Oy, rulers!
Traditions are one of the cornerstones of your House in the game. In this devblog, we'll look at their depth and importance for your nobles and progression.
The Role of House Traditions
In Calderia, all Houses choose their Traditions, which are their core values that will influence the type of relationships with other Houses and their playstyle. Traditions influence politics and every interaction, this will require sacrifice and pondering your choices between choosing the best outcome of an event or staying true to your Traditions.
Traditions weigh on your decisions, whether you prefer to prioritize your family's benefits or your own goals on the short term. From the game's early concepts, Traditions have been central to your family and fiefdom by allowing you to unlock actions, units, bonuses, and even winning paths.
Tradition Tree
During playtests, we introduced the Tradition tree. Traditions can affect the way you play and win the game. For example, Peacemakers need worse relations before anyone can declare war on them, while Warriors excel in military conflicts.
Traditions are divided into six categories, paired to oppose each other: Warriors vs. Scholars, Idealists vs. Schemers, and Isolationists vs. Peacemakers. Advancing in one Tradition blocks the opposing tradition, so choose your Traditions wisely! Houses with opposing Traditions may naturally despise each other because of them. Starting near Warrior Houses differs from starting near Isolationist neighbors.
Earning Tradition Points
Events and conflicts award tradition points, which can be general or specific to your chosen tradition. Specific choices in events also earn tradition points. For instance, Schemers might pursue shady deals, while Idealists avoid them. Choices aligning with your traditions earn more points.
Going against your traditions is possible but comes with penalties, including losing Traditions points and, therefore, hurting your progress for the next Tradition node. Such decisions hinder your Tradition's development, making it harder to compete with other Houses.
Traditions & Winning Paths
During Early Access, we've added over 25 traditions and two winning paths:
- Scholarly Path: A peaceful scheming option using Schemers and Scholars traditions. This playstyle focuses on diplomacy and building a network of schools across fiefdoms.
- Isolationist Path: A war-focused path using Warriors and Isolationists traditions. This path is for those who prefer independence from the Empire and hermit-style gameplay.
Each path unlocks unique bonuses, delegations, actions, and new units or companions through tradition nodes in the Tradition Tree menu.
Thank you for reading, and we are extremely grateful for your support and contribution since the release in 1.0!
- Great Houses of Calderia Team
