COMMUNITY & MULTIPLAYER: Compete with players all over the world or locally in LAN matches, mod. the game in unprecedented ways, and install mods directly from an in-game community hub without ever leaving the game. Apr 02, 2014 In case anyone was wondering what on earth Steam does with mods you download from the Workshop, here is the folder that every mod I have tried has gone to before the game unpacks it to the MODS folder in DocumentsMy GamesSid Meier's Civilization 5. Install Steam login language Store Page. Sid Meier's Civilization V. Lets Try Again: A Civilization V BNW Balance Rework. By Lukewarm Ice Girl. The Kingdom of Battleon! By SilentSkye. Iska's Community Patch Mod Compendium. By Iska and Ismet. Blue Ridge Parkway Wonder. Pueblo Bonito Wonder. Steam civ 5 mod buddy update path. This is the mod for the player that has done it all in Civilization V, and is looking to conquer the world once again. Please note that this mod only works with vanilla and the Gods and Kings. Apr 02, 2013 Subscribed mods at Steam Workshop are not being installed! Discussion in 'Civ5 - Creation & Customization' started by GenjiKhan, Jul 16. Then restart your Civ-5 game, advance to the mods screen, and then pause for a few minutes. Uninstalled steam, deleted civ 5, unsubscribed from my mods, then subscribed from in game.
With the latest Holy Fury DLC, Paradox Interactive's 2012 grand strategy game, Crusader Kings 2, now has 15 major expansions, and for someone who's either just getting into the game today or wants to pick it back up, it can be terribly daunting to try and figure out which, if any, of those expansion packs is worth the money and which ones are just going to add features that you'll never use. And while the answer to this is “depends on your playstyle”, there are nonetheless certain DLC packs that add so many great features to the game that it doesn't matter if you're playing as a Norse pagan in Sweden or a Brahmin in India, you're still going to love what the DLC has to offer. With that in mind, we'll go ahead and rank all 15 DLC releases from “if you don't have this DLC, you're missing out on the true value of the whole game” to “don't bother”. Essential DLC1. The Old GodsThis isn't just author bias: The Old Gods is the gateway DLC that makes just about all of the other major CK2 DLC packs that aren't about the monotheistic religions work. Want to play as the Mongols? If you want Tengri factions, the religion of the early inhabitants of that part of the world, you'll need The Old Gods. Want to play as a Lithuanian or a Finn with the Romuva or Suomenuosko faiths? Old Gods. Want to fight back the advance of Islam and restore Zoroastrianism in Persia? You guessed it, Old Gods. With this expansion, large swaths of the map become playable, and where there's large swaths of map, there's a need to get the DLC that unlocks them. The Old Gods expansion also provides an 867 AD start date, right at the height of the Viking Age; even though it's been largely superseded by Charlemagne's 769 start, it's still two centuries more of history per playthrough. This DLC is so much fun in its own right and unlocks so much fun in other DLC packs that tend to require it, that there's no reason not to get it. CK2 just isn't right without it. 2. CharlemagnePlaying CK2 without the 769 AD start date almost feels like heresy once you've had this DLC installed for a while. History develops across nearly 700 years, the initial setting is a fantastic one, and all kinds of old religions like Zoroastrianism aren't fringe yet. It's the perfect starting point for a campaign. Heck, this game stretches so far back that the Vikings have to wait 24 years before they get a crack at Lindisfarne. Besides the well-fleshed-out event chain for Charlemagne himself, this DLC introduces the Chronicle, which keeps track of the story of your faction and the world across all that history. On top of that, this also is the DLC that opens up “Create Kingdom” that isn't bound by geography. If you've got enough duchy titles, crown yourself king. Get enough kingdoms and make your own empire. It opens up player strategy in ways that the de jure system is sometimes at a loss to properly do. More strategic variety means more varied ways to play, and more varied ways to play means more fun. But even if this DLC did nothing but set the clock back at the start, it'd still be essential. 3. Holy FuryThis is the biggest pure content pack in terms of changing the way the game is played without adding a new start date or new factions to the game. In a nutshell, Holy Fury is less DLC and more overhaul mod. For one thing, it buffs pagans big-time. If you have Old Gods installed, you'll be able to play rulers with massive buffs from joining Warrior Lodges, all with a whole bunch of new flavor events. Christian rulers get new Crusade events, a Sainthood trait that buffs all the saint's descendants forevermore, coronations by clergy to bless the king's divine right in the eyes of God, and a new baptism mechanic to make conversion of the unsaved all the more satisfying. Plus, you get shattered and random worlds; no longer are you bound by the hard limits of history, so you can create a map you can play your way and explore your way. This is one of three revolutionary DLC packs for Crusader Kings 2. You can read my full review of the expansion, as well as my tips guide for getting started if you want to know more. Battle realms 2 lair of the lotus. 4. Way of LifeWay of Life brings Focus into the game, as every character, upon hitting adulthood, can now set the general trajectory of their lives. For rulers, this can be as mundane as +3 to Stewardship, as they try to become better rulers. However, for the intrigue-minded and lustful, this can be the Seduction trait, or “having sex with your courtiers' wives for fun, profit, and occasionally bastards.” For the bloodthirsty, the War traits can break a stalemate and generate more powerful armies. Even the tech-minded can engage in Learning-based traits, which are especially useful for Duke-level rulers and above. That's because they can use excess Learning to crank up the rate at which Knowledge Points are generated, which in turn can grant advantages in battle or more stable realms. And of course, with all these new ways of life come diplomatic options and event chains that put a bunch of character in your characters. This expansion makes such a huge change (for the better) to role-playing that no CK2 player should be without it. 5. Monks and MysticsThis is the DLC that adds Secret Societies to the game, giving a bunch of new flavor to playable characters. In addition, those religious societies grant buffs to characters that go way beyond mere role-playing. You can create some pretty strong rulers with this one. And not everything is monastic orders and worshipping the divine. There's outright devil worship (heavy metal sold separately) in the list of secret societies, where an evil-minded character can come up with all kinds of deliciously chaotic mischief. Even better, though, is the initiative that the DLC grants to courtiers. There's more to life than just your Big 5 on the council settling tribes and preaching to heathens while the marshal trains troops and the chancellor gins up fake claims for wars. Now, a talented councilor can be instructed more generally, and that means that occasionally, an event will fire that buffs your realm or the people in it. This is also the DLC that adds the Relic Treasury for yet more ways to build an economic powerhouse without worrying about a good province being inherited out from under you during a dynastic shakeup. Depends on Your Playstyle DLC6. Sword of IslamPlay as the Muslims and kick those crusader kings out of the Holy Land with Sword of Islam. This DLC, in addition to making the Muslims playable, also massively fleshes out Islamic factions with a Decadence system, the chance for Muslim rulers to have up to four wives, new Commander traits that make combat a whole lot more interesting, and a big ol' pile of new events. A whole slew of new religion-based casi belli make religious warfare a whole lot more fun, especially if you're playing as the two big players that the game's title implies; whether it's shouting Deus Vult!, or calling for a jihad, this will escalate the violence in the Middle East so fast you'd think there was an American president facing an election year. Granted, if you don't play much on the periphery of the Islamic world, or a Muslim ruler, there's not much here for you; however, just about every player crosses paths with the sons of the Prophet eventually. Having this DLC will make them more interesting foes. 7. Horse LordsWhat if, instead of waiting for the Mongols to show up, you decided to actually be the Mongols? That's the proposition on offer in Horse Lords, and it makes nomadic factions playable, with their own game mechanics and unique playstyle. This is also the other DLC that's going to get anything out of Jade Dragon. The societies of the steppes aren't settled feudal societies. They're not even tribes. Instead, they're populations from which armies are raised and who are hard to conquer. Also included is the Silk Road and the landless adventurer. Fighting the adventurer off is a challenge for all but the most well-developed kingdom. While this is built for those who play nomadic, an argument can be made that it's a beneficial DLC for those who don't play it as well -- and a reason to give the playstyle a try. 8. The RepublicIn The Republic, you're less crusader king and more Merchant of Venice, as the emphasis shifts from pure warfare to something more trade-oriented. This is where factions like the Hanseatic League, Gotland, Genoa, Venice, and Pisa live, constructing trading posts and moving goods and money all over the Mediterranean and Baltic. This changes the game big-time; you're no longer a king or an emperor but rather a Patrician. You're trying not to rule the world with a giant demesne and lots of soldiers but with the title of Doge and many prestige and much coins. If you prefer your conquests with armies, or you don't like playing seaborne factions, this isn't going to be much for you, but if you love cloak and dagger, this is a must-have. 9. Legacy of RomeWhat Sons of Abraham did for Catholics, Legacy of Rome does for Orthodox factions in general and the Byzantines in particular. This is also the DLC that introduces the factional system into the basegame, making it much more of a universal DLC for all playstyles, not just for the titular “Eastern Roman Empire.” Factions will revolt and start civil wars as they try to seize whatever it is they were spawned to do, whether it's forcing a change in the realm's laws, forming a breakaway state, or even installing a usurper on the throne for a game over. This DLC also offers Orthodox Patriarchs the opportunity to match up with the Catholic Cardinals to the west, which is essential for playing any of the factions in southeastern Europe or in Russia. And there's even a nice little perk where rulers can get ambitions to improve their weaknesses, which tend to trigger event chains leading toward that goal. But the real joy here is in Retinues. These are standing armies that don't cost upkeep except when losses are replenished. Once you have a big enough realm and sufficient military technology, those standing armies can be big enough and strong enough to take on levies three times their size, and they don't have to be disbanded like levies do for declarations of war. The only time you'll ever have to raise your levies again is if you're fighting a super-strong enemy, and even then, your superior retinue can tilt the tide of battle. Even if you don't play in Orthodox territory, there's a lot to like about this DLC, and it's only five bucks at full price. 10. Sons of AbrahamFor Christian rulers, Sons of Abraham is the first of three DLC packs (Legacy of Rome and Conclave are the other two) that gives them a ton of new stuff to play with. Particularly, this DLC opens up new opportunities for a Jewish ruler, where either through Ruler Designer or through choosing a Jewish faction to start the game, you can restore the Kingdom of Israel to Biblical glory. The real shining star of this DLC, though, is the Catholics, because additional Papacy and College of Cardinals gameplay options create a new way for an ambitious Western ruler to gain outsized power and influence over all of Western Europe. Even the Muslims get a bit of stuff to play with, too, as an event chain involving the Hajj makes an appearance. If you play Crusader Kings as an actual crusader king, this is going to be a must-have, but if you don't, this is “stuff for other people.” 11. Rajas of IndiaThere's a lot to like here if you're the kind of player who wants to give the Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu religions a try, and culturally, India provides a massively different game flow from typical scenarios. Karma replaces Piety, events and decisions are radically different in India than they are in Europe, and if you do happen to have Jade Dragon, this is one of the DLC packs that brings out and makes use of its features. If you have an interest in the cultures of the East, and especially if you have one of the DLC packs that enables an earlier start date, there's a lot to like here. But if you prefer your CK2 experience more traditional with actual Crusades and Vikings and European feudalism, this is just going to push the map out without giving you anything to actually play with while you're there. Don't Bother DLC12. ConclaveConclave makes Crusader Kings 2 a bit more frustrating if you're the type of player that prefers to rule with an iron fist, as there is now a council of nobles that must be appeased in order to achieve the level of centralization required to run an empire smoothly. There's also a new education system with a lot more events for molding children into good adults, a new diplomatic system that makes strategic marriages much more important, and a buff to mercenary companies that makes them get better commanders. That said.. that's all you get here. Nothing truly game-changing, just a few tweaks to existing systems. 13. Jade DragonThe Chinese make an appearance with playable Taoist and Han religion and culture, and players who enjoy the wilds of the East will now be able to beef up their economy and make the best use of the Silk Road. But here's where you start to see why so much CK2 DLC is for-a-certain-kind-of-player-only stuff. If you don't like to play in India or Transoxiana (or you don't have the Rajas of India or Old Gods DLC), you're going to have nothing here that contributes in any way to your actual game. A lot of CK2 fans were hoping this would finally stretch the map all the way across the Eurasian continent, but instead, what we got was an expansion that is highly niche-focused and simply not very well fleshed out. 14. The Reaper's DueThe biggest value-add in this DLC is the addition of a Court Physician, a special job that helps cut down on the capriciously random deaths from illness that tend to crop up in a playthrough. Get a courtier with a high enough Knowledge skill and they can rescue infants who would otherwise have died a horrible death in infancy, and they can even be the difference between life and death for a ruler. You can also build hospitals in your provinces if you have a feudal government, and disease resistance now grants advantages to those clever enough to maximize it. But for 10 bucks, there are no groundbreaking gameplay changes that aren't just tweaks to existing systems. That's too steep an ask for what the DLC offers. 15. Sunset InvasionThe whipping boy DLC of the franchise, Sunset Invasion answers the question “what would happen if the Mesoamerican civilization pulled a Columbus and set sail across the Atlantic with a horde to invade Western Europe?” While it certainly adds a heck of a threat to the midgame, it throws the balance entirely out of whack; the Aztecs are massively overpowered, and the Mesoamerican disease mechanics render the early-game pointless, severely curtailing the fun factor of a playthrough. This is partially mitigated if you're playing a faction in the ever-expanding eastern territory of the map, or if you get to watch from the fringes of the conflict on a perch in Africa or Finland or Poland, but compared to other DLC, the content here offers very little for actual players to tinker with and enjoy. --- In truth, all 15 DLC packs for Crusader Kings 2 have at least something to offer, especially if you can get them on sale, and with Steam's annual blowout extravaganza happening right now, this is the perfect time to open up your wallet and start in on completing your collection.
Crusader Kings 2 [official site] is (somehow) now five years old. Free dancehall music. Adam raised a glass to its humour and humanity last month in celebration of its half-decade anniversary, so I thought I’d delve into its modding community to mark the occasion too.
Much like the digital empires depicted in-game, many of its mods have risen and fallen since my last visit, however the following list sends the best into battle. Given how involved CK 2 can be at times, I’ve tried my best to link videos where possible so as to properly showcase each mod’s worth. Enjoy!NB – Note that some mods can only be accessed via Paradox forum accounts. You’ll have access assuming you own the game, so remember to sign in.
CK2Generator
By yemmlie
Let’s start with a wild card. A wild card, not in the sense that the CK2 Generator mod is temperamental, but that it’s intentionally unpredictable. Last year, Adam rightly compared yemmlie’s work to Dwarf Fortress in that instead of portraying the world as we know it against what the history books might tell us, CK2 Generator spawns an entirely new history of humankind from scratch.
In turn, this lets you grow your own entirely fictitious societies and landmasses and watch them procedurally generate before your eyes. Like Dwarf Fortress, you’re free to transfer your new creations over into Crusader Kings 2 and watch them take flight further still.
“Basically the tool will generate, from scratch, a completely new history of humanity from its first exodus from Africa as a new mod to be playable in CK2,” explains yemmlie. “These cultures will then spread throughout Europe, mutating and changing as they spread, words and language, religions, ethnicity, cultural ideals, laws, looting, river sailing, incest, religious heads, holy sites, wives, concubines and everything, all morphing, mutating and branching off as humans spread through time and land.”
A Game of Thrones
By CK2:AGOT Development Team
Sticking with fictional landscapes, CK 2’s A Game of Thrones has been going since 2012 and brings the famous book series and television show’s bounds to Paradox’s historical grand strategy. It expectedly intertwines George R.R. Martin’s fantasy drama with the game, however also tweaks its base mechanics so that the realm is less likely to fragment into multiple kingdoms over time – in turn in-keeping with its inspiration, as players vie singularly for the Iron Throne.
At present, the A Game of Thrones team has designed the mod so that players can kick things off up to 300 years before Aegon’s Conquest, all the way through to the beginning of The Feast of Crows – Martin’s fourth book. The A Game of Thrones mod featured on RPS’ list of the best total conversion mods last month.
Elder Kings
By Elder Kings Dev Team
From Westeros to Morrowind: the Elder Kings total conversion mod transports the world of Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls series to Crusader Kings 2. Set in wider Tamriel, Elder Kings sees players take control of “one of the many fledgling countries of the Interregnum,” so reads the mod’s description.
While still in development (and probably due an update), Elder Kings boasts two playable scenarios both contained within the series lore’s Second Empire. The Interregnum takes place towards the end of this era with Cyrodiil in disrepute following the emporer’s murder. The Colovian, the Nibenese, the Bosmer, and the Argonians are but some of the races locking horns here in a bid to conquer Tamriel. The Kamal Invasion, on the other hand, follows on and sees the Kamal Snow Demons invading Tamriel for the first time, and the fallout this incurs from the Akaviris, the Nords, and the rest of the realm. A Fourth Empire scenario – Skyrim’s The Stormcloak Rebellion – has been in the works for some time.
NB – as this is a work in progress, its creators warn bugs may be present. It’s perhaps worth bearing this in mind before installing.
Middle Earth Project
By CK2: MEP Team
I swear we’ll get back to the real world soon. But if Game of Thrones and the Elder Scrolls are a shoe-in for Crusader Kings 2 total conversions, then so too must be Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. Featuring bookmarks throughout the Third Age, this ‘un’s map covers the main areas of Middle-earth as it’s known in the books and films.
“Will you play as the descendant of one of the noble families of Rohan or Gondor?” asks the mod’s creators. “Will you try to reforge the ancient kingdoms of Elves in Eriador? Or will you try to destroy all the Free Peoples, and claim Middle Earth for Morgoth?”
Whatever you answer above, the Middle Earth Project offers seven races – Humans, Hobbits, Dwarves, Orcs/Goblins, Elves, Nazguls/Sauron, and the Istari – and five scenarios by way of The Last Alliance, The Fall of Arnor, The Kinstrife, The War of the Ring, and The New Shadow. If you’re familiar with LotR lore, you can probably guess what some of those entail, however full details of what they’re all about can be found in this direction.
Crusader Kings Z
By Korbah
Besides being a pretty brilliant and intuitive mod, Crusader Kings Z has a fun story too. After Paradox released a teaser for the fictional Crusader Kings Z as an April Fools’ Day joke in 2013, modder Korbah (who is also involved in Elder Kings mentioned above) decided to make it A Real Thing.
The result is something similar to Paradox’s own Sunset Invasion DLC as it creates an alternate timeline for it events to unfold within. At some stage after the year 1000 AD an unexplained zombie outbreak occurs in Ethiopia which quickly spreads from Africa to Europe. Enter you, the player, and supposed world saviour as you scramble to form armies strong enough to combat the spreading infection and restore peace and, you know, humanity to the world after ridding the globe of the walking dead. If it feels like zombies are in everything these days, that’s because they are. But they’re also good fun.
When The World Stopped Making Sense
By Enlil
While it could be argued 2017 fits this bill more than any other era to date, Enlil’s When The World Stopped Making Sense is a lovely mod which reinterprets the Migration Period at any date between 476 AD – which aligns with the fall of the Western Roman Empire – and 700 AD. From here, players can play through till the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire centuries later in 1453 AD.
This is definitely one for the history buffs and while other Crusader Kings 2 Dark Ages mods tend to follow a typically predictable historically-accurate arc, When The World Stopped Making Sense allows for more player autonomy as you craft yet another alternative timeline. It’s still in development, however ten multi-century-spanning bookmarks are planned in total.
CK2+
By CK2Plus Team
Perhaps the most essential Crusader Kings 2 mod available for those after a challenge – CK2+ changes host of things about the base game with the aim of “deepening the CK2 experience”. In practice, this means making the base game more challenging without straying too far from what makes it enjoyable. Historical accuracy somewhat takes a backseat along the way, but the upshot is a more involved game.
For example, one of the most obvious tweaks CK2+ brings with it is the reduction of vassal limits. In turn this means managing larger empires is significantly more difficult, and makes the decision to increase Crown Authority far more important. Retinues are also smaller, thus more difficult to maintain, and the usefulness of technologies has been capped.
Furthermore, more considerations have been applied to factions, meaning they now bore more common interests. “Do they want peace and wealth?” asks the mod’s creators. “Do they want a strong ruler with lots of prestige? Do they want a pious ruler who doesn’t change from the old ways?” These changes mean there’s less chance of players gaining wider personal power, as they become more reliant on vassals.
No Hassles Vassals
By MonteCristo
Speaking of vassals, MonteCristo’s No Hassles Vassals is a simple but very effective mod which lets players distribute both county and barony titles with just one click. This is likely one which needs to be experienced in order to appreciate its worth, however NHV uses targeted decisions which in turn means you’re no longer required to run with your rule from one county to the next.
I’m actually going to turn you over to YouTube person Arumba here, who does a fine job of talking us through exactly what this one’s all about:
After the End
By Ofaloaf
Crusader Kings 2 Vikings Feudalism
While I’ve enjoyed watching the world burn several times in Ofaloaf’s After the End mod, part of me worries it’s more prophetic than I’ve given it credit for. As depicted elsewhere on this list, Crusader Kings 2 is perfect for recreating alternate histories, fantasy or otherwise, however this one opts for an arguably more ominous alternative future. We know that didn’t happen in the past, but this could happen in the future, right?
Hopefully not, because after an Extinction Level Event of cataclysmic proportions years prior, the world as we know it in the year 2666 has apparently gone to shit. North America now attempts to rebuild its disconnected societies – which sees a host of new-age cultures on the rise, as players get to grips with over 900 provinces, 25 kingdoms, four republics, one theocracy, five tribes and 14 religions.
“The setting also allows for the introduction of salvaged modern technology in the mostly neo-medieval setting and several invasions and events that change the game-world as time goes by,” reads the mod’s description. Ominous.
Honourable Mentions
RIP – Realm Intrigue & Politics
By ManiacTehGreat
While the contents of this list so far has focused on CK 2 total conversions, ManiacTehGreat’s RIP targets some of the game’s finer details. Well worth your time.
CPRplus – Cultures and Portraits Revamped
By Silverino
Make everyone pretty.
Fantasy!
By JordanDoes
Make everyone not so pretty.
Unique Buildings
By Morrolan
Adds a host of neat historical buildings and monuments to the game.
Bloodline
By Dorimi
Inherit your own bloodlines.
Crusader Kings 2 Vikings Start
Secret Society
By JordanDoes
Shhhhh.
And so concludes our battle chest of Crusader King 2 mods, fit for toppling kings, conquering nations and winning wars. But what mods were lost on the field? Herald your own favourites in the comments below.
Comments are closed.
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |