Is it just me, or does the CK3 map look... pastel and kiddish?

[yangzilata]

• Alright, does anyone else feel like the CK3 map has this oddly pastel, soft, toy-like aesthetic?

Especially when compared to other GSGs ? Take Japan for example — it’s supposed to be rugged, mountainous terrain, but in-game it looks more like someone smeared clay across a toddler’s diorama.

Where are the jagged rocks? The alpine drama? The grit? Instead, we’ve got these smooth, texture-less mud flats across half the map. Even mountainous zones feel like slightly damp hills made of play-doh.

---

Now don’t get me wrong — I appreciate performance and clarity. But when Victoria 3, of all games, gives you a map that feels more tactile and lived-in... that says something. Even older games like EU4 or HOI4, despite their age, had a better sense of terrain contrast.

Do I really need to download a third-party reshade or risk my PC's soul to some obscure terrain overhaul mod just to get a map that doesn’t look like a board game aimed at eight-year-olds?

Would love to hear if anyone else feels this — or if I'm just staring at the mud too long.

• Is it just my eyes, or is the CK3 map genuinely lacking depth (map), texture, and grit?

 

[DeanTheDull]

It is you. 'Grit' does not mean 'adult' or 'realistic,' any more than 'pastel' means 'childish.'

If you don't like an art style, that's fine. Go get a mod. Doing so doesn't need to be justified by dismissal of the style (and, implicitly, any who are fine with it), or by extension a self-flattering appeal to your own sophistication as being above what you don't like.

The only justification warranting a visual mod is that you don't like what you're looking at, or like someone else's presentation more. This is a common conceit shared by adults and children alike.

 

[One Proud Bavarian]

First of all, I disagree, but second of all:

But when Victoria 3, of all games, gives you a map that feels more tactile and lived-in... that says something.

What do you mean by this? Victoria 3 arguably has the most alive map even compared to Imperator:Rome as the feedback loop between living standard, present buildings and culture are incredibly advanced. What do you mean with "that says something"?

 

[viola]

What is with strategy game players and their recurring fear of playing with something they fear might look "kid-like"?
This is still playing with toy soldiers no matter how "badass" or "realistic" you make the assets look.

This thread feels like it comes back every 3 months, not always on the same game, but it always come back.

 

[Gwydden]

What is with strategy game players and their recurring fear of playing with something they fear might look "kid-like"?
This is still playing with toy soldiers no matter how "badass" or "realistic" you make the assets look.

This thread feels like it comes back every 3 months, not always on the same game, but it always come back.

Yep. I don't want my wargames to look realistic. Real war isn't fun.

 

[masteriw]

They should keep Imperator: Rome's map style, that one was really good. CK3's map does indeed feel like it's like someone smeared clay across a toddler’s diorama.

 

[PAnZuRiEL]

I've never liked CK3's map, honestly. I feel it's one of the worst maps out of all the paradox games. Imperator's map is my favourite, it's a stunningly beautiful map that even uses camera rotation to simulate a spherical Earth. The main problem with CK3's map in my mind is that it feels small. CK3's map depicts a flat, tiny little planet with hardly anything on it. There's no sense of grandeur in the scale. Anatolia in Imperator looks immense, you can really feel how difficult it would be to establish control over it. There's no sense of that in CK3, either there or anywhere else.

 

[--11e7]

First of all, I disagree, but second of all:

What do you mean by this? Victoria 3 arguably has the most alive map even compared to Imperator:Rome as the feedback loop between living standard, present buildings and culture are incredibly advanced. What do you mean with "that says something"?

It's ChatGPT

 

[Voidian]

It's ChatGPT

AI wouldn't make such mistakes

Vic3 isn't just their most complex game right now, it's also on it's way to become the best paradox game, after the launch disaster the dev team kept making excelent decisions, delivering excelent content patch after patch, DLC after DLC, their recent history is unmatched by any of their other titles.

 

[frostbiyt]

It's not clear from your post what part of CK3's map you even have a problem with. The fully zoomed out papery map? The mid zoom political map? Or the fully zoomed terrain map?Regardless, none of them could be accurately described as "pastel", the colors are not uniformly or mostly bright and pale. Also, saying CK3's map looks toy-like, but then putting forward EU4's plastic-ass map as superior is... a choice.

Here's my issue with the map: how, after what, five years? Is there still no option to disable terrain mode when zooming in?

 

[Strompator]

Agree with those here that dig the Imperator map.....it is indeed one of the best from Paradox, but the game itself just hasn't hooked me yet....but that's not for this forum.

The CK3 map isn't too bad....it's a tad cartoony.....but there are mods.

 

[DiabloDeVille]

First of all, I disagree, but second of all:

What do you mean by this? Victoria 3 arguably has the most alive map even compared to Imperator:Rome as the feedback loop between living standard, present buildings and culture are incredibly advanced. What do you mean with "that says something"?

Because vic3 is paradox's worst recent game

 

[Flockingbird]

Someone in the OT forum here recently posted a video about this mod; perhaps you’d like it:

Steam Workshop::Orthographic Perspective

steamcommunity.com

 

[DiabloDeVille]

What is with strategy game players and their recurring fear of playing with something they fear might look "kid-like"?
This is still playing with toy soldiers no matter how "badass" or "realistic" you make the assets look.

This thread feels like it comes back every 3 months, not always on the same game, but it always come back.

It is toy soldiers, but you want to immerse yourself, and the graphics often stop that happening

 

[47pik]

I really like the map, you guys are tripping. It has a great medieval look to it. The colors are one of the best things about it, I have no idea what you guys are looking for, the aesthetics of the game are top notch all around. A more muted design wouldn't feel right at all in the setting. Dog, have you seen what medieval art looks like?

Now don’t get me wrong — I appreciate performance and clarity. But when Victoria 3, of all games, gives you a map that feels more tactile and lived-in... that says something. Even older games like EU4 or HOI4, despite their age, had a better sense of terrain contrast.

Genuinely, what does this even mean?

- What about Victoria 3's map is "tactile" and "lived-in"? What does that even mean? It's a MAP.
- Why is it surprising Victoria 3 would have a nice map?

Like, I adore Vic 3, it's my favorite PDX game by a wide margin, but its map would be completely inappropriate for CK3, the look of it evokes the 19th century, because, you know, it's set in the 19th century. Why would you want that in CK3?

They should keep Imperator: Rome's map style, that one was really good. CK3's map does indeed feel like it's like someone smeared clay across a toddler’s diorama.

Why would we want different games to look the same? Why would a map based on Roman aesthetics from like 200 BC be at all appropriate here?

 

[Zeprion]

I like the way CK3's map looks, but if you have an issue with it try this mod:

I mean, I just looks soooo beautiful. I'm tempted to try it out myself even if I rarely use mods except total conversion ones.

 

[Voidian]

Because vic3 is paradox's worst recent game

Was


It's quite possibly their best current game.

Certainly their most complex with the most well-made systems so far, even though the military aspect is still, and it's probably going to be forever flawed.
But hey, we're in the CK3 forum, the game with the most flawed military system out of all paradox games, for many reasons, so I don't think that counts as a negative. At least I can lose battles with the Vic3 system, and there's more to it than simply "blob A adds up all numbers and throws damage at blob B until one side remains".

I like the way CK3's map looks, but if you have an issue with it try this mod:

I mean, I just looks soooo beautiful. I'm tempted to try it out myself even if I rarely use mods except total conversion ones.

Wow, I really like this

 

[yangzilata]

First of all, I disagree, but second of all:

What do you mean by this? Victoria 3 arguably has the most alive map even compared to Imperator:Rome as the feedback loop between living standard, present buildings and culture are incredibly advanced. What do you mean with "that says something"?

Thanks for pointing it out ,without assumptions or a confrontational tone — I see now that my sentence may have caused confusion, but the misunderstanding wasn’t something I noticed while writing. That’s because my native language doesn’t really use rhetorical implication the same way English does. Without modal particles or structural cues, I simply didn’t recognize that the meaning I implied would come across as vague to others.

To clarify

• “Of all games” refers to Paradox’s GSGs.
• “Gives you a map that feels more tactile” was meant to highlight how Victoria 3’s map, looks more visually striking — more charismatic (literally), impressive, and maybe even somehow mesmerizing than CK3’s.
• “And lived-in” was meant to express that Victoria 3’s map feels more alive — as if actual people have lived on that land and left their mark. It has a visual soul, a sense of depth, like a place with stories embedded on its terrain.
• And finally, “that says something” was shorthand for: If the same studio can create that level of detail and realism in Vic3, yet CK3 feels like a semi-stylized board game with a pastel surface, then that reflects a design decision worth questioning.

Again, I didn’t intend to be vague — just was not noticed while writing...

 

[yangzilata]

but there are mods.

this mod; perhaps you’d like it:

I like the way CK3's map looks, but if you have an issue with it try this mod:

I mean, I just looks soooo beautiful. I'm tempted to try it out myself even if I rarely use mods except total conversion ones.

Wow, I really like this

After reading about incidents like this one malicious-file-mod, and malware suspicion on the Mod “Traffic” on Cities: Skylines II I’m wary of the risks involved. I don’t support developers sharing their software with unknown third parties without Paradox’s strict control, as it opens the door to potential security issues. One day, many players could be harmed because of such unsecure mods, and no one can guarantee safety. For me, it’s better to stick to official content only.

 

[Zeprion]

After reading about incidents like this one malicious-file-mod, and malware suspicion on the Mod “Traffic” on Cities: Skylines II I’m wary of the risks involved. I don’t support developers sharing their software with unknown third parties without Paradox’s strict control, as it opens the door to potential security issues. One day, many players could be harmed because of such unsecure mods, and no one can guarantee safety. For me, it’s better to stick to official content only.

I respect your decision, but I would also like to point out that this is the equivalent of being afraid of flying even though you are more likely to die by car crash than plane crash. Such incidents are very rare, the vast majority of mods do not have them, while official content can also have them, see the old Call of Duty Modern Warfare games. And if you happen to get a malware, a good anti-virus should help you.

I also like to stick to official content, and would love if that mod I just posted would be implemented in the base game, it makes CK3 so beautiful visually, but even without said thing, there are many games you're missing for not using mods. Elder Kings 2, LotR Realms in Exile, The Fallen Eagle.

But if you argue that this visual mod should be included in base CK3 I support your decision.