Minor Factions news

While the name implies small scale, Minor Factions have always been one of the biggest features I've tried to incorporate into every game I've worked on where it's applicable. As far back as Hyrule Total War the concept of Minor Factions was implemented, though to a much crippled degree because of the nature of that engine. With no limits in 0AD, I've been able to expand on this idea. So then, just what is a Minor Faction?



A Minor Faction is like any other faction, just with a much smaller roster of units. These factions represent civilizations that have something akin to armies and villages, but trying to come up with six Heroes and a whopping 20 units is extremely difficult and would stretch well into bottom of the barrel ideas. Each Minor Faction will come with five units, a Hero, and a unique Building. In each match you will have the option of picking one of five Minor Factions by establishing an Embassy with that Minor Faction at your Marketplace. Depending on your pick, you will be able to construct their bases at either Camps or Ruins.



Think of a Minor Faction as an extra addition to your techtree that can be used to fill a weakness or missing gap in your own faction. As an example, Moblins are severely lacking in any kind of Mages. A Moblin player might be inclined to establish an Embassy with the Wizzrobe, who can provide them with very powerful Mage units. Minor Factions are not free however, and it can be quite a gamble to rush into setting up one of their bases. You'll have to consider how you can incorporate Minor Factions into your techtree and build orders, and this alone can lead to a pretty insane amount of variation.

As far as determining what Minor Factions are available, there will be five options per map and these options are based around the biome of said map. For example, on a Temperate map such as Hyrule Field you will see Lon Lon Ranch show up in your marketplace as an option, where's they are nowhere to be found on arctic maps around Mount Hebra. Instead you'll see Yooks or another arctic Minor Faction as an option. Below is a tentative list of all the possible Minor Faction and the biomes that they appear on (please note this list is not final and subject to change):

The next release of Hyrule Conquest will only see the introduction of five Minor Factions, and until a later version all of them will be available on all maps. In this article we'll go into detail on the first of the Minor Factions: Lon Lon Ranch

Owned by the wealthy and powerful House of Lontha, Lon Lon Ranch is known throughout all of Hyrule for its famous horses, crops, and especially their milk. The Lonthas have amassed enough finances over the centuries that they are able to keep the Hylian Royal Family at an arm's length and operate somewhat autonomously of the crown. The Royal Family sees no issue with this arrangement, seeing as the Lonthas provide the best horses in all of Hyrule to the Kingdom.

Lon Lon Ranch provides a player with a variety of units, mostly based around Archers and Cavalry. Their unique building is the Grain Storehouse, which generates a steady income of Food.

Ranch Hand - An assistant who works on Lon Lon Ranch or its many smaller branches spread throughout Hyrule. Ranch Hands require little pay and can be hired in bulk to quickly bolster your army's numbers. They are armed with Pitchforks.

Rancher - Skilled employees of the Lontha family, Ranchers tend to chores and the managing of Lon Lon's workforce. They carry bows and arrows and are often seen patrolling the walls and towers of the Ranch.

Ranch Rider - Riding on horseback, these mounted units are the finest and fastest cavalry in all of Hyrule, rivaling both the Gerudo and Ordona Province.

Cowgirl - Cowgirls are swift cavalry archers, and thus one of the most valuable and aggressive units in the game. They can pelt slower enemies from a distance and quickly take off. You'll need fast cavalry of your own or long ranged archers to fight against them.

Cow Cart - Carrying around a large supply of famous Lon Lon Milk, these carts distribute the dairy to those under the Lontha's employ. Units will heal faster when they are idled near the Cow Cart.

Malon - The daughter of Talon, Malon has been raised by her father with the sole purpose of taking over the family business. From an early age she had quite an affinity for animals and ranchwork, in particular she has a great fondness for horses and has trained many. She rides on Epona, a horse that she has had since she was a young girl and carries her mother's bow and arrows into fights.

Stay tuned, in the future we'll discuss the other four Minor Factions that will release in the next version.