Tainted soil
Since the birth of the game idea and its very first drafts, which we later named Great Houses of Calderia, we've always envisioned a climactic finale, like a "big bang," fueled by rivalries and the thirst for power. This endgame is meant to give weight to the decisions you made throughout your rule. When the game draws to a close, the fate of your characters—be they brave or cowardly, their histories and personalities—will determine your performance in the events to come. We named this end of an era the "Civil War", though it leans more towards rebellion or a fight for independence, depending on how it unfolds. Unlike the unity seen in the American Revolutionary War, where colonists stood together against the British, in Calderia, loyalties are divided, with some favoring allegiance to the empire and others yearning for Calderian independence.
Crimson rivers
So the Civil War begins, gradually gaining momentum throughout the midgame while all the Houses pick their sides. The Emperor makes a grand entrance into the picture, and we catch glimpses of Calderia's Houses reclaiming their ancestral lands and the forgotten knowledge of the previous civilization. In other words, the Empire embodies medieval times, whereas Calderia inspires to go forward. This dualism now reveals more about where part of the inspiration for the game came from. Europe was transitioning from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance and then the Enlightenment, but when the world is changing, there are progressive forces and regressive forces, those who push for advancement and those who are resisting and in danger of losing something in the process. And all that change usually causes conflicts. While these struggles often arise from within, in Great Houses of Calderia, they are externalized through the entities of the Empire and Emperor.
Roots for the future
In essence, the Civil War in the game adds a deeper purpose and weight to your decisions. You have the freedom to embrace the old traditions or the new, the progress, and shape the kind of Calderia you wish to see. This also injects a sense of urgency into the gameplay and narrative. With other Houses also competing for power, if you aim to influence the future, you need to act fast! Strive to rise in the ranks and become a key player in the final conflict, or risk being manipulated as a mere pawn in others' schemes. Your path could lead to independence or even to becoming the Emperor's right-hand as the Viceroy, if you will. During the Civil War, the Emperor will deploy vast armies to defend the rule of his lands while leading unique and exclusive units for his faction. A Calderian victory is impossible until the Emperor is cast out, you have to overthrow his forces. However, the Calderian side for independence must ultimately prevail in the overall conflict for the war to conclude in a victory.
For the making and unfolding of the Civil War, a lot of tradition features have also been developed while keeping in mind the various playstyle choices and how they would play out in the Civil War. In the 1.0 update, we introduced a wealth of new content centered around the Civil War feature. Starting with the event prompting you to choose your allegiance amidst the chaos of war. With eight distinct main pathways leading to various conclusions and an additional thirteen minor variations building up to various outcomes of the Civil War. The Emperor commands six exclusive units, leading his faction into battle. Thirty new events related to the Civil War and three unique war types with a set of unique illustrations were added to the narrative of the Civil War. The Main Path to Victory has been finalized, alongside the Isolationist Path, providing alternative routes to success.
And that concludes our devblog on the Civil War. We really appreciate your feedback on this feature, the difficulty settings, the AI, the balance, and all the additions we've made. Thank you for being part of the journey and for your contribution!
- Great Houses of Calderia Team -