The Holy Land is the world of Lionhearts, set in the middle eastern Levant during the late 12th-century crusading period. Players will be able to seamlessly transverse, without loading screens or interruption, the persistent open world. Events that happen in the world are 'live' and have no duplicates. The Holy Land will be its own actualized realm with no copies or alternatives.
Every piece of land within Lionhearts is owned by a player and only has one copy. This creates an actual supply and demand real estate economy where land and buildings have real value. Land is either leased from a lord, purchased or granted to you by a duke or monarch. Once the land is owned, it can be modified as you wish through various sandbox mechanics.
The world of Lionhearts is made up of regions, each containing territories (duchies) and a capital that rules the kingdom. Within each kingdom are duchies that control lordships. The duchy is made up of cities, strongholds, fortresses, and outposts.
Jerusalem is the jewel of the Holy Land and the main social hub of Lionhearts. As the most desirable city, Jerusalem has the added advantage of its owner being proclaimed "King of Jerusalem," which allows first access to many recruits and the most taxable assets. Each kingdom and order will have an embassy in the city.
Capitals are the seat of a kingdom, owned directly by a monarch. They operate much in the same way as duchies, with more significance and power.
Lords within a capital compete for other lordships but can not challenge the king like they can in duchies. Lords need to enlist the help of a duke to start a rebellion against a king. The capital city holds control over the kingdom and its various duchies. If the king loses control of the capital, then the kingdom is subjugated. The capital city itself can only be sieged after 75% of the surrounding lordships are captured by the challenging kingdom.
Duchies are owned and operated by dukes. They are the individual large territories within a larger region and kingdom.
Each duchy will have a centralized garrison with walls that can be breached using siege weapons. The duchy of Beersheba above will be used as an example. Rival dukes and kingdoms can capture these garrisons to expand their territory. Lords can also rebel against the duke in duchy battles/military convoys to gain control of the duchy and all its lordships.
Cities and garrisons will have various buildings and roles to upkeep and regulate different economic and military bureaucratic needs of the territory.
Keep
Managed and owned by the monarch or duke of the capital or duchy directly. Used as both a symbol of power, defensive structure and political/diplomatic meeting ground.
Barracks
Managed by the monarch or duke, or someone they assign specifically. Houses the soldiers of the monarch’s (national) retinue or duke (duchy's) retinue. Allow the players of the military hierarchy to store their goods and upgrade their lodging through progression. There is no player capacity limit.
Armory
Also managed by the monarch or duke, or someone they assign specifically. The armory is where a player can exchange their favor for a new weapon as their progress in the form of weapon tokens. Armories must coordinate with local bladesmiths and blacksmiths to ensure their is enough supply for recruits and soldiers.
Stockpile
Managed by a magnate or patrician assigned by the monarch or duke of that capital or duchy. The stockpile is where tradesmen exchange goods and materials for favor, or even gold reward subsidies in times when the kingdom is in dire need of a specific good.
Granary
The granary is also managed by a magnate or patrician assigned by the monarch or duke of that capital or duchy. At the granary, tradesmen also supply food for favor or subsidies. The granary also helps supply and determine how many reinforcements can spawn at a battle through convoys or siege defenses. Keeping a well stocked granary is key for success in battle by having enough men to attack or defend a position.
Treasury
The treasury is where taxes are managed by an assigned sheriff, or by the duke or monarch directly. Taxes must be collected and delivered into the treasury, which is then used via the gold economy to pay soldiers.
All cities and garrisons will have plots of land that have been pre-designated. As mentioned above on these plots you can build and upgrade structures eligible for that zone.
These structures can also be destroyed by invaders, and must be maintained and rebuilt by their monarchs and dukes. Tradesmen with different jobs from the various guilds can be commissioned for favor or gold to repair/build these structures. These structures can be a simple domicile for a knight, a tavern for a guild company to operate out of, or a church ran by a local diocese. Certain plots have historical significance and cannot be altered, as is the case in lordships.
Lords will be given a specific section of land to do with as they please, called a “lordship” within a greater duchy. The land will be divided into 6 different zones for Lords to build upon. These zones are residential, resource, agriculture, military, religious and historical. In each zone, you can build and upgrade markets, farms, defensive structures, and religious buildings like chapels, churches and mosques.
Lords can lease these zones, or even specific properties within the zones, to knights, merchants or priests for construction or renting. Lords can also levy taxes on these residents to pay for upgrades they wish to purchase for their lordship.
Jerusalem serves as a centralized location where players are introduced to the core gameplay loop and dynamics. Starting as a retinue member under a monarch or lord, players are given the opportunity to potentially progress at their own pace.
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