Hello and welcome to another Developer Diary for Imperator:Rome!
Today we will be talking about the third form of government, after Republics and Monarchies. Even though this is the last of the three types it is far from the least common. Tribal Chiefdoms, Kingdoms and Federations make up the grand majority of the countries in Imperator and Tribal countries exist in all locations from western Europe, to Arabia and the Caucasus to the interior of India all the way to the Burmese border.
We will also show you the region of Gaul and tell you a bit about the state of it at our start in the game.
The base premise for the tribal government is that authority is shared. When a ruler dies the new ruler will be elected from among a number of Clan Leaders, all whom command their own Retinues of loyal troops. Changing any Laws at all in a tribe requires that your Clan Leaders are loyal, and doing so will reduce the loyalty of all Clan leaders but the king.
Clan Retinues are recruited and reinforced by the Clan Leaders themselves, without using the manpower pool of the country and are also cheaper to upkeep. Since retinue troops are always loyal to their Clan Leader, these armies will also make it harder to rely on the loyalty of your Clan Leaders the bigger they are. Their presence also means that there are always armies ready to provoke a civil war, should you not be able to maintain the loyalty of your Clan Leaders.
Every Tribal country will have at least 3 Clan Leaders, with more added for each country rank the country attains.
The first thing that will come to mind when looking at a government type that affects this many countries, in as many regions is always going to be how similar they really are to eachother. Clearly a Tribal Kingdom can mean one thing in southern Hispania and something very different in Scandinavia or even on the faraway border between Burma and India.
Indeed, just "how tribal" a country is, and in what way can vary wildly. Often it might even do so within the same region. It is also not necessarily static over time. Many things will pull a state towards being more or less settled and more or less centralized towards the authority of its capital settlement.
For this reason all Tribes make use of a Centralization scale that goes from -100 to +100. Centralization will change from your actions such as laws you enact, or your reactions to what clan leaders do.
There is however no direct way to change the Centralization value, using power or money for instance, it is only adjusted as a result of your actions and over time.
At Negative Centralization your Tribe is less centralized, it will have more influential clan chiefs, bigger retinues, higher Tribesman output and will make it possible to morph into a Tribal Chiefdom, able to perform Tribal Migration (we will talk more about Migration and how it works in a later developer diary).
Positive Centralization gives discount to Converting Tribesmen to Freemen, decreases the size of Clan Retinues, and most importantly increases the Country Civilization value, the cap that all cities under your control will gravitate towards. A higher civilization value in your capital, together with the appropriate laws, will eventually make it possible to reform out of being a tribe, morphing into a Republic or Monarchy.
As mentioned before, apart from its impact on research, a higher Civilization value in your cities will make more tribesmen unhappy to live in them (while Citizens and Freemen will feel more and more at home) meaning that the tribesmen will start being less productive and be more prone to generate unrest.
At the start of the game the Centralization levels of Tribal countries all around the map will differ, they start well into the negatives for the Germanic tribes for instance, while others like Turdetania in Hispania, starts with significant positive Centralization.
In other words: as a tribe you can attempt to move your country towards being a Republic and a Monarchy, and making use of the more stratified pop types such as Freemen or Citizens while alienating your Tribesmen who will produce less and potentially even generate unrest.
You can also decrease Centralization, share power with the other Clan Leaders and build a country where Tribesmen pops are happier and more productive while Freemen and Citizens will contribute less and likely generate unrest.
To make matters a bit more complicated most regions, even at start, will have a mix of pop types. There are few regions where you would only have tribesmen at the start of the game, even as a tribe.
As the only pop type unaffected by civilization levels Slaves from warfare can always help augment your economy, though other things, not least their foreign culture or culture group might still make them somewhat unruly in some circumstances.
In between three of the regions we have covered in earlier developer diaries, Britannia, Hispania and Italy, lies the region of Gaul. In 450 AUC / 304 BCE the Gallic people are present in many theaters far beyond Gaul itself, there are Gallic tribes in modern Germany, in the Balkans and Gallic mercenaries served on many sides in the Successor wars from Egypt and Syria to Thrace. Not long after our start date such Gallic tribes would also descend on Greece and Anatolia on their own behalf, creating the new region of Galatia in the process (but more on that in a later diary).
Gaul itself is at our start divided into a number of regions and tribes. Our data on this place and time is not perhaps as greatly detailed as what we know of the Greek and Roman world but Gaul as hinted at earlier neither was Gaul isolated from the wider Mediterranean world.
The vast majority of countries are Tribal kingdoms at start, and some are part of larger tribal identities that, like previously described in Spain, can form into bigger Tribal Federations. On the Centralization scale these Gallic tribal kingdoms are all on the positive side of the middle.
Transalpine Gaul, eventually Gallia Narbonensis under the Romans, is close to Italy and the Mediterranean. For centuries Etrurian, Phoenician and Greek merchants have been trading with these states and by 304 BCE there are a number of Greek trading settlements along the coast, centrally led by the city of Massalia which traditionally had close ties with Syracuse.
In time Transalpine Gaul would become the first part of the greater Gallic region on this side of the alps to be integrated into the Roman Republic, and where Gallo-Roman culture really began to grow.
South eastern Gaul is closely associated with the Vasconian tribes in northern Hispania. Like them it is supposed that the Aquitanians may be related to the later day Basque population and they are described as Romans as more similar to the people on the other side of the Pyrenees in their customs and laws. This region is rich in both Gold and Silver, and is often described as rich and prosperous. At our start it is also, like the rest of Gaul and Hispania, divided into a number of tribal states of equal strength.
Historically often an even greater region Gallia Celtica encompasses most of Central Gaul east of the Seine. This is in some ways the core of the Gallic cultural region and was where the not too distant raid on Rome itself originated. This is also the place where the combined armies of the Gallic states would be defeated at Alesia, marking the end of an independent Gaul.
North eastern Gaul, including the regions that make up modern Brittany, was known as Armoria. This region is perhaps most known for its close ties to the British isles both commercially and culturally. The Armorican tribes also speak a language that is more closely related to that of Britannia. Like most of Gaul Armorica is divided among a number of tribal states in 304 BCE, some of which have the Armorican culture and language in common and might form into a larger united entity.
In his famous division of the Gallic lands in three Julius Caesar describes Belgica as the northernmost part of Gaul, a region covering modern north eastern France as well as the Low countries. Gallia Belgica encompasses the lower Rhine as well as a large part of the coast towards Britannia and would come to have exchange customs, people and goods with both the Germanic and Pretani regions.
Caesar also claims that the Belgae people are the bravest and most dangerous of the Gauls. Gallia Belgica is also closer to the Germanic tribal states, most likely influencing both customs, and trade as well as resulting in occasional warfare and raiding. Like Gauls elsewhere the Belgae also spread to other regions, settling in Britannia during the period covered by the game.
That was all for today. I will be back with another Developer Diary next Monday!
Today we will be talking about the third form of government, after Republics and Monarchies. Even though this is the last of the three types it is far from the least common. Tribal Chiefdoms, Kingdoms and Federations make up the grand majority of the countries in Imperator and Tribal countries exist in all locations from western Europe, to Arabia and the Caucasus to the interior of India all the way to the Burmese border.
We will also show you the region of Gaul and tell you a bit about the state of it at our start in the game.
Clan Leaders & their Retinues
The base premise for the tribal government is that authority is shared. When a ruler dies the new ruler will be elected from among a number of Clan Leaders, all whom command their own Retinues of loyal troops. Changing any Laws at all in a tribe requires that your Clan Leaders are loyal, and doing so will reduce the loyalty of all Clan leaders but the king.
Clan Retinues are recruited and reinforced by the Clan Leaders themselves, without using the manpower pool of the country and are also cheaper to upkeep. Since retinue troops are always loyal to their Clan Leader, these armies will also make it harder to rely on the loyalty of your Clan Leaders the bigger they are. Their presence also means that there are always armies ready to provoke a civil war, should you not be able to maintain the loyalty of your Clan Leaders.
Every Tribal country will have at least 3 Clan Leaders, with more added for each country rank the country attains.
Centralization
The first thing that will come to mind when looking at a government type that affects this many countries, in as many regions is always going to be how similar they really are to eachother. Clearly a Tribal Kingdom can mean one thing in southern Hispania and something very different in Scandinavia or even on the faraway border between Burma and India.
Indeed, just "how tribal" a country is, and in what way can vary wildly. Often it might even do so within the same region. It is also not necessarily static over time. Many things will pull a state towards being more or less settled and more or less centralized towards the authority of its capital settlement.
For this reason all Tribes make use of a Centralization scale that goes from -100 to +100. Centralization will change from your actions such as laws you enact, or your reactions to what clan leaders do.
There is however no direct way to change the Centralization value, using power or money for instance, it is only adjusted as a result of your actions and over time.
At Negative Centralization your Tribe is less centralized, it will have more influential clan chiefs, bigger retinues, higher Tribesman output and will make it possible to morph into a Tribal Chiefdom, able to perform Tribal Migration (we will talk more about Migration and how it works in a later developer diary).
Positive Centralization gives discount to Converting Tribesmen to Freemen, decreases the size of Clan Retinues, and most importantly increases the Country Civilization value, the cap that all cities under your control will gravitate towards. A higher civilization value in your capital, together with the appropriate laws, will eventually make it possible to reform out of being a tribe, morphing into a Republic or Monarchy.
As mentioned before, apart from its impact on research, a higher Civilization value in your cities will make more tribesmen unhappy to live in them (while Citizens and Freemen will feel more and more at home) meaning that the tribesmen will start being less productive and be more prone to generate unrest.
At the start of the game the Centralization levels of Tribal countries all around the map will differ, they start well into the negatives for the Germanic tribes for instance, while others like Turdetania in Hispania, starts with significant positive Centralization.
In other words: as a tribe you can attempt to move your country towards being a Republic and a Monarchy, and making use of the more stratified pop types such as Freemen or Citizens while alienating your Tribesmen who will produce less and potentially even generate unrest.
You can also decrease Centralization, share power with the other Clan Leaders and build a country where Tribesmen pops are happier and more productive while Freemen and Citizens will contribute less and likely generate unrest.
To make matters a bit more complicated most regions, even at start, will have a mix of pop types. There are few regions where you would only have tribesmen at the start of the game, even as a tribe.
As the only pop type unaffected by civilization levels Slaves from warfare can always help augment your economy, though other things, not least their foreign culture or culture group might still make them somewhat unruly in some circumstances.
Gaul
In between three of the regions we have covered in earlier developer diaries, Britannia, Hispania and Italy, lies the region of Gaul. In 450 AUC / 304 BCE the Gallic people are present in many theaters far beyond Gaul itself, there are Gallic tribes in modern Germany, in the Balkans and Gallic mercenaries served on many sides in the Successor wars from Egypt and Syria to Thrace. Not long after our start date such Gallic tribes would also descend on Greece and Anatolia on their own behalf, creating the new region of Galatia in the process (but more on that in a later diary).
Gaul itself is at our start divided into a number of regions and tribes. Our data on this place and time is not perhaps as greatly detailed as what we know of the Greek and Roman world but Gaul as hinted at earlier neither was Gaul isolated from the wider Mediterranean world.
The vast majority of countries are Tribal kingdoms at start, and some are part of larger tribal identities that, like previously described in Spain, can form into bigger Tribal Federations. On the Centralization scale these Gallic tribal kingdoms are all on the positive side of the middle.
Transalpine Gaul
Transalpine Gaul, eventually Gallia Narbonensis under the Romans, is close to Italy and the Mediterranean. For centuries Etrurian, Phoenician and Greek merchants have been trading with these states and by 304 BCE there are a number of Greek trading settlements along the coast, centrally led by the city of Massalia which traditionally had close ties with Syracuse.
In time Transalpine Gaul would become the first part of the greater Gallic region on this side of the alps to be integrated into the Roman Republic, and where Gallo-Roman culture really began to grow.
Starting Countries:
- Massalia: Oldest and most influential of the Greek settlements in Gaul. Massalia is not just one city but also controls the coastal cities of Antipolis, Tauroention and Agathi. It is also in a defensive league with Emporion and Hemereskopeion in Hispania. Nonetheless Massalia is far from strong. It depends on maintaining good relations with the surrounding Gallic states or being able to afford mercenaries to fight for its cause. Preferably both. Merchants from Massalia are said to have traveled far and wide throughout Gaul, and Massalian coins have been found throughout the region.
- Salluvia: Gallic and Ligurian tribal kingdom surrounding Massalia. One of the first peoples subdued by Rome when it expanded into the region.
- Deciatia: Small Ligurian tribe just east of Massalia, controlling the thin strip of land between the Salluvi and the Oxybi.
- Oxybia: Another small tribal kingdom of Ligurians, on the coast between Antipolis and Deciatia.
- Vocontia: Gallic Tribal kingdom of medium strength, east of the river Rhone. Stronger than many of the southern tribes and would retain some autonomy under Roman rule as a Roman ally.
- Albicia: Small Gallic tribe in the hills between Vocontia and the coastal Tribes.
- Tectosagia: Volcae tribal kingdom on the border of Aquitania centered on the city of Tolosa (modern Toulouse). Supposedly took part in the raids into Anatolia, with some of the raiders settling in Galatia. Regardless this is one of the stronger Gallic states in the region.
- Sorbonia: Another Volcae tribal kingdom west of Tectosagia, has a coastal port and also borders Massalias exclave Agatha.
- Arecomicia: Medium sized Volcae Tribal kingdom west of the Rhone.
- Rutenia: Tribal kingdom just south of the Massif Central mountains with ample access to base metals and stone. Despite their closeness to the Arverni they do not seem to have been subservient to them at any point.
- Arvernia: In many ways the most powerful tribal kingdom in southern Gaul. Would in time grow to be a regional hegemonic power before Roman conquest. Controls important sources if Iron and Precious Metals and stands ready to expand its influence at our start.
- Helvia: Small celtic kingdom in the highlands west of the Rhone. Rich in both Precious and Base Metals.
- Allobrogia: Larger Tribal kingdom between the Rhone and lake Geneva. Would oppose the Romans together with the Salluvians and the Arverni, part of the tribe also allegedly helped Hannibal cross the alps during his march to Italy.
- Segusiavia: “The victorious”, small but strong tribal kingdom around modern Lyon. Rich in metals and with a strong economy. Segusiavia conducted trade even before Roman conquest with the Phoenicians and Greeks and, like the Arvernians, coined their own money.
- Caturigia: Small Alpine Tribal kingdom guarding a number of the important passes between Italian Gaul and Transalpine Gaul. After centuries of mixing the population is both Celt and Ligurian.
- Ceutronia: Another Celtic Alpine kingdom, north of the Caturigi. The Ceutroni were willing to defend their mountain passes. Both Caesar and Hannibal did in their times pass through these lands.
Aquitania
South eastern Gaul is closely associated with the Vasconian tribes in northern Hispania. Like them it is supposed that the Aquitanians may be related to the later day Basque population and they are described as Romans as more similar to the people on the other side of the Pyrenees in their customs and laws. This region is rich in both Gold and Silver, and is often described as rich and prosperous. At our start it is also, like the rest of Gaul and Hispania, divided into a number of tribal states of equal strength.
Starting Countries:
- Santonia: Medium sized Tribal kingdom with an economy built on the export of salt and wine.
- Pictonia: Strong Tribal kingdom north of the Santones. Skilled shipbuilders and exporters of both Timber and boats. Assisted Caesar during his wars in Gaul and Pictones fought both for and against Vercingetorix.
- Lemovicia: Tribal kingdom in the highlands of central Gaul. Rich in precious metals and allies of the Arverni.
- Andecamulensia: Small tribal kingdom in modern Limousin, closely related to the Lemovici.
- Petrocoria: Small tribal kingdom in modern Dordogne. Exports Iron.
- Nitiobrogia: Small tribal kingdom north of the Aquitanian states.
- Aquitanian Tribes:
- Like in Hispania there are a number of existing tribal kingdoms at our start that consider themselves to be part of a greater Aquitanian tribal identity. Should any of these rise to prominence well enough the Aquitanian tribes may form a more powerful Tribal federation, incorporating the other states.
- Tarbellia
- Sibuzatia
- Bigerrionia
- Tarusatia
- Vocatia
- Cocosatia
- Viviscia
- Auscia
- Consorannia
Celtica
Historically often an even greater region Gallia Celtica encompasses most of Central Gaul east of the Seine. This is in some ways the core of the Gallic cultural region and was where the not too distant raid on Rome itself originated. This is also the place where the combined armies of the Gallic states would be defeated at Alesia, marking the end of an independent Gaul.
Starting Countries:
- Parisia: Small tribal kingdom by the Seine, centered round the region where Lutetia would later be founded, the precursor of the modern city of Paris. Subjects to the Senoni.
- Senonia: Larger tribal kingdom along the Seine. Overlords of the Parisi. Known to the Romans perhaps most of all because they are the tribe which Brennus led to sack Rome just 80 years prior to the start of our game.
- Mandubia: Small tribal kingdom centered on the fortified city of Alesia, which would later be the site of the last stand of the Gallic coalition against the Romans. In 304 BCE the Mandubii are not an important tribe however, reliant on the good will of their neighbors for their continued existance.
- Tricassia: Another small tribal kingdom on the Seine, centered around what would later become Troyes.
- Lingonia: Relatively strong tribal kingdom on a commercial and cultural crossroads in eastern Gaul, closely related to the Lingones is Italy. The Lingones of Gaul are known for their skills in ironworking and agriculture.
- Sequania: Strong Tribal kingdom on the upper Saone river. Rivals of the Aedui. Also took part in the gallic disaster in Rome 80 years prior to our start, would eventually play a key part in the Roman conquest of Gaul.
- Aeduia: Tribal kingdom to the west of their hereditary enemies, the Sequani.
- Biturigia: Tribal kingdom north of Arvernia. Like many other tribal kingdoms mentioned here the Bituriges are known for their skills at iron and stoneworking.
Armorica
North eastern Gaul, including the regions that make up modern Brittany, was known as Armoria. This region is perhaps most known for its close ties to the British isles both commercially and culturally. The Armorican tribes also speak a language that is more closely related to that of Britannia. Like most of Gaul Armorica is divided among a number of tribal states in 304 BCE, some of which have the Armorican culture and language in common and might form into a larger united entity.
Starting Countries:
- Armorican Tribes:
- There are a number of tribal states in Armorica that consider themselves part of a bigger Armorican tribal identity and which may come to incorporate the others if they grow to be powerful and influential enough to unite the region. The economy and culture of these tribes are all closely tied to that of Britannia. The Armorican Tribes Include:
- Redonia
- Venellia
- Osismia
- Venetia
- Curiosolita
- Diablintia
- Lexovia
- Eburovicia
- Namnetia: Small Tribal kingdom centered around their capital on the Loire, eventually this city would be called Namnetum, the fore-runner of modern day Nantes. The kingdom is rich in all kind of metals and, like the Armorican states such as Osimisia to the north it was part of the trade zone around the British channel.
- Aulercia: Small tribal kingdom to the east of Namnetia.
- Carnutia: Medium sized powerful and fortified Tribal Kingdom just at the border of the Gallia Celtica region. Would in time become subjected by the nearby Belgae Remi.
- Esuvia: Obscure tribal kingdom in modern Normandy.
Belgica
In his famous division of the Gallic lands in three Julius Caesar describes Belgica as the northernmost part of Gaul, a region covering modern north eastern France as well as the Low countries. Gallia Belgica encompasses the lower Rhine as well as a large part of the coast towards Britannia and would come to have exchange customs, people and goods with both the Germanic and Pretani regions.
Caesar also claims that the Belgae people are the bravest and most dangerous of the Gauls. Gallia Belgica is also closer to the Germanic tribal states, most likely influencing both customs, and trade as well as resulting in occasional warfare and raiding. Like Gauls elsewhere the Belgae also spread to other regions, settling in Britannia during the period covered by the game.
Starting Countries:
- Treveria: On the border of the Celtic and Belgic parts of Gaul Treveria is a strong Tribal Kingdom in the far eastern part of Gaul. During the Gallic wars they would make a name for themselves for their strong military ability, especially for their cavalry.
- Remia: Strong Tribal kingdom north of Treveria, centered on the large city of Durocortum. Would come to expand their influence over a wider region, acquiring subject tribes further into Celtic Gaul.
- Belgae Tribes:
- There are a number of tribes in Gallia Belgica that consider themselves part of a larger tribal identity. If any of the Belgae tribes should grow powerful and influential enough they may unify the Belgae tribes into a tribal federation. Enjoying more efficient government as well as the voluntary submission of a number of the other Belgae Tribes.
- Menapia
- Eburonia
- Morinia
- Viromanduia
- Nervia
- Aduatucia
- Cugernia
- Suessionia
- Bellovacia
- Ambiania
- Caletia
That was all for today. I will be back with another Developer Diary next Monday!
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