How you play? (with Ironman or without Ironman)

[Slym]

Only ironman for achievements, normal for everything else. And I do sometimes go back and load an earlier save.

Not because something went wrong, but because I want to play a "different" game, so instead of taking a military idea in 1500 and slugging it out in Europe, I'll grab exploration and colonize instead. Or I'll stay catholic and keep being buddies with Austria instead of going Protestant and becoming their rival.

 

[Rancor26]

Without ironman. Main reason is because i want to play without lucky nations. I hate it that some nations have bonuses like that over others, it's not like the map ends up historical even if you play with lucky nations on. I don't really care about achievements.

 

[Emre Yigit]

Without ironman.


But I think the data is available through Steam (though I often play off-line, and I suppose others might too, therefore the data is perhaps skewed in favour of ironman?) So Paradox has the data, and IIRC, once shared them with us.

 

[Tufto]

AARs aside, with Ironman. Makes it occasionally tedious but it's the only way to hone one's skills.

Which reminds me, I am now well overdue for an update...

 

[Otto I. HRE]

I play strong countries (at start) in ironman, and weak countries in non-ironman, just in case I get something incredible unlucky I can reload. I don't really care about achievements but if I can get an achievement without massive effort I do try to achieve it

 

[LordOfBlood]

I always play with ironman, not because of achievemnts but it is more realistic and makes you more careful.

After AoW i am playing without ironman since the slowness

 

[mackintosh]

I never play ironman. I don't care about achievements, preferring to mold the game and setting to whatever is my current fancy.

 

[DukeWilleo1630]

Without ironman. Main reason is because i want to play without lucky nations. I hate it that some nations have bonuses like that over others, it's not like the map ends up historical even if you play with lucky nations on. I don't really care about achievements.

Same. I love the interaction of the AI nations when lucky nations is turned off. With lucky nations, it's a bit stale.

 

[Zirbyli]

Non Ironman. I play for fun, and I'm not skilled player.

 

[Talar]

Ironman, mostly for the achievements and because I don't want to reload anyway.
For a mod I don't mind playing without.

 

[unmerged(789541)]

Ironman only.

Although I do wish I could change lucky nations to random.

 

[Jmyster]

Torn. I sometimes play full Ironman games in CKII and EUIV, and I sometimes do fun tag switching games, crafting the world and occasionally fighting against my own creation.

I would play Ironman almost exclusively in EUIV if lucky nations could be turned off (or adjusted) though. The chaos and unpredictability that can result is immensely entertaining.

Oh, and I don't really give a rat's ass about achievements. I play who I feel like playing.

 

[Crater122]

When I play vanilla, I play Ironman. However, I don't play vanilla very often unless I either get bored of the overhaul mods I play and feel like going for an achievement or if a new patch comes out and breaks those mods. I actually like lucky nations, though.

 

[Frederick III]

I never play with Ironman. The game is slow as it is and I don't give a damn about achievements.

 

[Alsark]

I enjoy going for achievements, so I always play on Ironman.

Once I get all of the doable achievements within my skill level I'll probably play non-Ironman until I'm comfortable with taking on some of the more difficult challenges.

 

[Ryuujin95]

I'll play Ironman when I want to pursue an achievement, but it's far too aggravating for normal play. Too often Steam likes to choke on an autosave, causing the game to hang for 2 minutes, then crash to the desktop. When it happens 3 times in the span of 20 minutes, it makes me want to go play something else. As far as I can tell that is a Steam issue, since it's a Steam process whose CPU utilization is going through the roof when it happens.

 

[Mudcrab]

Always ironman/hard. Where's the challenge otherwise? Unless you're trying out a non-ironman mod, that is.

 

[Zero Gravity]

Ironman, always
It prevents me from cheating and savescumming, also achievements give me boners and some much needed direction

 

[Snaggleooo]

I don't play with Ironman as I really hate Lucky Nations. Arbitrary bonuses for countries big enough to dominate without them is just wrong to me. That said, even not playing with Ironman, I never reload on a bad decision/event/whatever.

 

[Susanna]

I do not play Ironman. I dislike historically lucky nations, and I do like mods. I do not care about achievements.

ETA: I don't cheat or save scum in the first place. If I load an earlier save, it's because the save corrupted. (Not a problem with EU4, has been a problem with earlier Paradox games.)