A City Is Not Just Buildings. It’s a Social Structure
Hello everyone!
Today we’re diving into one of the most important pillars of Age After Age - the Class System, and how it connects to Approval and Taxation.
Our goal was simple in theory, but complex in execution: a city should not function as a flat population number. It should behave like a layered society. In Age After Age, citizens are not interchangeable. Each class plays a distinct economic, social, and political role. Remove one and the entire system begins to collapse.
Three Classes. One Interdependent System.
We designed the society around three core classes, each with unique responsibilities, expectations, and economic impact.
Lower Class - The Backbone
The Lower Class handles all fundamental labor work.
They:
Produce raw materials
Work in farms, woodcutting, mining, and early industry
Form the foundation of the production chain
They are:
The cheapest in terms of salary and supply cost
The most critical to city survival
Without the Lower Class:
Production stops
Food runs out
The city collapses
They may not generate the most wealth individually, but they generate the resources that make wealth possible.
Middle Class - The Engine of Stability
The Middle Class represents a more developed working layer.
They:
Operate city services
Staff fire stations, tax offices, taverns, administration buildings
Maintain order and public infrastructure
They are:
More expensive than the Lower Class
More demanding in terms of housing and comfort
The most reliable source of taxes
If the Lower Class feeds the city, the Middle Class stabilizes and monetizes it.
Without them:
Services collapse
Tax income becomes unstable
Social balance begins to erode
Upper Class - Wealth & Power
The Upper Class is the most demanding and the most profitable.
They:
Provide major financial contribution
Enable endgame economic systems
Are required for global trade infrastructure
They staff buildings such as:
Customs
Banks
High-level trade institutions
They:
Generate large amounts of money
Consume large amounts of resources
They do not produce basic goods.
They convert societal stability into financial power.
Without them:
Late-game systems stagnate
Global trade weakens
Financial scaling becomes limited
Interdependence
Each class depends on the others.
Lower Class provides food and raw production
Middle Class provides services and social infrastructure
Upper Class provides capital and trade leverage
Remove one and the system destabilizes. It is not a linear upgrade path, it is a social ecosystem.
Approval - More Than Happiness
Approval in Age After Age serves two critical functions:
Indicator of citizen satisfaction
Political resource used to enact laws
Approval is generated from the average satisfaction level across the city.
High Approval means:
Citizens support your decisions
You can introduce new laws
Society evolves under your direction
Low Approval means:
Reform becomes difficult
Political stagnation begins
Instability increases
You cannot simply raise taxes and ignore social balance. Political power comes from citizen support.
Needs - Different Classes, Different Priorities
Each class values different things.
Lower Class
Work is critical
Housing matters less
Basic survival needs dominate
If there are no jobs dissatisfaction rises fast.
Middle Class
Will not settle without proper housing
Requires services
Seeks stability and comfort
They are sensitive to social structure
Upper Class
Always demands entertainment
Luxury is essential
Financial activity must justify their presence
If there are no leisure options or high-tier services, they remain dissatisfied even if everything else functions.
Social Balance as Gameplay
The system is intentionally interconnected. Lower Class produces food -> Middle Class provides services and leisure -> Upper Class provides capital.
Needs cascade across classes:
No Lower Class → no food
No Middle Class → no services
No Upper Class → no capital
You are not just building infrastructure. You are maintaining social equilibrium.
Taxes - A Reflection of Stability
Taxes are not static numbers.
They scale with:
Class distribution
Approval
Economic health
The Middle Class is the most stable tax source. The Upper Class generates high income but requires high maintenance. The Lower Class sustains volume but not revenue. Balancing taxation without destroying Approval becomes a strategic challenge.
Push too hard society destabilizes.
Be too generous development slows.
As always, thank you for following development.
More deep dives coming soon.
Cya guys next time!