trigger · planning_skill_level

Hands-On Usage

planning_skill_level is commonly used to determine whether a commander possesses sufficient planning capability to unlock special decisions, activate specific AI bonuses, or trigger differentiated options in events. For example, in a custom commander progression system, only commanders with adequate planning values are permitted to be promoted or acquire rare traits:

# In the trigger block of a commander promotion event
character_event = {
    id = my_mod.101
    trigger = {
        is_corps_commander = yes
        planning_skill_level > 3
        has_trait = organizer
    }
    # Grant advanced trait upon meeting conditions
    option = {
        add_trait = brilliant_strategist
    }
}

Synergy

• [has_trait](/wiki/trigger/has_trait): Typically used in conjunction with trait detection to confirm a commander possesses both a specific trait and meets the planning value threshold, establishing a "trait + ability value" dual gate.
• [min_planning](/wiki/trigger/min_planning): Both are used together for precise verification of a commander's current planning bonus state; the former checks the base level while the latter monitors real-time planning accumulation during a campaign.
• [add_planning](/wiki/effect/add_planning): After the trigger condition passes, use this effect to further stack planning capability for qualifying commanders, forming a "check-reward" feedback loop.
• [add_trait](/wiki/effect/add_trait): When planning_skill_level reaches a threshold, grant new traits; this is the most common pairing pattern in commander development mods.

Common Pitfalls

1. Mixing comparison operators: Beginners often write planning_skill_level = 5 (equals), but this trigger is designed for magnitude comparison (>, <, >=); equality checks produce unstable behavior and typically don't match the intended purpose. Always use explicit comparison operators.
2. Scope not switched to CHARACTER/COMBATANT: Directly writing this trigger under country scope or state scope causes errors or silent failures; you must first transition to the correct commander scope via statements like any_army_leader or every_character before executing the check.