The difficulty setting can grant players the following bonuses:
Difficulty
Hostile Scheme Resistance
Fertility
Short Reign Duration
Tyranny Gain
Stress Gain
Knight Survival
Disease Chance
Health Boost
Faction Formation
Vassal Opinion
Liege Opinion
Achievements
Very Easy
+30
+20%
-50%
-75%
-50%
+75%
-75%
Moderate
Significantly Slower
+25
+50
Easy
+15
+10%
-25%
-25%
-25%
+66%
-15%
Small
Slightly Slower
0
0
Normal
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
None
Regular
0
0
Gameplay options
The gameplay options can change the game to be less historical.
Rule
Setting
Effects
Achievements
Exclave Independence
Off
Rulers can have disconnected land anywhere in the world
Limited (AI Only)
AI Rulers at peace will lose disconnected land on succession unless it's part of their de jure territory or is connected to the capital by one county or a naval path
Significant (AI Only)
AI Rulers at peace will lose disconnected land on succession unless it's part of their de jure territory or is connected to the capital by a naval path
Total (AI Only)
AI Rulers at peace will lose disconnected land on succession unless it's connected to the capital by a naval path
Limited
Rulers at peace will lose disconnected land on succession unless it's part of their de jure territory or is connected to the capital by one county or a naval path
Significant
Rulers at peace will lose disconnected land on succession unless it's part of their de jure territory or is connected to the capital by a naval path
Total
Rulers at peace will lose disconnected land on succession unless it's connected to the capital by a naval path
Multiplayer: Murder Schemes
Default
Players can use Hostile Schemes against other players and their families
No Players
Players cannot use Hostile Schemes against other players but can against their families
No Player Families
Players cannot use Hostile Schemes against other players or their families
Minor Diseases
Default
Minor diseases appear as per normal
Fewer
Minor diseases appear 30% less often
Matrilineal Marriages
Default
AI characters will arrange matrilineal marriages if they belong to the player's close family, a Reputable Dynasty, an Equal realm, or are strong rulers Female Dominated realms default to Matrilineal
Default (no Player exception)
AI characters will arrange matrilineal marriages if they belong to a Reputable Dynasty, an Equal realm, or are strong rulers Female Dominated realms default to Matrilineal
Always
AI characters will arrange matrilineal marriages for all female Dynasty members unless target belongs to a Reputable Dynasty, an Equal realm, or are strong rulers
Female Dominated & Equal
AI characters will arrange matrilineal marriages if part of a Female Dominated or Equal realm unless target belongs to a Reputable Dynasty or are strong rulers
Never
AI characters will never arrange matrilineal marriages unless part of a Female Dominated realm
Gender Equality
Default
All faiths start with their historical views on gender, clerical gender, male adultery and female adultery doctrines All realms start with their historical gender succession law
Equal
All faiths start with the Equal views on gender doctrine and Either clerical gender doctrine All faiths start with male adultery and female adultery doctrines at the same level (the lesser one) All realms start with the Equal gender succession law
Inverted
All faiths start with their historical views on gender, clerical gender, male adultery and female adultery doctrines inverted All realms start with their historical gender succession law inverted
Regional Heresies
Strict
Heresies are 200 times more likely to be historical if they happen in certain regions
Default
Heresies are 5 times more likely to be historical if they happen in certain regions
Relaxed
Heresies are random no matter where they happen
Mongol Invasion
Default
An AI character will use the Become Greatest of Khans decision between the years 1180 and 1250 if the player doesn't do it before
Never
Only player characters can use the Become Greatest of Khans decision
Random
An AI character can use the Become Greatest of Khans decision at any point if the player doesn't do it before
Casus Belli Costs
Default
Casus Bellis cost resources
No Costs
Casus Bellis do not cost resources
Culture Conversion Speed
Significantly Slower
The Promote Culture councilor task makes progress 4 times slower
Slower
The Promote Culture councilor task makes progress 2 times slower
Default
The Promote Culture councilor task makes progress as per normal
Faster
The Promote Culture councilor task makes progress 2 times faster
Significantly Faster
The Promote Culture councilor task makes progress 4 times faster
Faith Conversion Speed
Significantly Slower
The Convert Faith in County councilor task makes progress 4 times slower
Slower
The Convert Faith in County councilor task makes progress 2 times slower
Default
The Convert Faith in County councilor task makes progress as per normal
Faster
The Convert Faith in County councilor task makes progress 2 times faster
Significantly Faster
The Convert Faith in County councilor task makes progress 4 times faster
Diplomatic Range
Restricted
Diplomatic Range is reduced by 25%
Default
Diplomatic Range remains unchanged
Unrestricted
Characters can interact no matter the distance
End Date
1453
The game will end in 1453
No End Date
The game will never end
De Jure Requirement
On
Every 5 years titles with de jure land will be destroyed if their holder controls none of their de jure land
On (Limited)
Every 5 years titles with de jure land will be destroyed if their holder controls none of their de jure land unless it's a player's primary title
Off
Titles with de jure land can only be destroyed manually
Custom Kingdoms
On
The Found a New Kingdom and Found a New Empire decisions are available
Off
The Found a New Kingdom and Found a New Empire decisions are not available
Generate Families
On
Landed characters with no recorded family will start with a spouse, a valid heir, a second child if the mother is over 25 and a third child if the other is over 33
On (AI Only)
Landed AI characters with no recorded family will start with a spouse, a valid heir, a second child if the mother is over 25 and a third child if the mother is over 33
Off
Landed characters with no recorded family will not start with any family
Same-Sex Relations
Default
All faiths start with their historical same-sex relations doctrine
Accepted
All faiths start with the Accepted same-sex relations doctrine
Sexuality Distribution
Default
Characters have a 89% chance to be heterosexual, 5% chance to be homosexual, 5% chance to be bisexual and 1% chance to be asexual
Bisexuality
Characters have a 89% chance to be bisexual, 5% chance to be homosexual, 5% chance to be heterosexual and 1% chance to be asexual
Homosexuality
Characters have a 89% chance to be homosexual, 5% chance to be heterosexual, 5% chance to be bisexual and 1% chance to be asexual
Asexuality
Characters have a 89% chance to be asexual, 3.6% chance to be homosexual, 3.6% chance to be bisexual and 3.6% chance to be heterosexual
Equal
Characters have equal chances to be heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual and asexual
Faith Acceptance
Default
All faiths start with their historical views on other faiths
Full
All faiths start with the Full Tolerance special doctrine
Randomized Faiths
Off
All characters and counties start with their historical faith
On
All characters and counties start with a random faith
Random Ruler Placement
Off
All rulers have start with their real historical titles
On
All rulers have start with random historical titles
On (Conversion)
All rulers have start with random historical titles and convert to the faith of their primary title's capital
Hungarian Migration
Historical
An AI character will use the Prepare to Cross the Carpathians decision between the years 890 and 910 if the player doesn't do it before
Random
An AI character will use the Prepare to Cross the Carpathians decision between the years 872 and 910 if the player doesn't do it before
Immediate
The Mogyër Confederation starts having used the Prepare to Cross the Carpathians and in a war against the Kingdom of Bulgaria using the Migrate to Pannonia casus belli
Player-Only
Only player characters can use the Prepare to Cross the Carpathian decision
Ironman
Ironman is a special game rule that disables character switching and manual saving. The game is saved automatically once every 6 months as well as when exiting the game. Achievements can only be obtained in Ironman mode. In Ironman mode, the game over screen only has the option to exit to the main menu.