> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://thrones-reforged.gitbook.io/thrones-reforged-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://thrones-reforged.gitbook.io/thrones-reforged-docs/patch-notes/roadmap.md). # Roadmap Development is structured in two layers. Between major versions, smaller patches (0.5.1, 0.5.2, 0.5.3...) handle balance, economy tuning, bug fixes, and incremental improvements to existing systems. Major versions (0.6, 0.7, 0.8...) each rebuild one or more core systems entirely from scratch. This means no half-measures and no band-aids on broken foundations, but new, deeply impactful systems and mechanics. When something gets reworked in Thrones Reforged, it gets rebuilt properly. The current major focus is completing the cultural mechanics across all remaining culture groups (Welsh, Viking Sea Kings, and the Great Viking Army), each receiving a dedicated version. After that, the roadmap moves into a full dilemmas and events overhaul, followed by a complete AI rework targeting 1.0. Every major version is paired with ongoing bug fixes, balance passes, and smaller system improvements. Every update also includes a significant amount of historical research to maintain a high standard of authenticity. This roadmap is subject to change. The current public version is **0.5.4**. *** ### Where We Are: 0.5.x Patches The 0.5 series is focused on stabilising and improving existing systems. Each minor patch addresses balance, economy, and bug fixes while laying the groundwork for larger reworks ahead. Patches 0.5.5 through 0.5.9 will most likely be focused on introducing 24 turns per year and rebalancing everything accordingly. *** ### 0.6: Heroism Mechanic (Welsh) 0.6 will deliver a full rebuild of the Welsh Heroism system as a dedicated cultural mechanic, built from scratch in the same fashion as Legitimacy and the Burh system. The exact shape of the mechanic is still being researched: Welsh heroic culture, bardic tradition, and the role of glory and reputation in Dark Ages Wales will all inform the design before a single line of code is written. The goal is a system that feels authentically Welsh rather than a reskin of existing mechanics. 0.6 will also include a full building rework (chains, effects, and regional availability rebuilt from the ground up) and a garrison rework giving each faction unique, historically grounded defensive forces rather than generic levies. Estates will also be rebuilt from scratch, as the current system is largely non-functional. Together these form the backbone of the internal economy and settlement management. *** ### 0.7: Here King Mechanic (Great Viking Army) 0.7 will deliver a full rebuild of the Great Viking Army mechanic as a dedicated cultural system, built from scratch. The foundation of the system is already in place and gives a clear picture of where it is heading. At its core, the Here King mechanic will be a tension between two poles: the Scandinavians and the Anglo-Saxons. As the Jarl wages war against the English kingdoms, his authority over his men will grow. His warriors followed him to conquer, and conquest is what keeps them loyal. But as he makes peace, signs treaties, and begins to settle, that authority will shift. The army will start to look less like a conquering host and more like the seed of a kingdom, bringing with it cultural integration challenges. Both paths will be valid. Neither will be free. That is the skeleton. What will be built on top of it, including the dilemmas, the loyalty pressures, and the consequences of pushing too far in either direction, is still being designed. Historical research into how the Great Heathen Army actually functioned, fractured, and eventually settled will shape all of it before any of that work begins. 0.7 will also include a full rework of the character and trait system, a rebuild of faction traits moving away from generic bonuses toward traits that meaningfully reflect each faction's political and military identity, and a tech tree redesign aligning research progression with faction development rather than treating it as a generic shared ladder. *** ### 0.8: Tribute Mechanic (Sea Kings) 0.8 will deliver a full rebuild of the Sea Kings' tribute system as a faction-defining cultural mechanic, built from scratch. The Norse coastal kingdoms operated through a fundamentally different economic logic than their land-based neighbours: raiding, extortion, and tribute networks were not supplementary income, they were the foundation of power. The current system does not reflect that. 0.8 will rebuild tribute from the ground up to create a system that actually functions as the core of the Viking Sea King experience rather than a side mechanic. This version will complete the cultural mechanics overhaul across all three remaining culture groups. 0.8 will also include a complete rebuild of the decree system, redesigned so that decrees represent meaningful, faction-relevant political decisions rather than passive stat bonuses. Work on creating faction-specific mechanics for all factions, such as the slaves system for Dyflin and the hoard system for Mierce, will also begin at this stage. *** ### 0.9: Dilemmas, Events and Narrative Structure 0.9 will be a full overhaul of the dilemma, event, and narrative systems, and the largest content push in the roadmap. Every existing dilemma and event will be reviewed, rewritten where needed, and tested for correctness. Broken or placeholder entries will be replaced. Beyond fixing what exists, 0.9 will add significant new content: dilemmas that reflect the specific political and cultural pressures each faction faces, and events tied to the campaign's dynamic systems such as invasions, cultural mechanics, the food storage system, the population system, and character traits. The goal is a narrative layer that makes the campaign feel historically alive rather than mechanically inert, with a dilemma and event system substantial enough to carry real weight throughout a full campaign playthrough. 0.9 will also bring diplomacy improvements, possibly region trading, new faction-specific missions, and a broader balance pass informed by everything learned across the 0.6 through 0.8 development cycle. Work on dilemmas and events will continue indefinitely even after version 0.9. *** ### 1.0: AI and Campaign Overhaul 1.0 will involve a full AI rework, the culmination of everything built across the roadmap. By this point all the major systems will be in place: cultural mechanics, buildings, garrisons, estates, dilemmas, events, and decrees. The AI will be overhauled to pose a meaningful but fair challenge. This will mean a complete redesign of campaign decision-making: factions that go to war for real reasons, manage their economies under the same pressures the player faces, grant vassals when overextended, form coalitions against dominant powers, and apply genuine military pressure rather than sending poorly supplied stacks into losing battles. The goal is a campaign map that feels politically alive from turn one to the endgame. 1.0 will also include a full balance pass across all factions, final system polish, a serious investigation into multiplayer stability, and historical research regarding the authenticity of characters, factions, and the social, economic, and political landscapes of the British Isles. 1.0 is the point at which Thrones Reforged will move out of Beta. Development will continue beyond 1.0. New systems, events, and dilemmas will continue to be introduced indefinitely. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. 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