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.

• Sandbox vs Ironman
• Shattered Retreats: On/Off
• Defensive Pacts: On/Off
• Gender Equality: Default/Historical/AllPlayers
• 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