The release of the new DLC Imperiums: Rise of Caesar is getting closer and it's time for another Spotlight teaser, this time focused on the Politics in Rome mechanic.
The great Caesar was not only an accomplished military man, he was also a skilled politician. His military victories won him the love of the Roman people (and the envy and fear of other patricians), however it was his political cunning that led him to the highest position and this should be considered among his greatest virtues.
The Roman Republic went through turbulent times during Caesar's life. The rigidity of the political system allowed a tyrant named Sulla to take control of the Senate and the city. Soon after the genius strategist Pompey Magnus added extensive new territories into the Roman realm and it became clear that any great general could now assume absolute power. The fragile political situation led to a so-called Triumvirate, a treaty between the three most powerful men of the time, Pompey, Crassus and Caesar. These three ruled Rome even though it was still called a Republic however after a while greed and secret plots lead to strife between them and eventually to Caesar's victory.
Now, let's hear from Pavel, our lead game designer to explain how politics is incorporated in the game.
As mentioned in the previous Spotlight, the biggest challenge we faced with this new expansion was the different time scale, we now operate in weeks instead of months and years. This allowed us to incorporate a new set of mechanics which had to be carefully designed and planned. During the design phase it became clear that we could not keep the Research mechanic and Invention tree in their current form because they simply did not fit the new time scale. The first option, to remove the mechanics entirely was just out of the question. The second option, to increase the research time dramatically (say fivefold) would mean that only the first few technologies would ever be explored in the game. When considering alternatives one interesting idea popped up that would allow us to retain the mechanics but have them work in an entirely new way. We called this new approach, Politics in Rome. So what is this new mechanic?
It is all about decisions that have to be taken at significant crossroads in life, decisions that are irreversible and have a great impact on future events. During his lifetime Caesar had to make many crucial decisions and the Politics in Rome mechanic tries to simulate this. These decision events are visualised like the Invention tree, each appearing with several options that vary in costs and consequences. At a decision point, you must choose one of the options presented. Once the decision is taken it cannot be changed, future events have been determined. The consequences of your choice are immediately apparent to you and the other factions in the game. The decision events are revealed to you as you progress through the game. As the name implies the new mechanic is focused on the politics in Rome. Playing as the Romans you get to decide, playing as other factions you are simply an observer of what is happening in Rome and you have to face the consequences. The "tree" of decision events can be shared across the two consecutive scenarios. As the Roman leader, your policies established in Gaul will continue to be in effect in Britain. But this is something I will talk about in detail in a future spotlight.
The position of power comes with great responsibility. Your decisions will affect the lives of millions, get it right and your rule will flourish, get it wrong and the abyss beckons.
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You can read more about the Rise of Caesar in our next posts. There are still plenty of cherries that will decorate the DLC so stay with us!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2250440/Imperiums_Rise_of_Caesar/
Yours,
Kube Games team.