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CK2 Dev Diary - The Rules of the Game

Well people, what do you know? I needed a break from the Stellaris crunch, so here’s an unscheduled dev diary! All the hubbub about Defensive Pacts and Shattered Retreats got me thinking about an old ambition I’ve had to improve the game set-up screens in order to allow players to customize their experience without having to resort to modding. The idea is inspired by games like Civilization and the Second Wave DLC for XCOM: Enemy Unknown, which allow players to change various advanced options and settings for a different experience in the game. I really like such options and typically make good use of them myself.

Now, of course there is such a thing as “the way the game was meant to be played”. That is, how the designers made the game and like to play it themselves. However, variety is the spice of life, and after 11 Crusader Kings II expansions things are not as clear-cut anymore. It’s actually pretty funny that I’ve been using a small personal mod for CK2 for awhile myself. There are some downsides to modding and using mods though:
  • It requires awareness that it’s possible, and where to find existing mods. The modding scene is a jungle.
  • It takes a modicum of extra effort and skill.
  • It might not feel quite legitimate (it can feel a bit like cheating) and you might not get any Achievements.
  • Mods typically do not have the same level of support as the base game. Many become fossilized or are otherwise problematic.
For these reasons especially, I think that adding a bunch of Paradox-approved, fully supported in-game rule variations is a good idea. Thus, when you start a new game, you are now presented with several interesting options. Most of them are simple flavor variations, but some are more fundamental and will disable Achievements in Ironman mode. Here’s the list of options we are currently showing in the new screen (still a work in progress though):
  • Sandbox vs Ironman
  • Shattered Retreats: On/Off
  • Defensive Pacts: On/Off
  • Gender Equality: Default/Historical/All/Players
  • Sunset Invasion: 13th Century/Random/Off
  • Mongol Invasion: Historical/Random/Off
  • Raiding: Historical/Unrestricted/None
  • Epidemics: Dynamic/Historical/Deadly
  • “Supernatural” Events: On/Off
  • Adventurers: Normal/Rare/None
  • Provincial Revolts: Normal/Rare/None
  • Regencies: On/Off
  • De Jure Drift: Default/Restricted/Off
  • Dynamic Kingdoms and Empires: On/Off
  • Diplomatic Range: On/Off
Red options disable Achievements.

Crusader Kings II - Rules 01.jpg


Our new rule system is itself fully moddable, so that modders can use the same system with pretty much any options they might want!

Crusader Kings II - Rules 02.jpg


I look forward to your thoughts and comments. Are there any rule variations you think we’ve missed, or that you would really like to see?
 
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EphemeralJun said:
Personally, I would like it if there would be an option for armies to get locked into moving into the next province if they already spent some time doing so, like it is in EU4 right now. I grew a little tired of the AI being so good at cancelling moves one day before arrival. I can see some controversy, though, which is why it could be on option.
Click to expand...

I want this in CK2, and a battle indicator icon on the map would be nice.
 
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EphemeralJun said:
Personally, I would like it if there would be an option for armies to get locked into moving into the next province if they already spent some time doing so, like it is in EU4 right now. I grew a little tired of the AI being so good at cancelling moves one day before arrival. I can see some controversy, though, which is why it could be on option.
Click to expand...

This would make a great optional feature, makes chasing down armies a lot less gimmicky in EU4. And like Shattered Retreat, Achievements should be allowed either way, as it would really be more a matter a preference, since it affects both players and AI about evenly.

(I do think that it makes sense for Defensive Pacts Off to disable Achievements, since in practice it limits players a lot more than it does the AI.)
 
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Karl_Marx said:
Of course optimizing the game is very important, but may I suggest a possibility to 'put off India'?
Instead of removing India from the map or so, instead remove all the holdings and characters. For the Crusader Kings Star Wars mod we have a lot of provinces that are still not yet occupied with characters and holdings and the like; and these provinces are therefore not interact able, thus speeding up the whole proces.
Maybe instead of making it an ingame option, make it an option you select before actually starting the game.
Click to expand...
Honestly, I think you have it right here. It's all those characters and interactions that make up the problem. Why not have that option to switch off that region, or maybe divide the game into regions and be able to switch them on and off. Maybe I want to play as India and don't want European western regions in game.
 
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Don't know if this have been said before at this thread or not, but for me it is so essential that I cannot wait to check all the posts to write my proposal:

*Option to play with diferent map sizes (option to remove India, etc...)

It would solve the performance issues many of us have and it must not be so difficult as there are mods that make it.

That would be wonderful!
 
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Could you add an option for seduction, on, off or AI disallow.
Sometimes the Al spams the option.
 
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Some more suggestions:
Succession/gender law change "vote": Realm (everyone needs to have positive opinion)/Non-regency (prisoners/children/incapable rulers/etc. don't count)/Council (requires Conclave, only the council needs to agree)/Ruler only
De jure claim range: All/Bordering + same sea zone/Bordering/No de jure claims
 
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Another kinda silly suggestion for an option, but it could be fun for a play-through as well as have synergy with the recently announced Tyranny.

Tyranny: On/Off

Basically an option to turn of the tyranny penalty for tyrannical actions. It'd completely break any game balance, but it might be fun to play as an unrepentant tyrant one time at least.
 
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ferbenz65 said:
Don't know if this have been said before at this thread or not, but for me it is so essential that I cannot wait to check all the posts to write my proposal:

*Option to play with diferent map sizes (option to remove India, etc...)

It would solve the performance issues many of us have and it must not be so difficult as there are mods that make it.

That would be wonderful!
Click to expand...

But a map mod is much better suited to this purpose than an in-game option. Pretty sure the map can't be changed once the game is loaded. And leaving India there but empty would be a clumsy solution, I think.
 
iron0037 said:
There should be an option to enable the old assassination system for all the players that miss it.

Assassination: Plots Only/Plots and Diplomatic Action
Click to expand...

Agreed. And, no Groogy, it's not because I like bacon...

There was a tremendous amount of flavor, and...DRAMA...packed into that one little assassination button. If you weren't lucky, and got caught, they'd send assassins after you too.

I had one case where it was a full-blown War of Assassins going on. I'd hire someone to kill this guy. He'd die, but the assassin was caught, so they sent one after me. I lost three rulers in less than two years that way.

Bacon my bare behind...
 
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I like to have games where the pagans are extremely aggressive, trying to keep my small catholic kingdom alive while fighting off heresy and stronger pagans. My only mod activated is one that makes pagan twice or sometimes even three time as aggressive.

Would it be possible to have an option :
  • Pagan aggression : Default/Historical/Pacific/Extreme
In extreme, even the Suomenusko would attack mercilessly.

Also, I don't know if it is possible, but it would be nice to have the option to make the map a shattered realm like CKII+ or HIP.

Something like
  • Starting map : Default/Shattered Duchies/Shattered Counties
 
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Retinues: Normal/Disabled/Cheap
Assassination: Plot/Plot and diplomatic action
Straits: Current/Old/None
Factions: Current/Pre-Rajas


One question about the Sunset Invasion option. If it's set to off, would that mean I could have the DLC checked but when I export to EUIV it won't have any effect, or would it still change the New World, they just would never invade Europe in CKII?
 
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Not sure if this is too close to what would be covered under the mongol option, but I'd like an option to guarantee Seljuk/Ghaznavids/Tamerlane like:

Turkic Invasions: Normal/Guaranteed/Off

If they are set to guaranteed they will skip showing up in someones court and immediately pop up with their doomstacks like the mongols.
 
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