Songs of Steel: Hispania is a turn-based strategy game that narrates the war between the Roman Republic and the Celtiberian people of Numancia that took place from 153 BC. C. to 133 BC. C. Twenty years of conflict that can be experienced from both sides. Conquering Hispania or defending it will be in the hands of the player. Two connected narratives with which we offer completely different gaming experiences.
There is one thing about how Numancia entered the war with Rome that has been referred to by historians as one of the greatest injustices in history. The city of Segeda (present-day Cerro Poyo de Mara, in the province of Zaragoza) reinforced its walls, and Rome interpreted this gesture as a violation of the treaty of Graco, which stated they could not fortify the city again, and declared war on them. Since they had not finished fortifying the city yet, the secedans fled from the impending Roman attack by taking refuge in Numancia, which gave them shelter and joined their fight. This act of solidarity dragged the Numantine people into a war that they had not started. And one that players will be able to experience in Songs of Steel: Hispania. Fascinating, isn't it?
This is a very personal project because it is born from the desire to spread the word about the feat of Numancia. The history and spirit of resistance of the city are an inspiration for the inhabitants of what is nowadays the province of Soria, hometown of the people who make up Combat Time, producer and publisher of the game, which is being developed by Meteorbyte Studios.
The commitment to historical accuracy in a game of this kind is always fundamental, but in this case the responsibility is even bigger because it’s about the history of our land. That’s why our first step before writing a single line of the script was to carry out a long and extensive research.
The narrative, the way the different units work in game, the weapons, or the rites and traditions, are all true to the reality of that period. The same can be said for most of the characters from both sides that appear in the game. Just to give you two examples, we have included some funeral rites of the Celtiberians that consisted of cremating warriors with their weapons so they could continue fighting in the afterlife, or details about the harsh discipline enforced within the Roman army through physical punishment.
That being said, we have had to take some small creative licenses in favor of the gameplay, or to cover certain narrative holes where not even Roman historians have reached an agreement on how things were. As an example, there’s the inclusion of the backstories of three fictional Roman soldiers, which we will tell you about in the next development diary.
Our goal with "Songs of Steel: Hispania" is to spread the word about a fascinating historical period, which ironically remains very unknown. We have taken advantage of what history offered us to create a game system that is both historically accurate and enjoyable. It’s very cliché, but also very true, to say that we've created the game we'd love to play.
If you liked what you read here, remember adding Songs of Steel: Hispania to your wishlist if you haven’t yet!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2603300/Songs_of_Steel_Hispania/