Old World – Behind the Throne

The Old World — Behind the Throne expansion is dedicated to court intrigue. It includes new gameplay mechanics, political rivalries, and the ability to implement grand projects that bring victory closer.

It focuses on historical characters who served as advisers, viziers, aristocrats, and courtiers. Each of them has their own ambitions, desires, and motives. Will your officials continue to commit treason after treason, or will you put an end to their double game? Will you allow pretenders to usurp the throne of Babylon? Will your best general betray you after many years of service? Befriend your subjects and trust them with power over cities – or watch as their thirst for power turns them into dangerous rivals.

The Old World — Behind the Throne expansion includes:

• Over 350 new eventsrelated to court politics, intrigue, and personal interests. The throne is always surrounded by a web of lies, ambitions, and opportunities.  
• New historical characters, including:

  • Alcibiades, an Athenian politician known for his duplicity
  • Enlil-nadin-shumi, a usurper of the Babylonian throne
  • Harpagus, an Akkadian dignitary and conspirator
  • Bardesanes, an Assyrian sage, scholar, and philosopher
  • Mago, a Carthaginian author of a treatise on agriculture
  • Avicenna, a famous Persian philosopher  

• New projects and improvements:

  • Estates: A new expensive project that provides a variety of benefits.
  • Affluence: A new project available through estates. Allows you to gain additional victory points from wealth.
  • Slums: A balance between accelerated population growth and increased risk of rebellions.  

• New game mechanics:

  • Rising Stars: These powerful characters have no power, but as they gain experience, they can trigger various events with positive and negative effects. If such a character starts to get in your way, you can solve the problem in a variety of ways.
  • Stress and debauchery: The life of a ruler is constantly poisoned by suppressed ambitions, jealous mistresses, ferocious barbarians, and many other troubles. Will your hero deal with stress by indulging in hedonism?
  • Grand Vizier: Free yourself from unnecessary responsibilities by entrusting the governance of cities to viziers with different personalities. A wise vizier will develop culture, a brave one will recruit warriors faster, and a disciplined one will train specialists and speed up special projects. But beware: power corrupts, and even the most loyal vizier may turn a greedy eye on your throne.
  • New Political Eras: Civil wars, grand reforms, corruption and periods of decline will test your empire in new ways.

  Become a victim of court intrigue or use it to your advantage – rising stars, nascent rivalries and wild parties offer many opportunities for those who sit on the throne or stand behind it.