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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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Will the Gender Options impact governments like theocracy or merchant republics?

If it doesn't then my suggestion is for an option that does allow it to
 
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Finnway said:
To add to my earlier suggestion, here are a couple historical events that could be added (by modding teams, or the devs).

Norman Events:
  • Conquest of Normandy: Disabled, Railroaded.
  • Conquest of Sicily: Disabled, Railroaded.
If set to "railroaded" then an adventurer with event troops and a claim on the targeted region will spawn at the date of the historical conquest.

Viking Events:
  • Sailing Technology: Railroaded, Dynamic.
  • Conquest of Russia: Disabled, Railroaded.
Great Holy Wars
  • Great Holy Wars: Dynamic, Historical, Both.
If set to "Historical" than Great Holy Wars only spawn during their historical time frames. Assuming the offensive religion isn't already in ownership of the targeted kingdom.

Muslim Events
  • Turkish Conversion: Disabled, Railroaded.
  • Turkish Conquests: Disabled, Railroaded.
Click to expand...

Maybe it would be better to just combine all the railroading into
Railroading: Default, Historical, Disabled, Custom
and have a custom menu for these plus Charlie etc.
 
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Bobemor said:
"supernatural" wait what does this mean?
Click to expand...
Have you ever gotten that event where a pit to hell opens up right next to one of your villages?
 
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Well it is supernatural in "", and the description is events that can be construed as supernatural. Id say the pit to hell, or Jesus giving you military advice, or you waking up with blood wounds in 7 different places all count as supernatural.

In contrast to fantasy, which may include Aztecs crossing the Atlantic Ocean in the 13th country to invade Europe or something absurd like that
 
Brilliant DD Doomdark :D (although I'm not sure about your choice of things to do to "take a break"!) These kind of options are always good - make it clear that the game isn't necessarily balanced for them, but they let players customise their experience. Can also provide useful feedback to devs regarding what is/isn't popular through player metrics and the like.
 
Saw some mentions of pagan reformation default/off, but i would like to change this to default/off/reformed, where the last option starts with all/most unreformed religions reformed, and the most powerful eligible ruler of the religion having the title. Could be fun to have the pagan scourge being... scourgier.
 
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I'm still wondering how Conclave's gender laws, the different customs of religions and cultures, and these new setting interact. Do Cathars and the Basque have their pro woman aspects regardless of the gender laws or is it something else?
 
Bobemor said:
I never really took that as supernatural more just unexplained by their time and over explained. Supernatural I more think of as literal lizard people invading or horses being advisors.
Click to expand...
I think the demon spawn chain is what most people think of, and that one does have actual armies of the damned.
 
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This is an extremely positive change for CK2. Excellent. I especially like the "random" option for the Mongol/Aztec invasions, because I rarely see either of those happen because my games just don't last long enough.
 
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I can't see myself using these any time soon but adding them in can be no bad thing!

One I'd definitely use though would be if we could make Kingdom and Empire's De jure land not exist until they're created - at which point they should be whatever you're in control of when you create them. I would switch that on in a heartbeat.
 
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That's it guys, just make a DD when you actually have something to talk about.

Loved the new feature, I hope it becomes very moddable.

Maybe to ask for an "Female Patricians in Merchant Republics" option would be too much?
 
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Could you add a hard option where adventurers and some rebellions get more men or at least the same then their liege? So that adventurers and other events actually have the possibility of succeeding. I dont know how many times I get the Shia revolt, which never succeeds. As of right now rebellions and adventurers are just minor annoyances that get cleaned up. So at least an option that makes them stronger would be greatly appreciated. This could break up big blogs and even make the player think. If the player does not like it then they should be able to turn it down. Also an option that buffs factions somehow would be great.
 
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Dryhad said:
I think the demon spawn chain is what most people think of, and that one does have actual armies of the damned.
Click to expand...
Sure that's probably one that would be filtered out, but that can be explained by insanity and people believing in the insane. The one that comes to mind for me is having a tumble with a rose bush and finding a baby in the garden nine months later.
 
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