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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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Doomdark said:
I don't think we can swing that. It's not a trivial matter.
Click to expand...
Fair enough, it would've been nice to have if it was an easy option but it doesn't have super high priority.

Would love to see some more options in the future that really change how the game works now that people can opt out of them without mods.
 
You guys came across as just a weeee bit tone deaf after the release of the latest expansion/DLC combo. Nice to see a return to form.
 
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Some ideas (colouring probably not ideal):
Interfaith marriages: Off/Historical (the current state of affairs)/Restricted (e.g. same culture group or bordering realms)/On
Unreformed feudalization: Off (current)/Restricted (tech/prestige/etc. requirement)/On
Favour refusal: Disallowed/Penalized (prestige/opinion malus)/Free vs. Enemies (rivals, traitors, etc.)/Allowed
Defensive attrition: On/Tribal only/Off
GHW targeting: Weighted+HW range of same faith/Weighted (current)/HW range/Randomized
Civil wars: Temporary title/No temporary title
CM start: Story-driven/Dynamic (no story/special treatment beyond the rivalry event)
GHW start: Dynamic (current)/Historical (1095 and 1183 (?) for Christians and Muslims)/Decision (for rel. heads with enough piety)/Always allowed
Retinues: Cultural/Geographic (e.g. elephants for realms with a presence in India and camels only for realms with desert provinces, most others unrestricted)/No restriction
Combat tactics: Cultural/No restriction
 
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Just read this and a couple of tears emerged on my eyes. If this comes through it will be a fantastic addition that removes a lot of hassle.
One question though. Does the achievements enabled means no ironman mode is needed? Or they are still tied to ironman mode?
 
Doomdark said:
  • Gender Equality: Default/Historical/All/Players
Click to expand...
Would be cool if the "All" setting wouldn't disable achievements. I know it's not historical, but it doesn't give us an unfair advantage really, so it doesn't warrant disabling achievements. The "Players" option should probably remain as it is though, if it does, what I think it does (disables gender restrictions for players only?).

Still, would be fun to play without gender restrictions and still continue playing towards my achievements.


Doomdark said:
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?
Click to expand...

Well, it would be kinda cool if you found a way to allow purely cosmetic mods (like portrait mods for example) to work with achievements. If that's possible with the way the launcher recognizes mods.
 
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Thor1138 said:
Would be cool if the "All" setting wouldn't disable achievements. I know it's not historical, but it doesn't give us an unfair advantage really, so it doesn't warrant disabling achievements. The "Players" option should probably remain as it is though, if it does, what I think it does (disables gender restrictions for players only?).

Still, would be fun to play without gender restrictions and still continue playing towards my achievements.
Click to expand...
It would probably make the Empressive achievement, to name one example, somewhat easier to get.
 
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anbory said:
SR mechanic made us play the game and fight wars differently than without it. So, this mechanic will be free to turn off. I think Coalition pretty much of that kind. It surely make different gameplay. Thats why, I think, coalition also need to be free to turn off.
Click to expand...

Seems more like an argument for restricting achievements based on SR as well.
 
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This. Is. Amazing.

I would maybe add an India on/off achievement (if possible in any way) and a law system toggle especially for enforcing realm peace (i.e. choosing between Council mechanics like "Real Peace" and choking your vassals via gradual but slow increases in crown authority).
 
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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.
 
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Would it be possible to add a system for dynamic economic drift? An option for economy to be Historical/Dynamic/Static would be great. At present, your provincial economy is largely dictated by your start date and then never changes, which is difficult to balance without giving players the option to, as a backwater, just pump cash into infrastructure to become richer than nations that IRL were many times more prosperous. It'd be nice to have nations gain an advantage/disadvantage over time, mostly based on the effect of war, disease and migration on the economy.
 
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Doomdark said:
I've seen a lot of good suggestions already. Keep 'em coming. :)
Click to expand...

Since you have asked: Decadence.

Give us three different settings. I am personally under the impression AI Muslim empires will always implode eventually, that they can't stand a chance because of too much Decadence to be dealt with. Some players will say precisely the opposite.
 
Ok, I don't know if this is realistic but:

Randomized buildings on/off: Instead of every holding in provinces starting with the same building, some random variations where maybe holdings have one less stables but an extra level of barracks or something like that.

Advanced start on/off: At the start of the game, for rulers where no family members are specified due to lack of historical info, some randomized family is added especially sons/daughters that are appropriate for the age of the ruler. That way the start of a campaign is a bit more interesting and not a rush to get a marriage with one of the few proper wives that are at game start.
 
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