Crusader Kings III: Legends of the Dead Review (d4_)
Black Plague too weak??
So, I only really got to dive into this DLC about six months after it launched, so I don’t have the same experience or launch day trauma that most of the playerbase seems to. While I get that it’s far from perfect and that the plague mechanic had so much potential to be way more fun and engaging, I still somewhat enjoyed that part of this DLC.
In my first campaign with the Black Death, it hit my game around the same time it did historically, and while it at first was a rush watching it spread and color the map so fast, it quickly felt like it might have been nerfed way too much. Not a single person in my court or family even got sick, and the plague only stuck around for a few years before vanishing entirely. Now I know that the time span is realistic, but the effect it left behind felt nothing like what history tells about, it felt nothing less than the common cold.
I know people complained it was way too strong at release, but honestly, I think it’s gone too far in the other direction now. That said, I really like the visuals. It’s cool and scary jumping between different courts, seeing men, women, and children with blackened faces all looking miserable, it really adds to the immersion.
Legends: I actually really like the concept of legends. Before this DLC was announced, I had even thought about how cool a storytelling system like this could be. It’s just a shame that it feels so bland and ridiculously expensive. I still don’t understand why it costs so much just to make a tale about you or your empire spread within your own kingdom.
The tales themselves are "pre-decided," and there’s no way to create your own unique legend, which is such a missed opportunity. Another issue is that after you start a legend, you end up forgetting about it pretty quickly because no one seems to care. I had hoped they’d design it so that an epic tale about your ruler, spreading far and wide, would give you significant benefits in diplomacy, but no one gives a shit that the stories basically talks about you, like you are an ascended from god. Instead, it doesn’t seem to do anything. The only thing it really adds is more ways for other rulers to get mad at you for not wanting to spread their legend and a few minor buffs that you have no control over, which just makes the legend nothing more than a shitty overpriced inventory item. I have totally stopped using legends at this point, but mostly just because it absolutely drains my economy.
Is this DLC worth the price? Absolutely not. While the plague is fun, the effect is too weak and leaves no real impact on the world. The legends are just more empty fluff that you will forget is even there after a few turns.
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