Imperiums: Greek Wars

[Asid]

Imperiums: Greek Wars is a unique combination of turn-based 4X and historical grand strategy with a mythological twist. Explore the ancient world and open it up to your people. Survive, expand, conquer... and win!

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Single-player, Online PvP, Shared/Split Screen PvP, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op


Imperiums: Greek Wars announcement trailer





About

Imperiums: Greek Wars is a unique combination of turn-based 4X and historical grand strategy with a mythological twist.
Inspired by our previous award-winning title Aggressors: Ancient Rome, we bring you a fresh look at a Greco-Persian world of schemers, warmongers, and ruthless politicians. This merciless world is enhanced by myths and stories about heroic deeds and hidden treasures as only the Greeks were able to imagine.




Greco-Persian world
The game starts in 359BC when Philip II of Macedon takes the throne. Macedonia at the time is a backwater on the edge of the Hellenic world, but Philip is an ambitious man. He has a dream to become leader of the whole of Greece, a dream he will follow until his death...

Choose one of 30 playable factions ranging from mighty Sparta or Athens, ambitious Macedonia, slowly declining Achaemenid Empire and its power-hungry satrapies, to a number of smaller Greek city-states and groups of semi-nomadic societies living on the outskirts of the Hellenic world. Lead your nation to glory if you can...

Lead, rule and conquer
Your task is to do more than survive. You are divine ruler, supreme military commander and political leader who seeks glory and prosperity for all your subjects. Lead them to magnificent victories, manage the economy on all levels, and provide successful livelihoods as well as stable and just government.

It is not a task for the weak; all problems rest upon your shoulders; every crisis is a test of your political and military prowess. Decisiveness, tactical thinking, political shrewdness, and above all an adventurous spirit is what will cause one person to stand out - to rise as a star shining through the darkness of millennia to come.

Historical immersion
The Greco-Persian world of Imperiums is a faithful representation of historical reality, political relations, animosities and ambitions. Take a unique opportunity to experience on your own shoulders the weight of responsibility as the chosen one. As leader you can follow your own path or take advice and guidance from dozens of nation-specific objectives.

Experience the ancient Greek world in such a detail as never before.

Myths and Legends
Ancient people believed in myth and legend; it was part of their reality. Those adventurous enough can send their generals in the footsteps of ancient heroes to find the Golden Fleece or untie the Gordian Knot. Unveil the truth of some of the stories and myths of the Greek world.

Face the opponents
Your opponents will be unforgiving, but if you want more of human slyness and unexpected turns, join a multiplayer game and challenge other players in a race to victory!

New worlds
The universe of Imperiums offers an endless number of realms. Imagine a world to your liking and let us bring it to you. Whatever your choice, enter with a clear mind and prove that you can not only survive but build an empire worthy of the title.
Take advantage of the imagination of others and explore worlds they created. Go even a step further, let yourself be inspired as creator whose ideas shape others’ worlds.

Learn with ease
It is not shameful to take advice from time to time. You’re not alone in this cruel world; there is always guidance to explain, provide context, and offer recommendations. Let yourself be guided by your intuition and logic, and you will soon become a master.

[Asid]

Visit the beating heart of ancient Greece in this episode of our Faction Highlights series.

Follow our guide Amphoteros on his journey through the central region of ancient Hellas where the political balance is so fragile that a minor conflict could bring the whole region to war. Yet many are not willing to give up their dreams for the promise of peace.


Imperiums: Greek Wars - Faction highlights intro





Imperiums: Greek Wars - Faction Highlights – Central Greece





Imperiums: Greek Wars - Faction Highlights – Persian Empire

[Asid]

Thessalian League
Fri, 7 February 2020

The hatred between the warring dynasties of Thessaly goes beyond the grave.
Will you bring peace to these lands again?



Tester’s tips

Thessaly is perfect if you want to jump right in to action. The civil war between the Thessalian League and their brethren of Pherae is already underway. You can be sure that you won’t get much breathing space before the enemy goes after your cities and mines.

Luckily the land is protected by sea and mountains. If you can keep your northern neighbor of Macedonia on good terms then you can focus all of your military forces against Pherae without the worry of being attacked on a second front.

Use your General to turn enemy cities to your side and avoid unnecessary losses to your military units.

[Asid]

Interview about Imperiums and what is coming up!
Mon, 10 February 2020



Find out some interesting facts about Imperiums and its development in the interview we did for eXplorminate
Rob from eXplorminate had some really interesting questions for us, not only about Imperiums but we touched upon its development as well as the whole genre of strategy games. Read it here to find out more about our plans and what we have coming up!


1) Tell us about yourselves and, if you can, why you made the move to 100% indie!

Kube Games is a new studio. We all have some background in game development but we wanted to start fresh with this project as we feel it has the potential to grow and expand on its own.

The decision to go 100% indie, as you say, evolved naturally but it has never been – and still is – not the only path we consider. We keep an open mind in terms of possible ways of cooperation, but right now we feel it is the best way for us and for Imperiums. The competition out there is tough, and if we didn’t find our work fun and fulfilling, we probably wouldn’t have gone all this way.

Indie development has the advantage of complete freedom. You are not tied up by rules, traditional thinking and established processes with strict deadlines. You can be flexible and creative – and that’s the value by which we try to live every day.

And I can say the same about our fans. Some of them help and support us out of pure passion for the game. We are all indie in our hearts.

2) What interests you most in historical 4X games?

A game with historical background gives you the opportunity to relive past events yourself. You step into the shoes of one of the leaders, and with a bit of knowledge of what he/she has achieved, you try to do the same and better.

If the AI is good, you become totally absorbed in the game reality. Historical 4x is a game that makes you think. You cannot just declare war on everybody around. You have to plan your steps, try to outsmart your enemies and perhaps even your allies when you feel the conditions are right. The game hones qualities such as logical thinking, foresight, and careful evaluation of all facts.

Perhaps it is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it gives us a feeling of creation even if it is only in a game. You learn all the time, improving your skills and logic. When you win, you feel that you deserved it, that you actually might be smarter than all the others, and that perhaps if you did live at that time, you could be… let’s say Philip II of Macedon.

3) Tell us about Aggressors and what you learned from that project?

Aggressors was published already over a year ago and we learnt a lot from it – about the game and players, about ourselves and our mistakes.

If we should name one thing though, the importance of external assets was the biggest surprise for us. Game sounds, music and even in-game illustrations. Perhaps many will tell you something different, but the truth is that game aesthetics, UI design, and the look of the map and terrains play an extremely important role in the immersion and the way players feel in the game. I would say that this was the biggest setback if judged by the reviews.

We take any feedback very seriously and we considered all this when designing Imperiums. We are still limited by our budget, but we made a great leap forward. Soon, you will see for yourself.

4) What would you have changed with perfect hindsight about Aggressors?

Well, that’s a question that is not easy to answer. You see things differently when they are done and you can take few steps back and see it from a distance.

Perhaps the biggest lesson was the whole process of designing and creating the game.

Aggressors started as a hobby project with no firm boundaries. Our imagination went on a spree, still newer and newer mechanics were being added with no deadline in front of us. We understand today that we need to discipline ourselves and give ourselves limits and deadlines to be able to move the process forward at a healthy pace. As a result, the internal estimation of the release date of Imperiums has been moved only by weeks.

Another hard realization is related to the quality of assets as mentioned earlier. We really wanted to make everything in-house. It allowed us to touch many different segments of IT and programming. On the other hand, it significantly delayed the whole development process and had a negative impact on the quality of assets. So, if there are any developers among the readers, I can only say: Invest in quality!

The selection of external contractors, colleagues and partners was also not easy. We met some really great guys who helped us a lot and some others who proved to be more of a wasted time. You cannot do everything by yourself, but finding reliable partners is priceless and unfortunately not as easy as it might seem.

When Imperiums is finally out, we plan to write a post mortem to share our experience with other developers out there to hopefully help them save time, money and energy on things that just might not work.

5) Give us a quick summary of what Imperiums is and why it would appeal to our audience?

Imperiums is in essence a 4X strategy game which is probably what the followers of eXplorminate want to hear up front. It is also a historical game inspired by real events built up on a detailed research of the era, which should strike close to home with fans of grand strategies as well.

Many players asked for a fantasy mod, but combining historical strategy with fantasy elements can be tricky, and we didn’t want to repel history buffs. Ancient Greece seemed like a natural choice and a good testing scenario, as Greeks explained even common natural phenomena by the actions of gods, monsters, and mythological creatures. For them that was part of their everyday reality.

Therefore, we introduced a fully optional layer where myths and legends come to life. History buffs can play without being disturbed by unnatural events or creatures, as they are used to from other titles. For those who want to spice up the game with a bit of surprise and some extra adventure, the myths and legends open a whole new dimension of the game. All fantasy elements are tied to the existing mechanics and follow the gameplay in a logical way.

6) What are the main differences between Aggressors and Imperiums?

As I mentioned above, Imperiums is a different world. You can expect all the best mechanics known from Aggressors, only with many new features. To name the most interesting:
•   Generals can have quite an impact on gameplay by encouraging troops and inciting rebellions in foreign cities
•   Already mentioned myths and creatures of the ancient world
•   Heroes who allow you to go on quests and search for treasures
•   Common military campaigns that allow you to plan conquests with other players directly on the map and coordinate war strategies

Some other features that substantially increase immersion and fun for players include:

•   Extended diplomacy, such as new treaties and diplomatic offers
•   Sages who spread knowledge within as well as outside of your country
•   Corruption mechanics that simulates the difficulties of managing large empires
•   Slavery mechanic that greatly affects state economy and happiness at home
•   Technology tree with locked technologies and conditions that accelerate research
•   Introduction of territories that affect production of land resources
•   Independent cities that defend themselves and are even able to expand
•   New nations appearing during the game
•   Many new buildings, improvements, state decisions and objectives
•   Brand new UI

On top of that, the game will have hot-seat, multiplayer, localization to number of languages, and an improved terrain look.

The map is the most detailed map of Ancient Greece so far in strategy games, with 28 playable factions.

Our ambition is to explore new dimensions in which Imperiums could grow that make the game more real, more interesting, more fun.

7) What are the biggest challenges in creating a historical 4X?

Well, I guess that depends on the historical period. One of the challenges is to find reliable resources, especially good maps and stories. Most people have probably heard of Alexander the Great, but what do you know about his father, Philip II of Macedon? His story is as intriguing as that of his son, but history has nearly forgotten many of the side actors (not that he is one of them!). However, to re-create history you need to give life not only to the main characters but to the small ones as well, to give the world and all the events meaning.

Another major challenge is complexity. Real life has endless number of factors that affect every decision and event. As a designer, you want to put all that in the game, but then it would be unplayable. You have to decide how deep you want to go so that players feel that things happen for a reason and not randomly, but at the same time they are not overwhelmed.

8) What 4X/strategy games do you take the most influence from?

To be honest we don’t look for inspiration in other games. Not that we don’t find them worthy, but once you like a certain mechanic in another game you want either try to add something similar or you adopt it in the same way. It limits your own imagination and affects the game design decisions.

We take a lot of inspiration from real historical events as we know them and try to create a logical link between action the player takes and the ripples it makes in the game. Nothing happens out of nowhere.

Nevertheless, I am sure that players noticed that the closest game to Aggressors is Civilization. Yes, that is one of our favourite games. Imperiums is like Civilization with more historical emphasis and deeper rules.

9) Can you share with us anything that you’ve yet to reveal?

Ah, I should have saved some of the features named in Question 6 for now! ?

Well, we are now preparing beta so anyone who would like to test the game should stay tuned. We are just finishing off the last touches on UI and then we will be ready to start.

If you don’t want to miss it, you can already sign up to get the news here

10) Which strategy or 4X games stand out to you guys as developers the most from the last few years?

There are many good games, but if we should name a couple, they would be Thea and Panzer Strategy. They are not really 4X games, but they are very close to us in the way they do things.

From the 4X world, we were closely watching Jon Shafer’s At the Gates and we are a bit sad about the current state of it. We know very well how difficult, time consuming and uncertain the development of complex 4X strategy game is, so seeing any project run into difficulties is hard to accept – after all, we are all 4x fans in our hearts.

[Asid]

Phokis
Fri, 14 February 2020


Proud of its status, Phokis is ready to fight to keep it. Will you overcome this pride and seek allies or you take on the world all by yourself?



Tester’s tips

Phokis is a true fight for survival.

You have the protection of the Parnassos mountain range to your West. Your northern neighbor the Thessaly Pherae is already involved in a bloody civil war so should not bother you. The obvious route for expansion is to attack your nearest neighbor Boeotia, to your East, but it is way harder than you would think at first.

Boeotia are much stronger as they can already use Hoplites (advanced military units). You have no time to lose as you feel you need to pump your money into the army, but you find out quite soon that your resource reserves are dwindling. As you cannot use Blacksmiths (that multiply resource production) right from the start, I usually build Trading improvements in all cities to manage urban resource usage.

It is best to keep on good terms with the Boeotians to give yourself time to prepare. Wait for them to be occupied elsewhere and then attack their rear. If this is not possible because they declare war on you before you are ready, try to engage the other neighboring states such as Euboea or Athens to fight against them to divide their military forces.

Defensive war seems to be a good strategy here. I keep my military units in the cities to protect them and have one or two units in the rear ready to finish off any weak enemy units in my territory.

The initial phase is tough and I cannot say I am always better than the AI but the challenge pulls me back to this faction over and over again.

[Asid]

Faction Highlights – Peloponnese
Tue, 18 February 2020

Discover the reality of life in ancient city-states of Peloponnese

The noble Amphoteros, our guide through the ancient Hellas, will take us to Peloponnese this time, the southern peninsula of the Greek mainland. Here lies the great Sparta but we will visit the less known city-states that for centuries live in the shadows of the mighty kingdom.

[Asid]

Mysia
Fri, 28 February 2020


The Persian Empire is in decline. Is Mysia ready to stand on its own or will it obediently bow to its overlords till the end of time?



Tester’s tips

Mysia is a large state, one of the few on this map. It starts as part of the confederation of the Achaemenid Empire and as such it cannot control its own foreign policy, but it is of great strategic importance as it controls the waterway between Europe and Anatole.

Being a confederation member is somewhat limiting but it gives you time to build up your economy, improve your infrastructure and reform your army. Until you are ready, the Persians kind of shelter you from foreign powers.

At least that is what I expected, but the reality was different. One by one the other Persian provinces established independence and suddenly I found myself surrounded by former friends who valued their own interests more than my friendship.

My advice therefore is to keep on good relations with the other provinces as long as you need them. The proximity to the European coast gives you the opportunity to expand in this direction first but don’t let the others to get too strong a position in Anatole, otherwise they will force you out of Asia Minor.

[Asid]

Arkadia
Thu, 5 March 2020

The shadow of Sparta grows longer. Unless Arkadia finds more allies, it will face the Spartan force alone!




Tester’s tips

Arkadia might seem a peaceful land but it needs a very careful hand to ride the constantly changing tide of foreign politics. It sits in the middle of Peloponnese, bordering all of the Peloponnesian states, including Sparta. That makes it a perfect target when any of its neighbours decides to expand its borders.

You should not be fooled by the defense pact it has with Boeotia, these allies are too far away to give any rapid and effective help when needed. It is much smarter to try to get as many of its small neighbors on its side as possible to create a Peloponnesian coalition against Sparta.

Sparta is not unfriendly from the start but it is more powerful than any of the southern states and it will use its military force sooner or later.

[Asid]

Lydia
Thu, 12 March 2020

Lydia could lead a great revolt against the Persian overlord, as its loyalty to the throne stands in the way of expansion and growth.




Tester’s tips

Lydia is a very large and wealthy western province of the Persian Empire. In the old days its capital at Sardis was the seat of the kings. Although it has lost most of its influence over time, it maintained loyalty to its overlords even when the northern provinces rebelled and wanted to break away from the empire.

The coast of Lydia is peppered with commercial centers, its lands are rich in natural resources, it has a long coast, great access to the sea and trade routes to the rest of Greece are open.

Of all the Persian provinces, this one is indeed the best. You only need to bribe the other provincial leaders to stay on good terms with you while in the meantime you build up your basic infrastructure, fortify your cities and grow your military power.

Once you decide to break away from Persians, you can count on the others to stand on your side.

But beware, the other provinces are quite ambitious and even if friendly at the start, they won’t let you get the upper hand in Anatole.

You might want to secure more territories on the Aegean islands or Crete to spread your influence further from mainland.

With higher difficulties this could be quite challenging, as the neighboring provinces become very aggressive and give you no rest. It also becomes very tricky to judge correctly when the time is ripe for establishing independence from the Persians. If you stay loyal too long while other provinces break away, they will quite likely attack your borders as well. On the other hand, if you break the ties with the Empire before you are strong enough you could be exposed to the Persians seeking revenge.

Hard decisions are part of life though

[Asid]

Korinth
Thu, 26 March 2020


Korinth wants to grow into a major power again but it needs a steady hand as its future is shaky.



Tester’s tips

The territory of Korinth is split; there is a small area around the city of Korinthos occupying the land between Peloponnese and Attica, and couple of colonies on the western coast of Greece. It is definitely a very vulnerable position. Losing the colonies would impair your ability to grow economically as most of your resources come from there, on the other hand losing the capital city dramatically impacts your army and general morale.

Take advantage of your central position and try to make as many friends as possible. Secure the colonies and then expand towards Akarnania. It is one of the weaker states so your chances there are relatively good, especially if you manage to draw Aetolia into the war as well to help you finish off the Akarnanian forces. Go after cities and resource mines, those should be your priority.

Attacking on Peloponnese or in Attica is tricky. You have only one city (Korinthos) and it is difficult to defend it when you have to use it to reinforce your troops.

The one advantage of these divided territories is that even if you lose one area you still live to fight another day from the other.

[Asid]

First beta testers have received their keys
Thu, 2 April 2020

Beta has just started!

Since the call went out that we were looking beta testers for Imperiums: Greek Wars, our mailbox has overflowed with applications. It is indeed an exhilarating feeling to learn how many people are really interested in and have a true passion for the historical 4x genre. We are not in this alone!



As promised, we read every single one of those applications and have started sending out keys to the first group of them. As our testers' forum and Discord are getting livelier, we feel a fresh flow of motivation to get this game finished, so that all of you who are waiting for it can play it too!

A big thanks to all our supporters for spreading the word and also to all those who applied. Even if you are not in the first beta run, you still might get a hold of the game soon enough as we will be sending out more keys later.
You haven't signed up for beta yet? You can still do it here http://imperiumsgame.com/apply-to-beta-test/

We will share some more news and insights from the development and the beta testing soon, so stay tuned!

[Asid]

Argolis
Tue, 7 April 2020

Strong and proud in their hearts, the Argives remember their great days and are ready to earn back glory and wealth with blood.



Tester’s tips

I really like to play Argolis, they are in a great position to sail towards Crete and the other unoccupied islands in the southern Aegean and I very much enjoy these explorations. This way you can gain some extra territory for your distant bases and if nothing else, use your small fleet to conduct piracy on nearby trading routes.

As long as you can maintain peaceful relations with the other petty states on Peloponnese, you can grow and prosper. Sparta and Athens are of course big players in this region and I generally try to bribe both with small gifts to stay on my side, at least in the initial phase of the game.

This is also a great setting when you want to try a joint military campaign – dividing the spheres of influence and then attacking in coordinated waves.

[Asid]

Faction Highlights – Barbarians
Tue, 14 April 2020

Glimpse the violent nature of life on the outskirts of the civilized world.

Amphoterus, our guide on our trip through the states of ancient Greece, will take us to the northern border of Hellas where Greek civilization meets the warrior tribes from the Illyrian and Thracian wildernesses.

[Asid]

Micro blog - Generals at the battlefront
Wed, 15 April 2020


How can Generals change the outcome of a battle and maybe the course of the war?
With the first beta testers already busy conquering ancient Greece and Anatole, let’s take a walk through the realm of Imperiums together. Today, we accompany a brave General into battle.



Generals are special units that cannot be built per se. Any man who proves himself extraordinary in a battle can rise to the rank of a General, or you can hire one if you cannot find such an exceptional man among your troops. Generals have quite a wide range of actions and one of them is boosting the morale of the military forces.

Nothing lifts the spirit of the men in the front lines as much as having their commander side by side with them, not just watching from a safe distance. Let your General ride his horse along the battlefront and encourage the troops who are going into action.



Boosting their morale can significantly increase their chances in combat also this mitigates certain disadvantages on your side such as unsuitable terrain or lack of experience. Morale can reach up to 200% - such men will rather die than let the enemy take one step further.

But don’t forget to keep your General safe. Getting him killed would terribly shake the army morale of your troops and that could not only ruin all your plans but might bring about the downfall of your empire.

[Asid]

Micro blog 2 - The mastery of side deals
Tue, 21 April 2020



Ancient Greeks were notorious warmongers and masters of playing very intricate political games.
If you’ve ever watched a video on ancient Greek history, you’ll know that the Greeks were constantly at each other’s throats. Fragile coalitions were made, just to be broken when the other side proved to be stronger or promised a better share of the loot.

Perhaps the key question is, how to keep the third parties out of your way and yet use them to reach your goals?



In Imperiums: Greek Wars the Greek world is tightly knit, often a war between two states can start a chain reaction. Do you have a strategic ally who you need in a war against a common enemy? Only to find them too stretched to assist because they have a second front with a petty city-state on another border?

Use your position to send a kind request to the leaders of the city-state warmongers, asking them to sign a peace treaty with your strategic ally. If they consent, you untie the hands of your coalition partner and earn their gratitude, this also counts! If they refuse, turn the tide against them by sending envoys to their neighbouring states asking them to declare war on the city-state. That will teach them not to play tough with you.



Using these third party requests you can play one opponent off against another and with a bit of foresight you can sail through the intrigues and shaky political deals with a following wind.

Perhaps a little warning here though, the AI is very competent and can use the same techniques against you. You simply need to be smarter than it