Dev Diaries



Dev Diary I - The New Continent (Dec 2017)
Hello folks, I’m Cyrus and welcome to the very first Equestria at War dev diary. In this diary we will be giving a general overview of the various Griffon nations on the new continent and introducing a new path for Equestria.

Before we begin, seeing as this is our first proper dev diary, we would like to talk a bit about the mod itself. Equestria at War is a total conversion mod for Hearts of Iron 4, taking the player from the battlefields of our world to a more darker and mature version of the My Little Pony universe. Featuring a scratch-made, hand-drawn map, countless new nations, events, focus trees, technologies, improved AI, as well as unique GFX and portraits, Equestria at War aims to provide a fun and cohesive experience in our version of the MLP universe.

Contrary to what some may think, EaW is not a “meme” mod, but a serious and extensive project, with talented developers and contributors. EaW is also a part of the prestigious Hearts of Iron IV Modding Coop - alongside household names such as Kaiserreich and The New Order, just to name a few. We are currently looking for more scripters for developing events, focuses and features, and for new artists to assist with icons and portraits. If you are interested in serious, consistent work on the project, please contact a dev on our Discord server if you are willing and capable of helping, now onto the dev diary proper.

You can find our Discord here, Steam Workshop, ModDB and for Russian-speakers, VK page. The mod in its current version (0.6) is fully playable, and the Equestrian continent is fleshed out sufficiently.

Please do note that everything below is work in progress, and not necessarily representative of final quality.

First of all, a brief history of the Griffons and everyone else who inhabits the continent, and how their lives got turned right upside down:

https://pp.userapi.com/c830609/v830609228/192d9/WNNd99p4yUs.jpg

The Empire itself has officially existed for three hundred years. However, long before that, many kings and lords through the Griffons’ history would claim hegemony over their fellows. The Empire itself was formally united in the year 705 ALB, when Grover of Griffinstone ascended to the throne of Griffinstone as Grover I, with the help of the Idol of Boreas and after fighting several wars against the Kings of Wingbardy and Aquileia. The defeat of both Aquileia and Wingbardy allowed him to force the various petty kings of Griffonia to recognize him as the first Emperor, or rather Imperator, of all of Griffonia. His dynasty would go on to rule the Empire for the next three hundred years, and would eventually lose the Idol of Boreas, the disappearance of which is often cited as the beginning of the Empire’s troubles.

Around the year 964, the sickly ten year old Grover V ascended to the throne of the Empire after his father Grover IV died due to a stroke. What was supposed to be a short regency until the Emperor became of age turned into a cascade of debauchery, decadence and stupidity on part of the nobility, as to due to young emperor’s frail nature the regency lasted well into 978. During that time, the nobility slowly chipped away at Imperial power, while consolidating their own. As the Imperial bureaucracy decayed, and the aristocracy strengthened, more and more depraved plans were being concocted in the shadows to get rid of the Empire once and for all.

It all came crashing down one winter evening in 978, as Imperial garrisons all around the Capital found themselves facing tens ,if not hundreds of thousands of angry commoners, all marching towards the Imperial Palace. While the Emperor managed to escape to the countryside unharmed, many members of the Regency Council were lynched - those unlucky few who didn’t manage to flee to their own lands. This event marked the beginning of the Griffonian Republic (which wouldn’t last very long).

Many of the more powerful nobles amongst the Empire’s ranks saw the rise of the Republic as a chance to finally break free of the Empire’s grasp. The first to leave was ancient Kingdom of Wingbardy, under the leadership of King Garibald Talonuel III, with their southern allies and client states following shortly afterwards.

https://pp.userapi.com/c830609/v830609228/1931c/0r0rnzprHls.jpg

The Wingbardian Secession was quickly followed by King Gerad Discret of Aquileia proclaiming the ancient Kingdom independent once more. Unfortunately, the king would lose his head in 980 and an Aquileian Republic would be proclaimed. However, the Republic itself would fall only five years later and the Discret family would be restored to the Aquileian throne.

https://pp.userapi.com/c830609/v830609228/1935c/jAG-rlPZWQU.jpg

To make things worse for the new republican government, a counter-revolution was launched in 979, resulting in the exile of the republican supporters to the far north of the Empire, and the restoration of Grover V to the throne. Despite the Emperor once again on the Imperial Throne, the damage had already been done, as much of the country was in utter chaos. Out of the many lords, princes and kings of Griffonia only those in the Imperial Heartlands remained loyal to the young Emperor - and even that could be considered a stretch, seeing as they maintained almost complete autonomy from the capital.

https://pp.userapi.com/c840422/v840422228/3538c/Z8SjCESqrXM.jpg

In the meantime the lands of former Empire descended into an orgy of violence, bloodshed and destruction for nearly thirty years, leading to millions upon millions dead, uncountable amounts of orphans, and to a complete economic and societal collapse. These issues plague the entire continent to this day.

Make no mistake - the Old Empire the world once knew is now long dead. Nowadays, upon a throne of skulls sits the shadow of a once great nation - but the idea of a united Griffonia still resonates deep within the hearts of every Griffon. Be wary, for there are many who will fight tooth and nail to make sure that the dream of a united Griffonia comes to pass once more, but there are many more who shall ensure this dream remains just that - a dream...

Now back to Equestria: Hello, I am Yard1 (some of you may recall me if you have modded GTA V). I had joined the team two months ago, and have been helping out with the mod since then. Unlike the rest of the diary, I’d like to take you back to Equestria.

As you already know, Princess Luna can return to the form of her evil alter-ego, Nightmare Moon. However, Luna isn’t the only alicorn that can embrace her darker side. With Equestria in an increasingly hostile world, Princess Celestia may start doubting the way she has led ponies since times immemorial. As the war progresses, she may find herself resorting to more and more drastic measures - all to protect her little ponies. That, in turn, has a side effect of making her more cynical, while thoughts she would have never imagined start appearing in her head…

I will not spoil the path to become Daybreaker and declare Solar Empire, but I will instead present the paths the new Solar Empire can take.

First order of business for the newly crowned Empress is to choose which path as a ruler she will take. Will she become a protector, uniting her subjects against threats both foreign and domestic, or will she view herself as a Mother to her ponies - and as children need, give them stern but fair guidance? Or maybe she will realize her power as the One who Raises the Sun, and demand worship from her subjects? Each path will have different bonuses and maluses.

https://pp.userapi.com/c840422/v840422228/353a0/TP2uTL_oKcs.jpg

After the situation has stabilized somewhat, the Empire will need to reorganize its military. With many officers still unsure about the new persona of their ruler, some changes in the general staff may be necessary.

https://pp.userapi.com/c840422/v840422228/353b4/bhn-rZfUTww.jpg

The young officers propose four different, comprehensive plans for the army to follow - the Empire may focus on utilizing its raw industrial power; the tried and tested, carefully planned strategies; the masses of ponies ready to fight or the magical potential of their soldiers.

The Imperial Air Force and Navy too stand before different choices. The Air Force can implement a flexible, tactical bomber based doctrine, or let a previously shunned officer, Blaze Firehooves, go forward with her plan of destroying enemy’s industrial base and infrastructure on an unprecedented scale. The Navy can pursue a path of a battleship or carrier supremacy - with both able to secure the dominance of the seas in the name of the Solar Empire.

There is, of course, the issue of reunification and subjects. While some may break contact with Canterlot after Daybreaker’s ascension, the Empress will have several options to bring the troublemakers back to the fold.

And lastly, the Empire, with all its might and glory, will bring Harmony and Order to everywhere the Sun shines - and all will see the Light.

Hope you enjoyed our dev diary! We hope to show more progress soon. Until next time, Equestria at War team.

Dev Diary II - North and South (Jan 2018)
Hello folks. I’m Cyrus, (also known as u/ThatRandomCroat) and welcome to the second EaW dev diary. Last time, we have showed you the new continent itself, but today we shall be taking a closer look at two of the three key players in the Griffon lands - the Griffonian Empire and the Kingdom of Wingbardy. We will also show the new Griffon race tech folder, so take a seat as this diary is going to be a long one. As always, please note that everything (especially GFX and portraits), below is still in development, and not necessarily representative of final quality.

The Griffonian Empire

Back in the days, the Griffonian Empire was a sight to behold, its power stretched from the far East of the continent to the shores of Equestria herself. Those days are long past. What remains of the Empire is merely a but a shadow of its former self, but it is not dead yet.

Griffonian Empire

Emperor Grover V, one of the many descendants of Grover I, still rules what remains of the Empire from his Palace in Griffenheim, but the poor Emperor has always been a sickly Griffon, and in the year 1007 he practically has his one paw in the grave already. However, despite his condition he retains a great sense of optimism… Unfortunately for him, optimism can’t cure pneumonia.

Griffonian Empire

Thus it falls to his three year old son Grover VI to rule the Empire - or rather, to one of his two regents. Fortunately for the young Emperor to be, his regents are by far more competent than his father’s old caretakers. Unfortunately for him, they both absolutely despise each other.

The first of the two regents is Archon Eros VII - the high priest of the Griffon god Boreas, patron of rulership and wealth. He and his loose coalition of lesser nobles, commoners and clergy seek to destroy the nobility’s hegemony over Imperial politics, save the common folk of all Griffonia from the oppressive yokes of their feudal masters, and ensure that the young Grover ascends to his father’s throne as the ruler of not just a united Griffonia, but the entire Griffon race.

Archon Eros VII

The second regent is Duchess Gabriela Eagleclaw - the cousin of the late Emperor. While she is a representative of the Imperial old guard, she and her supporters recognise the need for change, yet they also wish to maintain the nobility’s hegemony over Imperial politics. Despite this, Gabriela and her followers seek to ensure that Grover VI ascends to the throne of a united and stable Griffonia, and shall not hesitate to manipulate and destroy anyone that opposes them.

Duchess Gabriela Eagleclaw

Needless to say, whoever wins this power struggle will seek to unite Griffonia not through diplomacy, but at gunpoint, with no regard for the millions of Griffons that are sure to perish in such an endeavor.

National Reclamation Focuses

The Imperial industrial tree reflects the warlike nature of the Empire, as their focuses are mostly based around building up the industry in already conquered lands, while in the meantime rebuilding the old Central Griffonian industrial centers.

Industrial Focuses

The Imperial Guard is far from the proud institution that it once was. Nowadays, their equipment is outdated, their doctrines ages behind those of most modern militaries - it will take a lot of time to reform. The general staff has presented three possible options. First on the list is General Elias Bronzetail - one of Empire’s most senior military officers and a firm believer in trench warfare. The second option is General August Duskwing, an enthusiast of blowing the enemy up with as much explosives and artillery as possible. Last, but not least, is the young General Reinhold Thundertail, who, after spending way too much time in Stalliongrad, developed a love for tanks only matched by his love for going very fast.

Army Focuses

The Empire starts the game as a landlocked nation. However, should they manage to once more gain access to the coast, they will have the ability to restore the Imperial Admiralty. Once the Admiralty is restored, the regent will need to appoint a Grand Admiral. There are only three suitable, or at least moderately decent, choices. The first choice is Admiral Cornelius Raincrest - a true visionary who seeks to combine naval and air warfare. The second choice is Admiral Konstantinos Hellcrest, one of Griffonia’s few experienced admirals and a proponent of tried and tested battleship-based doctrines. The final option is Admiral Karl Stormfeather, who believes that a large navy would only hinder the Empire, and has resolved to replace the traditional fleet of battleships the Empire once had, to a one composed primarily of destroyers and submarines, able to rapidly strike and harass enemy’s shipping.

Naval Focuses

Despite the Griffons’ well known ability to fly, the Imperial Air Force is sadly lacking (much like every other air force on the continent), thus it needs to be built from the ground up. Air bases will have to be built, doctrines developed and new plane designs invented - but in the end, the Griffonian Empire shall once more rule the skies as it was meant to.

Air Force Focuses

A full picture of the Imperial focus tree:

Imperial Focus Tree

Wingbardy

Hello everyone, I’m TFeahersB and I am proud to present the Kingdom of Wingbardy.

Wingbardy

The Kingdom of Wingbardy is one of the oldest and most powerful of Griffon nations. Located on the southern coast of the continent, it has long been a home to trade, manufacturing and technological innovation. However, after the murder of King Griffberto, Wingbardy succeeded from the weakend Empire and took most of the south with it.

Wingbardy

At the start of the game, Wingbardy is in a bad place. Years of economic decline, famine and political instability has left national unity low and radical factions vying for power. The fascist PNF lead by Giulio Beakolini and the communist PCW lead by Antonino Proletarino are drawing griffons from all walks of life to their cause as they offer an alternative to the ineffective governments of the past.

At this point, Giulio Beakolini is ready to march on the capital of Karthin to seize power for his Fascists, but the Communists have vowed to stop them, no matter the costs. But King Garibald Talonuel III still holds power and most of the nation is on his side. It is he who has the final say in how his nation goes. Whether they side with the fascists, or crack down on both radical parties, the future of Wingbardy is in his talons.

Wingbardy's Focus Tree

Wingbardy’s future is decided from the start. Will you allow the march on Karthin to happen? Or will the king crack down on this madness?

Fascist Path

Beakolini can be summed up as an ambitious, silver-tongued, schoolyard bully with a desire to make Wingbardy great again. A radical socialist at heart, he fell out with the first communist thinkers and decided to make his own party and ideology. Fascism, as he named it, was welcomed among the disenfranchised veterans of the Falcor war and the more conservative griffons left in despair over the economic crisis.

However, unhappy with the current political deadlock, he has announced a march on Karthin in an attempt to seize power from the elected government with popular support. Should the King wish to do so, he can give in to Beakolini’s demands and invite him to become Prime Minister of Wingbardy.

Beakolini

Having taken power, Beakolini now has to make good on his promised political and economic reforms. First by fixing the rampant unemployment, the famine and education problems that plague the nation.

With that done, he can set his eyes on his true goal. Creating a Wingbardian Empire to rival the one from Griffenheim.

Declare the Empire

Declare the Empire

However, this is not without consequences. The Empire and its allies won’t take kindly to such an act.

Communist Path

Of course, there are those who oppose Beakolini and his madness, most notably the communists lead by Antonino Proletarino who have sworn to stop the fascists. Should they carry out their promise, this will lead Wingbardy into a brutal civil war.

Wingbardian Civil War

Should the communists win, they find themselves with the task of rebuilding a divided nation as well as fixing its previous problems that lead to the communists’ rise to power. Once the nation has been reformed, they can then decide on how to spread communism to the rest of the Griffon lands and eventually create a new Empire, this one for the workers.

Neutral Path

Of course, the King could just say no to any such actions from the fascists and communists by clamping down on Beakolini before he can carry out his march. Doing so will present the King with two choices; the first of which is to use his royal power to control a loyal conservative government.

These conservatives include many who would have sided with the fascists if they came to power, hence offering similar options in reforming the economy. Most importantly, their foreign policy is one of renewed economic growth and closer relations with Wingbardy’s allies, Talouse, Franmistria and Arantiga.

Wingbardy Forever

Harmony Path

Of course, the King could also decided to let the more radical Partito Wingbardo dell’Armonia take power. This pro-harmony party will seek to turn fix Wingbardy’s problems by reducing government regulation of industry, promoting trade and making friends with the ponies across the sea.

Eventually they’re left with a choice, whether to draw closer to Equestria by joining the pony’s alliance or to go their own way and embrace their own brand of harmony.

Harmony with Griffon Characteristics

Siding with Equestria would naturally make them close friends and allies with the world’s foremost superpower and they would work together to make the world a better place. But this would be on Equestria’s terms.

By going their own way, Wingbardy is offered powerful bonuses with the goal that they use their power to protect those from the disharmonious elements in the world.

Industry

Of course, fixing the nation’s economic woes isn’t as simple as clicking two focuses. The industrial tree can unlock the full might of Wingbardy’s stagnated economy, but only after the government has got its act together and put effort into reforming said economy.

Eventually Wingbardy can spread its industrial power to its neighbours and help pull them out of the dark ages to become industrial powerhouses of their own.

Griffon EU

Military

Whilst Wingbardy’s military is advanced compared to its neighbours, it lacks the experience needed to be an effective fighting force. Wingbardy hosts one of the largest navies in the world, but its future is still undecided. Either they could dedicated themselves to coastal ships, preferring superior numbers to overwhelm their enemies or by focusing on producing large capital ships capable of projecting Wingbardy’s power across the globe.

The air force is is young, but determined to prove themselves. Eventually this gives way to the opening of the Royal Aeronautics Institute, a key expansion in Wingbardy’s science base and home to several advanced research teams.

Finally there is the army, and the matter of how it should be used. The younger officers are promoting that they use Wingbardy’s industrial might to produce the latest inventions in warfare, tanks. Meanwhile there are the old guard who prefer the old ways of long plans and throwing more griffons at the problem.

Either way, each path will provide powerful bonuses to Wingbardy’s equipment production, providing that the economy is in such a state to handle said production. And they would need it, for the Empire to the north has its eyes on reclaiming the might of Wingbardy.

Griffon Tech Folder

Hey guys - it’s Yard1. One of the unique features of our mod are the race-specific technologies. With griffons being the highlight of the update, it was only natural for us to create a griffon tech folder as well.

Griffon countries will receive an unique unit - Knights. Akin to pony Pegasi, those noble, armor clad griffons are aa mobile unit with bonuses to fighting in hilly terrain. Compared to Pegasi, they are slower, but with more substantial attack potential. With later techs, it will be possible to choose to whether limit the recruitment to those of noble blood, equipping them with more expensive Magical Weapons, or let the common griffons to join their ranks.

With every race having different magical aptitudes, griffons are masters of enchanting objects with magical power. A griffon country will be able to use that to improve their economy and industry, as well as their military.

The tech folder contains several mutually exclusive paths, related to the military technologies. The first one allows the griffon in charge to either focus on hard hitting soldiers clad in enchanted armor, or lightning fast strikes and mobility. The second choice is between focusing on either naval enhancements or airforce.

Griffon tech folder

Furthermore, we have spent a lot of time tweaking the AI in order to make sure it not only uses the new unit types, but also that it chooses sensible templates and troop ratios. Safe to say, the player will not be the only one with tanks.

We hope you have enjoyed our second dev diary - and rest assured, we have way more in store. See you next time, when we will showcase two major powers on the West of Griffonia - the Kingdom of Aquileia and the Skyfall Trade Federation.

The only question remains - are ideas bulletproof?

🤔

The mod in its current version (0.6.3) is fully playable, and the Equestrian continent is fleshed out sufficiently.

Dev Diary III - Fires of the Revolution (March 2018)
Hello folks. I’m Cyrus, (also known as u/ThatRandomCroat) and together with Yard1PL we would like to welcome you the third EaW dev diary. As promised in the last diary, today we will take a look at the Skyfall Trade Federation and the Kingdom of Aquileia - two heavyweights in the west of Griffonia. We will also show you the new generic focus tree for Griffonian minors, and an extension to the Equestrian focus tree. With Waking the Tiger coming out soon, we will want to make sure the mod is compatible and try to make use of some of the new features coming with the update. Therefore, we cannot give a release date for the next update. As always, please note that everything (especially GFX and portraits), below is still in development, and not necessarily representative of final quality.

Skyfall Trade Federation

While the collapse of the Griffonian Empire in 978 ALB brought misery and decline to the continent, not every region was affected in the same way. Some, finding themselves truly independent for the first time, have even begun to prosper.

The Trade Federation is a coalition of cities, merchants and trade leagues centered around the mercantile capital of Griffonia, Skyfall. Even before the Revolution, the Federation has been largely autonomous from the Griffenheim government, as the economic stability was dependent on the free flow of trade in and out of Skyfall. After the collapse, the Trade Federation, thanks to its strong economy and autonomy flourished, especially compared to its impoverished and warring neighbours. Additionally, it has inherited the Imperial Navy, allowing it to protect its trade vessels.

Trade Federation https://i.imgur.com/7gau7vX.jpg

Naval Tradition https://i.imgur.com/FMwci4v.png

However, during the following years, as the Federation’s wealth grew, so did the inequalities between the mercantile upper class and the lower classes of workers and peasants. The current Chancellor of the Trade Council, Genevieve Guildedwing, tried hard to maintain status quo, but abstained from any radical measures.

With tensions finally coming to surface, spurred by revolutionary rhetoric, a general strike has been declared by the Congress of Syndicalist Unions - a powerful organization posing itself as an alternative to the Trade Council - throwing the entire Trade Federation into chaos.

Strike! https://i.imgur.com/rn2a5uA.png

As riots and protests are gripping the streets of Skyfall, the Trade Council had no choice but to institute a state of emergency.

State of Emergency https://i.imgur.com/fpK5Unc.png

Only time will tell whether the CSU will manage to unite the people, or the Trade Council to compromise with the strikers. However, a shadowy society comprised of the wealthy and elite, opposed to any sort of change, might take advantage of the chaos to further their own agenda…

Woodpeckers https://i.imgur.com/c6Di4Rp.png

The political tree of the Trade Federation, showing the three possible paths - depending on the outcome of the great strike. Either the CSU seizes power and moves to create a People's Trade Syndicate, the Trade Council negotiates with strikers and moves to reform the Federation into a Republic, or the Woodpeckers seize control in the ensuring chaos and dedicate themselves to creating a country for the rich and unscrupulous:

Trade Federation Political Branch https://i.imgur.com/uEQDtL5.png

With the situation under control, the port of Skyfall will be opened once more, providing the world with lucrative trade deals.

Open for business! https://i.imgur.com/oxWKMCJ.png

The once impressive Federal Navy is mostly composed of outdated vessels and mothballed ships, eating away much of the Federation’s budget. It will need to be restructured and reformed in order to protect the trade routes again.

Massive Naval Spending https://i.imgur.com/G387Orz.png

Burst the Bubble! https://i.imgur.com/yrWMhvJ.png

Trade Federation Naval and Economic Branch https://i.imgur.com/JTJfMpd.png

Finally, the Skyfall Federal Army has long been little more than a large police force, and fit only to guard against bandits and raiders. With the resurgent Empire and a powerful southern neighbor, it is finally time for it to become a proper military force, supported by the newly created Skyfall Federal Air Force.

Trade Federation Army Branch https://i.imgur.com/RY3p9e5.png

Trade Federation Air Force Branch https://i.imgur.com/hI3lcOu.png

And the focus tree in full:

Trade Federation Focus Tree https://i.imgur.com/fwEpucR.png

Kingdom of Aquileia

Aquileia, contrary to most of the nations in Griffonia has had its own, separate republican revolution. In 980, in wake of the Griffonian Revolution, griffons disgruntled with the ruling Discret dynasty, which has since declared it independence from the crumbling empire, launched an uprising aimed at ousting the king from power. To the surprise of many, it succeeded, and for five years, Aquileia was a republic. However, in 985, a group of monarchist officers and nobles led by Albert Berthelot, launched a counter-revolution which has quickly defeated the republican resistance and returned the Discrets to the throne of Aquileia. What followed was later called by historian as the Reign of Terror - a wide reaching purge of republican and democratic sympathisers. However, some of them have managed to escape to various foreign countries, including Equestria.

With the rule of king Moriset Discret still shaky, and most of the country opposed to his rule, the monarchist government had no choice but to maintain some of the newly gained rights and freedoms of the common griffon. In order to bring the Kingdom under control, the king has decided to grant more autonomy to the duchies and counties of Aquileia, placing his relatives in charge.

Kingdom of Aquileia https://i.imgur.com/ja2uLe4.jpg

The Kingdom and its vassals https://i.imgur.com/xCwsuw0.jpg

That being said, no matter how hard the king and his men have tried, the republican spirit lives on throughout the country. With various parties and groups forming an uneasy alliance against the monarchy, two main factions have came out as the leaders of the movement. The first one is an urban based, liberal Front des Jeunes Aquileia - Young Aquileia Front - headed by a veteran of the first revolution, Théodore Vérany. The second party is the communist Partie Aquileian Travailleurs - Aquileilan Worker’s Party. It is split into two factions - the moderate faction lead by Cécile Gaudreau, wanting to implement a socialist welfare state with mixed economy, and the radical faction headed by Victor Allard - having fought in the Stalliongradian revolution, his ideology has been shaped by the thought of Stallion and Sinister Serov, and he is determined to rapidly build a strong state in order to deal with the reactionaries once and for all. After a period of preparation, the forces of liberty and progress are ready to strike once more.

Branch to prepare for... https://i.imgur.com/VlJk4Dp.png

The Revolution! https://i.imgur.com/i5e0EqX.png

The king is not blind to the rising dissent. The military has both republican and monarchist sympathisers, but a quickly rising force is the Mouvement Patriote d'Aquileia (Movement of Aquilelian Patriots) with its paramilitary army, Garde d’Aquileia - a fiercely anti-communist and nationalist group, to which the king can turn for help in implementing the Second Reign of Terror - dealing with the republicans once and for all. This may, however, very well backfire for the king, as Marshal Léonard Rodier, leader of the MPA, is not a griffon easily satisfied…

Branch to crush the Revolution! https://i.imgur.com/daHP3s9.png

MPA takes over https://i.imgur.com/UtqO04e.png

Should the revolution succeed, an election will be called, in which FJA and both wings of PAT will put forward their candidates.

First Elections https://i.imgur.com/A1FYK1F.png

Depending on the winner, three different paths await the new republic. PAT-M will look inwards, focusing on developing the country, PAT-R will centralize the power and move to spread the revolution to the neighboring nations, and FJA is determined to finish what the Griffonian Republic could not - bring down the Griffonian Empire.

PAT-M Branch https://i.imgur.com/FRKauKP.png

PAT-R Branch https://i.imgur.com/NihVQ7d.png

FJA Branch https://i.imgur.com/qJwUTct.png

If the king manages to destroy the republicans, the country can either stay an absolute monarchy, with the king increasing his grip on the country…

Monarchist Branch https://i.imgur.com/zwJ5rdE.png

...or the MPA can become a serious force in the politics… and soon the only one - as Rodier dreams of a Greater Aquileia.

MPA Branch https://i.imgur.com/11MGpm5.png

The economy of Aquileia will too be shaped by the new (or old) ruler, with three different approaches available - PAT-R will implement a planned economy, PAT-M and FJA will opt for a welfare state with a regulated free market, while the king and MPA prefer to work with the businessowners to create a corporate state.

Economic Branches https://i.imgur.com/bv7pqBe.png

The Aquileian military, air force and navy, no matter the plan of the new government, will too need to be improved and reformed.

Military Branches https://i.imgur.com/inAbpgc.png

The whole tree:

Kingdom of Aquileia Focus Tree https://i.imgur.com/jSTfXla.png

Aquileia can easily become a major player on the continent, and together with Wingbardy, it can provide a challenge for the Griffonian Empire in its quest to unite the breakaway states.

Additionally, huge thanks to our talented artists Axidant and Echo for making those awesome Aquileian portraits especially for the mod (with more still to come!):

Aquileian portraits https://i.imgur.com/rZLlzwt.png

Griffon Generic Tree

To represent the vastly different situation in Griffonia, minor countries there have received a new generic focus tree that will allow them to choose their political path, industrialize and develop in various different ways.

The political branch of the tree allows to either strengthen the ruling power, or, if one’s country is a monarchy, to prepare for a republican revolution. Then, it is a matter of choosing the ideology of the country.

Generic Griffon Political Branch https://i.imgur.com/8StDWAC.png

The economic and scientific branch mainly deals with removing various problems many griffon nations face, such as poverty and illiteracy.

Generic Griffon Development Branch https://i.imgur.com/E9dciY5.png

Finally, the military branches give various research bonuses, akin to the vanilla generic tree.

Generic Griffon Military Branches https://i.imgur.com/qwjh7yf.png

And the tree in its entirety:

Generic Griffon Focus Tree https://i.imgur.com/VVseqfH.png

Post-war Equestria

Despite the fact that the focus of the next update is on the Griffon Continent, the old world will too receive additional content. Aside from the Solar Empire path shown in the first dev diary, we have a couple more tricks up our sleeves. One of those is the extension of the Equestrian focus tree.

After either the Great War with the Changeling Empire, or a civil war, due to great destruction and loss of life, some ponies will become disillusioned with the rule of Celestia and Luna. Capitalizing on that, the Moderate Republicans will push for referendum to determine the future of Equestria. Depending on the results, either the Alicorn rule will be reaffirmed; a Diet will be created, serving as a check on the Princesses’ power; a constitutional monarchy proclaimed; or the Princesses will have no choice but to relinquish their power to the masses completely.

Vote of No Confidence https://i.imgur.com/mRHRAYP.png

Should the vote pass, an election will be called to select a new Prime Minister or President.

Equestrian PM elections https://i.imgur.com/RFNIINQ.png

Of course, as the war changed the outlook some immortal Alicorns had on the life and their ponies, there may be an alternative to the referendum…

Shut it down! https://i.imgur.com/gKQ0Ph1.png

The tree extension in whole:

Equestrian Democratic Branch https://i.imgur.com/NFoSNPf.png

As always, we hope you have enjoyed our dev diary. We are still working hard on content for the upcoming update, and we are certain that you will enjoy it as much as we have enjoyed creating it.

Dev Diary IV - The Skeleton War (March 2018)
Hello folks. I’m Cyrus, (also known as u/ThatRandomCroat) and we would like to welcome you to the fourth EaW dev diary. We have some exciting and unique things to show, so I will turn over the stage to ThatZealousOne, lead developer for the content presented below. As always, please note that everything (especially GFX and portraits), below is still in development, and not necessarily representative of final quality.

Dread League and Arcturian Order

Hello and welcome to another Hearts of Iron 4: Equestria at War development diary. I’m ThatZealousOne, one of the junior developers on the Equestria at War team. I’ve been working hard along with my colleagues to bring you two of the nations at the very top of the map, which we will be focusing on today, the Dread League and the Arcturian Order. These two nations play very differently to a traditional Hearts of Iron 4 nation, and in this dev diary, we will explain why.

The nations on the map https://i.imgur.com/DifnYcq.png

Seen above, the two nations are both at the very top of the Griffon Continent, and are easy to miss. And for good reason, which we will explain a little later. But first, let's give you the run-down on these two nations starting with the Arcturian Order.

The Arcturian Order is a holy order of knights. They are a diverse and multicultural force, consisting of mostly Griffons, as well as Ponies among others.

The Holy Order of Arcturus follows a distinct pantheon of gods, and they have one sole purpose; they are safeguarding the world from the Dread League and have purposely locked themselves away from the other nations around them to keep the taint of the Dread League from spreading. They purposely turn away traders and merchants. The few hardy souls who that they do accept into their ranks are devoted to their holy cause. Often they are pilgrims, or war criminals who have nowhere else to go and want to repent.

Their order is led by Headmaster Torygg.

Arcturian Order Focus Tree https://i.imgur.com/aeRNfAs.png

But what is this Dread League they are guarding against? This ancient and evil threat is not so much a nation, as it is an idea. Long before the empire, and even before history, the Dread League existed as the biggest threat to life itself. It is a vast empire of necromancers, zombies, skeletons and vampires.

The Dread Empire's ruins can be found scattered around the continent, and they are always places of dark and malevolent power. It is believed that the only thing which brought down this empire of undeath was a coalition of all Griffon nations at the time. However, records from this time are particularly difficult to come by.

Thus, the Dread League are a mere shadow of the former Empire. They are the boogeyman, a myth, and none of the other nations of the world take the threat of the Empire of the Dead seriously.

The Dread League is not one group either. It is made up of many different factions who gather together in what is known as the 'Necromancer's Council'. The current strongest member of the council who has the most support is Rosa Maledicta. She holds the Dread League together mostly by her own malice and force of will.

Dread League Focus Tree https://i.imgur.com/O6qpHHI.png

Both of these nations start with the 'Detached Country' level of development. This crippling disadvantage means research will be difficult, as will factory construction, among other things. They are both cut off from the world, and rooted in the past.

Both of their leaders are in a bit of a political quandary as well; Headmaster Torygg has no heir apparent, and the Order is in a race against time to choose one before the Dread League start getting ideas.

Torygg can either choose William Steel Beak, or Ostvold Vlad.

William Steel Beak is a Harmonist, who is a popular choice among the people. He would rather be leading and protecting his men at the front, rather than sitting at the back directing a country, but he does his job with solemn determination.

Ostvold Vlad on the other hand, is a proponent of neutrality and is popular among the senate. He has grit, and perhaps enough political sense to steer the Arcturians into a better future.

Leaders of the Order https://i.imgur.com/IIucpCF.png

Ultimately the choice will be up to the player, to rebuild the Arcturian Order's failing industry and military the way they want.

Meanwhile, the Dread League needs to stop creeping around in closets and become the monsters they were truly meant to be. Rosa Maledicta is a determined mare who sees the world as locked in an endless cycle of suffering. She sees Harmony and Friendship as torture and lies. In her mind, the only way to break this cycle is to kill every living being on the planet.

To do this, Rosa must secure the assistance of one out of the two major factions that make up the Dread League. The player can either create a powerful vampiric coven of superbly effective soldiers who are few in number, or a massive undead horde of zombies and wights.

To unite the Dread League, Rosa must master either of these aspects of undeath, to dramatic results!

Rosa Maledicta https://i.imgur.com/qWPvji7.png

After you have chosen the look of your new waifu, the race is on to conquer the world.

The Arcturian order will most likely be on the defensive in the war of undeath, though they can take the fight to the Dread League should they wish to.

The Arcturians are burdened by a lack of manpower and a lack of modern weaponry, so fighting the Dread League will be an uphill struggle for the player. Yet, should they succeed, they will fulfil the ultimate goal and mandate of the Arcturian Order.

No doubt manly tears will be shed on that day, yet still, that is not the end of the game for them. Once they have defeated the Dread League, they will finally be able to modernise and create their very own Kingdom of Arcturus.

Rosa Maledicta will go on trial, and you will have the option to try and redeem her, or simply execute her.

After that, the direction of the Arcturians is completely up to the player.

The Dark Crusade https://i.imgur.com/eFytdNd.png

Should the Dread League win however, they will declare war on every faction in the game and attempt to exterminate all life in the world. To do this, they have several decisions and unique game mechanics.

The Dread League can use Crystals to generate command power, and they can also be used to create soldiers, equipment and divisions. The Dread League’s late game ramps up hard, and they can be a force to be reckoned with to the unwitting Griffons who happen to neighbor them.

Nations that capitulate to the Dread League will have to give up most of their equipment stocks. Their populations will be decimated, and the Dread League will get manpower in direct proportion to that country's population.

In layman's terms, the Dread League gets more powerful with each nation they capitulate.

The Dead Walk https://i.imgur.com/mEBIa59.png

In other news, we have updated all of our systems and nations to now work with the new ‘Cornflakes’ update which hit along the Waking the Tiger DLC, and we have added additional features such as border wars and decisions to our existing nations.

That is all from us at the Equestria at War team. We are working very hard to bring you great quality content to Equestria at War, and we hope you will continue to support us with our development. We hope that you enjoyed this insight into these two interesting nations, and we ask you to please let us know your thoughts and comment down below. Don’t forget to let us know your favourite version of Rosa!

Even necromancers smile :) https://i.imgur.com/o5Ijd7Y.gif

Dev Diary V - The Commonwealth of New Mareland (May 2018)
Hello folks. I’m Cyrus, (also known as u/ThatRandomCroat) and I would like to welcome you the fifth EaW dev diary. The release of Knights and Flowers 1.0 has been a great success - however, since the day of release, we have already been working hard on new, exciting content. Today we will take a look at the Commonwealth of New Mareland - an Equestrian dominion in Griffonia. As always, please note that everything (especially GFX and portraits), below is still in development, and not necessarily representative of final quality.

Now, I shall hand over the stage to TFeathersB, the lead developer of New Mareland.

New Mareland

Hello everyone, I’m TFeathersB (AKA Featherus) and welcome to the Commonwealth of New Mareland.

New Mareland https://i.imgur.com/8pOc5PY.jpg

New Mareland is a Dominion of Equestria located on the Southern tip of Griffonia. While officially still part of the Kingdom of Equestria, the Commonwealth is subject to its own laws and government. Thanks to those laws, it saw a great deal of economic growth since the industrial revolution thanks to its lax laws, easy trade and abundant resources. But that was not to last.

With the fall of the Griffonian Empire, the economy of New Mareland collapsed. On what became known as Black Wednesday, the New Manehattan Stock Market plummeted as investors rushed to sell off whatever stock they had. This sent the nation into a spiralling economic crisis that will shape the nation for years to come.

The government, under Governor-General Jet Set, approached Equestria for help, however the little help they received barely put a dent into the crisis. More so, Equestrian investors abandoned New Mareland to focus on projects closer to home. This lack of help has caused a great deal of resentment among New Marelanders who have turned to radical politicians such as Gladmane and Kingfisher of the New Mareland Freedom Party, Duke Haygle of the Black Hooves and more drastic, left-wing alternatives. These ponies protest that the only way for New Mareland to recover is to have a radical change in government - even going as far as calling for total independence from Equestria.

Focus Tree https://i.imgur.com/0Y7C5su.png

Political Branches

This is the situation you find yourself in. Your first priority would be forming a stable government and tackling the economic issues by instituting reforms.

Of course, there are many ways as to go about this, either by keeping the status quo and remaining a loyal subject of Equestria - doing so provides some strong bonuses, as well as one of the few superpowers as your firm ally.

Loyalty branch https://i.imgur.com/FAqJhnC.png

Or, you could give into the independence lobby and break away from Equestria. Doing so will cause new elections to be held. There are four different candidates who are in for a good chance of winning.

Independence Branch https://i.imgur.com/wGkaHuy.png

By keeping Jet Set as president, New Mareland can ally itself with the major Harmony nations on the Equestrian continent as well as get strong bonuses to their production abilities. This path will eventually lead you into the great struggle with the Griffonian Empire.

Alternatively, you could see a change in outlook. By abandoning Harmony, Gladmane is in for a good chance of winning. Gladmane believes in keeping New Mareland neutral, no matter the cost. His sly business practices will surely lead to New Mareland being one of the strongest economies in the game.

Gladmane https://i.imgur.com/5l95bjP.png

But Gladmane isn’t the most popular of candidates. He could be ousted from the NMFP and be replaced by the highly popular Kingfisher. A stallion of the poor, Kingfisher’s policies will be divisive, but will lead to a strong New Mareland that seeks to become a regional power.

Kingfisher https://i.imgur.com/J9xHdMQ.png

Then there are the more extreme options. The Duke Haygle, leader of the Black Hooves could win in the elections, leading to a fascist New Mareland. Under his rule, New Mareland will turn into a strong, militaristic nation and will provide a capable rival (or ally) of Wingbardy and Aquileia.

The Duke https://i.imgur.com/KjBBy0H.png

The final extreme option is for a communist revolution. Heading down this path will, naturally allow you to become communist. You can then follow in Stalliongrad’s example, ally with the Griffon communist or strike your own socialist path. However, not everyone agrees with how the revolution should be handled…

Commie Branch https://imgur.com/GbQ1q3k

There are other political movements that can take hold and they have their own focus trees, but more on that late.

Land, Sea and Air

The New Mareland Army Corps is little more than a laughing stock. Made of volunteers to defend New Mareland from hostile Griffons, their defeat in the Cockatrice War proved their inadequacy. The Army path will lead to the NMAC becoming an effective fighting force with unrivaled defensive abilities, where their skill in battle makes up for the nation’s small population.

As for the New Mareland Navy, their small starting fleet cannot hope to compete with their Griffon neighbours without serious investment. The navy tree will provide plenty of opportunities to develop a capable naval force, capable of keeping the supply lines from Equestria open.

One thing New Mareland hasn’t lacked in is its air industry. Although it starts out small, New Mareland is home to several large aircraft companies and many dedicated pilots. Their air tree will provide powerful bonuses allowing them to strike fear into any Griffons who think that they are the rightful rulers of the skies.

Army, Navy and Air Force branches https://i.imgur.com/giYqfZ7.png

Industry

The Industry tree comes in two sections. Peacetime industry that focuses on building up your industrial capabilities, natural resources and recovering from the depression. And the wartime industry, which focuses on providing bonuses to your industrial output and convincing the ponies and Griffons of New Mareland to fight and die for the nation. It is here you can get rid of the Great Depression once and for all.

Industry branches https://i.imgur.com/nbL01Qg.png

The Kingdom in Exile

Should New Mareland remain loyal to Equestria, but Equestria falls to its adversaries, you may find the Equestrian leaders fleeing across the Celestial Sea to seek refuge. By letting them in, you open yourself up to be the staging ground for the liberation of Equestria. This will provide you with powerful boons to help you take on whatever plight has befallen your pony brethren across the sea.

Exile branch https://i.imgur.com/VFY06Fw.png

New Mareland also comes with a whole host of unique events and decisions to provide a fun and interesting game, no matter whether you are playing peacefully or wish to take on the Griffon Empire. There are also many other secrets that can unlock depending on how you play and the choices you make.

Will you be able to find them all?

As always, we hope you have enjoyed our dev diary.

If you’re curious about the mod or wish to help you can find our Discord here, Steam Workshop, ModDB and for Russian-speakers, VK page.

They are coming...

Equestria At War Dev Diary VI: Gameplay and Interface Changes (July 2018)
Hello folks. I’m Cyrus, (also known as u/ThatRandomCroat ) and together with Yard1PL we would like to welcome you the sixth EaW dev diary. This diary is going to be a bit different, as we will focus on gameplay and interface changes upcoming in the next update "Windmill" 1.2. Now, I'll let Yard1 explain in greater detail what we have done.

The Welcome Screen One of the more exciting and unique features coming in the 1.2 “Windmill” update is the Welcome Screen. Inspired by a similar Europa Universalis IV feature, the Welcome Screen will appear after the game has started, providing the player with information and lore about the current country:

Welcome Screen Tab

The strategic considerations of the region:

Welcome Screen Tab 2

EaW specific mechanics and gameplay changes:

Welcome Screen Tab 3

And the EaW changelog:

Welcome Screen Tab 4

Thanks to our writers, every country with a focus tree has an unique Welcome Screen text, and other countries have generic introductions.

We hope that this new feature will provide a convenient and useful way to familiarize the players with the country they have chosen, allowing us to explain the lore and history in a more detailed fashion.

Aside from appearing at the start of the game, the Welcome Screen can be accessed from the reworked Help menu (the ? button):

New Help Menu

And from the Politics screen:

Politics Tab

The whole system is modular and streamlined, and in the name of modding cooperation, the EaW will be sharing it with other mods. Several big names have already expressed interest.

EaW Wiki and Browser

Thanks to a completely community led initiative, we are proud to present the official Equestria at War wiki. Our community members have been hard at work, and they have managed to create a high-quality, detailed wiki outlining not only lore and the setting, but also gameplay and strategy information. We encourage everyone to check it out and contribute.

Equestria at War Wiki

The Wiki can be accessed in-game by the reworked Help menu, and from the buttons in the main menu, in-game Escape menu and in the in-game browser:

In Game Browser

Nuclear Warfare changes

The potential of nuclear warfare and the horror of unleashing such terrible weapons is not quite seen in Vanilla. In order to rectify this, EaW introduces the following changes:


 * Nuclear attacks will now reduce the population of a hit state, using believable casualty numbers depending on state population and development (using multiple nuclear bombs on a state in short succession will not reduce population as drastically).


 * A state hit by a nuclear attack will receive the Fallout state modifier, reducing state factories, supplies, division organization and increasing division attrition. The modifier will last for a year. Subsequent nuclear attacks will not stack the modifier, but will reset the one year timer.

Nuke Modifiers


 * Production of nuclear bombs requires a supply of Crystals. If they are not available, no new nuclear bombs will be produced. Each Nuclear Reactor consumes 12 Crystals.

Cryyystals!

Operation Paperclip - post-war research bonuses

Another new system we have introduced - the aptly internally named Operation Paperclip mechanic allows the victor of a war to reap the scientific and research spoils of war.

After a country has been defeated in a war, and a peace conference has ended, the victors will have a chance to receive one-time 15% research speed bonuses to technologies that the loser had researched, and the victor has not.

The chance to receive the bonus is random, and calculated per technology. The more of loser’s Industry that has been taken over by the victor (either by puppeting or annexation), the higher the chance to receive a bonus, which means that not every victor will have an equal chance. The level of Development of the victor is also a factor - the worse the Development, the smaller the chance.

Music Toggle

This feature has already been introduced in a previous update, but many players do not know about it - which we would like to change.

Equestria at War includes a small number of new musical tracks. In order to allow the players to choose what kind of music they prefer, we have implemented a button in the music player window (accessed by clicking the note symbol below time speed controls, and then the leftmost button) allowing to choose between both Vanilla and EaW music, only Vanilla music and only EaW music. The optional, but recommended Equestria at War Music Mod supports this feature as well.

Music Toggle

Various AI Improvements

A continuous effort was made to improve the AI. While it is by no means perfect, and most of the real improvements can only be implemented by Paradox, we have done our best to tweak AI’s behaviors, and improve AI’s handling of Division Templates. The AI will use all of the added units and technologies.

We are certain that these small- and not-so-small changes and additions will allow you to enjoy the game more, and complete your Equestria at War experience. We will continue to work behind the scenes on other unique systems in order to provide the best foundation for all of our content, events and lore.

"Windmill" 1.2 is right around the corner, and it's going to feature two new focus trees and a load of new content and fixes.

Equestria At War Dev Diary VII: The Riverlands (October 2018)
Hello folks. I’m Cyrus, (also known as u/ThatRandomCroat ) and together with Featherus (u/TFeathersB) we would like to welcome you the seventh EaW dev diary, outlining the upcoming 1.3 "Riverlands" update. Without further ado, here's Featherus. As always, please note that everything (especially GFX and portraits), below is still in development, and not necessarily representative of final quality.

Riverlands

Hello everyone, I’m Featherus, Project Lead for the long-awaited Eastern Update. This update has been in development for 10 months now and features a total overhaul of Eastern Griffonia, including 9 new nations and 13 new focus trees.

Riverlands

This patch has had a long and hard road to get to this point, and we hope to release it to you soon. But what does it contain?

Well, the first major change is that the old River Federation is no more. Instead, it has been fully replaced by 8 new nations. This change was made to improve the flavour, replay value and fun of the east and we really do believe it shows. Each nation has their own unique characteristics and 6 of them will have focus trees on launch with 2 more coming later.

River Coalition Members

These nations start off in an alliance, the River Coalition, founded in 898 by the Treaty of Coltstream. What started off as a purely defensive alliance has grown in recent years to be a close bond between the nations, with some politicians dreaming that one day a united River Federation could form. The question is, who will get there first?

Race to form the Federation

River Federation Focus Branch

One of the goals of all River states is to race each other to the end of a shared River Federation focus tree. May of the focuses in the tree can only be taken once and they give a shared bonus to all nations, should they wish to receive it. The nation that completes these focuses will gain a point in the race to found the Federation. At the end, the nation with the most points gets the honour of being the founding nation and all other nations will have the option to be annexed into the Federation, or to say no and leave in some kind of... Rivexit.

The River Federation

A united River Federation will be a very strong player on Griffonia, and stronger too if a lucky player lets their AI allies build up their nations but not catch up in the race. But you will have to watch out for the same AI allies, for if you agree to too many of the Federation proposals you may find yourself left with the choice of being annexed, puppeted or having to leave your faction and all the bonuses you get.

The new nations in the east are:

Lake City – A unstable City-State republic that has a long history of conflict with the griffons and Riverponies. Life is harsh for the ponies of Lake City and the Lake City Army, the first line of defence for the Riverponies, is unstable and prone to fighting among itself and with the civilian government. The young republic had long been led by a Grand Prince, and there are those who wish to return to the glory days where a Lake City Prince ruled over the whole Riverlands.

The River Republic – Located at the heart of the Riverlands, the nation has grown wealthy from trade and its stable position. Lead by the ambitious River Swirl the Republic sees itself as the leader of the Riverlands and has its eyes sent on uniting the east. However, at the start of River Swirl’s second term, her political rival Nova Whirl seeks to undermine her power and reform the nation into a socialist republic.

Diamond Mountain – Introducing the Diamond Dogs as a new playable race. Diamond Mountain is an ancient kingdom of dogs that have grown rich on deep slave mines unearthing gold and gems. However, their wealth was lost in a daring attack by the Knights of Hellquill. Their current King, Rover Diamondshield, has sworn vengeance against the Knights, but his greed and use of slavery has put him at odds with the rest of the Riverlands.

The Kingdom of Wittenland – Wittenland is the home of unicorn mages who live in high mountain-top palaces. During the day they study magic and at night they party until dawn.

Nimbusia – An ancient city-state of Pegasi, Nimbusia has long seen themselves as the saviours of the East. A worthy name considering Nimbusian phalanxes saved the Riverlands from several griffon invasions.

Bakara – Bakarans love nothing more than sailing, but their focus on the sea has left them weak and underdeveloped compared to their neighbours.

Deponya – An old kingdom, Deponians lead simple farming lives, living in constant fear of the monsters that lurk deep in the Egsyc Forrest.

Pònaidhean – A confederation of several tribes and monasteries located in the mountains of South East Griffonia. Most Riverlanders see the Pònaidheans as nothing but backwards ponies who live in caves, but their fabrics are among some of the most desired trade goods in the east and their mountain-top monasteries rival event Canterlot in their splendour.

Farbrook

To showcase some of what’s new outside the River Coalition, Kaltrop, one of our developers, will be showing off a nation north of the River Federation that is getting its own tree in the upcoming update!

Hi all, it’s Kaltrop here! I’m the developer for three countries in the new update, and I’m here today to share one of them with you. Welcome to Farbrook!

Located in the far North-East of the Griffonian continent, the hillponies of Farbrook have long existed in a watchful peace. To the south lie the Dogs of Diamond Mountain, who while occasionally violent, have never had any serious interest in harming the hillfolk. To the west lie the fellow hillpony communities of Watertowns and Firtrees, which have always been friendly, while the north is guarded by the brooding and reclusive Arcturian Order.

To the east lies the great “Dead Sea”, which Farbrook’s mariners have always protected her from. Finally, across this sea lies Farbrook’s greatest allies – the island dwelling changelings of Greneclyf. For centuries the two peoples have lived in Harmony, aiding each other in dire times and building a great and true friendship with the otherwise mistrustful Greneclyfians, through such events as The First Sharing and the Frozen Refuge. If something were to go disastrously wrong in Greneclyf, they would likely turn to us first, and vice versa.

Cenhelm

Cenhelm, ruler of the Ironhelm Tribe, has led Farbrook for seven years, and has done well by most ponies’ standards. The economy has grown slowly but comfortably, and despite the north being a dangerous place, Farbrook has remained relatively peaceful during his reign. But many believe that he is too soft to truly protect the people. His “term” as High Chief is coming to an end, and the Clan Council will have to meet to decide whether or not he should remain in power.

Stick With What We Know

If the council still supports Cenhelm, then he will need to move quickly to reassure the ponies of Farbrook that they are safe, both from internal and external threats.

The internal radicals seeking power in Farbrook include the radically militant White Hooves clan and the North Eastern Socialist Party. Both hate each other, and Cenhelm could choose to ally with one to destroy the other. However, he might simply decide that it’s too big of a risk leaving any radicals in power, and decide to ban all anti-Harmonic groups.

The external threats are a little more straightforward. It is clear to Cenhelm that Farbrook is not strong enough to survive on its own, so he has two realistic choices – form a union with those of his neighbours whom are friendly, or else join the Riverponies’ defensive pact. Joining with the Riverponies is certainly safer, but it may restrict Farbrook’s ability to take independent action on the world stage.

So much for Cenhelm – but what about these radicals? If the Council decides that Cenhelm’s too soft to lead anymore, then one of two things can happen. Firstly, the White Hooves can use their influence to get their leader elected.

White Hooves

Hermane and his White Hooves

Gering, the slightly-delusional leader of the White Hooves tribe, is a stallion driven by relentless ambition. He believes that Farbrook is not only great, but the greatest nation on Griffonia, and that its borders deserve to match. Thus, he plans to…expand a little with the help of a larger power nearby, if necessary.

Imperialist Dreams

NESP

The other party is the NESP. A ragtag, disorganised bunch, the first thing they must do after they come to power is decide who will lead them.

NESP Branch

Both leaders have different policies. Applethorn, a young, fiery revolutionary who spent years fighting for the GLA in Prywhen, plans to heavily modernise and industrialise the backwater country, then spread the Revolution to the neighbouring countries.

Applethorn

However, she’s not the only pony vying for control of the nascent socialist movement. She competes with Hempstand, a carefree young stallion from the nearby Watertowns. He believes that socialism must be achieved through inner peace and justice and right relations between members of our society, not through force. He is an idealist, and popular with a certain type of pony.

Hempstand

Into the modern age

Next it is time to talk about the Farbrookian army. Well, I should say “army”, for it is more of a feudal levy, raised from those chieftains who can afford to send troops and who are willing to do so – that is, not many. Farbrook needs to update its army to have any chance of competing with the larger powers that surround it, but sadly the army is somewhat resistant to change.

Tribal Army

The army has influence and loyalty. Both your actions and events can either raise or lower the army’s influence and loyalty. Both excessively high and excessively low influence and loyalty have associated events, some good, and some bad. An army with low loyalty and high influence will manage to completely stop you from taking any military focuses, and you’ll may have to use extreme measures to bring the military back under control. It should be noted that this system is shared with Firtrees, another country getting an update in 1.3.

Speaking of systems shared between Farbrook and Firtrees, next is the economy system! Most economic trees are unexciting but necessary. Farbrook has a slight twist on this, however. Getting yourself out of a pseudo-feudal economy can’t be done easily, and you have to choose what matters more to you: industry, or your people’s happiness.

Economy branch, fools!

Losing too much stability on the path to modernity might lead to factions in your society voicing their objection ever more strongly...

Army Protests!

That’s it for now, keep an eye out for more dev diaries, because we plan to write some more between now and the new update’s release! Thank you for reading!

If you’re curious about the mod or wish to help you can find our Discord here, Steam Workshop, ModDB and for Russian-speakers, VK page.

Equestria At War Dev Diary VIII: The Kingdom of Wittenland (November 2018)
Hello folks. I’m Cyrus, (also known as u/ThatRandomCroat) I would like to welcome you the eight EaW dev diary. Today we will showcase one of the nations of the River Coalition - the unicorn country of Wittenland. ThatZealousOne, take it away!

Wittenland

Hello there again. I'm ThatZealousOne, and I'm going to be showing off what I've been doing for the past few months in the latest update of Equestria At War.

With the expansion into the River Federation and the east, many new nations will be able to be played and will have their own unique focus trees added. One of which, is the Kingdom of Wittenland.

Wittenland

Part of the River Coalition at the start of the game, Wittenland is a nation of unicorns. A nation of magic users and high nobility. They hold themselves in high esteem and have often quarrelled with the other river federation nations. Comparatively in their history, they have lost their old capital of Coltstream. Many Wittenlanders regard it as a sore subject, and there are certainly those among them that would seek revenge for it.

Wittenland on the map

Wittenland starts in a good position, with a decent military and industrial base for their development level. Other River nations will likely surpass them in the mid game, but after they have completed their military and industrial tree, Wittenland can be a force to be reckoned with.

Welcome Screen

Wittenland internal politics is based around the life of the nobility and their opulent seasons and parties. Rulers must court the power of the lesser nobility if they wish to stay in power and they must prove themselves time and again to earn their continued support. However, the recent Queen White Star is a reformist, and that has earned her enemies among her more conservative court. Something the player will have to deal with as Wittenland.

The Gala

There are a lot of options open to a Wittenlandian player. Situated in the middle of several nations, friendly or otherwise, there are many factors to account for and directions to expand. This should prompt a diverse and interesting playthrough.

We are always trying to experiment and incorporate new technologies into Equestria at War, and with the diverse possibilities that face Wittenland, I have needed to innovate during development. As a consequence, Wittenland is one of the smartest AI nations in Equestria at War.

Magitek!

Dynamic AI

The Kingdom of Wittenland uses a unique goal oriented AI schema which governs its what national focuses Wittenland takes, and when. In comparison to traditional Hearts of Iron 4 focus AI which relies on percentage chances and only looks at the available focuses, Wittenland instead looks at the world situation and evaluates if it can take advantage of it. This effect is similar to what a player does during play, and it creates a very dynamic AI which reacts to a changing situation. Wittenland will take advantage of its weak neighbours and it will prioritise industry and military at sensible times. You can see more in the video below.

Wittenland Video Showcase

The new focus AI system has proven very successful, and in testing it has regularly outsmarted its neighbours. With this development, there is now discussion about rolling this new system out to other nations that might benefit from it.

Wittenland and 14 other nations are a part of the upcoming 1.3 "Riverlands" update, coming out soon.

If you’re curious about the mod or wish to help you can find our Discord here, Steam Workshop, ModDB and for Russian-speakers, VK page.

Equestria At War Dev Diary IX: The Heartlands (April 2019)
Hello folks, I’m Cyrus, (also known as u/ThatRandomCroat) and I and the rest of the Herzland team (u/cijik1, u/Flying_DutchPony, u/TFeathersB, Professional Horse, u/russiaball and u/Raptor_Jesus) would like to welcome you all to the ninth Equestria at War dev diary. In this dev diary we’ll be focusing on the countries that will be receiving new or updated content in the upcoming "Herzland" update, so without any further word mincing let’s get to it! As always, please note that everything (especially GFX and portraits), below is still in development, and not necessarily representative of final quality.

The Griffonian Empire

For those that have been following our old dev diaries you might remember that we’ve already done a developer diary on the Griffonian Empire. However, since then, we’ve managed to make quite a few general improvements to all of their content.

The Griffonian Empire

In general, the Empire has not really received any major gameplay changes, they’ll still be a looming threat for all of Griffonia, but at the very least they will now be somewhat more flavourful. Especially the struggle for the regency has become a more involved story. Aside from that they shall be receiving a whole new political path which we will show in detail at a later date. As players will know, the Griffonian Empire starts with a bunch of nominal vassals, and the meat of the Heartlands Update will see these countries getting their own focus trees!

Yale

Yale

How did we get here?

When Grover I unified the Griffonian empire in the 8th century ALB, the Duchy of Yaledom became one of the constituent states of the Empire, ruled by a duke in close contact with the government in Griffenheim. The sheer size of the empire and the proximity to Griffenheim allowed Yale to focus on providing university education to the booming new Griffonian Empire. Yale university, in the capital of the duchy, was founded in 765 ALB, with other cities soon following with their own centres of learning.

Over the next century, these universities would attract many students from all over the continent, growing in prestige and wealth within the duchy while technology advanced into the industrial age. However, the advent of the industrial age saw the landowning nobility grow ever poorer, while the universities and cities blossomed. Yale itself lost more and more prominence in the duchy in the place of Greenback, the industrial heart of the duchy.

In the fateful year of 878, the situation got so bad for the ducal family that they were forced to sell of their ducal title to Yale university itself, letting the prestigious institution rule the country in their stead. As to not provoke the wrath of Griffenheim, Yale kept the nobility and the duchy alive in name under the first Rector of the country, Borean Wiedergreiff, polymath, architect and scholar. He was charismatic and had the foresight and imagination to dream up inventions well ahead of his time. He moved the capital from Yale to Greenback, a central location, finishing a shift in the center of power that had started at the beginning of the 9th century ALB.

When the republican revolution swept through the Imperial Heartlands in 978, Yale saw the majority of the nobility flee the country and the universities took advantage of this by formalising their power in the formation of the Yale Rectorate, vowing to strife for more autonomy from Griffenheim. Although the universities had trained many republicans, the Rectorate was on the fence between supporting either side, only throwing their support behind the Emperor when his victory was already certain.

In 1007 ALB, the limits of the rule of the university are being approached. The Empire is crumbling, but only the allegiance to the emperor and the perceived competence of the government is keeping the growing and impoverished lower class in check. If the Yale Rectorate wants to stay in power if the empire disintegrates and continue the scientific vision of Borean Wiedergreiff, it will have to win the hearts of the people.

Trees

Yale is not your regular country. Even though it looks like a regular ol’ republic, it’s really more of a confederation of universities. The Council of Rectors is the ruling apparatus of the state, in which every university has a voice. By the time the Emperor dies, you will have to choose who will be making decisions for the country on the council. Even though the council practices an equal vote, you must choose a university to take the lead. As you progress through the focus tree, you will be addressing the issues of the populace, bringing your army up to par with the modern doctrines and moving along the political path you have chosen, whether it be the fascist alliance of a religious university and a university which prefers unorthodox methods of research, who are more focused on internal authoritarian topics, the non-aligned moderates, whose goals are to do good for the nation or challenge the current order as the anarcho-communists. Either pick shows off what each “faction” is good at by representing the specialties of each member university. The universities of Bruma and Gamia, representatives of the fascist ideology. They have rather different goals, but share a radical ideology. Bruma is a social sciences university, which makes it a good candidate at convincing the masses to their side. And it is due to their dominant position on the Council that you may convince the Archon of Arcturius to pay the nation a visit to inspire the population. Meanwhile the university of Gamia is known for its brilliant biologists, whose goals may be a bit zealous, however. They strive to explore the inner workings of griffons, which will lead them to their greatest discovery yet. What discovery, however, is up you to decide. One catch: to go through with either of them to the end, you will have to deny the other university their chance to advance their goals. Should you go with Bruma, the Prelate of Arcturius may gain more influence in the nation and get invited to lead the nation to a brighter future. Yet Gamia, seemingly a secluded and uneventful place, has been seeing some noticeable advancements in their field. They have a list of ideas for you, but only one will be able to see the light of day.

Bruma

The central universities of Greengate, Greenback and Middenheim stand for a more peaceful and productive approach. Greengate’s engineers will be more than happy to take care of the nation’s tech advancements, maybe a little too happy… Greenback’s focus on health is a more mild approach compared to the zealotry of Gamia, but it nevertheless will bring a new level of healthcare to the population. Meanwhile the university of Middenheim is locked in a long battle between proponents of different forms of capitalism. Will you steer the market or set it free? All three culminate in their own ultimate ideas as pillars for a prosperous state.

Central Universities

The lonely university of Cyrusval… A social sciences university, but unlike Bruma, it teaches students a completely different approach to the world… while most of the student body and professors have been passive with their ideology, one notorious professor travelled to Angriver to fight oppression in the Barony. The faculty teaches that the current systems are rotten and corrupt, the hierarchy oppresses the masses, the army consists of unwilling fighters… And the only way to break this vicious system is organized revolution. However, the people are not as aware of their oppression as Cyrusval University might like, so they must use their new position to coordinate efforts towards preparing the griffons of Yale. By forging contacts with soldiers, trade unions and intellectuals all over the country, they can increase support for the revolution. But as the Empire reasserts itself to the north, time is of the essence and it is up to the player to decide how much time he is willing to spend to grow support before erecting the barricades and attempting to overthrow the old system.

Cyrusval

Cyrusval Decisions

Now let’s move from politics to something more grandiose… Something that will take years to make, but will benefit everyone who your government will consider worthy of it. The city of Yale has seen better days. It’s true that the industrial revolution has put the former center of the Duchy into the shadows, but the aforementioned Borean Wiedergreiff had a grand idea, which he knew was not possible in his time. Yet he decided to put it on paper, hoping for it to be built in a more enlightened time. The Great Archives project… It would house the works of griffonkind, past, present and future, able to store as much as needed while being simple to navigate and use. A cylindrical tower piercing the skies, a griffon would be able to fly up to any floor, find the correct bookshelf and take what they need. It was supposed to be the ultimate hub of knowledge of griffonkind…

Archives

Thus we present you the Grand Project “The Great Archives”. If any of you have ever played EU4, you may remember the Canal projects and how they operate. Now this has been realised in HoI4! You will watch the construction happen as various events influence the time it takes to build. Although some events are out of your hands (or claws), you may be able to choose the result of some others! The construction will be split into parts, each taking a base of 1 year to complete. Depending on your luck, that time may either shorten, lengthen, or not really change. And upon finishing the project, it will grant the nations worthy of visiting it a long-lasting increasing research debuff as time goes on, to represent the study and accumulation of griffon knowledge in the archives. This is a very long term process, the completion of which may have consequences far beyond our time. To see this work completed is reason enough to not let Yale fall into the hands of barbarians, lest they destroy the legacy of our founder!

Building the Archives

Delays

Bronzehill

Bronzehill

Bronzehill is a Diamond Dog County located in the North East of the Griffonian Empire. It starts the game as a loyal vassal of the Empire. Around 200 years ago, a group of slaves fled Diamond Mountain and headed west. They approached the Griffon Emperor Grover II and ask for shelter in return for loyalty. The Emperor welcomed them and gave them rulership over the Bronze Hills to the north of Griffenheim. The Dogs are even now, renowned for their loyalty and their production of many resources and industrial goods. The dogs of Bronzehill are skilled artisans, miners and engineers and are fierce defenders of personal freedoms. But they are also mostly pacifist. Having sworn off violence after escaping from Diamond Mountain's slave armies. The sickness of the emperor causes anxiety amongst the leading dogs of Bronzehill and they have to choose which reagent to support or to carve up their own path. Being historically mostly pacifist and more harmonic than the rest of the Heartlands, they will have many hard choices to make if they are to protect the Imperial Family from those who seek to do it harm. When choosing not to align with any of the regents, Bronzehill will have a plethora of ideological choices, even the ability to use the leftist factions in the country to drum up enough support for a war to secure the Imperial Capital.

Bronzehill Tree

Angriver

Angriver

Welcome to Angriver, the southernmost Imperial vassal! While not the smallest vassal state, the Barony of Angriver has the dubious honour of being one of the least economically and socially developed regions in not only Herzland, but all of Griffonia. The main obstacle to the Barony’s development has always been the Scheisswald, an aptly named forest covering almost half of Angriver. This ancient woodland is home to many monsters and the Empire never quite managed to secure it. Not only is the Wald home to extremely dangerous wildlife, it is also a refuge for those who refuse to live in normal society. Angriver’s current ruler, Baron Leer the Vicious, earned his title in 978, when the Republican uprising ravaged Griffonia. While Republicans took control of Griffenheim, Leer managed to brutally suppress a joint anarchist and republican revolt in his barony. Since then, he has ruled with an iron claw. He is a competent ruler, and his absolute control over his domain has managed to produce a semblance of stability. He has been suffering more and more from paranoia and should his fragile hold on Angriver be challenged, Leer may lose hold of his sanity. Unfortunately for the baron, the anarchists and republicans have not been completely destroyed in 978 and they have regrouped and grown in the Scheisswald. With the sickness of the Emperor, instability looms again and these groups are willing to rise up against Leer once more. Perhaps Baron Leer is right to be paranoid, as threats to his rule come not just from republicans and anarchists, but also from within. A secret organisation known as the Black Claw is rumoured to count some minor nobles among its ranks. Although they haven’t yet revealed their true intentions, they may yet have a part to play as tensions rise in the southernmost vassal of the Heartlands.

Katerin

To the North of Angriver lies the Katerin Principality, the swampy domain of Princess Diellza the Insane. The last member of her house, she witnessed the execution of her family at the claws of the republicans. Her soul has never mended from that tragedy and now the nation lacks any real leadership.

Katerin

As if this wasn’t bad enough for the citizens of Katerin, the land has been swept by the endless plague, an epidemic of a mysterious illness ravaging the local population, which the insane princess is probably not consciously aware of. To top of the disaster, Katerin has been built on the remains of a long-dead unholy empire and the ancient ruins of that forgotten time still dot the land, the residue of their dark magic still corrupting the countryside. With all these serious problems and a ruler incapable and unwilling to do anything about them, some groups in Katerin strive to work outside of the government to help Katerin forward. The Knightly orders of Katerin have organized into two orders. The Silver Talon, which is led by Grandmaster Hector Ardennson, the more pacifist of the twin orders and led by the senior Knight. The second order, the Argentumdammerung has been in the area ever since the Principality was founded, led byGrandmaster Erik Grimclaw, a descendant of an old knightly family. Aside from the knightly orders, the ever patient and careful Prelate Duskfeather works with his grassroots religious socialist movement to give the peasants and the slowly growing city populations an easier life, without all the crusading business of the Knights. If the Knights or the Prelate are to succeed in their plans for Katerin, however, the princess has to be dealt with somehow, as she is completely incapable. The forces of hope in Katerin best act quickly, if they are to save the swampy Principality from the brink of damnation.

Greifenmarschen

Greifenmarschen

The Griffonian Republic was not the first appearance of democracy in Herzland. Long before them, the peasants of Greifenmarschen had created their own nation which some would say is one of the most democratic countries in the entire world, for better or worse. In this peasant republic, almost every single decision is done with a referendum and elections for the mostly powerless position of Statthalter are held every three months. This democracy has allowed even more radical griffons to enter politics and influence lawmaking, though they have never been able to take power or implement reforms. The peasants simply refuse to let go of their golden liberty so easily and cling on to their traditions, even as the world enters the modern age. Greifenmarschen is not fully independent, however. They enjoy protection from the Empire and in return have vowed to remain loyal to the Emperor. This special arrangement was formed in 720, when the local peasants overthrew the tyrannical Duke Erebus Blacktalon who had also been an enemy of Emperor Grover I. Instead of crushing the commoner uprising, the Emperor approached them and offered them a deal which stands to this day, despite all the hardships over the years. But the future is uncertain. No one knows if Greifenmarschen's direct democracy and special relationship with the Empire will survive this new millenium, where change seems inevitable.

Strawberry

Strawberry is led by Duchess Gabriela Eagleclaw, a close friend and cousin of the Emperor. Although she rules the duchy, she is often found in the courts of the empire’s capital. Her constant need to be involved in her duchy’s matters is appreciated by many, but it slows down the already bloated bureaucracy. Combine that with nobles who are eager to push back against her progressive approach to some matters of government and it makes for a nation moving slower than it should. If Grover V were to die (i know right, that would never happen), she would be a prime candidate for the Regency for Grover VI. Many nobles support her in this cause, but it would pull her away from the Strawberry Duchy. A regent would supervise her lands for her, while she rules the empire. Who this regent would be, is unknown.

Strawberry

The choice will be between a loyalist to Eagleclaw, or a more neutral party. It might even become someone who is more than happy to get rid of the nobility. Playing as Strawberry you will be balancing the powers in the empire and your own personal goals. Trying to sway other nations in the empire to stand with you and the empire or rise up together against the oppression of the nobles. You can also just go the middle ground and try and create as best a system for the griffons, no matter the cost. On the other hand, she might not become regent. She will not let this slide and mount an opposition to the Archon, trying to unite other former vassals to her cause. How you will achieve your goals is up to you, but via a mechanic controlled with events and decisions, centered around balancing control of the population and your standing with various parties, you’ll steer the empire to the direction you want!

The "Herzland" update will be the next major update, but we will release smaller content updates in the meanwhile - stay tuned for more news!

If you're curious about the mod or wish to help, you can find our Discord here, Steam Workshop, ModDB, and for Russian-speakers, VK page.

Previous Dev Diary:  Equestria At War Dev Diary VIII: Kingdom of Wittenland

Dev Diary X - Changeling Manehattan and the Equestrian Liberation Front (January 2020)
Sei Gegrüßt! I am Jaspy from Equestria at War, here to showcase our latest progress on the mod: the Changeling Protectorate of Manehattan, and the Equestrian Liberation Front.

The Great War between Equestria and the Changeling Lands is the cornerstone of the mod, but the lack of any further content beyond the end of the war, for both Equestria and the Changelings, means that their post-war gameplay can often be boring and repetitive, at least in comparison to the mod's more recent countries.

This update intends to redress this; although Manehattan — led by the Protectress Lilac — is but one of the multiple puppet states set up across Equus by a victorious Changeling Hegemony, I had designed it with the intention of it being the narrative continuation of the Changeling Land's gameplay post-Great War.

Similarly, the Equestrian Liberation Front, led by none other than Starlight Glimmer and Trixie Lulamoon, serves as an embodiment of the general Equestrian resistance to Changeling rule, seeking to restore (to an extent) the pre-war status quo, rather than it being a regional resistance movement with other interpretations of liberation in mind.

Being late-game content, both countries will only come into existence under specific game conditions. The Manehattan Protectorate can be released by the Changeling Lands via decision, once the latter is in control of the prerequisite East-Equestrian states.

Conversely, are at least three distinct ways, contingent on the precautions — or lack thereof — taken by the Changeling Lands or Manehattan, through which the Equestrian Liberation Front can be triggered into spawning.

Victory in the Great War as the Changelings is a necessary step towards meeting these game conditions. Console commands can be used to expedite the process, but doing so is definitely not recommended.

This update will feature some mechanics specific to either country. Changeling Manehattan will be able to make use of a unique Love Tax system that attempts to explore the concept of Changelings feeding on love — a key element of Changeling racial lore that is overlooked in the mod. The Protectorate will also suffer from sporadic uprisings, which they will have to repress from time to time. Right now, these uprisings are more of a minor nuisance than any real threat to Lilac's rule, but they may be reworked in the future to pose more of a challenge, when the mod is updated to make use of the new mechanics of La Resistance.

The Equestrian Liberation Front will make use of several pieces of scripted GUI, namely in their state-specific military actions, as well as their leadership options.

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Heya! I’m VoidTemplar2000, commonly going under Void, your friendly GM for the Climb, Little Helper and Horseworder to give you some low down on a bit of lore.

After Equestria lay vanquished in the Great War, the Changeling Lands and Queen Chrysalis attempted to run the whole thing directly from Vesalipolis with… predictable results. Who could have known taking over a country more than double your area and population, that you had sworn to erase would overextend you, huh? To remedy this, Chrysalis instead carved up the place. Some would remain under Direct Rule from Vesalipolis and other areas would be split off as what was nominally their own states but would have a protectorate instituted over them with wide-ranging powers. One of them is The Republic of Eastern Equestria, or as it is commonly referred to in Vesalipolis, Protectorate Manehatten.

Now, Lysia may be a competent bureaucrat and soldier, ready to serve Queen and Country, but trying to pacify Equestria and one of its biggest cities at that is anything but easy. The overt lack of collaboration is the least of Lysia’s problems as she moves into the Crystaller Building on 81 Crystal Avenue. The armed resistance, led by former associates of Princess Twilight Sparkle, hides in the concrete jungle that is the metropolis, and will need to be flushed out. Not only that remains a problem, but civil resistance is also a nuisance that a player and by extension Lysia, will need to handle. And there’s that damn phone from Vesalipolis reminding us about the shipments of love that we have to send again.

Lysia has several things to prove, lest the pony tail wags the Changeling dog and Lysia, at best, is reduced to a figurehead, as Vesalipolis reestablishes control. At worst, she may end up enjoying a cold, humid cell in Bronclyn if the Resistance gains enough traction at worst. Even without their beloved alicorns, they are fierce fighters and will not hesitate to die for another morning to dawn in Equestria. But should Lysia succeed, she’ll go down as the changeling who could do what others couldn’t. Pacify an unruly place, not just by force, but by co-opting existing structures, to create a wholly new national identity and make Manehatten a shining exemplar of a Changeling Protectorate.

But the Resistance also has several things to prove, and hard decisions to make. Without the Alicorns — for now — and with the war, they are on unsure ground. And against the ruthless changelings, who will pull out all the stops to put down this rebellion, what measures will the E.L.F. throw to the wind to thrive, or even just to survive?

For what profit is it to a pony if they gain the whole world, and loses their own soul?

————

Featuring well above two hundred events and more than a hundred pieces of unique GFX, the development of Manehattan and the E.L.F. owes much to the combined efforts of many on the EaW modding team: I would like to thank the Horseworders Cynewulf, Kingston (u/Kingston8375), King Chrysalis, Rainyday, Sweet Chrysalis, and VoidTemplar2000 (u/voidtemplar2000); the Translators idenr, MonAx (u/MonX94); Rugar, Scorg, and Sciv888; as well as the Artists Colfido, Rich May (u/Rich_May), and of course, Scroup.

Last but not least, here are the initial focus trees for the Manehattan Protectorate and the Equestrian Liberation Front.

Dev Diary XI - Pax Chrysalia Redux! (June 2020)
Hi everyone! I’m Kingston posting here for our good friend and developer Jaspy. I hope you enjoy everything he has in store for the mod, and I also hope this post formats correctly...

Grüße dich! I am Jaspy from Equestria at War, here to present the upcoming update for the mod: Pax Chrysalia Redux. As a sequel to the original Pax Chrysalia update in February, which featured the late-game formable nations of the Manehattan Protectorate and the Equestrian Liberation Front, this new update will introduce late-game content for the Changeling Lands, should they emerge triumphant over Equestria in the Great War.

There isn’t much that I can show you about Pax Chrysalia Redux that wouldn’t result in massive spoilers, though I can safely say that it will be predominantly narrative-focused content, revolving around the Changeling Queendom’s efforts to stabilise their control over Equestria, Equus, and beyond, complemented by unique mechanics that offer insight into the rise of the Queendom as a geopolitical and economic superpower.

Finally, as part of the update, Zecora’s Resistance and their uprising against the Changeling occupation has been substantially reworked, so as to present more of a challenge to a late-game Changeling player. You can catch a glimpse of what the Changelings now have to do in order to fully defeat Zecora from the relevant foci in the Pax Chrysalia focus tree.

That’s all for now. We aim to release the update sometime in early July, hopefully. Special thanks to The 24th Pegasus for writing the hundreds of thousands of horsewords for this update, as well as Scorg for translating all of it into Russian. In addition, artists Rich May and Moonatik created a lot of the new artwork soon to be featured in-game; check them out as well.

Also, expect a dev diary on Northern Zebrica soontm

= Diary XII: North Zebrica and the North Zebrican War =

Hello everyone! My name is Kingston and you probably know me as a writer for Equestria at War. But today I'm bringing you something different. We haven't had a proper dev diary since before the Pax Diary, so we decided to bring you another. Firstly, I'd like to thank all the coders, writers, and artists that have helped bring our content this far so that we can show it to all of you, and so without further ado, let us set the scene for the North Zebrican War.

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The first actor on the stage is Chiropterra. A secretive nation of Lunarist supporters who have been working from the shadows for a millennium to bring about the return of their Empress, Nightmare Moon. Unfortunately, for what we are showing you today, that quest must fail, and they must wait longer for their eternal mission to be accomplished.

Chiropterra's Starting position

The second actor is the "Republic" of Colthage. In reality, an Oligarchy led by Zalathel Zarca, the nation's great hero, and bent on bolstering national wealth and pride by any means. His regime is backed by a myriad of forces, which he needs to keep balanced lest they attempt to overthrow him. But for today, he shall maintain his absolute control over his nation, and begin preparations to avenge his father, and take aim at the third great power in the region.

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Colthage Starting Situation

Hippogriffia stands proud and remains free from oppression. Even following the attack of the Storm King on their capital Mount Aris, they have defied foreign invaders and stand united and proud under the forces of harmony. But this success has given them many enemies. In the wake of the Storm King, the Kingdom seized a mandate over the continental lands of Zumidia, areas that traditionally fell under Colthagian influence. They have also made an enemy of Chiropterra, being staunch allies of Equestria since the School of Friendship was opened. The Lunarists can not abide by this and want some land out of the deal as well. Unfortunately for Hippogriffia, the Colthagians are willing to split the difference and make a pact.

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Zumidia is cirlced in red

Now we’ll be discussing the most conventional setup for the North Zebrican War in the main Zebrica update, and what will happen if you choose to play the game “historically," following the general narrative.

First, the Lunar revolt in Equestria will fail to ever gather steam. Celestia will cooperate with her sister to bring reforms to Equestria’s political and social structure, thus foiling “Project Moonshine,” the Chiropterran subversive operation within Equestria. But no matter, the loyal soldiers of Chiropterra have waited for a thousand years for their Empress, they can wait a thousand more.

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https://preview.redd.it/dm5h3xwshgb71.png?width=576&format=png&auto=webp&s=a1d1c53c7527616c72fd80b4cec2ccfd79a6cd49

But unlike the failure a thousand years ago, this time the Chiropterrans decide they must expand and consolidate their state to face the Celestial hordes. And so, they set their sights on the other great powers in the region, Colthage, and Hippogriffia. The Hippogriffs are likely harmonists, an ally to the Sun, and therefore an enemy of the Chiropterrans, but they are also modern and powerful, with the realm of Seaquestria providing them great strength beyond what their island may seem to provide. Thus, the Legionaries of Chiropterra need an ally, and they find it just a bit further east.

Colthage under Zarca has just recovered from the invasion of the Storm King when Chiropterra goes looking for allies. His state is militaristic and ready to liberate their fellow zebras under Hippogriff control. Thus an alliance of convenience is formed, a pact to throw the Hippogriffs off the continent for good.

It will likely be Chiropterra who fires the first shot, and from there, the allies have a strong advantage against the Hippogriffs on land, and will likely push them off of the mandate territories. With their war aims accomplished, the allies will simply wait, and with no ability to conquer the Hippogriffian fleet, the Hippogriffs will eventually sign a truce giving up the mandate. That is, unless, another party intervenes.

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The Standard end of the war \(Zarantia here is a Chiropterran military region\)

But of course, foreign interests have a tendency to want to gain things from the situation.

https://preview.redd.it/werp3ptzjgb71.png?width=166&format=png&auto=webp&s=a17582a63368f6a9b6ff792309b8c2cd4a86d156

Guilo Beakolini has always coveted many of the smaller Hippogriff island territories to further his own ambitions in the region, and when the two allies invade, another pact can be made, enlisting the help of the Regia Marina to force further concessions on the Hippogriffs. In a victory of this three-member coalition, the continental mandate is seized as before, Wingbardy takes some outlying islands, and a Wingbardian diplomat will approach the three allies about a unique project of his own design. The twelve concessions, and the Legation at Winggarden.

Winggarden and the post-war with Wingbardian Intervention \(Wingbardian islands circled in red\)

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The 12 Concessions

After the war, a few things will happen. Hippogriffia will have a crisis of confidence, shaken by the fact they couldn't protect harmony. But they will likely recover, and turn outwards to protect harmony abroad. Likely working to protect their old ally Equestria if it is still fighting the Changeling menace. Colthage will work to consolidate the gains it has made, and try to position itself as the new hegemon of North Zebrica, and possibly beyond.

Chiropterra for their part, will enter a phase known as the Bush War. While the populations Colthage conquers see their conquerors at the very least as cultural cousins, the Legionaries of Chiropterra are foreign, aggressive, and bent on spreading their Lunarist faith. Leading to a time of incredible resistance against their rule, leading to Chiropterra either lightening their glove on the natives or doubling down on subjugating all under their rule.

Then comes Winggarden. The Legation system is tenuous at best, and a bloodbath at its worst, but to discuss Winggarden in depth would take far too long for this Dev Diary. And so I'll conclude there, if you've gotten through this small essay, thank you very much! And I hope you look forward to the release of Zebrica eventually^(TM)!

= Dev Diary XIII: Coltva =

Hello everyone, and welcome to another EAW dev diary! This time we'll be covering the deep dark vortex that is Coltva, and most of the content that can happen within its hallowed walls. We’ll try and make a few more of these before release, but no promises. Anyways, buckle in. This is going to be a long one.

First, a big thank you to everyone whose content is in this dev diary, including:

Cyrus

Professional Horse

Featherus

Tito

Sweet Chrysalis

But Coltva isn't a nation present on the first of January 1007, so how does this occur?

Well, it all starts with the work of one specific Zebra;

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Zeshmunazash Zeirutid

Zeshmunazash Zeirutid (try saying that 5 times fast, or typing it a few hundred, it gets tiring) is the son of a middle-class family in Coltva who has refused to accept the status-quo of Colthagian rule. The poverty of his home region combined with the corrupt control of large landowners has galvanized him to take up the mantle of not just a dissident, but a revolutionary. While violence is never his first choice, his hand can be forced.

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https://preview.redd.it/6hw7inqqgcn71.png?width=352&format=png&auto=webp&s=99744ae1191575f2c560bc849f3b028403bb28af

When the time comes, and if Colthage has failed to keep Coltva under control, the common zebras shall rally to Zeshmunazash's banner, and the revolt of the eastern provinces will completely destroy Colthagian authority in the region. So then it is no longer just a revolt, but The Colthagian Civil War.

However, this was somewhere Zeshmunazash hoped he would never end up. He's wanted land reform and equality his whole life, and has always been ready to fight for it, but he never thought it would come to this. And now, he has to march an army to the capital, as Zarca will never negotiate with him. So a full-on war it shall be.

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The rising has begun!

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Coltva's someone tenuous starting situation

Now this revolt can pan out a lot of ways. Firstly, it can be defeated. With the Liberation Army of the East destroyed, the back of Coltvan resistance will be broken, and Coltva shall fall in line as another loyal province of Colthage. But Zeshmunazash will not make that easy for the Colthagians. An accomplished leader in his own right, he also has at his command one of the most skilled generals staffs in the entirety of the EAW world, with the foremost among them being Zenarvo Ozid, a close friend of Zeshmunazash since his first days resisting Colthagian tyranny.

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https://preview.redd.it/i5wh8p20hcn71.png?width=514&format=png&auto=webp&s=2b0cc0e2477f7c124f0cfe2e4b22ce850b1c8038

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https://preview.redd.it/4xgfxup0hcn71.png?width=513&format=png&auto=webp&s=f24eddcf3d1ab499b26c22b635568fde332ff272

So here's where our timelines begin to split. For now, that's the whole situation. It's the Colthagian government under Zalathel Zarca versus the Liberation Army of the East. Once the LAE has marched across the entirety of the country, and the Zarcid government has collapsed, Zeshmunazash finds himself in a terrifying situation. He's never been a politician! Sure he's been an activist for a while, but this is all entirely new to him. And plus, he doesn't want this to just be a coup, he doesn't want the old system with him at the head, he needs real change. So he decides to do what he's done his entire life, roll up his sleeves and work for the change he wants to see.

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https://preview.redd.it/f7x0qn05hcn71.png?width=575&format=png&auto=webp&s=d6b57b744de8c05e6fd35840f0165c56334a8edf

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https://preview.redd.it/ddtk6gy5hcn71.png?width=1586&format=png&auto=webp&s=96dc541814d16bce541593ec334d6c1ba2f33d62

Firstly, Zeshmunazash is not a vengeful zebra. He'll immediately reach out to factions suppressed by the Zarcid government and invite them to join him. All zebras from republican intelligencia to firebrand communists shall be welcome in his new National Unity Front, a revolutionary congress set to govern Colthage.

https://preview.redd.it/0spyqb58hcn71.png?width=578&format=png&auto=webp&s=59a84898c4b0779d531645e56ec2d8885d747dc2

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https://preview.redd.it/r3i9vvt8hcn71.png?width=514&format=png&auto=webp&s=38ae7bc50a42e0aa3b6d67ca2463083e988a4526

This congress will break up roughly into three factions.

The Orthodox Zeirutidstas are those who most directly align with Zeshmunazash's political ideology. They believe in decentralized political power, local rights for national minorities, light-hooved governance, and a reformed localist model for administration.

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https://preview.redd.it/famapivahcn71.png?width=468&format=png&auto=webp&s=a1d200f4bf3c6f883d041f6d8e726bbcb92a733b

The Evolutionaries are the more radical members of the original Liberation Army of the East. Containing everything from broad socialists who don't fall in with the Orthodox clique, to full Stallionists, the Evolutionaries believe in pushing the nation further towards socialism and empowering the regional workers' councils that began popping up during the war. They believe in a Colthage made of communes with a more state-run economy.

https://preview.redd.it/y01tvk7chcn71.png?width=468&format=png&auto=webp&s=10ce39f7c019f5effd60b97f742bff0a65e342c4

And lastly, there are the pragmatists. This faction is where many Colthagian remnants ended up after the war, and its members are the most active proponents of working with the old order when establishing the new one. While they would seem, at first glance, the exact opposite of the Evolutionaries, revolutionary politics makes for strange bedfellows, and these factions often find themselves agreeing on things.

https://preview.redd.it/wlluoscdhcn71.png?width=468&format=png&auto=webp&s=d339c5fafccc90f998d444dc925698a4d8de701b

Now, Zeshmunazash's first task is threefold, he must halt the famine caused by the vicious civil war, build a functioning administration to replace the old Colthagian one, and turn the LAE into a fully professional army.

https://preview.redd.it/ay1jqshfhcn71.png?width=1705&format=png&auto=webp&s=ce8caaf28551ff490c9799c0224d6b816f3b4500

Famine relief is relatively straightforward, but building a government is more complicated. First, he must halt the remnant Zarcids and follow through on many of his promises, like autonomy for Coltva's ethnic minorities. Then he must find an ally in the west, a region where he had never been before he marched there with an army. He can either choose between the Tefemanei region's former governor, the de facto leader of the "old order" by this point, or Zannido "Bandolier" Zidon, an infamous bandit and freedom fighter, who may be more than meets the eye.

Finally, the NUF must decide on the fate of the prefectures, and here is where you will be introduced to Coltva's unique mechanics, but to explain them here would take too long, so you'll see when you play the game.

Finally, forming an army has strange implications. The Orthodox faction will advocate blacklisting former Colthagian military officers from service, while the Evolutionaries and Pragmatists will come together to argue the merits of integrating the old army into the fold. Finally, one faction will establish their own army policy, again tying into Coltva's core mechanics.

But with these three tasks done, the state is secure, and it's time to move on to bigger tasks.

https://preview.redd.it/vjvwq7fmhcn71.png?width=578&format=png&auto=webp&s=ac363bf5d5f1a0457b2b9a7589a08ce15dae7eb5

What follows is probably the most in-depth tree in Equestria at war. You will consistently need to balance the factions of the NUF to formalize three things, your economic policy, your law code, and your military policy. Going all-in with one faction will allow you to Crystalize these quickly, but with equal negatives to counteract the benefits. Constantly switching between dominant factions will take longer but enables you to Harmonize your systems, granting more spread-out benefits with no downsides.

Once this has been accomplished, you'll move on to foreign policy. Zeshmunazash has big dreams, dreams of freedom for all, and it's your job to make them happen.

[Apologies if it is difficult to read, it takes a lot to edit these together.](https://preview.redd.it/0b5n633jhcn71.png?width=1665&format=png&auto=webp&s=bff7055f228f75fe2ecebff2ec36f97e5f6a254d)

But alas, heroes often fall too soon, and there are chances for a far different fate to befall Mr. Zeirutid. He isn't the only rebel movement in Colthage, and they don't all necessarily agree.

In the far west, there's a zebra named Zanno Mzelqatid, and he's the leader of the Constitutionalists. He is firmly anti-Zarcid, but believes the system that Zarca came to power in can be reformed. He is backed by a myriad of forces, including the small Harmonite faction within Colthage, and can launch his own revolt in the far west of the country. He may also receive a dev diary someday, but for now we only need to focus on how he relates to Zeshmunazash.

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Zanno Mzelqatid, center faction.

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Zenut Zaranzid, reactionary faction.

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Jezebella Zeshmid, Harmonite faction \(Jesus I do not know why this one is so much bigger\)

If the Lion of Coltva and the Great Constitutionalist revolt simultaneously, one of two things can happen. First, an agreement can be made. Zeshmunazash will rule just Coltva as he wishes, but it will be de jure part of the Colthagian republic. This will get you this tree;

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https://preview.redd.it/9243ekr8icn71.png?width=655&format=png&auto=webp&s=b6a050831657082e6de911d350c48a1d02868925

Alternatively, there are those within Zanno's government who despise Zeshmunazash. They see him as an upstart, a bandit, a filthy Marksist, and a threat that needs to be eliminated. So Zaranzid and his clique will prepare a plot. They'll invite Zeshmunazash to negotiations, and then take him out in an ambush. Betraying the naive rebel leader's trust and decapitating and destroying the Coltvan resistance movement in one fell swoop...

Or so they think... For there's another child of the Zeirutid family, one who's lived in her brother's shadow her entire life. And may Za'al have mercy on Zeshmunazash's killers, as well as the rest of Colthage, if she is to succeed.

It is time for the Second Colthagian civil war.

Part Two---> https://www.reddit.com/r/equestriaatwar/comments/pnq13r/dev\_diary\_coltva\_pt2/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3

Dev Diary XIII: Coltva Pt.2
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https://preview.redd.it/mtd21h82kcn71.png?width=1886&format=png&auto=webp&s=395631a17091ca235122efeb28305444a97070e3

Zarishat Zeirutid could not be more different from her late brother. After Zeshmunazash had to flee underground during his early days of political activism, the family was forced to flee with him. Zarishat never forgave him for this, and while on the run from the law, she developed a dependency on alcohol to get through the day. But even with all these concerns, she is able to seize the mantle of running the LAE after her brother's death. However, she does things a bit differently.

https://preview.redd.it/kd8089l5jcn71.png?width=406&format=png&auto=webp&s=fde00555e42a12f3fc3b899a3051d0880091e480

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Zarishat doesn't care for her brother's ideology of "cooperation" and "reform." The people want blood, they want vengeance, and she will give it to them. Heavy-handed government responses will disrupt the nation's stability, and Zarishat's personal unpopularity combined with the vicious nature of the Coltvan takeover will precipitate a crisis throughout the nation, forcing Zarishat to do everything she can to keep the country from collapsing.

https://preview.redd.it/o2w742zhjcn71.png?width=518&format=png&auto=webp&s=6c9d6ba280b329ab4447bf016e167c18327df230

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[https://preview.redd.it/lo2fdkfjjcn71.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=3980e1ed0b07bdff8718ab9d8cd526b422a8e8b4 Each state is part of a prefecture that has its own authority level. This level can be increased via state-based decisions in a unique GUI.]

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People really don't like Zarishat...

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But this is just weird...

Her methods will never be clean. She will purge all resistance with blood and violence, only the method of bloodshed shall differ depending on the prefecture. After all, they killed Zeshmunazash. He was the voice of reason, he would have listened to their concerns, and he's dead and gone. Now they must deal with the consequences of their sins.

But her vengeance isn't some righteous crusade. It's spite, pure and simple. She will do things simply because Zeshmunazash would have hated them, like implementing political commissars in the armed forces. And, of course, the majority of the nation doesn't exactly take this well. She will have to balance genuine economic reforms through statist control with the destabilizing influence of her massacres of dissidents. All of this \*on top of the fact\* that she needs to get her alcoholism under control.

She will have few allies in her quest, Ozid and much of the LAE establishment despises her, and she really only has one actual friend. General Monzano is someone who doesn't care at all for politics. She joined the LAE out of pragmatism and found the sarcastic and witty Zarishat a good drinking partner. She'll be Zarishat's way into taming the LAE. And oh boy, will she need it.

For now, let's assume everything goes well for Zarishat. She bucks her alcohol habit, slaughters the patricians, reforms the LAE, enforces her own economic vision on the state, and gets all the provinces under control. Well, what now? She has caused a revolution more radical than anything her brother ever wanted; however, she lacks an actual ideology.

Wait a second, revolution? Isn't that what Marksists do? Well, then… I guess it's time for a dictatorship in a red coat of paint, and the reign of the Red Sufrit.

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https://preview.redd.it/dds27xarjcn71.png?width=575&format=png&auto=webp&s=6a0c7386fdd78456b679dba83a11cae1aca5b8db

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https://preview.redd.it/rwamqcoakcn71.png?width=1813&format=png&auto=webp&s=57ddf875d8b105223854c522d9bc3781c1bc09da

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These two screenshots are in the same tree, I just had to edit them separately.

Zarishat is not a real communist. That should be clear immediately. It's simply easy for her to co-opt Marksist institutions for her own aims. The state will grant entire sections of the economy to private ownership as long as they pay the equivalent of a bribe to Zarishat and her government. She'll bring in the former Scientificid economist Azizelquart Zahummid to forge a great economic project to make as much money as possible. She'll also look to the past, to the trading culture of ancient Zonicia and Zyre, and will open up the country to foreign trade and exportation (in specific regions designated by the government but trust us, this is totally socialism). And once all this is done, the Old Guard who oppose her rule shall be excised like the cancer it is. Finally, Monzano will be given the military as almost a personal fiefdom and will reform it to embark on Zarishat's final quest. Complete domination of the seas around Zonicia, and rule through economic might.

Now, of course, this all sounds terrible. The lands Zarishat conquers become effectively colonial territories to Zonicia. But Zarishat is not a fool. She hasn't come this far just to throw it all away. Life in Zonicia will actually improve under her regime. Just pray you aren't a Kasan. In the end, Zarishat’s Zonicia will be a capitalist trading empire under a marksist banner. An economic titan of the modern age. And for her part, Zarishat will get the smug satisfaction of having destroyed everything her brother held dear. As well as possibly being the wealthiest creature in the world.

Now let's rewind a few years, to immediately after Zarishat conquers Colthage. It's a truly monumental task to hold the nation together, and many players will fail on their first time. If four prefectures or the prefecture of Colthage falls to anarchy, Zarishat's government will collapse. Of course, as a brave leader of zebras, Zarishat will obviously go down with her ship... wait, what do you mean she fled to Les Meridiennes with the entire national gold reserve?!

https://preview.redd.it/jwitaj7fkcn71.png?width=576&format=png&auto=webp&s=967ae08768199e082446f22d8d6a2c6088fd4f07

Okay, well, this is bad. This is absolutely terrible. Zarishat may have been an alcoholic dictator, but she was also the only thing keeping much worse forces at bay. Welp, welcome, to the Third Colthagian Civil War.

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https://preview.redd.it/k3czl0qhkcn71.png?width=579&format=png&auto=webp&s=f32856125a64f204598f9fb035e43dbae1a046da

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Buuuuut, that's where I have to end it off for today! If you actually read through this whole thing, I cannot thank you enough. This has been a true labor of love for me and everyone involved, and I hope this will sufficiently sate our fans until either the next diary, or the release of zebrica. From me and everyone on the Equestria at War team, I hope you enjoyed!

= Dev Diary XIV: Hippogriffia =

Hello everyone, and welcome to another EAW dev diary! Today we are crossing the waves over to the island of Hippogriffia, and ascending the hills and dales to the great city of Mount Aris.

Firstly, EAW's lore regarding the Hippogriffs is slightly different than that of the MLP show, so the diary will begin with our retelling of that story. But before we get started, I would like to thank everyone who has worked on Hippogriffia for all of their help:

Japg

Danielle

Cataline

Dunkle

Tito

Riki

Featherus

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Now, to get down to our lore:

Today we will be covering the nation of Hippogriffia. But to tell the story of the Hippogriffs, we need to speak of their past, and a Yeti known only as the Storm King. If you don't want to read our retelling of the lore before 1007, I will leave a note where it ends.

The Hippogriffs were always an isolationist people, splitting their great Kingdom of Aris between the above-water land of Hippogriffia and the bellow-water land of Seaquestria. They are of course able to switch between these forms using their pearl of transformation, but if you were born under the waves, you likely stayed there. Life was peaceful for the hippogriffs and seaponies, having minimal contact with their warlike neighbors, they lived happily and innocently under the dynasty of Queen Novo, who by all accounts is a competent queen.

This way of life was thrown into chaos by the attack of the Storm King. Rampaging across the north of the continent, Queen Novo saw that his ambitions would not simply stop with the mainland, and so commanded all her people to follow her underwater for safety, and thus Hippogriffia disappeared. They remained like this for nearly three years, until the arrival of a strange group of ponies.

Commanded by the Tree of Harmony, Twilight Sparkle and the Elements of Harmony arrived in Mount Aris to solve a friendship problem, but quickly discovered the land abandoned. Their situation becomes even more dire when a former pirate provides them with a document from the Storm King saying he intends to simply take everything not bolted down from Hippogriffia, and use his airships to sail straight to Equestria instead. Twilight decides they must find the Hippogriffs, figuring that if the tree sent them here, they must be the key to stopping the Storm King’s invasion of Equestria. Eventually finding their way into the mystical Seaquestria by following the Seapony Princess Skystar, they meet with Queen Novo and plead their case. Fearful for her own people, Novo says they may stay in Seaquestria if they like, but that she can not risk seapony lives for the effort. Twilight, panicking at the thought of failure, steals the transformation pearl, hoping that it will be her key to victory, resulting in the ponies being banished from Seaquestria, never allowed to return. Temporarily abandoned by her friends, Twilight is captured by Storm King's second-in-command, Tempest Shadow, who brings her to his master in his base at the city of Ain Trotgourait, and expects him to fix her broken horn as a result. While Twilight is imprisoned, the rest of the Mane 6 languish on the surface of Hippogriffia. Moving throughout the city, the Mane 5 see everything the Storm King had done. Valuables stripped from every surface, posters of his face left all across the city, before finding the worst scene of all: The ruins of the former royal palace, ruined and destroyed by the Storm King, and turned into a temporary base for his conquests. While gazing upon the terrible sight, the Mane 5 noticed someone had joined them on the surface. Princess Skystar, who had followed them to apologize for her mother’s rash decision-making, was now confronted with the place she had grown up, utterly defaced. Remembering the years before the submerging, Skystar began to weep in remembrance of all that was lost. Turning wordlessly to the five ponies and one dragon, she invited them once more into Seaquestria, where Skystar made an impassioned appeal to her mother to see what he had done to their land, a land without a people to conquer, how he had torn everything away from the dying ruins of their land, and left nothing but the ashes of once was. However, Novo still refused. She explained to her daughter how upset it made her to have to make that choice, but Hippogriffia already paid the price for their safety. She couldn’t pay another price in blood. Furious, Skystar fled Seaquestria with the Mane 5, and reached the surface once again, but found they were not alone. A group of pirates and a suave cat waited for them above, ready to play their part in doing what was right. And as their airship sailed away, Skystar looked back to see her mother on the shoreline, watching her fly away towards the continent.

Perhaps afraid about what would happen to Skystar, perhaps feeling her rage and desire for justice, Novo made a different choice. Steeling herself, Novo returned to Seaquestria and sounded the call to arms. No longer would the Storm King have the glory of victory, the Hippogriffs and Seaponies must do their part. From the undercities march legions of soldiers, ready to defend harmony. And from secretive isolated caves across Hippogriffia sails the Royal Hippogriff Navy, the most Advanced Fleet in the world, as well as an Air Force to rival any other.

While the Hippogriffs rallied, the Storm King sat unknowingly in his base at Ain Trotgourait. With the capture of an Alicorn, he questioned if he has any use for Tempest any longer, and revealed to her that he could never fix her horn anyway, intending to do away with her; she is saved by Twilight in an act of magical bravado. As the two hide from a ruthless Storm King, they question how they shall make it out alive. Then, as the sun began to set, the sky was lit red with shells and gunpowder, as the Hippogriffs arrived, ready for vengeance. In the ensuing battle, the Storm King’s capital ship was shot down by an, at the time, unknown pilot named Crack Lightning. In the final battle, a combination of Tempest’s magic, Twilight’s planning, and the timely arrival of the Mane 5 and Skystar lead to Twilight being able to destroy the Storm King with his own magical staff. Following his defeat, the Yeti army was utterly routed and expelled from the city

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\[STORM KING LORE END\]

With the Storm King vanquished, the unity that had existed in Arisian society for a short time fractured. Many seaponies saw the death and destruction of the outside world as proof that the nation should keep itself partially isolated, protected from the barbaric world outside. But on the other claw, most Hippogriffs saw the world in need of a nation that could support the values of Harmony in Zebrica, and saw it as their duty to do so. Seeing Hippogriffia begin to fray, Queen Novo dismissed prominent isolationist Raft Wood from her court and had the Pearl of Transformation divided into countless pieces, allowing any Hippogriff or Seapony to transform and enter either half of the Kingdom, giving up the monarchy’s monopoly on this power. Along with this, she also sent her niece Silverstream to study at the Equestrian School of Friendship to learn more about the world, and the royal court decided the Hippogriff army would occupy Zumidia as a protectorate to prevent the region from falling into chaos in the absence of the Storm King’s heavy-handed rule. A regency council of prominent citizens was established to serve as a proxy regime for the young Child King of Zumidia while Hippogriff administrators did the majority of the work. Since then the Zumidians have been quite happy with the setup and there is an increasing bond of friendship between the Arisians and the zebras of Zumidia.

Keep in mind, most of what comes next will follow the "historical" events.

Now, the year is 1007. After years of involvement in Zumidia and increasing tensions over the nation’s involvement in world affairs, conflict is once again growing in the Arisian court. Foreign ideas are flooding into the nation, many less than friendly to the monarchy as an institution and Queen Novo is becoming afraid. She has to put her claw/fin down once again, either continuing her general support for a more open nation, or conceding that Aris must keep itself safe above all else.

https://preview.redd.it/h5p9285b9en81.png?width=887&format=png&auto=webp&s=d9308ecdcb508f08cbb694622b888e7e81d8fed4

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Opening designated trade ports will keep the nation on the course it has been on since the victory at Ain Trotgourait, and will further open Aris to the world, providing strong economic bonuses but also leaving it less prepared in the event of a war. Embracing the seapony policy of Autarky will lead to a far more robust defense policy but will cut you off from the world economy. It will also lead to the establishment of an organization known as the AHAC, the Anti-Harmonic Activities Committee, dedicated to rooting out behavior that goes against the principles of harmony.

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https://preview.redd.it/d5hlkryu9en81.png?width=229&format=png&auto=webp&s=72f3c4d41f5198aea60d6548e88ff5883d33bfd4

While its leader Violet Facade has only good intentions, it should be noted that the Committee will go to disturbing lengths to keep the state protected and secure, and the policies it implements can easily be used in ways Violet may not originally intend…

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However, regardless of the initial choice you make regarding isolationism, both routes can lead to Hippogriffia’s historical path, the harmonist tree. This tree has two primary focuses, the nature of the government and the nature of Zumidia. In 1007, Hippogriffia is essentially an absolute monarchy. The court governs many of the affairs of state in Queen Novo’s name, but through the years underwater and since, Novo had the ability to overrule any decision made by any government branch under her Royal Prerogatives. Novo is not an absolutist at heart, and has only used these powers to keep her nation safe. After consulting with her daughter Skystar and her Niece Silverstream she has agreed to devolve more of her powers, either to a more robust royal council or to the beginnings of a parliament, elected by Hippogriffs and Seaponies.

The second issue is Zumidia, while there has been no significant push for independence since the Hippogriff occupation, Zumidia is not formally a part of the Hippogriff state, and its political rights and duties lie in constant limbo. Hippogriffia will either integrate Zumidia into the Arisian Queendom, or will work with its neighbor Warzena to form a true North Zebrican Federation, made of the four nations of Hippogriffia, the Seapony Queendom, Zumidia, and Warzena.

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But as you pursue these reforms, you will likely be interrupted by the onset of the North Zebrican war, the war that Novo has feared her entire life but deep down knew was coming. Chiropterra and possibly Colthage will invade Warzena and the Hippogriff holdings on the mainland, and the fate of the Hippogriff political system will hang on the might of the Hippogriff army.

If harmony is victorious, the Hippogriff system will stay safe, and it will be another time of great change in Aris. Aris’ foreign policy for years has been regional safety, but now it is time for it to rise to the world stage as an equal. The matter of Chiropterra and Colthage will need to be settled, and Hippogriffia’s relationship to Equestria will either be reaffirmed or brought closer. Lastly, Novo can make a great choice, she can abdicate in favor of her incredibly popular daughter Skystar, whose militarism and defiance in the face of foreign aggression are well suited to this new era of global involvement. However, Novo is still popular in her own right, and is seen as a stabilizing force, and she still has many more years of rule in her.

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However, if Hippogriffia loses the North Zebrican war, which will happen historically, the consequences will be terrible. Novo must keep her nation together, and to do so she will need to take risks. She will either trust in her niece Silverstream to keep harmony alive, or she will assert her royal prerogative and rule with force to keep her people safe. Either way has a chance of failing, and if your stability is too low, Seaquestria will secede from the union. The nature of this secession however is different depending on what gamble you took. Historically, at the end, once the nation is secure, Hippogriffia will join the United Ponies Alliance and help Equestria secure Harmony on Equus, confident it will return to Zebrica one day.

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But for now, that’s all I will say about the bastion of Zebrican Harmony! Off to a far more sinister reality!

Hey all! I'm Danielle, lead dev of Hippogriffia's nationalist paths, which center around the Aris First movement. The first thing to know about Aris First is that it was founded by Raft Wood, who was the guy who suggested going underwater to escape the Storm King in the first place. It mostly represents him and his fellow seaponies who really don't think going underwater was such a bad idea, and are sick of being called cowards for it. They're also concerned that international trade is taking away Hippogriffian jobs, and don't think Aris has any business spending huge amounts of money to help a bunch of zebras rebuild. After all, we defeated the Storm King, and they call us cowards. Or worse, they take our help and call us imperialists! According to Raft, Hippogriffia is better off alone.

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Now if it was just Raft Wood involved, Aris First would just be an isolationist interest group. But when national hero and fighter ace Crack Lightning joins up, things kick into high gear. See, Crack Lightning is incredibly charismatic, and is popular outside the traditional conservative circles of Seaquestria. Between his charisma and Raft Wood's campaign strategy, Aris First becomes a nationwide movement.

The other part of their strategy is the Anti-Harmonic Activities Committee, led by the historian Violet Facade. She studied the collapse of the Griffonian Empire, concluding that it fell because it allowed radical and dangerous ideas to spread. So if the player chooses to set up the AHAC as part of the isolationist branch, then Aris First gains the inside allies they need to have a real shot at power, even if Violet may not explicitly support them. Although Novo has always ruled directly, it is not unheard-of for a monarch of Aris to appoint a government to run things for them, and if combined support for neutrality (representing Raft Wood’s Moderate wing of Aris First) and supremacy (representing Crack Lightning’s Hardline wing) gets high enough, that’s exactly what will happen.

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But wait: Moderates and Hardliners? Well, while Raft Wood is supposed to be the leader of the movement, Crack Lightning has been building up his own powerbase, using demagogic speeches to rile up the masses and get them loyal to him, seeing him as a sort of messiah who represents the true spirit of Aris.

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More concerningly, he’s been setting up an organization made up of army veterans called the Phalanx, and while he insists it’s harmless, what he’s building is a private army. And shortly after the pair secure power, Raft Wood realizes what’s up.

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This kicks off their focus tree, with each focus choice affecting the balance of power between the two leaders. At the end of the day, there can only be one leader of Aris, but in the meantime neither can really govern without the other. However, the outbreak of the North Zebrican War kicks the struggle into overdrive, with the direction of the war itself turning into yet another battleground between the Moderates and the Hardliners.

Sooner or later, one will consolidate enough power that they’ll be able to get rid of the other for good, opening up the rest of the Aris First focus tree. As you can see, they each plan on winning the war in ways reflecting their philosophies, with Raft Wood issuing large amounts of war bonds, fighting an attritional war and even promising a better future for the Zumidian zebras if they will help him.

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Meanwhile, if Crack Lightning wins, he will centralize all power around himself and the military, kicking the economy into overdrive and integrating the Phalanx into the army as fanatical shock troops. He will also resort to rather extreme methods to exact revenge on the enemies of Aris: soldier and civilian alike.

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If either branch of Aris first wins the war their own policies will be entrenched and legitimized. But due to their overtly nationalistic outlooks, losing a war does not bode well for them. Either of them losing the North Zebrican War will have disastrous consequences.

Now, heading to the other end of the political spectrum, we can discover the possible consequences of opening the country. While the rise of Aris First happens because of the validation of isolationists and nationalists, the rise of the Revolutionary Workers Party starts when Queen Novo continues to allow foreign goods, and therefore ideas into Hippogriffia. The RWP is led by the curious seapony named Posada, who has experienced much pain in her life, and sees communism as a way to cleanse the suffering of the common Hippogriff and Seapony, and improve society for all. Posada’s communism is utopian and accelerationist, willing to work with harmonists, anarchists, and extreme anti-revisionists to get things done. She can even cooperate with her personal friend, Crack Lightning to form a unique nationalists wing of the RWP. This, is probably a bad idea, but it shows her sometimes crippling idealism in the face of adversity. Additionally, Posada decrees a raceless society, a difficult concept in a world where each race has their own magical talents, but she sees it as essential to the equality communism promises, and she makes sure that zebras and other non-arisian subjects are fully integrated into the national whole. Posada’s other interests include nuclear technology, aliens, advanced weaponry projects, welfare, and the Immortal Science of Dialectical Materialism. Don’t ask me, I have no idea what it means.

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Now you may notice an interesting focus in there.

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Posada’s logic is straightforward, Hippogriffia has been ruled well, and so Novo and her line will be spared. While other monarchs enslaved and oppressed their citizens, Novo was wise and fair, and shall receive the minimal possible punishment, mere abolition of their titles. They are even allowed to remain in Hippogriffia if they so choose.

Beyond this, Posada's goals are varied and far-reaching, with her content being, at the moment, the longest in terms of time that HIP has. But beneath the facade of wanderlust lies a deep desire to escape the past… and all the risks that comes with.

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Now, to discuss some general mechanics;

In addition to all its paths, Hippogriffia has some general mechanics that you will employ in nearly all paths. Balancing the interests of Seaponies and Hippogriffs in the “Divided Society” mechanic will be important, and being on either side for too long will likely tank your political power and economy. Underwater construction is also important, investing in and channeling the economy of Seaquestia will be a large boon if you are willing to put in the effort. Along with its economy, Seaquestria also has its own population which can be conscripted, however, due to the isolationist tendency of seaponies they will be recruited at a rate independent of and generally lower than that of the main hippogriff population.

As a final note, one of the goals for Hippogriffia is to see the characters adapt to the many different paths. So if you replay Hippogriffia, you'll see the same people popping up again and again, but in totally different contexts. For example, the tough negotiator Raft meets with doesn't have to be an independence activist: in the Harmonist path, he becomes one of the first Zumidian MPs and is even available as an advisor. Meanwhile, canon characters like Silverstream and Skystar will pretty much always have something to say about the state of things, either as central figures within the government or as dissidents agitating against it.

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Anyways, that is all for now! You can expect one or two more dev diaries before Zebrica release, which I am legally required by blood pact to not disclose any information regarding the release date. See you all soon!

= Dev Diary XV: Gerza's Colthage =

Welcome back everyone! My name is still Kingston, and I am here to present another dev diary from the ever-swirling vortex that is Colthage! But first, huge credit to all the individuals who have worked on the content that will be showcased;

Cyrus

Scars

John Baggins

Tito

Riki

Now, let us delve once again into the third Colthagian civil war. If you remember from the first Coltva dev diary, after Zarishat’s flight from Colthage, things begin to quickly fall apart.

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Now, to provide a small development update, content for the Star Father is almost entirely done, and we finally have a real plan we want to work on for Monzano and her content, but today, we’ll be talking about the wheeler, the dealer, and the zebra who claims he’ll fix everything. Batnoam Gerza.

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Batnoam Gerza has an interesting story, born in Coltva he grew to hate his homeland and adopted the elite Colthaginian mentality of regarding the province and its people as backwards and needing of fixing.

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But when the third civil war starts he really is on the up-and-up. He helped organize the assassination of Zesmunazash… which yes did lead to the rise of Zarishat… buuuut, he then launched a resistance campaign with a number of right-wing constitutionalists and some other interesting allies to try and overthrow her regime.

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Gerza’s allies are fivefold; right-wing constitutionalists who want to see a restored republic with themselves at the top, young liberal hopefuls whose enthusiasm Gerza is happy to put to use, patricians who crave stability over all else, mercenaries hired using patrician money, and Colthage’s criminal cartels, born during the Storm King’s invasion and made infinitely stronger by the Zarishatian chaos.

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The first national spirit is shared by all three contenders and represents a major famine

When the Zarishat regime collapses, Gerza seizes control of various regions across the country with the help of his allies, and invites over his mercenary army to liberate Colthage from Zarishat’s lacky and the silly cults in the West.

If Gerza wins the civil war, he will reestablish the fallen Colthagian Republic and will be made Sufrit of the state. Officially, things will return much to how they were, but the civil war will leave a stain on the system.

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The ruling party is the \\"Order and Progress Party\\"

Now Gerza is of course an extremely upstanding individual, but every government needs a little… lubrication to get itself running. Money in the right places helps the world go round and this is doubly true for Gerza and his rag-tag band. The influence of this on his government is represented by the corruption mechanic. High and low corruption give different modifiers to your gameplay. This is corruption at 20/100;

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Now, as this is Gerza’s Colthage, having low corruption is not always a good thing, and keeping corruption moderate will allow Gerza to keep the entire system playing to his tune, while failing to do this can have consequences for the Sufrit. Higher corruption pleases the cartels and the patricians while lowering it pleases the liberal cadre in government. For every decision within Gerza’s tree, you must choose between a choice that increases corruption or one that decreases it, with lowing corruption being on the left and raising it being on the right.

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While there is some nuance between the choices, some are just better than Others, for one example, here’s your choices regarding healthcare reform.

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Additionally, as you can see, at the beginning of your Gerza playthrough, there is only one focus you can take, as you must address the elephant in the room, your cartel """allies."""

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A major part of your playthrough as Gerza is going to be managing these organizations, as after the civil war they have immense sway over your nation. Here’s what it looks like to cooperate (left) or oppose (right) the Abizaal Syndicate.

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Choosing how to deal with each organization will be a major choice for you and will have large gameplay ramifications, so make sure you know what you’re getting into with each of them.

Now, in his quest to rebuild the nation and get rich while doing it, Gerza has two assistants.

The first is a name you’ve all probably heard before, Mr. Azizelquart Zahummid, everyone’s favorite Zebra with a PhD in economics who is willing to work with literally anyone as long as he gets to try and fix the economy. In Gerza’s path, he too has to pick between options that strengthen or weaken corrupt institutions, but as the player will learn, both have their economic benefits.

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Gerza’s second main ally is affectionately known as Colthage’s most… colorful general, and unaffectionately known as a brutal war criminal. Jebzel Zoblos will be made secretary of defense of the Republic and is put in charge of rationalizing and nationalizing the mercenary system that won Gerza the civil war. Here too lies the battle over corruption, with leaning further into the elite mercenary system raising corruption and favoring a national army lowering it.

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And here are two events that are mutually exclusive to one another depending on what focus you choose within her tree for Mercenary Naturalisation vs Mercenary Compensation.

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Now domestic policy is fun and all, but Gerza loves to look abroad, and indends to set up Colthage as a new kind of hegemon in North Zebrica and beyond. A hegemon ruling through economic might not military domination, the ruler of a sphere where the free market reigns and Colthaginian companies are free to make any deals they want to. But of course, there are a few steps he has to take. First is reestablishing Colthage’s trade links with the rest of the world. Second is retaking Coltdar from the Quagga. Third, it’s time to deal with North Zebrica.

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[This file was nearly too big for Reddit to handle.](https://preview.redd.it/acyj23p33yx81.png?width=515&format=png&auto=webp&s=418394658f77549c9616783cc71b93cdf14f16af)

“A Barrel Of Bats, Fish, and Idiots” opens up Gerza’s interactions with North Zebrica which above all are dominated by his desire to not have to interact with North Zebrica. He would prefer friendly regimes that don’t want to fight eachother, and is willing to work with basically anyone to achieve that. Your successes in your diplomatic ventures are tallied as points, and depending on your successes, you will gain a different modifier at the end of your tree.

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But for now, that’s all. This may not be a very in-depth look into Gerza’s content, but his real charm is in the narrative, and the grit of his mechanics, and I don’t want to spoil you for that. So for now, I’ve been Kingston, and on behalf of the Equestria at War team, see you in Zebrica.

Дневники разработчиков EaW