few noninherited traits that alter the scores. The qualifications and relations of individuals will highly influence their fate and is therefore of great interest to their player. This all makes for highly unpredictable game dynamics as the state of affairs on the 'world stage' is the product of the interplay of myriad events on the micro level.

Community

Paradox Interactive's forum community is large and has useful third party tools as well as custom scenarios setups and events.

Deus Vult Expansion

On July 31, 2007, Paradox announced an expansion to the game: Crusader Kings: Deus Vult. The game was released on 4 October 2007, and is only sold online.

The expansion pack redesigns some of the basic features of the game, such as removal of DNA inheritance of traits, religious warfare, use of friends and rivals, etc. In addition, new scripting commands were added as well as new character traits.

Awards

• Strategy Gaming Online Editor's Choice award
• Game Vortex Top Pick award

Sequel

On August 19, 2010, a sequel, Crusader Kings 2, was announced.

One of the many new features will be the introduction of baronies inside counties. This decision was done to save time with micromanagement, yet also give players with small counties something interesting to manage.

External links

• Paradox Interactive website
• Virtual Programming Mac Version
• Crusader Kings to EUIII savegame conversion tool
• Crusader Kings 2 Announced