Citadelum News

Welcome to the Citadelum Demo at Steam Next Fest:
We are thrilled to share with you the first demo of Citadelum which Includes two missions that will allow you to explore several features of this city builder set in ancient Rome. Each mission has its own map and tasks to complete, giving you the freedom to build and customize the city to your liking.

[h3]Mission 1: Establish and Learn to Manage a Roman City[/h3]

You will get to know the different types of citizens and Roman industries. Expand your settlement and establish the first trade route to obtain crucial materials for Rome.

[h3]Mission 2: Manage More Complex Resources[/h3]

Improve your population’s housing and build amenities for the inhabitants. Get to know the gods, hold festivals and sacrifices. Discover the legions, though combat will not be present in the demo. This mission is more challenging and will give you an idea of the strategic depth of the game.


[h3]Balance and Prosperity[/h3]

Management is crucial in Citadelum. Plebeians are essential for services and industry, but you will need patricians to sustain the economy and pay salaries through their taxes.

It is vital to manage your economy well for your city to prosper. You don't want to find yourself in a bankruptcy situation, so ensuring economic balance is fundamental. Although you have the backing of Rome, which will help you twice, on the third time, they will show no mercy and take your possessions.

The happiness of the population will depend on various factors such as employment, housing, health, religious festivities, entertainment, salaries, and taxes. Maintaining a balance in these aspects will be crucial, or you will face disturbances, thefts, and even murders. As a leader, it is your priority to maintain social peace.

[h3]Religion[/h3]

Ascend to the pantheon to seek the help of one of the six gods. If you have satisfied their desires with temples and prayers, they will appear in person at your camp to reward your devotion. However, beware of the rivalries among the gods. Unconditional faith in one can lead to punishment from another.



[h3]Vital Resources and Needs[/h3]

Resource management and different zones of your city are vital parts of your role as a leader. Ensure that there are enough materials to meet your citizens' needs. You can upgrade their homes up to six levels by constructing various amenities such as baths, schools, taverns, and theaters. Don’t overlook decorating the living areas to enhance their desirability.



[h3]The Future of Citadelum[/h3]

The demo is just a small glimpse of what is to come. In the full release, you will enjoy new complete mechanics such as religion, relics, defending your city against enemy attacks, legions and combat, more entertainment solutions, and greater societal issues throughout the campaign during various historical points of Rome.

There will be 10 levels of prestige, each with upgrades, new functionalities, and higher status. We will also have a Sandbox Mode, allowing you to enjoy the game without restrictions, expanding replayability infinitely. We will include a map editor, mod support, and tons of UI improvements, feedback, and quality of life enhancements.

[h3]Help Us Improve[/h3]

We want you to be part of this journey. Add Citadelum to your wishlist, share your creations on social media, join our discord server, and leave us your comments. Your support and feedback are essential to us. https://discord.gg/ThX6v3rrBb

Take care and see you in Citadelum, Romans!

Ave, domini! Today, we will talk about the various types of citizens that inhabit Citadelum. Each social and occupational group has an essential role to play in society. From humble plebeians to noble patricians, every citizen contributes uniquely to the greatness of Citadelum.

[h2]General Characteristics[/h2]

All citizens of Citadelum share several common needs, such as a house, access to water, food, and amenities that we will unlock throughout the game. However, each type of citizen has its peculiarities, classified as Plebeians, Patricians, and Military.

[h2]Plebeians[/h2]

Plebeians are the machinery that keeps our society active. They make up the majority of the population and work in exchange for a salary commensurate with their labor. Here are the various categories of plebeian workers:

[h3]Services[/h3]

Within services, we find several essential trades needed from the beginning to the end of the game, including:

• Engineers: Responsible for the maintenance of all buildings.
  
• Fire officers: Responsible for fire control.
  
• Market dispatchers: Supply the goods that arrive at the market to each house according to their needs.
  
• Doctors: Attend to citizens and provide treatments using medicinal herbs.
  
• Tax collectors: Collect taxes from patricians.
  

[h3]Food Production[/h3]
Plebeians in charge of food production are divided into various occupations:

• Farmers: Work the fields and cultivate different crops as wheat, grapes, carrots etc.
  
• Ranchers: Raise various animals as hens, cows or pigs.
  
• Fishermen, Butchers, Fishmongers, Bakers, and Winemakers: Each specialized in their area of food production.
  
• Transporters: Carry food and other materials to the appropriate granary or warehouse.
  

[h3]Material Production[/h3]
Plebeians assigned to material production are divided into the following trades:

• Woodworkers: Including both loggers and sawmill workers.
  
• Stone Workers: Including miners and stonemasons.
  
• Linen Workers: Collectors and weavers who operate looms to produce garments.
  
• Blacksmiths and Artisans: Create swords, shields, bows, and armor, as well as refine wood into delicate furniture.
  

[h3]Entertainment[/h3]
This group does not produce a necessary good or service but is dedicated to entertaining the citizens. Plebeians need prior training to join this group of workers, which includes:

• Actors
  
• Gladiators
  
• Chariot racers
  

[h2]Patricians[/h2]

Patricians represent the upper class of our society. They possess great wealth that sustains the salaries of the plebeians. Maintaining a balance between the number of patricians and plebeians is essential for the prosperity of the city.

Patricians live in special houses with greater privileges and have specific demands for food and services to ensure their happiness. As the player, you are responsible for collecting taxes from the patricians and, with that money, paying the plebeians' salaries. An imbalance in this aspect could result in social crises and revolts. But this is a topic for future devlogs.



[h2]Military[/h2]

The soldiers of Citadelum are the guardians and protectors of our city. Their rigorous training and unwavering dedication ensure that we are prepared for any challenge. Soldiers can specialize in various branches, each with a crucial role in the defense and expansion of our empire, including:

• Infantry
  
• Archery
  
• Cavalry
  
• Exploration
  
• Centurions
  
• Defense
  

For more details, don't forget to read our first devlog where we talk about military training.



These are all the citizens who will inhabit our city behind Citadelum's gates, not counting you, the absolute governor of your own settlement. It is up to you to transform your settlement into the grandest metropolis in all of Rome.

What do you think? Is there any type you miss? See you soon with more content and future devlogs. Until next time!

Citadelum is the city building and strategy game set in Ancient Rome.
Join the developers at Abylight Barcelona in this Next Fest demo playthrough.
Enjoy the first levels of the game, including resource gathering and refinement, construction, water management and aqueducts, trade routes, taxes and many more options. Visit the Roman Pantheon to honor the gods.

Wishlist Citadelum now on Steam. Coming 2024

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2603020/Citadelum/

Citadelum is the city building and strategy game set in Ancient Rome.
Join the developers at Abylight Barcelona in this Next Fest demo playthrough.
Enjoy the first levels of the game, including resource gathering and refinement, construction, water management and aqueducts, trade routes, taxes and many more options. Visit the Roman Pantheon to honor the gods.

Wishlist Citadelum now on Steam. Coming 2024

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2603020/Citadelum/

In the latest stages of development we were debating how the camera should work in Citadelum. Did we want a classic look that reminds players of some of the greatest games in the genre or go for a more modern approach that takes advantage of the game engine and detailed graphics?

In Citadelum, players can expect a camera system designed to give them as much freedom and customization as possible, featuring two different camera angles that are both functional and get the most of our 3D map. We mean the isometric view and a closer, “perspective” camera.

This is the game’s isometric camera mode:


This is the game’s modern camera mode:



Aside from selecting one of the two aforementioned options, players will have complete freedom to move the camera around to their heart’s content, having the ability to rotate it in any direction and more importantly, zoom inside the game’s buildings.

When the latter happens, walls and roof will become transparent to show the details found inside, giving a more realistic and personal look at the game’s various buildings, decorative items, furniture, and also the people inside.



Players, though, will not find themselves limited to zooming inwards, as they will have the opportunity to do so backward as well, allowing them to have a much clearer view of the entire city they have built from the ground up.

And not just of the city, but of the territories around it.

When players zoom out, they will be presented with the map of the game’s regions and other cities, which will be crucial in helping them throughout the process of developing their own. Players will be able to explore new territories, removing the mist, establish trade routes with other cities, discover unique relics and even deploy their legions to fight their enemies, but this is a topic for a future devlog.



But there’s more! If players zoom even further out, they will reach the Pantheon, and meet the ancient gods.

Overall, players will have total control of the game’s camera, using different configurations: mouse (use the wheel for zooming in and out), menu options to jump from the settlement to the map and the Pantheon or keyboard shortcuts.

You can tell us which is your preferred default POV in a strategy/ city building game in the comments below. And worry not, you can expect new devlogs and updates to come, and until then, stay safe Romans.