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Field of Glory: Kingdoms
Asid:
Field of Glory Kingdoms: Battle and the art of siege
Wed, December 6, 2023
Battles in open fields, castle assaults, and the art of siege
Battles in Field of Glory: Kingdoms display a wide variety, either due to their scale, ranging from skirmishes to full-scale engagements involving the main armies of several nations, or due to terrain and weather conditions, or because they can occur as pitched battles in open areas or as castle assaults (here, we use 'castle' to denote any permanent fortification, from a humble rustic fort to a mighty fortress with triple concentric walls!).
When you start the game, it's quite easy to be deceived by the apparent simplicity of combat... until you lose several battles without really understanding why. Indeed, the game simplifies your task by providing an approximate value of your units' effectiveness
, but this number is inherently imperfect in capturing all the subtleties of combat.
There's also the combat module, which can be very roughly described as a checkerboard. Square spaces, neatly arranged units facing off. But in reality, this covers a range of mechanisms all working together to add subtlety and allow for different approaches. Let's delve into this more deeply!
The combat system is based on three pillars
, which we call the rule of the triangle, because it's crucial to understand that your units need a good general (the first pillar: generals provide additional dice). They need to be rested and experienced (ideally, of course!), which allows them to mitigate bad dice rolls, which are simply excluded from combat (so your veterans are less subject to bad luck), this being the second pillar. Finally, the third pillar, the easiest to understand and often seen by beginners as the only existing one, is the raw strength of the unit. Let's not kid ourselves, equal skills being present, it's better to have knights than peasants... However, even this raw strength varies greatly with the terrain. Heavy units are disadvantaged in constrained terrains like forests and mountains, for example.
This rule of the triangle or the three pillars is fundamental to understanding, as it is the essence of combat in Kingdoms.
Add to this several other mechanisms like the ranged attacks of your archers, skirmish units, which even when they lose tire out your soldiers, pursuit units, those that block charges, etc. There's too much to say, in fact, but what can be retained is that combat in Kingdoms offers more than honorable subtlety, and it would be wrong to think of it as simplistic and uninteresting... That being said, if you want even more finesse and detail, at the expense of a much longer game time, then you can export your battles to Field of Glory Medieval from Richard Bodley Scott, and then retrieve the combat result in Kingdoms!
What about castle assaults?
They largely follow the same procedure as open field battles, but with various defensive bonuses, depending on whether a breach has been made in the fortification. Some units naturally have specialized bonuses or penalties in assault. But before the assault, you must have laid siege and weakened the defenders (or if you are patient, they might even surrender if they lack food).
The art of siege isn't learned in a day either, as it involves considering the abilities of the opposing generals, the capacity of units to conduct or defend against a siege (here archers have a clear advantage, but if you build siege units, you can more than compensate for this problem). Sieges can also be very long, especially if the opposing fortification has undergone several improvements, and this is a feature of Kingdoms compared to its predecessor Empires: forts and castles are built in several modular stages, each providing different bonuses. With serious investment, it is possible to hold a stronghold for years.
This concludes our 4th developer diary, and we hope it has piqued your interest in testing military maneuvers in Kingdoms, knowing that this is just a small part of the game, and that we also have a lot of content available for those who like peaceful development... so stay tuned!
Asid:
Field of Glory Kingdoms: Religions, Knightly Orders and Heresies
Mon, 29 January 2024
To say that religion is of great importance in Kingdoms would be an understatement
Just as historically it has had a major influence on many nations, so too will it be a major point of contention among the powers of the time in Kingdoms. But not only that, because with most populations being very fervent, daily life in your regions will also be under the major influence of priests and imams.
The game defines a national religion (which can be difficult to change, and will not be without causing widespread disturbances) that usually alters relations over time either with your co-religionists or with countries of different religions (this is particularly true for Christians and Muslims). Unless you have solid treaties, expect these relationships to deteriorate, which will not be without causing lines of fracture and therefore wars.
On a more local level, each population has a religion, which alters its loyalty and productivity (this can vary depending on whether your leader is tolerant or not), and you will then take care to gradually convert (and with more or less difficulty, pagans being easier to convert than the so-called "Religion of the Book" populations (i.e. Christians, Muslims and Jews). To do this, you will want to build religious buildings and promote populations into the clergy.
If you sin too much on your production of Piety points, then expect heresies, which are in some ways powerful rebels, who can spread their false belief in other regions. You will then have no choice but to convert them by force and blood, with an army or particularly intransigent clergy members.
But that's not all, because there is the possibility that Crusades or a Jihad will be triggered! Indeed, the game defines 5 holy cities, 3 for Christianity (Rome, Byzantium, and Jerusalem) and 3 for Islam (Mecca, Medina, and... Jerusalem). So you have a nice point of contention there, and it's a safe bet that at some point, a crusade or a Jihad will be launched! You will then see (literally and figuratively) Crusaders landing, for example, with fleets lent by the Italian maritime republics.
As if that weren't enough, there are also the Knightly Orders in the game. These will gradually establish themselves in YOUR regions, with Chapters, and will be like a double-edged sword. On one hand, you will be happy with the increased piety in the region, as well as the detachment of knights protecting it, on the other hand, they are a bit burdensome as neighbors, monetarily speaking, because what goes into their coffers does not go into yours. It's up to you to decide whether you support them or want to limit their influence.
On the other hand, from an international point of view, seeing a heavy detachment of Templars land in the Holy Land always makes an impression. But do not think that Islam is left out, because if the first Sunni feels threatened, the Jihad is not far away!
Thus, as we can see, religions are a major element of Kingdoms both from the point of view of the daily life of your populations and from the point of view of international relations and the behavior of nations towards each other. You cannot ignore it, and ignoring the piety of your population would be a major mistake. And then, building cathedrals and great mosques, what prestige that is! Not to mention that the clergy participates in the education of your population, which grants you more Legacy points, the game's victory point unit.
Stay tuned for the next developer diary on Dynasties and Characters!
Asid:
Field of Glory: Kingdoms - Dynasties and Characters
Fri, 23 February 2024
In today's Dev Diary we will look into the management of characters
One of the major new features of Kingdoms, which aligns with the significant events of the medieval era often initiated by great men rather than established states, is the addition of dynasties to the game, and more generally, a much more advanced management of characters (compared to Empires, the predecessor of Kingdoms).
Each game faction (whether a duchy, an emirate, an empire, or even a knightly order) is indeed led by a ruler with several important characteristics. Just like any other character, the ruler has an administration value, very important for providing economic bonuses to his realm, but also a military value, which allows for the recruitment of higher quality units, and finally, since we are in the Middle Ages and religion was of paramount importance, a piety value, very useful for helping to convert the population, being well seen by the Pope if you are Christian, and generally useful for making heresies rare. These 3 values are supplemented by one or two possible skills that have very diverse effects, ranging from tolerance towards other cultures, to dubious life practices (reducing life expectancy), to the propensity to attack one's neighbor sneakily without a formal declaration of war.
This ruler is often accompanied by his spouse and often courtesans. The Middle Ages not being very progressive, it will not be possible to see one of these ladies leading an army; however, daughters of marriageable age hold particular interest, as they allow for the conclusion of royal marriages. These are, however, double-edged swords, as if your sovereign dies without an heir, it is possible that your nation will suffer, with the faction where your daughter resides taking over part of your territory.
The picture would not be complete without the mention of possible brothers, sisters, uncles in addition to your descendants, all of whom have a role to play, as they can be Peers of the Realm, sort of governors of certain portions of your territory, allowing for better administration than if there were only a modest noble. Your characters can also, just like the sovereign, lead armies, with their own statistics, in attack as well as defense, and various tactical abilities (far more numerous than in Empires, and veterans of our first instalment will be pleased to learn that there are 6 times more in Kingdoms than in our first game).
All these additional possibilities come at a cost, however, but this is also what makes Kingdoms intriguing. Each character also has a loyalty, which is not necessarily known initially (but rest assured, there are ways to find out through decision options). Thus, a disloyal character presents a dilemma, as if they are good, you will want to use their services, but then there is a risk of betrayal.
These betrayals come in several forms: a coup d'état, which immediately replaces your leader with the traitor (which, let's be cynical, can be a blessing in disguise if the traitor is competent while your leader was not), or an armed revolt. If the character was a general, they might even keep their troops and immediately recruit others using their personal funds (and characters accumulate funds more or less quickly, depending on their position and integrity... but it is possible to prosecute those embezzling funds).
Rest assured, however, in Kingdoms, characters serve at the heart of its gameplay, consisting of a rich economic management of your nation's regions and a sophisticated and nuanced military simulation.
Our game is primarily a historical strategy game, which has adopted a dynasty system to complete the picture, and we neither pretend nor aim to make it a dynastic role-playing game. We hope this direction is what you wish to see in our game, and we look forward to sharing more in a future developer diary.
Asid:
Field of Glory: Kingdoms - Diplomacy and Troublesome vassals
Fri, March 15, 2024
Even the most powerful of nations will need to rely on allies or vassals
In Kingdoms, even the most powerful of nations will need to rely on allies or vassals. Indeed, medieval Europe and the Middle East are tumultuous and hostile lands, where the small isolated state stands no chance of survival. Nations often have territorial claims against each other, exacerbating tensions. The two major religions of the Book are often in tension, creating fault lines where nearly half the map could be hostile to you, especially as holy wars, crusades, or jihads regularly appear.
Gelasius II, Head of the Holy See, wisely befriended the Knightly Orders and the Byzantines
Kingdoms offers a diplomatic model with more than half a dozen different treaties: Alliance, Cooperation, Vassalage, Royal Marriage, Right of Passage, transactions, gifts, insults, knowing that there are of course wars to declare and peace to sign, and transactions are actually a box where you can add different additional entries. For example, offering mercenaries, requesting territorial concessions, offering metal, etc.
The royal marriage is a novelty in Kingdoms, and will be an ideal opportunity to strengthen ties between two nations. Of course, you will need a daughter of marriageable age for this (i.e., 14 years old), and you must be astute, as a royal marriage can backfire on you. Upon the death of one of the sovereigns, it can lead to a division of the kingdom or even its absorption. Be careful to have the highest Authority, or you will suffer the consequences.
Having vassals also provide decisions to play with, with several outcomes
Right of Passage is also a novelty and is relatively easy to conclude compared to an alliance. It allows not only to transit through the territories of the other nation but also to resupply there, including the resupplying of ships. Generally, becoming allied with another country requires a gradual approach, initially made of simple cooperation, maybe a gift or two, and often the abandonment of all claims against that nation. Usually, all of this happens organically and naturally, because only nations in dispute will seek to claim the regions of the other. Know finally that different religions are a rather major obstacle to establishing good relations, but it remains entirely possible, with the right means.
Kingdom of Heaven, except they are now vassals of the Fatimids, as is Oultre-Jourdain. Only Antioch remains fiercely independent
But the main addition of Kingdoms in diplomacy is undoubtedly the vassalage relation, which is much richer in its possible aspects than the client state relations of Empires, the game preceding Kingdoms. A vassal is generally a plus for a suzerain, as it facilitates the progression of your kingdom towards a more accomplished and powerful Realm, and it can lend you troops. These will still bear the coat of arms of your vassal and will be returned to them in case of peace, but as long as the war lasts, you will have full control! Vassals also provide the opportunity to manage decisions with multiple choices with many different outcomes depending on the loyalty of the vassal and the abilities of the suzerain. Finally, a vassal will often show signs of independence and will not hesitate to let you know if you possess a land that they believe belongs to them.
Stay tuned for our next diary, which will deal with the special perks and game rules that major nations and culture groups have. It really makes for a different gaming experience depending on the country you play, and we can't wait to provide you with some juicy details on the perks we designed!
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