This becomes a different beast when you introduce competitive play. In non-ranked there is this feeling of freedom to try new things, have fun, etc... but in ranked it feels like things are on the line(despite those things being so trivial as a few points up or down).

Settlers is so fun because you really feel like you're on a journey the whole game, and while it is nice to win, you remember the interactions and experiences in the game as the valuable thing(IMO).