Designer's Diary: The History and Evolution of Corruption in the Barbarian Kingdoms

“Gold is the lifeblood of war!”

As the Hunnic hordes invaded Europe, Germanic tribes moved within the borders of the Western Empire, eventually causing its collapse. In the twilight of antiquity and the dawn of the Middle Ages, these “barbarian nations” founded kingdoms on former imperial territories.

In Barbarian KingdomsAn asymmetrical, competitive strategy game, each player controls a nascent kingdom vying for supremacy over Western Europe. The first player to control seven territories or eliminate two opposing kings is declared the winner.

Players can recruit warriors, collect taxes, invade provinces, reposition units, or claim control of provinces. The game’s most original and surprising mechanic is the corruption system used during battles, which balances the fights while adding chaos, bluff, and a lively atmosphere to the game.

In this developer diary, we dive into the intricacies of the corruption mechanic, exploring its inspirations, the design process, and the refinements that transformed it into a core part of Barbarian KingdomsBy understanding the evolution of this feature, you will gain insight into the strategic depth and dynamic gameplay it brings.

Battle Resolution

In Barbarian KingdomsBattles are resolved by determining the majority of battle points. Players first commit their units to the battle, with kings worth 6 points and warriors 3 points each. The player controlling the province in conflict receives an additional 2 points. After this, both players secretly place a portion of their treasure (Tremis) into purses, which are then exchanged. Each tremis wagered adds 1 battle point to the player’s total. Battle points are calculated by adding together the unit values, the province control bonus, and the tremis bribed (i.e. bid). The player with the most battle points wins the battle. Regardless of the outcome, the money wagered is kept by the opponent, adding a strategic layer in which players must balance immediate gains with future resources.

The genesis of the corruption mechanism

The idea for the bribery mechanism was inspired by poker, particularly its zero-sum nature in which what one player wins is lost by another, as well as the ongoing management of chips throughout the game.

My goal was to capture a similar sense of resource management throughout Barbarian KingdomsIn the beginning, players had visible piles of money, and during fights they would hide their piles to secretly decide how much to bet. They would then exchange their bets, essentially trading the difference between the highest bettor and the lowest bettor to even out the outcome.

Originally, this mechanic was themed around paying mercenaries and collecting weapons after the battle. However, this theme was not convincing. Early feedback highlighted the fun of the trading mechanic and the preference for hidden stacks, which were quickly tested and approved.

Perfecting the mechanism of corruption

Some early testers felt that being able to bet everything was too harsh, so I experimented with dials and cards to bet discrete values, with players simply swapping the differences between bets. However, this led to problems with players betting more than they had, often unintentionally, thus introducing an element of unintentional bluffing.

Managing this type of game within the rules became too complex and penalizing in the event of a miscalculation, so I returned to the idea of betting only what the players physically possessed. This decision was motivated by the fact that, even if the “no limit” bet was not to the taste of some expert players looking for more control, the pleasure it provided was very much appreciated by the target audience of the game.

The game was developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, which influenced the decision to use wallets for money exchange, in line with the new theme of paying bribes. This ensured that bets were secret, were manageable even with small hands, and prevented more than one person from betting, simplifying the rules and eliminating unintentional bluffs.

Comparison with Rising Sun

Barbarian Kingdoms“The mechanism of corruption is often compared to that of Sunriseone of my favorites. Here are the main differences:

• Single bet: Contrary to SunriseThe four separate bets are resolved successively, Barbarian Kingdoms has a unique and simpler combat system.
• Zero sum: In Sunrisethe winner gives his stake to the loser, while in Barbarian Kingdomseach player takes the other’s bet, circulating money without changing the total in play.
• Persistent Stack: The players in Barbarian Kingdoms manage their cash throughout the game, similar to poker, unlike Rising Sun where money resets after each war phase.
• Hidden information: In Barbarian KingdomsPlayers do not know their opponent’s total money before betting, which adds uncertainty and strategy.

Final tests and adjustments

In the early models, the piles were visible, so there was no need to keep track of them. After the switch to hidden piles, some expert players continued to count, since all money flows were known to the public.

To discourage this behavior, which was neither fun nor did it extend the game time, I introduced random placement of secret chests and a unique diamond treasure. These changes added uncertainty and made precise calculations difficult, even for experienced players, by emphasizing intuition and strategy over memorization and calculation.

Discussion of a suggested variant

Although some players have suggested making bets secret and revealing them only between the two players involved, this variation has several potential drawbacks. It would add excessive chaos, decrease strategic depth, and disengage other players from the outcomes of battles.

Additionally, this could make the game less accessible to people with dyscalculia and reduce the overall enjoyment of players looking for a balance between strategy and fun.

While players are always free to tailor the game to their preferences, I firmly believe that the existing implementation of the corruption mechanic is best suited to our target audience, providing an optimal blend of excitement and tactical depth.

Conclusion

The corruption mechanism in Barbarian Kingdoms is a key element that reinforces the game’s strategic and atmospheric appeal. Its current design brings a unique twist to the game, offering a balanced blend of strategy and fun that resonates with casual and intermediate players. By encouraging both bluffing and strategic thinking, it creates a lively and engaging experience that keeps players coming back for more.

Christophe Lebrun