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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsIn Chronicles: Medieval, diplomacy is built around relationships between individual characters, not factions as a whole. To manage a realm, balance the lands you hold directly against the vassals you delegate to, build personal standing with nobles, and treat their military support as something to cultivate rather than assume. These are the systems Raw Power Games has announced; the developer says their scope and values remain in active development and may change.
How diplomacy works between characters
Senior designer Álvaro describes the system as “character-to-character.” Befriending or allying with one lord does not automatically improve your standing with the other nobles in that lord’s faction. Each character has individual ambitions and grievances, so one may help you while another obstructs you.
The announced relationship score runs from –100 to 100, from hatred to love. Traits influence it, and actions can change it: gifts are described as a way to improve a relationship, while fighting someone worsens it. These are developer-described mechanics, not confirmed outcomes from a released build.
Balance direct holdings and vassals
The game’s announced realm-management design has two soft limits: domain, meaning settlements or points of interest you hold directly, and the number of direct vassals you manage. Exceeding either is expected to penalize income and vassal standing. The developer has not published numeric thresholds, so there is no established ideal number of holdings or direct vassals.
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- Hold land directly: Control of settlements or regions linked to titles can provide tax income. Direct control gives you the holding, but overreaching on domain can make vassals view you as hoarding land that should have been granted out.
- Delegate through vassals: Vassals pay taxes and expect protection in return. Delegation can reduce the burden of managing direct holdings, but a large number of direct vassals also risks exceeding the vassal limit.
- Consolidate under titles: Titles have rank and type, and can connect characters to settlements or regions. The developer says a title may have one liege or none and may have multiple vassals or none, subject to rank constraints. Creating titles can help consolidate vassals and project strength.
Income is not described as coming only from land taxes: the developer also identifies vassal duties and trade as sources. The exact income balance and penalties have not been specified.
Understand legitimacy before claiming or granting titles
Relationship and legitimacy are different measures. Relationship reflects a personal connection between characters; legitimacy concerns a character’s claim to a title and its security. The announced legitimacy score ranges from –100 to 100, and the developer says it affects support for claims, the ability to retain titles, and which loyal vassal may be a suitable recipient.
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Legitimacy is influenced by how long a character has held a title and how completely they control the areas associated with it. Claiming a title may require meeting conditions, such as holding some of the points of interest associated with its region. The exact requirements can vary, and no definitive list has been published.
Manage vassal loyalty and war support
Vassals are expected to answer their liege’s wars, but support is not necessarily immediate or automatic. A vassal who dislikes a liege may weigh the risk of helping now against the consequences of refusing. Vassals can also start wars to expand their domains, inside or outside their realm; their liege may or may not support those campaigns.
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That makes the relationship reciprocal in the announced design: vassals owe taxes and military service, while lieges are expected to protect vassal lands. Personal standing, protection, and expectations of support are connected, but the diary does not specify a fixed formula for how one affects the others.
Know what affects peace negotiations
Warscore is described as accumulating through raids on enemy trade caravans, casualties measured relative to each side’s standing army, and occupied settlements. During peace negotiations, it informs demands imposed on the losing side, including titles, associated lands, or coin. The developer says peace options may expand after Early Access, so the announced list should not be treated as final.
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Alliances and vassal loyalty can matter in war, but an alliance does not guarantee that an ally will appear when fighting begins. Plan around the relationships and commitments you can influence, rather than assuming every allied character will provide military support.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is confirmed—and what may change
These mechanics come from Raw Power Games’ developer diary, not from independent testing of a released build. In the diary, the developer explicitly says the systems’ scope and values remain in active development and are subject to change or rebalancing. The diary does not establish final domain or vassal thresholds, a definitive sequence of menu actions, or a final set of peace options. For the current announced design, see Raw Power Games’ diplomacy and vassal systems diary and its official Steam news archive.
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