Great Houses of Calderia News

[h3]We are super happy to announce that we are about to release a new version of our game ready to be playtested! [/h3]

Fill in the form below if you're interested in taking part in this new session: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSexctg1bSacaumndjZnxkijWIguHD-G2K7BSrv6qtrDC7ojtg/viewform?usp=sf_link

The demo will be live from February 3rd until the 13th. We're sending the keys & instructions manually so it might take some time to receive a key but we'll make sure to include as many players as possible.

What you will find in the playtest:
Additions:

• Intrigue actions enabled
  
• Military actions enabled
  
• War types and Peace negotiations
  
• Demand War Support Delegation
  
• Army encounters delegation event
  
• Fiefdom and Tradition selection when starting a new game
  
• Characters can have children
  
• Tooltips to every section of the game
  
• Intrigue Map mode
  
• Dynamic Mouse Cursor
  
• Various Sound Effects
  
• New info screens in Fiefdom view
  
• New companions abilities in Social Conflicts
  
• Speed controls added in Conflict Resolutions
  
• A lot of new events added
  
• Tax Caravans
  
• Characters can be renamed
  
• Sickness/Injury/Death -statuses
  

Changes:

• Fiefdom progression re-worked
  
• Trade system re-worked
  
• Production penalties and bonuses for fiefdoms
  
• Ranks of Calderia (WIP)
  
• Conflict Resolution UI/UX changes
  
• UI improvements
  
• Trade Resources map mode
  
• Courtship, Engagement & Marriage re-work
  
• Event Keyword UI change
  
• Raise Army Screen
  
• New abilities form Traits
  
• Major AI improvements
  
• Trade willingness adjustments for AI
  
• Companion stats have been renamed
  
• AI Trade events re-worked (include chance for negotiations)
  
• Visits to other fiefdoms have now a 35 day cooldown
  
• FPS capped to 60 by default
  

Known Issues:

• Some AI fiefdoms might prioritise their growth needs poorly, and lose a lot of population. The issue is currently being investigated, and hotfixed as soon as possible
  

We really want to hear your thoughts about any aspects of the game (likes & dislikes, ideas for improvement) so feel free to share your feedback on our steam forum or on Discord: https://discord.gg/vsxD6n8P8J

For bug reports, please take screenshots and be as precise as possible so we can reproduce them and fix them!

- Great Houses of Calderia Team -

This article is a recap of what happened in 2022 for us at Firesquid, a young publisher of strategy games. Read about our exciting year!

We are an indie publisher focusing on games that include strategizing and thinking. Whether it is a grand strategy game, a city-builder, or any other game where the brain is the most important muscle. Our goal is to empower diverse teams and offer players games that make their eyes shine.



We started the year with the announcement of our first game Great Houses of Calderia, a modern generational Grand Strategy game set in the fantastic land of Calderia inspired by the Renaissance.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1812910/Great_Houses_of_Calderia/

We received a warm welcome from the strategy game community, especially on Twitter. Players seemed to be intrigued by the Crusader Kings III and Game of Thrones mix and joined our Discord server. We organized a few playtest sessions with our community in the following months. Players shared insightful feedback and we carefully listened.

In June, the game was selected and showcased at the PC Gaming Show in front of thousands of viewers with an exclusive gameplay trailer.

The day after was the beginning of the Steam Next Fest, where the game was showcased. We shared a new demo and had two live streams by the developers at Resistance Games. The reception was good and gained us thousands of wishlists.


In the Summer, Léa and Igor joined us as game testers for an internship where they could learn QA testing, and work on all our games. Thanks to their hard work and passion, they helped the teams tremendously.


At the same time, we were working on another big project: TactiCon. TactiCon is a love letter to strategy games of all kinds. With our partners Hooded Horse, we wanted to celebrate this genre that’s so close to our hearts.



TactiCon is a five-day Steam festival showcasing a carefully curated list of exciting upcoming and recently released or updated strategy and tactics games across a number of different subgenres (grand strategy, 4X, RTS, turn-based tactics, and similar). It also features a series of unique talks, panels, interviews, and let’s plays given by experts from the genre in addition to showcasing the games themselves in a dedicated sale. The event is covered by streamers and the media alike and hosted as a weekend sale on Steam.

TactiCon Steam Page: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/TactiCon

In total, 116 games were featured with 48 demos, and 58 games on sale. Two dozen speakers took part in 9 panels around strategy games, with the videos available on Youtube. The Steam page received +2.1M unique impressions and +1.5M unique visitors and a significant wishlists (among 62 respondents) and sales boost for the games participating.



In parallel, to take advantage of the TactiCon momentum, we announced our second game, USC: Counterforce. USC is a turn-based squad tactics game inspired by XCOM, Space Hulk and Aliens, featuring in-depth skill & combat systems and multiple game modes. The game invites you to discover the truth behind the demise of colony MC83-A, and to protect Humankind from an ancient alien threat.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1574870/USC_Counterforce/

We ran a first playtest session on the demo and new tutorial that was really promising. The developers, Angry Cat Studios, and us are eager to add new features and modes to the game. The community members will be able to test new exciting features in advance of its release.

We then prepared for December’s TurnBasedFest, a Steam strategy game event created by the turn-based community. USC: Counterforce participated with a demo including a new tutorial, new missions, and major visual changes.

We’ve been attending many events in 2022: Game Camp (Lille), Gamescom (Cologne), EGX Live (London), Game Connection (Paris). We plan of going to a few more in 2023, starting with the Game Developer Conference in March (San Francisco). We’d love to meet you there and listen to your pitch!

2023 is going to be very promising for us as a publisher. We will release our first games Great Houses of Calderia and USC: Counterforce, announce new partnerships, hopefully, have the second edition of TactiCon, and more!

This article is a recap of what happened in 2022 for us at Firesquid, a young publisher of strategy games. Read about our exciting year!

We are an indie publisher focusing on games that include strategizing and thinking. Whether it is a grand strategy game, a city-builder, or any other game where the brain is the most important muscle. Our goal is to empower diverse teams and offer players games that make their eyes shine.



We started the year with the announcement of our first game Great Houses of Calderia, a modern generational Grand Strategy game set in the fantastic land of Calderia inspired by the Renaissance.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1812910/Great_Houses_of_Calderia/

We received a warm welcome from the strategy game community, especially on Twitter. Players seemed to be intrigued by the Crusader Kings III and Game of Thrones mix and joined our Discord server. We organized a few playtest sessions with our community in the following months. Players shared insightful feedback and we carefully listened.

In June, the game was selected and showcased at the PC Gaming Show in front of thousands of viewers with an exclusive gameplay trailer.

The day after was the beginning of the Steam Next Fest, where the game was showcased. We shared a new demo and had two live streams by the developers at Resistance Games. The reception was good and gained us thousands of wishlists.


In the Summer, Léa and Igor joined us as game testers for an internship where they could learn QA testing, and work on all our games. Thanks to their hard work and passion, they helped the teams tremendously.


At the same time, we were working on another big project: TactiCon. TactiCon is a love letter to strategy games of all kinds. With our partners Hooded Horse, we wanted to celebrate this genre that’s so close to our hearts.

TactiCon is a five-day Steam festival showcasing a carefully curated list of exciting upcoming and recently released or updated strategy and tactics games across a number of different subgenres (grand strategy, 4X, RTS, turn-based tactics, and similar). It also features a series of unique talks, panels, interviews, and let’s plays given by experts from the genre in addition to showcasing the games themselves in a dedicated sale. The event is covered by streamers and the media alike and hosted as a weekend sale on Steam.

https://store.steampowered.com/sale/TactiCon

In total, 116 games were featured with 48 demos, and 58 games on sale. Two dozen speakers took part in 9 panels around strategy games, with the videos available on Youtube. The Steam page received +2.1M unique impressions and +1.5M unique visitors and a significant wishlists (among 62 respondents) and sales boost for the games participating.



In parallel, to take advantage of the TactiCon momentum, we announced our second game, USC: Counterforce. USC is a turn-based squad tactics game inspired by XCOM, Space Hulk and Aliens, featuring in-depth skill & combat systems and multiple game modes. The game invites you to discover the truth behind the demise of colony MC83-A, and to protect Humankind from an ancient alien threat.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1574870/USC_Counterforce/

We ran a first playtest session on the demo and new tutorial that was really promising. The developers, Angry Cat Studios, and us are eager to add new features and modes to the game. The community members will be able to test new exciting features in advance of its release.

We then prepared for December’s TurnBasedFest, a Steam strategy game event created by the turn-based community. USC: Counterforce participated with a demo including a new tutorial, new missions, and major visual changes.

We’ve been attending many events in 2022: Game Camp (Lille), Gamescom (Cologne), EGX Live (London), Game Connection (Paris). We plan of going to a few more in 2023, starting with the Game Developer Conference in March (San Francisco). We’d love to meet you there and listen to your pitch!

2023 is going to be very promising for us as a publisher. We will release our first games Great Houses of Calderia and USC: Counterforce, announce new partnerships, hopefully, have the second edition of TactiCon, and more!

[h3]
In today's news, the Game Designer Antti will explain the vision behind the diplomacy in Great Houses of Calderia, especially being wards, squires, or court members.[/h3]

A savvy ruler knows that sometimes the best diplomacy comes not from words, but from actions. As you navigate the intricate world of alliances and rivalries in the game, one powerful tool at your disposal is the ability to send members of your family as wards, squires, or court members to other rulers as a sign of goodwill.

When a child reaches the age of 5, they are eligible to become a ward. This is a common practice where a young noble is placed under the protection and supervision of a guardian from another fiefdom. The ward will live with their guardian and receive training in various areas, such as literature, etiquette, economic skills, fighting, horsemanship, and courtly manners. Although it may seem harsh to be parted from your child, it is also a tradition expected of all noble families. After all, what better way is there to signify and seal a bond of trust between two families than by giving your own child into their care?



When a child is born in the game, they have a chance to have their skills increased every year until they reach the age of 20. This chance is determined by the child's parents, but if the child becomes a ward, the skills of the guardian are also added to the chance pool. This makes wardship a very beneficial gameplay mechanic. Wards will also write letters home, providing valuable information and acting as "little spies" for your family. Additionally, wardship grants a huge bonus to the diplomatic relations between the two families.

At the age of 10, a ward's time with their guardian ends. However, at this point, they are old enough to become squires. Squireship functions similarly to wardship, but instead of learning a wide range of skills, squires focus on training to become knights. They will serve under another noble as an apprentice, learning the skills and techniques of knighthood. Squires are responsible for caring for their noble's armor and weapons and attending to their horses. The same rules apply as with wards, but only the squire's military skill has an increased chance of improvement.



Finally, we have court members. These are adult members of your family who have been invited to join another family's court. Being a court member involves attending court functions and events, and potentially serving the ruler in some capacity. This grants a significant bonus to intrigue and information. However, it also means accepting that there may be a spy in your midst.



Overall, sending a member of your family to another ruler is a serious and meaningful gesture, but it can have long-term consequences if the relationship sours. Choose wisely and use this tool with caution.

Join our Discord to get involved in the development of Great Houses of Calderia: https://discord.gg/vsxD6n8P8J

- Great Houses of Calderia Team -

[h3]Rising in the Ranks of Calderia[/h3]
We’ve used that phrase on several occasions and put it even in the trailer as a slogan. But what does that mean exactly? Well as it happens, it means two things.

For most strategy games there is a big discrepancy between the early game and late game on the amount of things to manage. That you start off with few resources and few things to do, but in the late game you’re very busy handling all the matters at hand. For us strategy game developers, this is one of the key elements we ponder early on – how do we design the inner workings of a game so that it wouldn’t end up feeling like micromanagement or overwhelming at the end while at the same time making sure there’s enough to do in the early game. So early on, we made a decision that I think was quite bold. There are no full-scale enemies in Calderia. No one who would belong to another kingdom or empire. Your enemies are part of the same empire as you are. And that you only control one fiefdom, one city. This allows us to make the player's home castle a bigger, more important part of the game. But how would you get a sense of progression, and power increasing, if you cannot do the usual ‘map painting’ by conquering other regions?



[h3]Feudal Level & Honorary Titles[/h3]
In Great Houses of Calderia, you try to rise from low nobility to royalty by gaining claims on higher titles and then besting them on the battlefields. But when the nobility levels rely just on 4 steps, barons, counts, dukes, and viceroys – then it is clear that jumping from one of these levels to another is a major step and occurs rarely. How else can you rise in the ranks of Calderia then?



Ranks of Calderia are sets of honorary titles varying in levels of importance. Those who have watched their Game of Thrones or are familiar with feudal societies – these mean the “hands of the king”, “cupbearers” and so forth. However, in the world of Calderia, these temporary titles are family related. So the question is which family holds each rank in the council. These ranks are appointed by the Emperor himself instead of the viceroy and when the Emperor does not live in the Calderia, it is challenging to influence his decisions alone. For that, you need to put out a good word.

[h3]Why should you care & how to get one?[/h3]
Each rank has three major things to consider. The effect is of course the main motivation – what do I get out of it if I am selected? Holding these ranks will grant you all sorts of bonuses and benefits from special units to special abilities and beyond. The second thing is what gives you the “score” to compete with it. If the rank you’re aiming for is clearly militaristic, like wanting to become the Fist of the Empire, then you gain score (or power as we call it) from all sorts of militaristic decisions. From your militaristic buildings to battles won and wars declared. Always the personal abilities of your head of the family also matter. So basically in the semi-short range of gameplay, it helps if you plan ahead. Certain playstyle makes it easier to gain certain ranks. But the same is true for the opposite. Certain rank makes certain playstyle more beneficial. So perhaps a big push you want to make is best done after you’ve won a specific rank first.



The third, but in no way the least impactful element about the ranks, is how it ties into diplomacy. As it is the Emperor who grants the title - and Emperor comes for a visit to the Calderia for the ranks selection – then you want to be known as something. But personal reputation, the news of your deeds is just one thing. You could try to influence others to put out the good word for you. The higher their rank, the more influence their opinion might have on the emperor. But of course, the others who are aiming for the same rank as you are will be doing the same thing. Resulting in relations to key families playing a major role in how likely you are to get the honorary rank you were aiming for. And if you aim too high you’ll have more powerful families aiming for the very same rank.



To sum things up, Ranks of Calderia is one way to dictate who is who in the realm. To compete and see who stands as a more important family in the eyes of the Emperor and boost backstabbing and flattering of other families. At the same time, you can either use it to boost your playstyle or use certain ranks as stepping stones to climbing up on the feudal levels of Calderia.


Join our Discord to get involved in the development of Great Houses of Calderia: https://discord.gg/vsxD6n8P8J

- Great Houses of Calderia Team -