Greetings, Ironlords.
Today we are starting a series of communications about the world of IRONHIVE, which will gradually reveal more information about the game, its story, and other aspects you might not expect.
For this first issue, let us start with the basics of the game and the world of IRONHIVE. There is no hope of survival without learning the ropes, after all.
After World’s End
“Today we pray within the IRONHIVE,
Amidst the ruins, we still thrive.
The winter left us little hope;
Our only fuel is the will to survive”
– Note found in a skeleton’s hand
The world as we know it has ended.
A series of worsening calamities put an end to our civilization hundreds of years ago. Now, the only way to survive the elements of the lands of Devastation is to band together around fortifications of steel referred to as the Ironhives.
Life in the Ironhives is a harsh existence, blighted by sinister outside forces, the struggle for resources, and the constant threat of being petered out by nature's cruelty. Even harsher is the social hierarchy within the Ironhives: a militaristic regime with a rigid class structure where one religion and ideology rules all. Sitting at the top is a caste of barons, each overseeing an aspect of the Ironhive’s policies and economy. And those Barons answer to the commander and sovereign of an Ironhive — the Ironlord. In this case, you.
Prepare to build and make sacrifices. Tough times call for an iron fist, after all.
Their fate is in your hands.
Soil Drenched in Iron
However, your Ironhive is not a bustling empire… yet. In IRONHIVE, you start with nothing. As the Ironlord, your duty is to to build a sanctuary in the Devastation, and then expand it, defend it, and foster the unity of its people. Let’s see what kind of hand was dealt to you, shall we?
Just enough to start out.
You start with a full hand of seven cards, holding the three main card types: Material cards, Building cards, and Worker cards, along with some special cards. Each building card will erect a new building foundation on the player field, and the Material cards will help you place and gradually finish those buildings, among other things.
The Worker cards are the key to your survival: no building can operate without people in it, after all. Different buildings require different classes of people and materials to expand, and your population size also affects the overall development level of your Ironhive.
You might be a lord, but you are nothing without your subjects.
The buildings in IRONHIVE are can be placed beside each other on a 2D plane, like a typical street. However, the outer world is unsafe, and expansion must happen gradually: to that end, you might consider placing buildings on top of each other instead. Will you spread out or have the whole city at your fingertips? Each architectural style might have its advantages and drawbacks…
The buildings are usually colored after one of the four classes, but that doesn’t mean they are only useful for the corresponding worker type. While some buildings are needed to generate resources or process materials, others might unlock unique functions useful for the Ironive as a whole. You can only survive united as one.
The March of Time
IRONHIVE is a turn-based game. Each turn can be ended manually, which discards the remaining cards in your hand.
However, this time you’re up against nature itself. Taking turns not only advances the flow of time, but expends four of your primary resources — Supply, Workforce, Order, and Devotion, each tied to one of the four social classes. Failing to keep a steady supply of those resources will lead to a swift and devastating downfall: if any of the resources are below zero during your Management turns, the Ironhive’s stability level will decrease, and as stability hits zero societal collapse ensues.
The four pillars of your Ironhive.
Perhaps things would be much easier if each day would simply have you marching in lockstep with fate. However, life often has other plans, so expect the unexpected, from sudden moral dilemmas to fascinating and terrifying discoveries. No true leader shall expect things to stay as they are.
Prepare to make tough choices.
This is just the beginning of your duties as the Ironlord. Will you turn the tide? Delay the inevitable as the world continues to encroach upon your sanctuary? Perish along with the remnants of humanity? Hopefully, these devlogs will help you hold onto the last strands of hope and continue your mission.
As time marches on, we will delve deeper into various points briefly outlined in this introductory chapter, as well as lift the veil on other aspects of this dying world.
In the meantime, make sure to wishlist the game to keep up with these updates, and if you wish to take counsel with your fellow lords, subscribe to our Twitter page or join the CRITICAL REFLEX Discord server.
Let us live to see another day, together.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2679070/IRONHIVE
