Introduce Hidden Traits Please Paradox

[aidanlewis]

I was wondering what peoples thoughts were on paradox introducing hidden traits to CK3. Many of us seasoned players know exactly what to look out for when choosing council positions, court positions and spouses. We avoid traits like 'deceitful', 'lustful' and 'ambitious' because we know what problems can arise from people who take up these positions.

I essential suggest hiding certain traits, at least in some situations for 2 main reasons.

1. It adds to the realism - there's no reason why you should necessarily know a character is deceitful until he has at least once betrayed you or someone close to you, or that a character is lustful until their secret lover is revealed.

2. To keep the game interesting - as mentioned, many of us experienced players will avoid putting characters with certain negative and potentially troublesome traits in prominent positions. But by doing this, you often miss out on unpredictable and exciting story lines. Betrayals, affairs, deposings etc.

How would it work? I can perhaps see it working by hiding certain character traits that realistically someone wouldn't necessarily know about them, and they can be revealed to the players as and when the character makes at least 1 if not 2 or 3 trait based decisions during events that correlate with the hidden trait. Traits that I feel could work well be initially hidden include deceitful, lustful, ambitious, sadistic and vengeful.

Let me know if you have any thoughts/agree or disagree with me!

[Firkin]

there is a mod which you can use for hiding traits obfusCKate - Hidden Information
by Jp78

[Apate]

I agree that all character traits should be hidden.

[Sputnik]

I dunno about ALL traits. After all, we make RL judgement calls about people all the time (though mine are notoriously unreliable).

Perhaps a character with high intrigue would be more able to conceal some of all of their traits.

Then you could set your Spy Master an "Investigate Character' task, to see what a target is really like at home. The reliably and completeness would vary according to your Spy's intrigue and what kind of budget you give him for this kind of work.

[JC]

I've been saying this should be part of a diplomacy/Spying update for years.

Traits hidden, stats hidden, the amount of troops, ect.. Add a rumor game mechanic that could skew things.. that would make this game way more interesting.

[Sputnik]

Yeah it would be great to a spy mechanic on army composition.

[Siamese55]

Personally would not want it default. As an option? Sure.

We can argue all day on how realistic it is to notice personality traits in small interactions, etc. However, I prefer challenge to not be random sandbags. In situations with hidden information, it limits the strategy/options available to the player.

Say all stats are hidden, so you cannot see traits or skills, like was suggested above. The automatic council choices are your powerful vassals to avoid the relationship penalty. Sure, they may not be good and can hit you with bad traits consequences, but they are the obvious choice with your limited information when the original mechanic intention was to balance an effective council with political concerns. That sounds less interesting, rather than more to me.

I would much rather they balance it for us to have a reason to take a risk on deceitful, lustful, ambitious, etc. characters. For example, deceitful characters being more effective spy masters, but occasionally withhold secrets they should tell you to blackmail other characters, etc. CK3 would be a better game if we were more incentivized to gamble, and in that respect we would naturally lose more.

[JC]

The point is because you should not know some things, or the chance to learn things. It's a strategy game for sure, but it's a strategy RPG. Right now you just look around the map, Pick who ever has the best stats and invite them to your realm. How is that strategy? It's not, it's just looking at a spread sheet.

Having to target someone, learn about a kingdom, who to spy on, how to befriend, or perhaps plot against, that's all strategy. Befriending a kingdom, learning about the courtiers to perhaps gain a new Steward is an entire plot. right now it's click, click click... move on to the next.

I want to actually have to use my power and courtiers and council members to have things happen. It's why the game is so war oriented, because there isn't much else you need to spend time on. At least hiding things would give you a reason to do other things. Not to mention, why should you know someone is deceitful with out having an event to tell you that they are? Till someone crosses you they often are not known. it would add another layer to things that the game lacks. it has the traits, but they are basically an minor inconvenience now, not a game play mechanic that really means anything.

Not everything needs to be hidden, but some stats, perhaps some traits, as you get to know, befriend, rumor, spying, diplomacy ect you would learn more about a kingdom and the people in it. There are many gameplay mechanics that could be introduced and it all would deepen both strategy and RPG, and also be a nice way to give the AI an edge as well, but not hiding some things for them.