effect · activate_decision

Hands-On Usage

activate_decision is commonly used to automatically unlock a decision for the player or AI after a national focus, event, or task is completed, allowing it to appear in the decision interface for execution. For example, in a custom tech tree mod, activating a time-limited diplomatic decision immediately upon completing a specific national focus:

focus = {
    id = GER_rearm_industry
    ...
    completion_reward = {
        activate_decision = GER_demand_rhineland
    }
}

Synergy

• [has_decision](/wiki/trigger/has_decision) — Check in a trigger whether a decision has already been activated, preventing duplicate activations or for conditional logic.
• [activate_targeted_decision](/wiki/effect/activate_targeted_decision) — Use this command instead when a decision requires specifying a target country; the two complement each other covering both targeted and non-targeted decision types.
• [add_days_remove](/wiki/effect/add_days_remove) — After activating a decision, combine with removal countdown configuration to implement automatic expiration logic for time-limited decisions.
• [add_political_power](/wiki/effect/add_political_power) — Activating a decision is typically paired with granting political power to ensure the player has sufficient resources to execute the decision immediately.

Common Pitfalls

1. Scope Error: This effect can only be used within a COUNTRY scope. If written inside a STATE or CHARACTER scope, it will error or silently fail. Always verify that the executing block's scope is national.
2. Decision Undefined or Conditions Unmet: If the decision being activated has its own allowed or visible restriction blocks, activate_decision will not bypass these checks — the decision may still fail to display after activation if conditions are not satisfied. Ensure related conditions are met beforehand.