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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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A very interesting and unexpected diary! I look forward to the option this opens up.
 
Like I posted earlier, you could make Opinion an option too...

The Current Opinion Setting would be Default. Opinion as it was before the nerf, would be one setting, called it Improved opinion. And the third setting would be an even harsher nerf, where everyone pretty much hates your Ruler.

That would satisfy everyone: Those who like opinion as it is now, those who want it back to what it was before, and those who want things as hard as possible...
 
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Infamy on/off?
 
Infamy on/off?

Infamy/threat doesn't matter when defensive pacts (aka coalitions) are deactivated, which is an option mentioned in the OP.
 
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Infamy/threat doesn't matter when defensive pacts (aka coalitions) are deactivated, which is an option mentioned in the OP.

I thought he meant non aggression pacts there lol.

nvm
 
This looks like a really nice feature. Any plans to add something like this for EU IV?
 
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No suggestions, just a big thanks for paying attention to what most of big houses don't care for anymore: us.

EDIT : well, a suggestion that maybe has already been given: province culture change on/off
 
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Great news indeed. It's really nice to see how you Paradox guys listen to our opinions and not only listen but react in constructive and creative ways. Another option I would like you ask to consider for this update is ability to somehow manage vassal infighting. IMO the most controversial change brought by Conclave is enforcing realm peace only by council decision and only for 5 years with 10-year cool-down. I mean if I have absolute rule and imperial administration i.e. total control over state and who rules my provinces yet still unable to stop vassals from fighting each other once and for all like it was before conclave with high crown authority seems a little bit illogical to me. I think many people will agree with this statement as well as many will disagree so this is ideal thing to add an option like 'imperial administration prevents vassal infighting yes/no' or something like it in this new update.
 
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Seems pretty solid. Another option that could be worth adding (though it is absolutely ahistorical) would be to shatter the whole world (like some mods do) and make it possible to go on a rampage of world conquest from any county.

I did notice the Achievements Enabled button below. Does this mean it is/will be now possible to earn achievements even if the player isn't in Ironman mode?
 
I haven't played in around 6 weeks so I don't know if this has been patched already or not but -

Opinion penalties - Long Term/Medium Term/Short Term.

Having my vassals still hate me for something that i did nearly 20 years ago really annoys me.
 
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I haven't played in around 6 weeks so I don't know if this has been patched already or not but -

Opinion penalties - Long Term/Medium Term/Short Term.

Having my vassals still hate me for something that i did nearly 20 years ago really annoys me.

Even worse is everyone hating me for what my father-or even grqandfather-did... ><
 
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I'm assuming you're talking about platypi here.

Secret Bears are more awesome than Platypi.

I hear you, but I think the time to implement that feature would be better spent optimizing the game instead.

For a lot of us, RoI was the point the game's performance tanked.

I understand that it is probably not feasible for India to become optional, but it has been 2 years since RoI was released and the performance still degrades for me as I get deeper in a game.

Frankly, I consider RoI to be the worst expansion that Paradox has ever put out, because it turned what was my most played Paradox game into one that sits on the (virtual) shelf. I recently moved my personal CK2 DLC plan from "buy at 75% off and try the game again" to "don't buy" due to this.

I hope that lessons have been learned about the impact of changes of that scale on game performance.
 
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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?
Brilliant ideas; thank you for choosing to implement this.

I would like to see
  • Dynamic Kingdoms and Empires: On/Off/Kingdoms only/Empires only
 
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