Matrix Games

Welcome to this final developer diary for the Rajas and Tribes DLC, which, as you now know, is coming very soon — on May 15!

For those who missed the previous diaries, let's start with an overview, and in the second part of this journal, we'll talk about two additions to the base game provided by the companion patch that will be released the same day.

First, the new DLC (which we internally nickname RATS) offers a geographically expanded campaign, with roughly a third more playable surface area thanks to extensions to the east and south. This drastically changes the dynamics of the game, as some existing nations will now have very different strategic contexts. For instance, the Almoravids now face fairly powerful West African kingdoms to their south, which can launch war campaigns to gain legacy at the expense of their enemies. Let’s not forget the powerful Seljuk Turks, who gain much greater strategic depth, or the Mongols, who will arrive earlier and be able to establish a strong foothold before launching their assaults against the Rus’ and the eastern Muslim nations.

As you also know, the DLC adds two major features in addition to several new playable nations: war campaigns and great trades. Each of these features offers new ways to gain legacy, beyond simply constructing powerful buildings or maintaining an unbroken dynasty. War campaigns encourage nomadic and tribal nations to be warlike, while great trades, on the other hand, offer an economic development path that also yields legacy. It's worth noting that great trades are built on impediments — dozens of new special sites, including about twenty that are especially unique and based on the folklore of various nations. (And if you don’t like that approach, there’s an option to disable them.)

Rare mystical and folkloric impediments (only if the option is enabled)

Thus, tribal and nomadic nations, which are now fully playable and come with several dozen unique buildings, allow you to experience the game in a way that’s very different from a typical European kingdom!

But don’t think that only tribal nations have received additions. The newly expanded map includes fully formed Indian and African kingdoms as well, each with a mix of unique buildings. Indian nations, for example, get 18 structures, almost all of which come with associated events, and they also gain a new major trait: "Eastward Expansion". This allows them to send contingents to the off-map regions of India and receive various bonuses based on their conquests' success. This is summarized in a brand-new dedicated panel accessible from the nation panel.

Game dynamics change with the new map, as for example the Seljuqs will be stronger

Which brings us to the companion patch! In addition to dozens of balance updates and many bug fixes, we’ve added two surprises. First, Scandinavian nations now have a new major perk! It’s called "To the Green Lands", reflecting how these brave explorers expanded to Iceland, then Greenland, and perhaps — for the most persistent among you — even further, to Vinland, Helluland, and beyond! This is also reflected in a brand-new panel, which you'll find in the nation panel.

Companion Patch – Scandinavians can now send settlers along the Northern Arc, earning rewards... or dying trying!

And finally — last but not least, as the saying goes — the last big addition in this patch is a feature you’ve been asking for over the years, including during the development of our previous game, Empires. We’ve brainstormed again and again to find the best formula to help you navigate the vast forest of Kingdoms’ 900 buildings. A traditional building tree just wouldn’t have worked, given the number of interconnections and the complexity of displaying dozens of structures. So instead, we created what we call the Building Browser, accessible via any already constructed building. It’s a powerful tool — just take a look! It shows what a building does, its connections, and lists what we call its notable points — key features that stand out. You can even search! Not just for any building (even those you can't construct yet), but also by keywords. Honestly, it was an intensive task, but the browser responds to almost 300 keywords. Enter something like "Strong Piety" and the game will list all buildings that produce high piety. Enter "Copper" and it will show buildings that produce or use copper… a full feature set, and we hope you’ll enjoy this new addition.

Companion Patch - The Building Browser helps you navigate the many structures of Kingdoms

This concludes our final diary, which outlines the key additions of the DLC (we could also mention the two new scenarios) as well as those of the companion patch! We hope to see many of you on May 15 and to hear your feedback on the work of these past months.
Long Live Kingdoms!