Paradox Development Studio has released Update 1.18.1 for Crusader Kings III, addressing numerous stability, balance, and usability issues following the All Under Heaven DLC launch. This update introduces key fixes for East Asian government mechanics, improves AI logic, and resolves a variety of crashes, interface bugs, and economic inconsistencies. Major overhauls to Celestial, Meritocratic, and Japanese government systems ensure proper title handling, succession stability, and correct ceremonial hierarchy behavior.
The update also expands the game’s visual depth with new Southeast Asian art assets, artifacts, and historically accurate coats of arms. In addition, significant balance changes improve military realism, government economy, and dynastic cycles, while interface and quality-of-life upgrades streamline player management. Update 1.18.1 remains fully compatible with previous 1.18.02 save files, ensuring a smooth transition for ongoing campaigns.
Full Patch Notes
Government & Administration
- Fixed Celestial and Meritocratic governments: women governors now have correct titles, ceremonial monarchies function as intended, and ministers can no longer be exploited as claimants.
- Corrected multiple Ministry-related crashes.
- Fixed Japanese government (Sōryō and Ritsuryō) issues including succession, heir designation, and contract displays.
- Resolved administrative government conversion and vassal obligation display errors.
- Corrected Hegemony systems including de jure drift and tributary relationships.
Titles & Succession
- Customized title names now display correctly.
- Fixed faction wars imprisoning ceremonial lieges.
- Disabled regnal numbering for Celestial, Meritocratic, and Japanese rulers.
- Fixed meritocratic succession behavior on duchy-level titles.
- Corrected minister prominence values to prevent succession instability.
Diplomacy & War
- Fixed Casus Belli cost modifier issues.
- Blocked ministers from initiating unauthorized wars.
- Corrected missing AI modifiers for the “Subsume Province” scheme.
- Fixed mechanics for Hegemonic Consolidation and Imperial Pacification wars.
Economy & Resources
- Fixed Treasury, Gold, and Influence spending bugs across government types.
- Corrected budget display inaccuracies and treasury reward caps.
- Adjusted Merit rank bonuses and candidate score calculations for fairer balance.
Characters & Events
- Fixed six-year-olds being unable to attend the Children’s Exam.
- Prevented eunuchs from being offered to multiple characters.
- Fixed army, domicile, and marriage issues for landless and adventurer characters.
- Corrected character spawning during coronation and other ceremonial events.
- Adjusted Elder acceptance modifiers for compassionate characters.
New Content & Visual Additions
- Southeast Asian Art: new noble and royal headgears, clothing, and hairstyles.
- East Asian Assets: Japanese face masks, Song/Tang boots, improved lighting, and Japanese bow props.
- Visual Updates: refined portraits, improved lighting and skin rendering, and new Legend Chronicle art.
- Coat of Arms: added Chinese seals and updated emblems for Baekje, Balhae, and Great Liao.
- Artifacts: new imperial and Japanese relics, plus rare findables like the Sword of Goujian and Baekje Incense Burner.
- Events: 10 new Hunt events and 12 reworked storylines for enhanced historical flavor.
- Decisions: new “Found the Ryukyuan Empire” and “Found the Siam Kingdom” options.
Game Balance
- Rebalanced Men-at-Arms for historical accuracy and added proper innovation dependencies.
- Adjusted coronation costs and treasury mechanics for administrative rulers.
- Tuned Merit and Influence systems for greater fairness.
- Lowered Treasury Debt catalyst impact and slowed title integration rates.
- Improved AI behavior for nomads, administrative governors, and East Asian government types.
- Adjusted economy values for Silk Road markets, noble wealth, and martial skill bonuses.
Interface & Quality of Life
- Added house relation icons and Imperial Grace indicators.
- Introduced graphical display for “away from home” characters.
- Improved tooltips for Merit, Hegemony, and faction restrictions.
- Enhanced event layout, siege view, and accolade creation menus.
- Added sortable prisoner lists and activity names to travel interface.
Historical & Database Corrections
- Fixed historical inaccuracies for multiple East Asian, Korean, and European characters.
- Updated faiths, cultures, and dynasties for authenticity.
- Restored missing geographic details including rivers and lakes.
- Corrected dynasty and house assignments across historical files.
Cultural & Religious Updates
- Adjusted Asian traditions (execution methods, castration allowances, and faith relations).
- Fixed religious backgrounds and temple appearances.
- Improved localization and naming conventions for hybrid cultures.
Modding & Performance Enhancements
- Added new triggers, effects, and portrait options for modders.
- Optimized income calculations and localization performance.
- Introduced adjacency visualization and instant project build tools for testing.
Critical Fixes
- Fixed snow rendering, map object placement, and climate modifiers.
- Resolved major crashes linked to throne room, localization, and government logic.
- Fixed event loops and AI-related bugs affecting realm and dynasty management.
Compatibility
- Fully compatible with existing 1.18.02 save files.
Crusader Kings III is a grand strategy RPG by Paradox Development Studio, where players guide their dynasties through centuries of intrigue, warfare, and legacy building across Europe, Africa, and Asia. Each decision shapes history through character-driven narratives and dynastic succession. The game first launched on PC (Windows, macOS, and Linux) on September 1, 2020, and later on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on March 29, 2022.
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