Choose one of pre-defined races or create a custom one. The picture does not affect the gameplay, the race is defined by its racial traits. You can see race’s set of traits under the portrait. The stock races can be modded via stock_race parameter. You can also choose to create a custom race.

Custom Races

You have a certain amount of Pick Points also called Picks to select desired traits. The original manual says:

"Picks" is shorthand for Racial Ability And Characteristic Points, which wouldn’t fit. You have 10 picks that you can use to develop your race. To the right of every option is that option’s Pick Modifier. If you choose that option for your race, you lose (if the modifier is positive) or gain (if it’s negative) that many picks. Note that you can not choose disadvantageous options to gain more than 10 extra picks, and you are also not allowed to start a game with a negative pick total.

The costs of racial traits and the amount of picks available can be modded via race_pick and number_of_race_picks parameters. The classic rules are:

  • The sum of all racial trait costs has to be ⇐ 10.

  • The sum of all negative trait costs has to be >= -10.

  • This means you can spend up to 20 points towards positive traits if you select -10 in negative.

Unspent picks increase a score multiplier. The multiplier is calculated as P * 10
100 where P is the number of remaining points. For example if you choose only feudal and repulsive you will have 20 picks left and 300% score multiplier. Increasing this score is hardly a worthy goal though, since it can be grinded arbitrarily regardless of multiplier.

See Racial Traits for descriptions of picks.

Note that AI races on Hard and Impossible difficulties have additional pick points or rather have some positive traits added or negative traits removed. This can be modded via the ai_race_variant_table and ai_race_variants.