Great Houses of Calderia News

A new regular update [0.8.0.1058 (b12311299)] is now live with the following changes:

Added

• Character portrait customization
• Social Conflict allows movement while being engaged in debate
  
• Two armies can be merged or exchange units with
  
• Notification shows nearby armies that can be paired
• More female portrait pieces
  
• Ending the game is now possible with two different outcomes for now:
• Lose in 50 years if not in Viceroy rank
• Win if you reach Viceroy rank
• Winning and losing the game end screens
• Tutorial event that launches Social Conflict
  
• New Tradition: Bread and Circus
  
• New Tradition: Light Mathemagic
  
• Cooldown indication for units' Abilities in Conflict
  
• Conflict Resolution Ability Icons
  
• Losing army retreats and shows white flag
  
• Winning army stays still for a while before it can pursue losing army
  
• 5 ‘Mood category’ events
  
• Virtuous traits now give skill changes
  
• New Companions and one Military unit
  
• New hairstyles and clothing
  

Updated

• Major game balance changes:
• Units and Companions have a new unlock location—more spread out to different Professions and to different Profession levels
• Resource production amounts changed
• Some buildings that increase production make the refinement ratio worse
• Some buildings make the refinement ratio better
• Raw material refinement ratios have changed, leading to higher consumption
• Worker amounts from building upgrades
• Fiefdom maximum size from building upgrades
• Profession unlocks come earlier from lower level buildings than before
• Armies can target other armies
  
• Other caravans visible when own army is selected
  
• Army action cursors changed
  
• Social Conflict Tutorial
  
• Movement indication in Conflict Resolution when clicked or dragged
  
• Armies dismiss at fiefdom and not instantly
  
• Artificer is changed to a level IV companion. Modiste to Level III
  
• Bread and Circus tradition checkbox to enable & disable its effect in Fiefdom View
  
• Conflict Special Abilities icons and text
  
• Conflict Unit and Companion cards
  
• Pregnancy set as its own event category
  
• Family members rebalanced in conflict resolutions. Skills have diminishing returns from 10 to 20 and more from 20 onwards.
  
• UI scaling works in Coat of Arms creation screen 
  
• Army tooltip layout
  
• Few events were missing outcome texts
  
• AI Plans stop in a better way inside host plans
  
• AI Upgrade Building Plan no longer checks happiness requirements when moving workers
  
• AI Upgrade Walls Plan no longer checks happiness requirements when moving population
  
• AI Fiefdom Growth Plan can no longer aim for population growth. Building upgrades are emphasized
  
• AI Plan Optimize Workers can now also start 'Aim for population growth' plan
  
• AI Fix Shrinking Population Plan now correctly removes the bad overseer
  
• AI Optimise Workers Plan has Assign Overseer action if AI has idle characters at home
  
• AI's Plan for War is renounced if AI hasn't declared war in 5 years
  

Fixed

• Tutorial step unresponsive
  
• Wards will no longer change to their assigned characters' caravan
  
• Conflict Victory screen shows defeat on winning side of the screen
  
• Problem with trade duration if you place too much resource in the balance
  
• Profligate (Bribe) action preview effect stays sometimes on screen after action done
  
• Map interactable in some map modes with Escape window open
  
• Ally armies ignore enemy armies
  
• A lesson in Negotiation event needs equal feudal level target
  
• Military conflict winner was not always correct
  
• Travelling Salesman event missing one outcome text
  
• AI Condition on Overseer Happiness changed
  
• Champion of Virtues now correctly gives Virtuous traits
  
• "New Tradition" screen shows correct tradition icon
  
• Many events didn’t launch
  

Known Issues

• UI scaling might cause some buttons to go outside the screen on some resolutions. To fix this, reduce the UI scaling percentage in Video Settings.
  
• Character customization images might fail to load occasionally. The UI still works and reopening the menu sometimes fixes the issue.
  
• Building upgrade ‘Cementation Process’ increases crop consumption instead of metal ore consumption
  
• Slow Production spy mission is missing description
  
• Tutorial points to a button that doesn’t exist
  
• Army doesn’t stop at intersections
  
• You can select to (re)play Tutorial by pressing RMB on Tutorial button
  
• House member can be stuck in delegation for months at a targeted fiefdom
  

- Great Houses of Calderia Team -

Oy rulers!

This is the beginning of Fashion Week in Paris! To celebrate this opportunity, we wanted to give you an insight into our process behind making the fashion and clothing for Calderia.

The world of Calderia is a mix of history and fantasy. We drew inspiration from the Late Medieval to Early Renaissance periods, focusing on Mediterranean cultures. This was the starting point for the inspiration research. Calderia is a society built on gender equality, ancient mythology, Renaissance technology, and living on rough but rich soil where danger is constant. We wanted to highlight and create a tapestry of style that is both unique and meaningful to the setting. The process of making the fashion of Calderia is very similar to the steps of actual fashion design.

[h3]Setting and early research[/h3]
To bring this world to life, we undertook extensive research. We immersed ourselves in the historical era, studying everything from clothing to architecture, art, and culture. This diligent research allowed us to develop an intuitive understanding of the era, which would later help us in our creative choices. Moreover, we explored not only real-world historical sources but also drew inspiration from other fantasy realms set in similar time periods. Games like Warhammer Fantasy, The Witcher, and Dungeons & Dragons served as valuable references, but we still aimed to find our own touch.

An illustration showing the mix between Ancient history and Renaissance.

[h3]Intuitive sketching and exploration[/h3]
One of the key creative processes in fashion design for Calderia involved intuitive sketching. We aimed to produce as many drawings as possible without imposing strict limitations. This freedom to explore different styles and directions allowed us to establish the essence of Calderian fashion. It was essential to explore the wrong paths as well, as this enabled us to better understand the surrounding styles and ultimately led to the one that felt right to us.

Examples of approved sketches with interesting mood and style.

Examples of disapproved sketches which didn't fit our vision.

[h3]Chosen art direction: Italian and Spanish Renaissance[/h3]
After extensive research and exploration, we settled on a fashion direction that drew heavily from Italian and Spanish influences. Our focus spanned from the Late Medieval to the Early Renaissance, with hints of the High and Late Renaissance, particularly in Italy. We deliberately avoided the more commonly portrayed British, French, Burgundian, and German styles, seeking to establish a unique identity for Calderian fashion. Armour pieces integrated with court dresses became a prominent feature, signifying the noble status of characters in the game. This deviated from historical accuracy, as in Renaissance Italy, wearing armour was considered dangerous, as one would be then likely "looking for problems". However, it was a deliberate choice to emphasize the Calderians' interest in armours, and how they could be used to show off the quality of craftsmanship and the wealth of their fiefdoms.

An illustration showing nobles walking in the city in a Mediterranean-inspired setting.

[h3]Blending History and fantasy[/h3]
Finding a balance between low fantasy and history posed an interesting challenge for us. We strived to explore historical components and take them slightly further towards fantasy. Elements such as gorgets and bevors, elaborate hairstyles, the extravagant use of pearls, and unique hats all contributed to the fantastical aspect of Calderian fashion. The game's roots in ancient mythology are reflected in religious attire and ceremonies, blending with modern Renaissance garments. This fusion adds depth to the world, contributing to building the history and culture of Calderia based on a unique tapestry woven from various sources of inspiration.

Examples of portraits mixing fantasy and real-life inspired clothing.

[h3]Imperial distinction[/h3]
The presence of the Imperial overlords is rare in Calderia, but when it does happen, it is unmistakable. Their style is a blend of Medieval and High Renaissance influences, leaning toward the British, French, and Burgundy styles that are consciously avoided in Calderian fashion. Layering of opulent fabrics, the use of fur and leather, and a penchant for gloves all serve to distinguish the Imperial elite and show their wealth.

Examples of research for imperial clothing.

Calderian fashion is a visual exploration of History and fantasy, a uchronia that nurtures our creativity. You can find more information about the art of Calderia in our art book.

- Great Houses of Calderia Team -

A new regular update [0.7.2.1047 (b12254178)] is now live with the following changes:

Added

• Day-Night cycle to the settings
  

Updated

• Tradition ready notification
  
• Conflict Action Menu
  
• Drive a Point ability preview in Social Conflict
  
• Castle Safety production clarified to Safety Points production
  

Fixed

• Impossible to pillage building with army
  
• Particle culling in the map
  
• Army after war
  
• Empty list of my house members in appeal for diplomacy and trade
  
• Resource requirements are too high
  
• Village Market event decreases horses instead of increasing them
  
• Ascetic Workers cap happiness to the right level
  

Known Issues

• Day-Night cycle setting does not work from Main Menu, but it works from Game Menu
  

- Great Houses of Calderia Team -

A new minor update [0.7.2.1041 (b12223018)] is now live with the following changes:

Added

• Cap Family Member skills in impacting creation of military units and companions to 20
  
• Graphic scalability settings
  
• Save random seed for events
  

Fixed

• Incorrect warning text when upgrading a building
  
• No point displayed in Ranks conflict screen when loading save on Rank view
  
• Ranks not working after going to Game Menu and back
  
• Can choose your Rank before your turn
  
• Crash when showing icon inside the text
  

- Great Houses of Calderia Team -

A new minor update [0.7.0.1037 (b12196523)] is now live with the following changes:

Added

• 75% of the Tradition Points to the first Tradition
  
• Send delegation UI animations
  

Updated

• Adjust Diplomatic delegation UI layout
  
• Text decorator optimization
  
• "Highlighted Traits" text changed to "Underlined Traits"
  
• UI Scaling moved from Gameplay Settings to Video Settings
  

Fixed

• Recruit a Spy objective completes even when recruit spy fails
  
• Crash in humiliation war
  
• Safety level resets after loading save
  
• UI Scaling setting isn't saved
  
• Several Event typos
  
• Head of House incorrectly displayed in Accuse Events
  
• Incorrect trait & ability descriptions
  

- Great Houses of Calderia Team -