The lifestyle system allows the player to tailor their character to their needs, immerse themselves in their story, and provides a lot of replayability, as it’s not only about what perks the player gets, but also when they get them.
Mechanic summary
There are 5 lifestyle categories, with each category containing 3 perk trees. When a character comes of age it can chose a lifestyle and proceed to pick any focus within it to start gaining experience in the lifestyle. The gained experience allows picking perks from the perk trees within the lifestyle granting the character various benefits.
Education
While characters can pick a lifestyle only after becoming adults it is possible to affect it during their childhood. Depending on the education a character got, they will have an affinity for a certain lifestyle. The affinity will grant an increased experience gain in the corresponding lifestyle with the specific amount increase depending on the character's education rank -- for example, a rank one education will increase experience gain by +10% while a rand four will increase it by +40%.
Perk reset
When a character becomes landed they will select a focus and unlock perks based on their age - the older they are, the more perks they will have unlocked. They will select an appropriate lifestyle based on their education and perks based on their personality and traits.
If desired, a player can reset all of the character's perks (within a lifestyle) once per lifetime - though this will incur a massive amount of stress.
Lifestyles
There are 5 lifestyle categories, with each category corresponding to a character skill, and containing 3 perk trees.
- Diplomacy - AAA
- Intrigue - AAA
- Learning - AAA
- Martial - AAA
- Stewardship - AAA
Focuses
Characters may pick any focus within a lifestyle to start gaining experience in it. Focuses convey immediate bonuses. As such, players can pick the focus that provides the modifier they most need at the moment. For example, a player may opt for the Theology focus if they need a piety boost while another at another time they may prefer picking the Authority focus to help reign-in large amounts of newly conquered land.
Each focus also comes with its own unique set of events, connected to the theme of the focus. For example, the Temptation focus might enable events about subtly manipulating vassals and guests while the Wealth focus might see the player's character levy extra taxes upon the peasants, among other things.
| icon | Focus | Lifestyle effect | Effect (minor) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family | Diplomacy +3 | - | AAA | |
| Foreign affairs | Diplomacy +1 | Prestige +1 | AAA | |
| Majesty | Diplomacy +2 | Fertility +25% | AAA | |
| Intimidation | Intrigue +2 |
|
AAA | |
| Skulduggery | Intrigue +3 | Agent acceptance +10 | AAA | |
| Temptation | Intrigue +0 |
|
AAA | |
| Medicine | Learning +1 | Health small boost | AAA | |
| Scholarship | Learning +3 | - | AAA | |
| Theology | Learning +1 | Piety +1 | AAA | |
| Domain | Stewardship | AAA | AAA | |
| Authority | AAA | AAA | AAA |
Perk trees
Perks are unlocked by spending experience, which is gained both passively (symbolizing characters dabbling in subjects pertaining to their lifestyle during their free time) and actively (through choices in lifestyle events, etc).
Perks unlock all manner of possibilities and opportunities. Going down a chosen path can unlock special modifiers, decisions, casus bellis, and even schemes. Some perks will modify existing systems to work differently for your character -- for example, going down the Avarice path makes stress have some positive effects. There are perks that make troops fight better, that make factions stay in line, or that fortify a character's health.
The final perk in each tree always gives a powerful trait. There are 15 traits tied to the lifestyle trees (the remaining are gained through special events and activities).
While in a regular gameplay a new perk can be unlocked every few years, most characters will not live long enough to unlock each and every perk.
Diplomacy
Diplomat
| Thoughtful | ||
| Ducal Conquest | Adaptive Tradition | Defensive Negotiations |
| Forced Vassalage | Flexible Truces | Embassies |
| Accomplished Forger | ||
| Diplomat | ||
August
| Benevolent Intent | Firm Hand |
| Inspiring Rule | Praetorian Guard |
| True Ruler | |
| Writing History | |
| A Life of Glory | Dignitas |
| August | |
Family First
| Befriend | Groomed to Rule |
| Confidants | Familial Familiar |
| Flatterer | Thicker than Water |
| Friendly Counsel | |
| Sound Foundations | |
| Family Man | |