Oy opportunists,
Rising in the Ranks of Calderia
We’ve used that phrase on several occasions and put it even in the trailer as a slogan. But what does that mean exactly? Well as it happens, it means two things.
For most strategy games there is a big discrepancy between the early game and late game on the amount of things to manage. That you start off with few resources and few things to do, but in the late game you’re very busy handling all the matters at hand. For us strategy game developers, this is one of the key elements we ponder early on – how do we design the inner workings of a game so that it wouldn’t end up feeling like micromanagement or overwhelming at the end while at the same time making sure there’s enough to do in the early game. So early on, we made a decision that I think was quite bold. There are no full-scale enemies in Calderia. No one who would belong to another kingdom or empire. Your enemies are part of the same empire as you are. And that you only control one fiefdom, one city. This allows us to make the player's home castle a bigger, more important part of the game. But how would you get a sense of progression, and power increasing, if you cannot do the usual ‘map painting’ by conquering other regions?
Feudal Level & Honorary Titles
In Great Houses of Calderia, you try to rise from low nobility to royalty by gaining claims on higher titles and then besting them on the battlefields. But when the nobility levels rely just on 4 steps, barons, counts, dukes, and viceroys – then it is clear that jumping from one of these levels to another is a major step and occurs rarely. How else can you rise in the ranks of Calderia then?
Ranks of Calderia are sets of honorary titles varying in levels of importance. Those who have watched their Game of Thrones or are familiar with feudal societies – these mean the “hands of the king”, “cupbearers” and so forth. However, in the world of Calderia, these temporary titles are family related. So the question is which family holds each rank in the council. These ranks are appointed by the Emperor himself instead of the viceroy and when the Emperor does not live in the Calderia, it is challenging to influence his decisions alone. For that, you need to put out a good word.
Why should you care & how to get one?
Each rank has three major things to consider. The effect is of course the main motivation – what do I get out of it if I am selected? Holding these ranks will grant you all sorts of bonuses and benefits from special units to special abilities and beyond. The second thing is what gives you the “score” to compete with it. If the rank you’re aiming for is clearly militaristic, like wanting to become the Fist of the Empire, then you gain score (or power as we call it) from all sorts of militaristic decisions. From your militaristic buildings to battles won and wars declared. Always the personal abilities of your head of the family also matter. So basically in the semi-short range of gameplay, it helps if you plan ahead. Certain playstyle makes it easier to gain certain ranks. But the same is true for the opposite. Certain rank makes certain playstyle more beneficial. So perhaps a big push you want to make is best done after you’ve won a specific rank first.
The third, but in no way the least impactful element about the ranks, is how it ties into diplomacy. As it is the Emperor who grants the title - and Emperor comes for a visit to the Calderia for the ranks selection – then you want to be known as something. But personal reputation, the news of your deeds is just one thing. You could try to influence others to put out the good word for you. The higher their rank, the more influence their opinion might have on the emperor. But of course, the others who are aiming for the same rank as you are will be doing the same thing. Resulting in relations to key families playing a major role in how likely you are to get the honorary rank you were aiming for. And if you aim too high you’ll have more powerful families aiming for the very same rank.
To sum things up, Ranks of Calderia is one way to dictate who is who in the realm. To compete and see who stands as a more important family in the eyes of the Emperor and boost backstabbing and flattering of other families. At the same time, you can either use it to boost your playstyle or use certain ranks as stepping stones to climbing up on the feudal levels of Calderia.
Join our Discord to get involved in the development of Great Houses of Calderia: https://discord.gg/vsxD6n8P8J
- Great Houses of Calderia Team -