INTRODUCING A EXPERIMENTAL SANDBOX BUILDING GAME:
WARNING : THIS IS NOT A HARDORE STRATEGY GAME.
This is a fun casual experimental sandbox style building game. It has combat and it looks epic but its not going to be a hardcore challenge. It's about making something cool and having an open world and other factions to make it feel alive. There is nearly two years of additional post release content (more coming with shipshaper this year), but it's not going to give you guidance or much handholding to find it.
I prefer to make gameplay and mechanics not tutorials. And that's an honest truth. If you want to enjoy Bulwark than step into an exploratory mindset and go discover!
Story:
You are in charge of the last remnants of free people on the Ursee, tasked with building a new home. Carve your path onto a world, tower by tower, wall by wall, sculpting from the daunting cliffs and perilous waters of an unforgiving landscape that refuses to be tamed.
Game goals:
Design fantastic ocean fortress settlements. Progress is simple, grow the populations of various factions and you will progress on their Soultrees. Unlocking commanders and captains that may work for you, unlocking new ships, units and abilities.
Play Your Way:
Bulwark - Explore the Great Ursee as you build your grand civilisation. Scavenge for resources,create trade routes and strike alliances with other factions scattered across the waves as you balance negotiation and conflict to grow your settlement.
Freebuild - Enjoy a cosy ‘Freebuild Mode’, devoid of the conflict and challenges present in standard play, you can sketch and experiment without the need for resources, building without limits.
Total Conquest - War has come to the Great Ursee. You start at war with every faction, diplomacy is disabled and the frequency and scale of raids is ramped up. It is no longer enough to just build - now you must survive.
Building Resources:
Wood, stone and Iron aren’t stored or tallied up, the only thing that counts is distance, not cost. You transport resources along your network of towers as well as trading routes over the sea. Towers and walls within range of the resource can be upgraded and built for free, those out of range cannot.
Splinters :
The currency that powers diplomacy, army building, buying new locations and unique buildings is separate from resources, it runs on a currency called, Splinters. You gain these through population growth, trade with other factions or as rewards from combat.
Challenge:
The game challenges you to design and grow grand fortresses, often at little cost other than setting up trade routes for resources. As you grow you may invite in populations from other factions which unlock faction unique content from their “soultree”.
But everybody hates everybody on the Ursee and doing so might lead to war or to loyal allies that merge with your empire. This sandbox builder has consequences!
