The first DLC for Imperiums, simply called Troy, is now very near to release. At the moment, we are testing and polishing the last details and our great translators are finishing work on the remaining texts.
When we announced the DLC, some of you were surprised by the choice of theme. We are well aware of another recently released game that also focused on this historical period. It is not our ambition to go eye to eye with an AAA title, we just wanted to make our own version of this captivating story.
The Trojan war is half myth; even historians themselves are not united about when, where or even if it was really fought. We dedicated quite a lot of time to the reading of various historical sources and legends to make our account of those events as precise and as believable as possible.
On the other hand, gods and heroes are as vital a part of the Trojan legend as they were an integral part of life in ancient times and we could hardly ignore their role in this story. Our goal was to find a compromise where the supernatural is present but in an acceptable and believable way, even for those of you who come to Troy to fight a real battle. There will be no cyclops or minotaurs but the gods are by their nature omnipresent.
So, let’s take a more detailed peek under the hood.
The campaign map is relatively small; it covers the southern part of the Hellespont strait with several outlying islands. The story starts with the Greeks already settled on several of these islands opposite the mainland, with their fleet getting ready for an assault. The Greek coalition consists of the Mykenaians led by ambitious Agamemnon, Ithakans led by wise Odysseus, Myrmidons headed by the great Achilles and Salaminians led by another great hero, Ajax.
The Greeks disembark on the Trojan coast within the first few turns of the game and we took extra care to teach the AI to put Troy under real pressure right from the start. Testing shows that the AI is more than capable of leading the Greeks. Sooner or later Troy loses most of its coastal areas and although Troy has its own small war fleet, it cannot stand against the massive force of Greek ships. However, it can still inflict some damage and trouble the invading armies.
Resource-wise, none of the factions are fully dependent on income from mines and cities. Troy gets some extra resources via supply lines, but these are vulnerable to Greek attacks. The Greeks get resources from their homeland, but the maintenance of their army becomes more and more expensive over time.
This will necessarily lead to a war of attrition, with both sides fighting for more resources. Troy DLC is not only a tactical game, it has a strategic dimension too.
The course of the war can be affected by side events, such as Thrakian raids in the north, the sacking of the temple of Apollo or the cutting of the Trojan supply lines, via their only port that is capable of building biremes. The effects of these events might seem minor but their long-term effect may significantly affect the war.
In contrast to the main campaign map, we removed the options to construct most buildings, such as temples, blacksmiths, shipyards, etc., to emphasize their strategic importance in Troy. Several are placed on the map at the beginning; losing a blacksmith or a stable may have devastating effects on the outcome of the war.
Another major change is the removal of the Research tree and all technologies. You can only work with what you are provided with at the beginning of the scenario. This decision was driven by the fact that we are only covering a period of a year or two and pretty much all of the resources will be used by the war machine.
The Research tree is replaced by a ‘Book of Fate’. This represents the supernatural in the game and provides interventions from the gods for both Troy and the Greeks. As a player, you cannot affect these events; they are designed in a way that they should not significantly alter the course of the war, rather that they should create an immersive story line with minor advantages or disadvantages for either side while staying true to the legends of Troy. As always in Imperiums, this feature can be disabled if you are not fond of these sorts of random events.
There are also two legendary prophets, Helenos and Kalchas. These two Seers, one on each side, allow the fog of war to be lifted. This enables you find out what is happening behind the Trojan walls or conversely where the Greeks are planning their next disembarkation.
If you decide to defend Troy, you can be sure that sooner or later the Greeks will push you back behind the great walls of your city. These walls give you a major advantage and if you use them well it may be possible to keep the Greeks at bay long enough to bleed them dry. You can also use your citizenry to defend the city walls; this will strengthen the defenses but you need to keep in mind that fear can have a devastating effect on the morale of those inside the gates.
The Greek factions have their own disagreements. If you manage to improve your relations with one of the factions and sign a separate peace treaty, you can save the city and the kingdom. This option, or the exhaustion of the Greek forces in front of your gates, provide two of the more practical options for winning as Troy.
The truth is, though, that unless you are well prepared for a long siege, your people will start to starve. Even if you manage to keep the city walls intact, the men may stop following your orders, rebellions may break morale faster than the constant Greek attacks. To avoid starvation and to reduce pressure on your resources, you can lead elements of your population out of the city to the east.
How this legendary battle ends is up to you. Although the games are quite short (2-4 hours), they are action-packed, and if you step into the Trojan throne, you will most likely find yourself trying to save the city over and over again. Leading the Greek coalition is also a challenging option and we can promise you either way the outcome will be “just one more turn”.