Right off the bat I have to say -- I decided to take time off from the Paradox forums due to a moderation issue I had, but I could not hold this one in and limit it to the CK2 subreddit. I had to bring this here. I think it's a really great and different idea to expand CK2 to turn the afterthought into an overhauled, full-fledged system with great new mechanics, flavored events, etc.



So one thing I noticed about the new Horse Lords DLC and/or the new patch that went with it -- was the focus on sickness and disease. Not a massive focus, but they did give it more 'punch', higher chances if you're in the province where the sickness is, etc.



Interestingly enough -- I realized that I liked this new, more ruthless sickness shift with the recent patch. I like it *a lot*. It made me more afraid of them (before I'd mostly just ignore it and it might as well have not even been in the game, as it never had any major impact, it seemed) and consider a lot more choices and potential consequences than I used to. Being more careful to send the ruler I was playing as (and any wards following him around) to sick provinces I was invading as a Commander. If I wanted a certain person dead, it was a potential strategy to use to try get him killed -- another form of assassination. If sickness reached my province, if possible, I would put my king and anyone else of import as a commander with a retinue and put them in a boat somewhere to escape the creeping miasma, or if they were councillors put them in a different province (if I wanted to keep them alive). It all made the game more fun and interesting, and there were costs to some of these actions -- less revenue, councilmen not doing what I really wanted them to do, couldn't use my wtfpwnmobile ruler as a commander where I needed him, other opportunity costs, etc). And it made the game more immersive, nerve-wracking, and at time more painful, punishing, and difficult. Some of these feelings CK2 already brings about more-or-less, others it could use a lot more of to really pull us in *that much more* -- because, why the hell not?



So this all then got me thinking...



How awesome would it be to have a complete overhaul of sickness and the spread of sickness along with a ton of events and quasi- or semi-related events (that could be used during times when there isn't sickness around), along with a major focus on the Black Death (which may or may not arrive at the historical date time, based on other factors or events or choices, higher population centers, etc), which wiped out anywhere from estimates ranging of 20%-70%? Along with this you could also have other outbreaks that could be painful, but nowhere near as ruthless as 'the main event'.



What about the ability to 'go/send into hiding' (and the negative modifiers that go with it, with still a chance, albeit much lower, of getting sick) to try to avoid sickness for courtiers?



Here's what I'm also very excited about -- How about a new 'Physician' councilman position that utilizes some kind of a mix between the 5 different traits to determine his efficacy at whatever missions you send him on, along with his ability to sooner rather than later see sickness coming and tell you about it, giving you event options on how to address it, make sick courtiers or yourself better (obviously not 100%), etc? Such a position might command a decent wage as well, depending on the wealth of your realm, etc -- and the better he is, the more expensive a wage he'll command. They could be in high demand throughout the world. If he is really good and sees the signs coming before other people -- he could tell you in confidence, and you could use that information and marry him/her off into another court to try to get the other court sick and maybe spread (especially if he's a lustful court tomcat/master seducer, etc), or have the choice to kill him before it spreads, or another choice to have your doctor try to heal him at the risk of it spreading. There are some interesting indirect 'assassination' options here, if you think about it -- and obviously their new liege would have his own court physician to try to handle the situation... or maybe it'd be too late? If he's really high in some stat, he might be a good candidate to be a councilman to his new liege, getting even closer to him to increase the risk of getting the enemy ruler sick.



Along with this, to have the choice to appoint him and/or other courtiers up to a number of 'Plague Doctors' (which gives them a nifty plague doctor mask and shroud! -- these guys also came from all walks of life and weren't necessarily doctors or physicians). They could reduce the chance of sickness spreading throughout your court, as well as your provinces (just by their being appointed) -- and you'd be allowed to appoint a number of them depending on how large your court or realm is (and they would need to be paid and get their own events, which they would answer based on their stats and traits). Obviously, some people with certain stats and traits would make far better plague doctors (and your physician) than others.



Additionally, you'll want to have a physician you trust -- if he doesn't like you, his plot power could be pretty high, and might even kill you through events, or depending on his opinion of you, be less likely to inform you of you or other courtiers being sick, etc.



Then, when the Black Death comes, the events could be brutal, and tons of people could be wiped out to a greater or lesser degree depending on how you handle it. Again, all choices have costs associated with them -- so it won't always be so cut and dry. Tons of people could be wiped out and trying to cure someone with medieval ways (bloodletting, etc) could result in their death. Or if you just pray, of course... haha.



Not to mention, this could help with performance in the game especially as it reaches the climax of death ;D



(I kid, I kid. Okay, maybe I don't.)



There could be an interesting trait or green stat boost of some sort if one survives x, y, or z outbreak which means they are then immune to it if it happens again, etc.



There are a lot of really solid implications and potential with this and could make them game 'deeper' instead of 'wider' as it has been usually going with these DLCs. Also, depending on how fleshed out and the degree to more events and game mechanics they go, this could be a minor or a major DLC. I'd pay at least $7 or $8, maybe mroe, for a decently fleshed out disease/plague system.



Thoughts? Other ideas?