Going Medieval

Following the 1346 plague – the Black Death (which was a bubonic plague that caused hideous black-purple swellings, or buboes, in the lymph nodes, making it seem as though sufferers had turned black, hence the name) has decimated the world’s population, taking out around ninety-five percent of the people. You, as one of the few survivors, along with some companions must try to re-establish civilisation, the best way you can.

You are given a few companions, usually three, with which to start your settlement, and one of your first tasks will be to build a multi-story fort – see more about this below – to defend yourself and your people from the various threats out there. However, you cannot just go ahead and build in stone. You have to work your way up from a small wooden shack and earn your way to stone-worked magnificence!

The Nitty Gritty

As well as building your fortress, it is up to you and your small band to try and repopulate society too. To achieve these ends you must find the balance between the hostile environment, your people’s survival and careful resource management and deployment. Position archers and make traps to reinforce your fences and strongholds, just in case your enemies have a particularly sneaky bent!

As well as disease having ravaged the population, a famine has wiped out a lot of the crops that would otherwise be available, and there are also religious groups who want to either capture or convert you – or perhaps send you onwards to the great beyond! But don’t just blindly take out anyone you see staggering up to your gate, there are also other survivors who pop up from time to time, joining your village and making themselves useful.

As well as the two religious factions, there are other settlements on the map, and you are delayed in achieving your aims by the incursions of wolves and bandits, which quickly make you realise the importance of sturdy fences! As well as building along, this game allows you to build up, putting several stories onto your buildings, and you can also dig down, laying down cellars and basements.

Keep ’Em Happy!

Your villagers are moody little creatures – all of them have back stories and different motivations for their various actions, so you will have to get to know them individually, as well as providing the four basic things that a happy healthy villager needs before their individual quirks set them off! Each villager must be given a series of priorities for their day, up to four, that will keep them occupied and entertained.

Food: you must ensure that not only does each villager have enough to eat, but you must remind them to actually eat by setting a priority for this to happen, along with the other tasks you set for them

Sleep: like food, villagers need sleep to keep them healthy and sane, and they will need this set as one of their priorities to keep them in good condition

Safety: no one enjoys eating or sleeping under threat, so you should build your fortress with care so none of the threats mentioned above can sneak in and do away with your villagers. As well as a sturdy fence keeping bad ’uns out, each house should be sturdy too

Comfort: who doesn’t like a little comfort? No one that’s who, and your characters are no different. Make allowances for the odd home comforts – an extra blanket, a new pillow etc, and they will reward you by being happy and productive