Rise of Chivalry campaign
| Rise of Chivalry | ||
|---|---|---|
| Playable factions |         
| |
- Start: Dark Age (950 CE)
- End: Castle Age (1100 CE)
- Length: 40 turns
- Penalties for non-completion:
- Perpetual crusade - bad relations between both Catholic, Muslim and Orthodox factions for ever
- Plague and famine - reduces your pop count permanently.
Victory conditions
Rise of Chivalry is a CtW that stretches across the whole of Europe, the Middle East and Northeast Asia. There are a variety of scripted events, including (but not limited to)
- Diplomacy and intrigue
- Rivalry between Christians and Muslims
- Plague and disease
This CtW is expected to contain more story scenarios and fewer strategic choices.
For further details on the CtW factions or the mod, see Factions or consult the playable factions table above.
Barbarians
See here.
Tribute
Tribute is the main currency of the game, and can be used for the following purposes:
- Upgrading fortification levels of your regions
- Buying bonus cards
- As a medium of exchange
There are several ways of collecting tribute:
- Destroying enemy factions - their entire tribute score is added to your own
- Controlling pilgrimage sites
- Vassals
- Colonies
Pilgrimage sites
Religion plays a vital part of life in the Rise of Kings campaign. More often than not, it is pilgrimage tithes that are paid to most factions that normally provides passive income, other than colonies.
There are 4 pilgrimage sites scattered throughout the CtW map's western areas, and they are:
- Hejaz (in Western Asia),
- Galicia (in Iberia),
- Latium (in Italia) and
- Jerusalem (in Western Asia).
Tithes are calculated in the following order:
Muslims and Orthodox factions
These provide a total tribute depending on the number of territories, m controlled by the Abbasids, Kalbids, Oghuz and Almoravids, divided by the number of alliances, c that you currently have with Catholic factions.
m / (c + 1)
What this means is that Muslims have to be very wary of whom they are allied with, and that they also need to consider keeping the peace with fellow Muslim factions in order to ensure a continuous supply of tribute.
Christians
In contrast, Christians obtain tribute from their holy sites either by enhancing the territorial strength thereof and by not destroying their own as reflected by
m /times (f - 2)
With
- m is the number of Christian factions in the game, including the Kalbids (if they have been converted to Sicilians by way of vassalage)
- f is the fortification level of the holy site.
What this means is that Christians who wish to obtain tribute need to refrain from destroying their own, as each Catholic faction destroyed means less tribute coming in from pilgrimages.
If the holy site is Jerusalem, it will generatel (m x f) tribute instead
Asian factions never receive any income from conquering holy sites. While they may find that conquering Hejaz grants them better relations with the Muslims, the taking of Jerusalem or Galicia will result in holy war with the Christians, unless certain conditions are fulfilled.
Vassalage
Vassal states are states which have been completely annexed to your control. You are able to control their armies and fortify their regions, but will have no access to their rare resources or colonies.
Vassals can be created in the due course of conflict once you conquer an enemy capital: that enemy will immediately be rendered a vassal state under your control, with its fortification levels intact, if you choose to do so.
Equally, a vassal state can be created by offering a single payment of tribute to your chosen target. Once done, the vassal state will produce "interest" for you off the amount of tribute paid, that amount being 5 tribute per territory controlled by the vassal. You may not make a vassal out of any faction as long as you have 6 or fewer regions than it does; it will immediately refuse you. Equally, neither France, England, Spain, Venice, the German HRE, nor the Byzantine Empire will ever accept an offer of annexation — you will have to break them by seizing their capital if you wish to claim them as vassals.
Note that if you lose three battles in a row, vassals larger than you will break away.
Note: Christian sites prevent Christian vassals from leaving. These are indicated on the map by the presence of three wonders: Hagia Sofia on the Bosporus, the Abbey at Rome, and the Cathedral at Galicia. As long as these sites are in your control, your Vassals will not leave you if you are defeated three times. Control of Hejaz also grants the same for Muslims. For instance, if the Saracens are in control of Armenia as a vassal and hold Hejaz, Armenia will not break away unless the customary three defeats of the Saracens come after it loses the Hejaz.
Asian factions are the only nations capable of creating vassals out of anyone without religious limitations, but for them, the cost of creating vassals can be high: the cost structure for Asian factions is as follows:
- 100 * 2 ^ (x-1)
where x is the number of regions held by the targeted faction.
For instance, if Mongolia has 10 provinces and the Russians 3, the Mongols will be required to pay on average 400 tribute to buy out the Russians. Should they be at war with one another, the cost for the Mongols to buy out the Russians might substantially increase. The Mongols will now receive 4 tribute per turn as long as the Russians remain a vassal until the next time they rebel and submit again.
European and Muslim factions will find it much easier to create vassals from others: for them, the cost structure is as follows:
- 100 (u + 1(v))/w + 1
where u is the number of regions held by the targeted faction v the number of vassal states previously created, and w the number of holy sites which the dominant faction owns, the maximum being 2. There is a catch however - you must have control of Jerusalem as a Christian or Muslim in order to convince others to become your vassals, and you have a very limited number of vassals.
Christians (including Byzantium and Russia) are capable of creating vassals out of the following factions:
- Armenia
- Denmark
- Bulgars
- Burgundy
- Poland
- Hungary
- Wales
- Scotland
- Sicilians
Russia as an NPC faction will never submit to another Christian or Muslim, although sometimes it will offer itself as a vassal in order to save itself.
Muslims are capable of creating vassals out of the following factions:
- Turks;
- Saracens;
- Moors;
- Mongols;
- Armenia
- Sicilians.
Sicily, by virtue of its cosmopolitanism however, is capable of creating vassals out of all 14 factions listed.
Example: Russia has three vassals, and is in control of Jerusalem and Galicia. If it wants to create a vassal-state out of Serbia, and Serbia comprises 7 regions, the amount Russia must pay at a minimum will be 100 (7+ 3)/2 = 500 tribute. This will be possible as long as Russia has at least a 7-region lead over the Serbian crown. This new Serbian vassal will grant its Russian masters 35 tribute per turn.
Colonisation
There are several offshore locations which are connected to one or more territories. You must conquer them in order to acquire the colonies. See more here.
Events
Throughout the era, different events will occur, which may or may not affect you in some way or the other. These are some of the events that normally take place.
Spheres of influence
The 22 factions of Rise of Chivalry each have a sphere of influence which consists of a set of territories which they need as victory conditions. Generally,
- If a faction has a territory which belongs to the sphere of influence of another faction, it immediately triggers a declaration of war.
- Factions that don't infringe on the sphere of influence of other factions will not be attacked by them.
- Peace is impossible as long as the sphere of influence remains infringed, for instance, if France possesses Venetia, a HRE sphere territory, the HRE will not make alliances or accept peace unless that sphere territory is returned back to the HRE.
Treachery
Treachery and deceit is a frequent theme in Rise of Chivalry, despite its name, and the control of certain "enabler" territories can allow you to influence politics.
As such, Treachery cards can be found in the following regions:
- Iberia: Douro and Catalonia
- Northern Asia: Turkestan
- Italia: Latium
- Sclavonia: Balkans
- Africa: Egypt
This means that just as in real life, control of these territories are of utmost importance for the expansion of your empire. However, if you are playing as a Catholic, remember that you should not use them too often: using a Treachery card against a Catholic faction will result in immediate excommunication. Ideally, as a Catholic faction such as England, France, Hungary or the HRE, you should use the Treachery cards to take land with significant resources. The proximity of France to Catalonia and Hungary to the Balkans means that they are useful for expansion of your efforts, as if used against a rebel territory, it will immediately convert that teritory to your own.
Excommunication
Catholic nations can always expect themselves to be excommunicated, if these occur:
- Destroying Catholic factions (the Pope tolerates border skirmishing and vassalage, however) before the Imperial Era, while the Holy See is still alive.
- Refusing Papal requests before the Imperial Era.
- Ceding 2 or more territories to a non-Catholic faction
Once you have offended the Papal States, a popup will immediately appear, demanding that you pay 50 tribute to efface your sin or face consequences. You may choose to pay, or otherwise ignore it. Excommunication results in the following effects:
- Unable to engage in diplomacy with Catholic nations for five turns (this makes requests for peace and alliance impossible, as they will repeatedly turn you down).
- Regions with a fortification level of 2 or lower will rebel (when a revolution begins, you will need to move an army into the area, otherwise it will immediately become a barbarian region).
- Unable to collect tribute from a holy site.
- Your being eliminated by another Catholic faction doesn't result in excommunication of your opponent.
- At war with Papal States, Germany, France, Venice and England.
Note that although failure in a Crusade results in excommunication, the penalty lasts for 3 turns and not 5. Also, Crusading States can also be excommunicated. Until the Imperial Era, AI Catholic nations will not attack another Catholic nation, unless that nation is at war with it - it doesn't stop them from advancing on Russia, Byzantium or the 6 non-Christian factions.
The Pope, however, is unlike most princes. In the republic of Christ, there is forgiveness of sins and as the most forgiving prince in Christendom, he will normally demand a small indulgence fee of 50 in order to allow you to atone for your sins. Refusing to do so immediately results in your excommunication the following turn. If you are the largest excommunicated faction, expect the Crusader nations (the Papal States, England, France, Germany and Venice) to turn on you immediately. There is one faction, however, that is never excommunicated - and that is France. France can still collect tribute from holy sites and conduct diplomacy with other Catholic nations despite Papal condemnation (it will still suffer having its alliances broken and being at war with its own Crusading partners).
Holy Wars
Holy wars can break out between Christians and Muslims and sometimes even between Asians too. Generally speaking, there are several catalysts for holy wars:
- Non-Christians except Sicily take Galicia (no further conditions)
- Christians other than Sicily take Hejaz (no further conditions)
- Jerusalem is taken by any faction other than Sicily during the Castle Age, and the Byzantine empire has fewer regions than the average of the Turks and Saracens combined.
Holy wars will break out whenever triggered by these events if they occur before the Imperial Era. Generally,
- In the first case, a Crusading alliance will be created between the Papal States and any of the following factions which have survived: England, France, Venice, and Holy Roman Empire, with all unexcommunicated factions simultaneously declaring war on all Muslims.
- If Christians take Hejaz, it results in a Muslim alliance, with Muslim states declaring war on all Christians.
- Should a Christian or Muslim take Jerusalem before the Imperial Era, and Byzantium has fewer territories than either the Moors, Turks, or Saracens, it would result in an effect similar to above. If an Asian faction such as Mongolia takes Jerusalem, it will result in a Crusading alliance called with unexcommunicated factions declaring war on the Asian faction that took Jerusalem.
During a holy war, Holy War cards will be distributed between Christian factions, in an attempt to retake Jerusalem in 5 turns. Failure to do so at the end of those 5 turns results in excommunication for 3 turns, but if done successfully it will immediately end any state of excommnication you were under.
Note that Sicily may take any of the 3 holy sites in the game without triggering a Holy War. Additionally, Muslims will not break alliances or declare war on you at the onset of a Holy War if you are in control of a Marine Arsenal.
Black Plague
Black plague strikes once the following are achieved:
- The current era is the Castle Age
- One faction controls at least 33% of the entire campaign map.
- Fewer than 8 European regions have a fortification level lower than 8
and causes the following effects:
- Population cap in scenarios is reduced to 100;
- You are unable to fortify your territories
- The Alhambra wonder doesn't spawn units, but can mitigate the effects of Plague on population caps.
- The Aachen Palace Complex ensures that new regions that you capture in CtW are automatically upgraded to Level 2 upon acquisition. Also, income from your vassals during Black Plague cannot fall below 20%. of its value per turn.
If you chose not to expel Jews during the Castle Age, European and Middle Eastern regions you control with a fortification of 4 or higher may revert to 1 if not garrisoned with an army.
