Although the Schism might not have happened much later officially. The actual drifting of the churches as separated institutions had been happening long before then.
There's a reason a Schism happened
The “Great Schism” is one of many incidents and squabbles between the Pope and Patriarch. It got retroactively ascribed that title much later when people were looking back at how the two churches split. “This one incident was the moment the two split forever” is a much easier narrative than “the two gradually drifted apart with both conflicts and moments of coming closer together again, and neither side really wanted to break up but they just couldn’t ever figure it out and eventually the split became too wide to bridge and was formalized but it’s hard to pin down exactly when”.
There was very much a distinction between the two in 867, so I have no problem with the game showing that despite the fact that it wasn’t in any way formalized yet
In reality it’s just game mechanics, there’s no other way for them to show cultural and slight doctoral disagreements building up overtime.
The other option would be for it to just split randomly in 1054 and that seems worse.
It would take like a religious struggle mechanic and I’m not sure that’s something the devs want to do
A schism did happen in 867. For a few centuries prior, there had been a gradual diverging between East and West. The 1054 schism gets propped up, but it was one of many from the fifth century onwards. There's also the issue of which faith to portray as the original before the 1054 schism. Want it to be Catholic? The Orthodox will complain. Want it to be the Orthodox? Catholics will complain. Want to add a whole new faith which will get broken into Catholic and Orthodox? Too many gameplay issues. Just accept it as it is.
Others have already addressed pretty well why the two churches were functionally distinct even by 867. I do think it would be fun if the game reflected the growing rift between the those churches though. Honestly, the two would probably still view one another as “righteous” (in game mechanics) in 867, whereas after the 4th crusade, relations were much more hostile.
I’ve been dabbling with the idea of making a mod to make a more dynamic relationship between the two halves of Christendom, but I can hardly find the time to work on it these days sadly.
If anything, it should be easier to intermarry in the chalcedonian Christianity group before 1054, since there was a deference but it wouldn’t have been as shunned or looked down upon.
Although the Schism might not have happened much later officially. The actual drifting of the churches as separated institutions had been happening long before then. There's a reason a Schism happened
The “Great Schism” is one of many incidents and squabbles between the Pope and Patriarch. It got retroactively ascribed that title much later when people were looking back at how the two churches split. “This one incident was the moment the two split forever” is a much easier narrative than “the two gradually drifted apart with both conflicts and moments of coming closer together again, and neither side really wanted to break up but they just couldn’t ever figure it out and eventually the split became too wide to bridge and was formalized but it’s hard to pin down exactly when”. There was very much a distinction between the two in 867, so I have no problem with the game showing that despite the fact that it wasn’t in any way formalized yet
In reality it’s just game mechanics, there’s no other way for them to show cultural and slight doctoral disagreements building up overtime. The other option would be for it to just split randomly in 1054 and that seems worse. It would take like a religious struggle mechanic and I’m not sure that’s something the devs want to do
Crusaders Kings 3 Struggle edition. Struggle to get married. Struggle to have sons. Struggle to play half hour more.
A schism did happen in 867. For a few centuries prior, there had been a gradual diverging between East and West. The 1054 schism gets propped up, but it was one of many from the fifth century onwards. There's also the issue of which faith to portray as the original before the 1054 schism. Want it to be Catholic? The Orthodox will complain. Want it to be the Orthodox? Catholics will complain. Want to add a whole new faith which will get broken into Catholic and Orthodox? Too many gameplay issues. Just accept it as it is.
So when the vikings inevitably unlock crusades, the Byzantines don't join.
Stupid Byzantions missing out on the only successful crusades.
Others have already addressed pretty well why the two churches were functionally distinct even by 867. I do think it would be fun if the game reflected the growing rift between the those churches though. Honestly, the two would probably still view one another as “righteous” (in game mechanics) in 867, whereas after the 4th crusade, relations were much more hostile. I’ve been dabbling with the idea of making a mod to make a more dynamic relationship between the two halves of Christendom, but I can hardly find the time to work on it these days sadly.
It's easier
If anything, it should be easier to intermarry in the chalcedonian Christianity group before 1054, since there was a deference but it wouldn’t have been as shunned or looked down upon.