I still hope SO MUCH that they add options... that we don't have to get mods for everything

I don't get it.
Options can change the difficulty of the game but it won't change the mechanic/the economy, what combats are balanced arround and what is OP/what is sub-optimal.
Even with options we'll have to use mods for challenging but fair combats.
I may be wrong but I never saw a game in which options allow players to rebalance the mechanics. Options in Solasta and Pathfinder (naming them because there are a lot of options) allow some degree of customization but it does not change the foundations of the games.