Greetings, City-Builders!
Happy Friday
First and foremost, we want to extend our sincerest gratitude to every one of you who’s joined our playtest and left us invaluable feedback. Your discussions and suggestions have poured in, and among them, the in-depth debate on “whether wooden city walls align with historical accuracy” has evolved from a game topic into a player-led academic research effort—and that fills us with immense inspiration. Your passion for historical authenticity is the very core driving force behind our polish of Mandate Order.
This week, we want to focus on the topic of city walls. Combining our development insights, we’ll share new directions for the Dynamic City Defense System we’re building for Mandate Order.
I. The Great Wooden Wall Debate: The Wisdom of Composite Construction, The Choice of Evolution
Your discussions have zeroed in on a core truth: historical city defenses were complex and dynamic. Our research has revealed that city walls during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods were already composite systems of rammed earth as the body and timber as the frame—a testament to profound wisdom in working with local conditions.
Timber for Agility: When pioneering new lands or establishing frontline outposts, wooden palisades and walls were practical choices for quickly erecting barriers with locally sourced materials, corresponding to the early expansion phase of factions in the game.
Rammed Earth for Solidarity: Meanwhile, sophisticated rammed earth (formwork construction) techniques were the mainstream for building capitals and asserting authority, albeit requiring enormous organizational costs. The evolution from timber to rammed earth in the game is a direct simulation of this technological progress and resource accumulation process.
Most importantly, historical construction systematically combined these materials: timber was embedded into rammed earth as “bones and tendons” to enhance stability, forging an integrated “flesh-and-bone” structure. This philosophy of composite construction is the cornerstone of our city defense design.
Thus, the evolution of city walls from wooden palisades to rammed earth in Mandate Order is not merely a gameplay progression—it is a deliberate adherence to the real historical trajectory of technological development. Early wooden walls reflect the resource-scarce, technologically nascent pioneer stage; and your desire for more robust, complex city defenses aligns perfectly with the course of history: from simple barriers to systematic fortifications.
(Upgradable city walls already implemented in the current Mandate Order demo)
II. Blueprint Unveiled: The All-New Dynamic Evolving City Defense System
In light of your discussions and expectations, we’re thrilled to reveal the Dynamic City Defense System we’re planning for Mandate Order—the first time we’ve shared this publicly. This is far more than a mere visual material swap; it is a core gameplay loop bound to technology, resources, and strategy.
1. Two Materials, Distinct Roles
a. Timber Fortifications: Early-game defense. Fast to construct and low-cost, ideal for rapidly establishing outposts and mounting basic defensive installations.
b. Rammed Earth (Formwork) Walls: Enables the construction of taller, more robust rammed earth walls using formwork techniques. It effectively withstands early siege assaults and can support watchtowers for enhanced defensive visibility.
2. Interconnected Installations, Strategic Depth
City walls will no longer be an isolated “line of defense”—they will become a living defensive organism.
(This is a conceptual diagram and not an in-game asset)
When beacon fires signal an alarm, the entire system springs into action:
The Defense Command coordinates decisions, assessing threat levels and prioritizing defensive deployments;
The Communication System activates immediately, relaying orders via beacon towers and flag signals;
The Installation System provides the foundation, with walls, crenellated buttresses, and barbicans forming the core barriers and fire support positions;
The Armament System completes its deployment, with ballistae cocked, and rolling logs and boiling oil ready for use.
What attackers must breach is a fully integrated, real-time responsive system where every component works in close tandem.
Our goal is to make “city-building” a visible, tangible epic of growth: from sparse wooden walls, to the taking shape of towering rammed earth walls built with formwork, and finally to a three-dimensional fortress capable of countering diverse battle scenarios and enabling rich tactical choices. Every decision unlocks a new layer of strategic depth.
III. Call for Siege & Defense Weapon Ideas: What Would You Like to See?
A large part of ancient Chinese warfare history is the history of sieges waged around city walls. To enrich this three-dimensional tactical contest, we invite you to join us in brainstorming. What distinctive siege or defense weapons that embody the wisdom of Eastern warfare do you believe deserve a place in this struggle?
Nest Cart: Overlooks enemy troop deployments, fortification structures, and movements within the city walls, helping commanders formulate attack strategies. It is a deterrent in itself—no troop deployment within the city is hidden from view.
Well Lattice Cart (Assault Tower): A mobile arrow tower that can attack enemy siege weapons on the city walls. Mounted on it, any unit can launch long-range attacks. Typically built to three and a half stories high with pulleys at the base, it unleashes suppressive fire from a height as it moves.
Wooden Canopy Cart: Used in conjunction with ladder siege tactics, it shields the top of scaling ladders from enemy projectile fire, covering soldiers as they climb the walls.
Covered Siege Cart: A mobile bunker where soldiers can perform earth and stone transportation, tunnel digging, and other operations under protection. Continuous round-trip transport quickly fills moats to create assault routes.
Others: Boiling gold juice, caltrop barriers, heavy ballistae, catapults…
We welcome all ideas, whether whimsical or rigorously researched! We will read every suggestion carefully and evaluate their implementation in Mandate Order based on in-game application scenarios, weaving them into the game’s epic of sieges and defenses.
IV. Beyond the Walls: Relentless Polish, Answering Every Expectation
The deepening of the city defense system is just one piece of the Mandate Order world. We are making steady progress on all the aspects you care about: performance optimization, content expansion, experience improvements, and the polish of historical details.
Performance & Optimization: This is our top priority. Our team is fully committed to overcoming technical challenges, striving to improve frame rates, eliminate lag, and enhance compatibility with low-spec devices for a smoother gameplay experience.
Content & Gameplay: We are hard at work developing new maps, events, story guidance, tech tree expansions, mid-to-late game objectives, and more.
Experience & Guidance: Key iteration focuses include streamlining and optimizing the logistics system, adding detailed beginner tutorials, improving UI information prompts, and refining civilian and combat AI.
History & Authenticity: We will unwaveringly delve deep into Chinese history and cultural elements—from architectural styles, costumes, and weaponry to social systems. We strive to present the essence of traditional culture in the game’s systems and reject jarring, ahistorical “fantasy” content.
Thank you again for your research, debates, suggestions, and every word of encouragement. Your voices are the light guiding our way. Please rest assured—we are giving this our all.
About Mandate Order
Mandate Order is a single-player Eastern-themed warfare and city-building simulation game. Set in a turbulent era where “nations have no fixed borders, and survival hangs in the balance each day”, you don’t play as an emperor ruling over vast lands—instead, you take on the role of a “City Defender” standing guard at the frontier. From building city walls brick by brick, managing craftsmen, integrating strategies from diverse schools of thought, to thriving as a small state caught in the crossfire of great powers—this is a story of survival with heart and soul.
Steam Playable Version Highlights (Full devlogs available via official channels)
Wildlife Ecosystem: Wolves, bears, and boars now roam with fully realized behavior patterns and lairs. Defeat them to harvest bones and hides.
Laborer Backgrounds: New character profile interface with randomized hairstyles and facial features, making each laborer feel more distinct.
Dynamic Four Seasons: Terrain snowmelt, tree color changes and leaf fall—weather system fully implemented.
City Defense Upgrades: Gates can now be opened/closed, knockback mechanics added, and charge combat feel optimized.
Building QoL Improvements: Batch construction, snap-to rotation, warehouse categorization, production progress UI, and more.
Immersive Audio-Visual Overhaul: Season-themed BGM inspired by The Book of Songs, refined environmental sound effects, and a complete UI restructure.
Wishlist & Playtest Now!
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Sincerely,
The Mandate Order Team