Welcome to another developer diary of Lords & Empires.
Today, we would like to talk about our capital city and the building system.
When designing village mechanics in online strategy games, developers usually face two main options: a single village or multiple villages. Based on this choice, all future mechanics are shaped. We decided to move forward with a single-village structure. In our universe, we call this village the “Capital.”
In its classic sense, the Capital is the place where you construct buildings, train units, conduct research, increase production, and strengthen your defenses.
You now know that our village structure is singular and defined as a Capital within our world. However, even though you only have one Capital in Lords & Empires, you can own multiple colonies. These colonies are small settlements with mechanics different from the Capital, designed to support and contribute to the growth of your main city.
At the moment, our Capital buildings are designed in isometric 2D, but this is not final. Even as you are reading this diary, we are still making changes to our Capital. We are also considering switching to 3D buildings, though no final decision has been made yet.
Note: All visuals and game mechanics are work in progress and may not reflect the final version.
Now, let’s take a look at our buildings.
🏗️ Building System – The Heart of the City
In Lords & Empires, cities are more than just a collection of buildings. Every structure directly affects the power, economy, and future of your kingdom. The game features 16 different buildings, each with a unique role.
🪙 Gold Mine
The lifeblood of the kingdom. Produces gold continuously, which is the foundation of nearly every system in the game. Essential for a strong economy.
🌲 Lumber Camp
Produces wood, enabling city growth. A critical resource for construction and certain military productions.
🪨 Stone Quarry
Produces stone required for durable buildings and walls. One of the core resources for city defense.
🌾 Farm
Keeps armies alive. Produces food, which is essential for launching military campaigns.
📦 Warehouse
Stores all produced resources safely. The warehouse level determines how many resources you can stockpile.
📚 Academy
Where the power of knowledge takes shape. Conduct research to improve your kingdom in economic, military, and administrative areas.
🕵️ Intelligence Guild
The center of covert warfare. Trains spies, allowing you to gather information about other kingdoms.
👑 Palace
Represents the grandeur of your kingdom. Produces Honor and symbolizes ruling power. Plays a central role in progression.
⚒️ Blacksmith
Processes the raw materials of war. Produces iron and forms the backbone of military industry.
🏛️ Governor’s Hall
The center of territorial administration. Determines property capacity and directly affects your expansion potential.
🛒 Marketplace
The heart of trade. Trains merchants and enables trade with other cities.
🛡️ Armory
Where armies are equipped. Consumes iron, wood, and gold to produce armor, swords, bows, crossbows, spears, cavalry equipment, and siege weapons.
🏘️ Housing
Maintains population order. Increases population capacity, allowing you to build larger cities and raise bigger armies.
⚔️ Barracks
The backbone of the army. Determines military capacity and directly impacts your combat strength.
🧱 Walls
The first line of defense for the city. Provides defensive bonuses in battles and makes enemy attacks more difficult.
Building Features
- Each building can be upgraded up to Level 25.
- Every building has its own unique resource requirements.
- Construction time varies for each building.
With this diary, we have clearly outlined our Capital and the core structure of the building system. Based on your feedback, we will continue to improve balance and design.
Feel free to share your suggestions and opinions in the comments.
Next week, we will take a deep dive into the Colony mechanic.
See you in the next developer diary.