Cultural Innovations are the backbone of progress in Crusader Kings III, representing advancements in technology, military tactics, social structures, and more. Unlocking innovations allows your culture to develop, granting powerful bonuses and opening new possibilities for your realm.
How Innovations Work
Innovations are unlocked over time, with the speed of discovery influenced by several factors:
- Cultural Head's Learning: The ruler who is the head of your culture significantly impacts the pace of innovation through their Learning skill. A higher Learning skill means faster discovery.
- Cultural Fascination: Each culture has a "Fascination" that determines which innovation category is currently being prioritized for discovery. This can be influenced by the Cultural Head's traits and decisions.
- Development Level: Higher development levels in counties belonging to your culture contribute to faster innovation.
- Cultural Acceptance: The more widespread and accepted your culture is, the faster it tends to innovate.
- Innovations in Neighboring Cultures: If neighboring cultures have unlocked certain innovations, it can sometimes speed up your own discovery process.
Categories of Innovations
Innovations are divided into several categories, each offering distinct benefits:
- Military: These innovations focus on improving your armies, such as new unit types (e.g., Longbowmen, Knights), better siege weaponry, and improved combat tactics.
- Economic: These advancements boost your realm's wealth, including new buildings that generate more taxes and trade opportunities.
- Cultural: These innovations relate to social structures, governance, and the spread of your culture, such as improved vassal management or increased cultural acceptance.
- Siege: Innovations specifically focused on improving your ability to conquer enemy holdings, like advanced siege engines.
- Naval: For cultures with access to the sea, these innovations improve your naval capabilities, allowing for better transport and raiding.
Unlocking and Utilizing Innovations
To unlock innovations, you generally need to wait for them to be discovered naturally. The game will display a progress bar for the current innovation being researched. Once an innovation is unlocked, its benefits are immediately applied to all characters and counties of that culture. You can view the progress of innovation discovery and the available innovations by navigating to your culture's screen.
Prioritizing certain innovation categories can be crucial for your strategy. If you are focused on military expansion, investing in military and siege innovations is paramount. If you aim for economic prosperity, focus on economic advancements. Understanding your current needs and the potential benefits of each innovation category will guide your cultural development and ensure your dynasty thrives.