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Four culture groups, sixteen peoples

Each group is a toolkit, not a personality. It has its own architecture and music, a military strength and a stated weakness, one special command, two special units and a Great Work. A subculture changes clothing, heraldry, voices, decoration and its own Great Work, never the rules.

Latin Kingdoms

Hold and smash

Fortification, heavy warfare and shock. Slow to move, hard to move off a position.

Timber and earthworks, then Romanesque stone, mature castles and Gothic monuments.

Special command
Lance Charge
Special units
Knight Retinue and Arbalester
Great Work
Grand CathedralMorale recovers much faster within friendly territory; units near their own towns resist losing it.
Subcultures
FrankishEnglishImperial GermanNordic

Eastern Realms

Form and endure

Discipline, combined arms and position. Armies that hold their shape under pressure.

Timber and stone, then brick-and-stone masonry, arches and compact domes, sacred and civic compounds.

Special command
Shield Wall
Special units
Cataphract and Shield Guard
Great Work
Imperial SanctuaryArmies rally and recover faster, resist morale loss and keep their cohesion in defence.
Subcultures
ByzantineRus'GeorgianBulgarian

Sultanate Realms

Trade and maneuver

Trade, maneuver and knowledge. Rich caravans and armies that fight on the move.

Courtyards and markets, then arcades and gateways, caravanserais and monumental complexes.

Special command
Harass
Special units
Guard Cavalry and Composite Archer
Great Work
Grand FoundationTrade is worth more, research is faster and caravans are harder to disrupt.
Subcultures
AndalusiMaghrebiLevantine-EgyptianPersianate

Steppe Confederacies

Raid and outmaneuver

Mobility, pillage and manipulation. The weakest at static defence and the hardest to pin down.

Camps, tents and corrals, then organized encampments, semi-permanent centres and an imperial court.

Special command
Feigned Retreat
Special units
Horse Archer and Steppe Lancer
Great Work
Great OrduMorale recovers after disengaging, loot is banked at forward camps and reinforcements move faster.
Subcultures
MongolCuman-KipchakOghuzKhitan

The ages they share

Every group advances through the same four ages and makes the same three doctrine choices, one at each age-up. Rivals learn your choices only by scouting, or through an Envoy House.

  1. I

    Founding c. 700–850

    Small settlements, timber, basic infantry, scouts and palisades.

  2. II

    Territorial c. 850–1000

    Organized domains, mounted warfare, markets and roads, early stone defenses.

  3. III

    Kingdom c. 1000–1175

    Castles, heavy infantry and cavalry, serious siege, trade networks.

  4. IV

    High Medieval c. 1175–1350

    Stone cities, sophisticated siege, mature formations and the Great Works.

The four groups and sixteen subcultures are the design for version 1.0. The development build currently has two culture profiles and three ages. Every culture receives a history-literate review before its art is made public.