Crusader Kings II: Conclave Review (PC)

excellent
key review info
  • Game: Crusader Kings II: Conclave
  • Platform: PC
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  • Gamepad support: No
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Crusader Kings II: Conclave council look

For the first campaign I ran in the new Conclave expansion for Crusader Kings II, I chose to control Bohemia, the country that I have spent the most time with since the grand strategy title was  introduced, and it only took me about ten years to see some of the core new features in action.

My brother, after fathering a child with my wife, which got him thrown in jail and then released because I was trying to be merciful, decides to then launch a plot to kill me, the rightful ruler, which my spymaster discovers.

I decide to get him in jail once again but my council, filled with my most capable vassals and one loyal courtier, is against me, and I do not have enough favors to call to swing their opinion so I decide to simply disregard their opinions and get my brother in a jail cell that he will not leave alive.

The councilors are offended and free to put together factions, which they promptly do, with the aim of increasing their power in Bohemia, and decide to present me with an ultimatum right after a war with a neighboring duchy, when my own demesne troops are somewhat diminished.

I choose to oppose them, although badly outnumbered, ready to rely on mercenaries to defend my position and my sense of justice, but the stress is too much for my graying ruler, and he dies at the age of 54, with the realm splitting in his wake.

This is the kind of player-created story that the mechanics of Crusader Kings II can create, something that no other history-focused title can offer.

The Conclave expansion is created by the Paradox Development Studio and can be played only on the PC.

Story

Crusader Kings II: Conclave is a video game about the clash of powerful personalities and the many shadowy ways in which political leaders, especially those who have power of life and death over many of their subjects, act in order to fulfill their political ambitions and to make sure that history remembers the names of their dynasty and their accomplishments.

Gamers can take control of any political entity in the early medieval world, and the developers have put in a ton of historical research to offer accurate starting position from duchy to kingdom for dates ranging from 769 to 1337.

With Conclave, the series is moving even further in the role-playing game direction that has long made it the most exotic part of the grand strategy catalogue offered by Paradox Interactive, asking players to be as focused on interpersonal interactions and long-term relationships as they are in the economic development of their realm or the power of their armies.

Crusader Kings II: Conclave power players
Crusader Kings II: Conclave power players

The simple fact that characters can force each other to act in a certain manner by using the new favor system makes interactions even more meaningful, as does the fact that children's education requires a little more involvement.

The number of vassals that quietly stood by their king, accepted all his decisions and supported him through thick and thin is very limited in the real world and players who pick up the Conclave will have to deal with individuals who have their outsized ambitions and tend to pick the worst possible moments to reveal their true colors.

Crusader Kings II has always been more interested in backstabbing and the wide-ranging ripples of small events than in the clash between armies, and with the new expansion the title offers more ways than ever before for gamers to craft their own narrative, suited to the characters they play and the goals they set for their dynasties.

Gameplay

Crusader Kings II: Conclave offers a set of grand strategy mechanics with a strong role-playing game element, putting players in charge of a dynasty that seeks to secure as much power and territory as possible and influence the wider world around.

The noble council has traditionally been a way for gamers to boost certain aspects of their realm and to make sure that characters can fulfill ambitions and remain loyal, but its members now have real power to influence decisions and to make it hard to rule for a liege who actively opposed them.

I quickly found that it's a great idea to find the most influential vassals and get them a set on the Council as quickly as possible when they develop that ambition while striving to keep relations positive and high, which is harder than before in Conclave.

Each councilor has a vote, and the ruler can always choose to override them when he's not happy with the result, which gives them a chance to join factions and to try to retaliate against what they perceive as tyranny.

To further flesh out the system, Crusader Kings II now features a system that encourages the exchange of favors, with characters able to use one to force another character to act in a certain way, including voting on the council, or to simply offer one to change a certain position or behavior.

A connected tweak of the diplomacy in Conclave also makes it easier to understand why certain vassals act the way they do and how to rule to placate them in the long-term, with five personalities that define how they approach relations.

The expansion also makes alliances a two-step process, with marriages only leading to non-aggression and more medieval cajoling required to go to the next level, and coalitions can now be formed to limit the snowball effect for nations that benefit from luck and good leadership.

Conclave introduces a new take on the system that governs how kids grow up, splitting their evolution into two phases and making it clear that the guardian selected by the parents is more of a figurehead, with development now governed by a new set of events and with focuses that allow each youngster to develop based on his preferences but also on the whims of the liege.

I love the extra depth that Crusader Kings II now has, even if it's pretty hard to keep all important vassals satisfied and out of factions and my plans for war or imprisonment were often thwarted by clever use of favors on the part of my enemies.

Graphics and audio

Crusader Kings II: Conclave does not introduce any major tweaks to the presentation of the grand strategy experience, but it does manage to improve the interface to make it as simple as possible for players to track new elements associated with the diplomatic system.

Favors might seem like a hassle at first, but their number never spirals and a helpful notification sits at the top of the screen, with messages about how the player's avatar votes when a liege is involved delivered in the message queue.

I spend most of my time in Crusader Kings II either in the direct vassals or the independent, but all the map modes have their uses at times, in part determined by the political entity each player is interested in and his overall aims.

Crusader Kings II: Conclave realm decisions
Crusader Kings II: Conclave realm decisions

Interactions between characters are also easy to handle, with more information than ever offered in the attached list of choices, and the re-organization of the entire law tab is great for clarity, although I sometimes fail to notice the distinction between my council and that of a liege, when present, sometimes.

Conclave also introduces more music to Crusader Kings II, and the soundtrack makes for a solid background for tens of hours of backstabbing, war and diplomacy, although the tracks can get repetitive after a while.

Multiplayer

Crusader Kings II: Conclave does not feature any multiplayer, only enhancements, but the major changes made to diplomacy and the council, especially the addition of favors, can have a huge impact when human players control the various powers of Europe and try to gather as much power as possible.

There are a few public games open almost all the time, but the best way to enjoy the grand strategy experience is with a few friends who are willing to commit to the long-term and are happy to then extend the scheming and planning into the real world.


The Good

  • Deeper role playing game mechanics
  • New council and favor system

The Bad

  • Some information overload

Conclusion

Crusader Kings II: Conclave represents the best incarnation of the veteran grand strategy title from Paradox Development Studio, a great experience for any player who loves history and wants to explore the many what-if situations of the past.

The extra power awarded to Council members, the favors that are traded back and forth, the limits placed on coalitions and the tense relations with vassals make internal politics much more important, which leaves less time and attention for external adventures.

The battle system might currently remain the weakest area of the game, which might be a good thing because it pushes gamers to rely more on internal politics, diplomacy, and intrigue to advance their overall goals.

As always, Paradox has also introduced an extensive patch for the base game, and all gamers who like strategy and history should give that a try if they have not yet engaged with this game.

Conclave's new features are also moddable, and I can barely wait to see how the major mods, especially A Game of Thrones, will use them to deliver a more immersive version of the world of A Song of Ice and Fire.

story 10
gameplay 9
concept 9
graphics 8
audio 8
multiplayer 0
final rating 9
Editor's review
excellent
 
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Crusader Kings II: Conclave Images (20 Images)

Crusader Kings II: Conclave council lookCrusader Kings II: Conclave start optionsCrusader Kings II: Conclave goalsCrusader Kings II: Conclave favor effectsCrusader Kings II: Conclave attack
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