Crusader Kings 3, the latest medieval grand-strategy from Paradox Interactive, launched this week to widespread critical acclaim. Reviewers praised the game's depth and complexity, as well as its well-honed tutorials and tooltips. The Crusader Kings series has always been about forging the story of a dynasty, and the latest title is no exception.
As a grand strategy in the truest sense, there are many factors to managing a successful realm in Crusader Kings 3. Intrigues must be plotted, marriages planned, and wars waged. When it comes to the latter, there are two currencies that are most important, men and money. To raise a mighty army, and to pay for it, a good ruler must be able to squeeze every last drop from their Vassals.
The Feudal Contract
How Taxes, Levies, and Vassals work in Crusader Kings 3 depends on which government type a realm is using. In Feudal governments, the arrangement of responsibilities between a Liege and their Vassals is defined by their Feudal Contract. This contract can be modified from the Vassals tab in the Realm Menu, by clicking on the small scroll under each Vassal.
Here, players can raise or lower the amount of taxes and levies that the Vassal provides, as well as impose special conditions on them. Up to three changes can be made, but a ruler that alters things too much in their favor will incur both a Tyranny debuff and the displeasure of the Vassal. Using Crusader King 3's new Hook system is a good way to avoid this, as each Hook cancels out one unpopular change. It's worth noting that a contract can only be modified once for each character, so players should be confident in the changes they're making.
Tribal, Clan
Under the Tribal government type, the taxes and levies that Vassals provide are based on the Prestige of their ruler. Higher Prestige means a greater contribution, but low Prestige can result in very little income. This is particularly unfortunate when a new ruler takes the throne, as they will often have much lower Prestige than their predecessor.
The Clan government type is more opinion-based, with Vassals contributing more taxes and levies based on their personal feelings toward their liege. Rulers in Clan-based Realms therefore need to keep an even closer eye on their subjects' dispositions, as keeping everyone friendly will result in the highest possible income. No one wants to have to resort to Crusader King 3's console commands in order to restore the finances of a dwindling empire.
Crusader Kings 3 is out now on on PC.