> I play a lot of Paradox games these days and they are exactly the opposite of games meant to be speedrun. They are meant to be played at exactly your own pace and are much more skill (strategy) based than memorizing specific sequences of actions.

It depends on the exact context and goal. To an extent, I would consider "map painting" the equivalent of a speedrun. It's usually measured in elapsed game time rather than play time, but there's a similar effect.

Especially with some of the more difficult OPMs, there can certainly be an element of memorization and optimizing starts. This falls off as the game goes further, but it definitely can be present. I recall some years back reading an EU3 byzantine guide that described many of the nations as being every bit as much puzzle game as strategy, where figuring out the tricks and traps of the opening years can mean the difference between a thriving growth and early defeat.

Not that anyone ever has to play the games that way, but that's true of everything that gets put through a traditional speedrun as well.