King's Orders is available on Kickstarter for less than 24 hours!
Greetings, My King!
There are less than 24 hours left to join the Kickstarter Campaign. The project is 82% funded right now, and we still need one final push to succeed. If you're interested in playing the early version of the game next week, join us!
All or Nothing
A quick reminder regarding how does the Kickstarter Campaigns work for all the people who are joining us for the first time. Kickstarter is following the "all-or-nothing" policy that provides a rather simple rule for all the campaigns. If the Kickstarter Campaign doesn't reach 100% funding within the initial time limit, the Campaign is deemed unsuccessful and all the pledges are canceled.
While we truly believe that we can make it, we want to make the situation clear in case we won't be able to reach our goal. Join us and help us ensure the success of this Kickstarter Campaign!
Steam Keys distribution
On a more positive note - what will happen if we can reach the 100% funding and above? We will start distributing the Steam Keys to the early version of the game, starting this upcoming Monday! If you have bought the "Squire" pledge or higher, you will receive the Steam Key for King's Orders sent via Kickstarter messages. The Steam Keys will allow you to play the game immediately and will provide you with access to the full version upon official launch.
Best regards, King's Orders Team
King's Orders is available on Kickstarter. Only 10 days left!
Greetings, My King!
There are only 10 days left until the Kickstarter Campaign is over. We are 45% funded and still need around 5,500€ to reach the funding goal. Your help is needed. If you are following the project and waiting for the game's launch, now is the best time to show your support.
Why it's worth it?
If you are wondering why you should join us as a Backer for the King's Orders Kickstarter Campaign, below are a few points that might help you with making the decision.
It's cheaper! If you plan to buy the game anyway, supporting us on Kickstarter is simply cheaper. Our games are usually at least 5 EUR cheaper during their Kickstarter Campaigns than the final price that we set on Steam on the launch day.
You can obtain Early Access to the game before everyone else! If you like to be among the first players who are playing the game, Kickstarter is the place for you. Every backer with Squire pledge and above will receive a Steam Key to the game after the campaign's end. This Steam Key will allow you to play the game immediately and will turn into the full version of the game upon launch.
Your voice matters! All the backers who have the access to playable version of the game receive surveys from us asking about the state of the game. We are always interested in constructive feedback and we tend to change our games based on the information that we receive from you, the community.
All the gathered funds go directly towards the development! We still hope to add a few elements before the final launch of the game. Nation-specific bonuses, proper localization, Grand Campaign scenario. Your support will help us with making the game better.
Are you curious to check the most recent gameplay from King's Orders? You can watch the new gameplay below. It's an unlisted video, recorded exclusively for our community. If you have any questions about King's Orders or the Kickstarter Campaign, please let us know in the comments!
This announcement is accompanied by a trailer showcasing the game's key features. By supporting King's Orders on Kickstarter, you can secure access to the expanded preview version.
We want to involve the community in the title's development process, which is why crowdfunding campaign supporters can gain access to a special preview build, featuring even more maps and scenarios. The goal for the campaign is 10,000 €, and fundraising will last for 30 days.
For those interested in supporting the Kickstarter campaign, we direct you to the campaign page. Thank you for your support!
Best regards, King's Orders Team
Diplomacy - Development Update
Greetings, my King!
Our army of brave developers is steadily moving forward! We recently added the Diplomacy System to King's Orders and are looking into its broad effects on the gameplay. There's also a quick update regarding the upcoming Kickstarter Campaign for all the people who cannot wait for it!
Diplomacy
The Diplomacy System adds a brand new, advanced layer to the whole gameplay of King's Orders. Previously, all the Nations were acting towards each other based on a relatively simple AI. Attacking each other without a single letter of warning was our bread and butter.
Right now all the rulers have to act based on certain battle etiquette. Wars and truces have to be properly declared. The new diplomacy UI includes the following options when sending the letter:
Sending diplomats to improve the relations between the two countries,
Dismissing diplomats,
Insulting the ruler of another country,
Offering an exchange of resources,
Donating or demanding gold, resources, and whole cities,
Requesting military access through the other country's terrain,
Forming a defense pact,
Declaring a war,
Breaking previous arrangements.
Mind you, the diplomacy isn't easy at all. Some countries will have a negative attitude towards you due to historical reasons. Others will be more friendly from the get-go. You will have to combine different options to achieve your desired result. For example, a neutral neighbor might not be interested in forming a defense pact with you if you send them such an offer out of nowhere. But offering them a small city located on your borders as an act of goodwill can completely change their approach towards you.
Kickstarter Update
The Kickstarter Campaign we previously announced on Steam will take place at the beginning of 2024. We have made this decision after careful analysis of the number of games released on Steam at the moment. And the conclusion is clear - this last quarter of the year is very busy! Due to that, we want to launch the Kickstarter later on, when the time is right.
Best regards, King's Orders Team
King's Orders is coming to Kickstarter!
Greetings, my King!
After the Steam Next Fest, where we had a chance to show you the demo of our game, we analyzed the feedback delivered by the players and went back to working hard on improving the game and adding new scenarios. But all the positive responses have also sparked one new idea for us - we really want to crowdfund the King's Orders on Kickstarter with your help!
Kickstarter Campaign
We want to launch on Kickstarter somewhere around September 2023. There are still several things that can be improved about the game and we believe that Kickstarter is the perfect place for that. The Pre-launch Page is already up! If you want to join us as an early bird backer and be sure that you won't miss any time-limited offers, go to Kickstarter and click on the "Notify me on launch" button. We hope you will continue helping us shape King's Orders even more to your liking!
What's new in King's Orders?
Kickstarter aside, all the feedback surveys have provided us with much interesting info! Based on them, we have decided to implement several changes to the game. Currently, we are working on:
Changes to reduce micromanagement, including removing the ability to garrison troops in smaller cities, as well as redesigning the conquest of new territories.
Automatic monthly tax collection with clear visual notification.
More detailed reports on the player's vision, which provide information on the appearance, disappearance, or changes of foreign pieces located within the fields of view of the player's cities and generals.
Additional feature for Stewards to recruit new units regularly.
New global and historical events, which are accompanied by a redesigned events UI.
Quality of Life changes like edge scrolling, binding orders and units to hotkeys, hiding letter UI order during target selection on the map, and several others.
Of course, the whole list of changes is way longer, and on top of it, we are also preparing new scenarios. We have also prioritized adding a diplomacy mechanic to the game. Additionally, we are planning improvements to the "mailbox" and tutorial system. Our ultimate goal is to make these features easier to understand and navigate, as well as more helpful for the player.
You will have a chance to see the result of our work in the next build that we are preparing for the Kickstarter Campaign. We plan to add early alpha access to the game to some pledges on Kickstarter, so if you want to play King's Orders again and provide us with even more feedback - we will appreciate your support! Thank you for following King's Orders and see you on Kickstarter!
Best regards, King's Orders Team
Second chat with developers
Greetings, my King!
Quick information to players who haven't managed to join the first chat with developers for King's Oders - we will have another event this Monday at 4:00 PM CET. Join us and ask us any questions about the game and its development!
Your majesty's King's Orders Team
JOIN CHAT WITH DEVELOPERS!
Greetings, my King!
It is a joyful week in our Kingdom! King's Orders is currently available during the Steam Next Fest and we are incredibly happy to see that hundreds of players are giving our game a try! If you are following this game for a long time, but haven't had a chance to play it yet - now is the best time!
Demo at Steam Next Fest
The demo allows you to play through the Hundred Years' War. You can decide whether you want to side with England or France, and then it's all up to you to conquer the lands of Europe. Although some aspects of the game are not ready yet, like events and diplomacy, we still believe that the demo should provide you with tons of fun!
What's important - if you have played this demo, please fill out the survey that is available at the end! The feedback is incredibly important for us and basically helps us to set the correct priorities for further development. We want to create a game that will be enjoyed by the players in the first place.
Chat with developers
Have you ever wondered who are the mysterious people behind King's Orders? And why is the studio named Afterlife? This Thursday, at 5:00 PM CET, you will have a chance to chat with the developers and ask all the questions during the Live Stream! Join us so we can celebrate the Steam Next Fest together!
Your majesty's King's Orders Team
PS. How do you like the demo so far? Are you waiting for the full release of King's Orders? Let us know it all about it!
State of the game - Visual Overhaul
Greetings, my King!
It has been a long time since we started working on King's Orders. The game has undergone a lot of gradual changes, and we have finally decided that it's the right time to show the new visuals to our players. Some of them are purely cosmetic, while others are related to the gameplay itself. Take a quick look with us and let us know what you think about them all!
Visual Overhaul
"A video is worth a thousand words". While this quote might have been slightly different in origin, we are pretty sure that watching new visuals in action will be the most interesting to you! Take a look at the new video below:
So what in particular has changed?
3D models for books, candles, and all the other little props visible around the map,
Lightning and the color scheme, now the map is slightly darker, but should also have this nice, warm feeling to it,
There are new, more detailed textures,
Fog of War was added to the game, to clearly inform you about the areas where you can track the messengers and enemy armies.
Just to make the difference even more clear, here's a quick before and after comparison:
State of the project
We are currently working on the Alpha build. The main logic of the game has been implemented and we are working on balancing the core mechanics. It's already possible to recruit new armies, move them around, and fight with them. You can recruit generals and spies, while the enemy does the same. You can manage your cities, deciding for example on tax levels or new buildings, that you would like to build. And of course, you can order any necessary action in the game by writing a new letter. It feels really good and unique!
Thank you for your ongoing support of our game! Don't forget to let us know how you feel about the recent visual changes. Has anything in particular caught your attention? How do you rate the new visuals? We will be happy to read about it all.
