Hello everyone, 

Today we’re happy to welcome you to our second Faction Highlight, introducing a faction unique to Saiadha: The Aspects. 

Lore 

The Aspects seek harmony and balance in all things, and value a peaceful coexistence with the peoples of Saiadha. 

Born from a symbiosis of the organic and the machine, the Aspects are suffused by a coral growth that connects all of them in a vast gestalt mind – The Chorus. Through this mind, all Aspects can come together psychically to communicate and find agreement. 

But recently a strange affliction has ravaged the coral reefs in an event that has come to be known as the Great Dieback, devastating the Illuminated Realms and weakening many Aspects’ connection to the Chorus. Now, they must nurture the coral to regrow stronger than before and rebuild their realm if they wish to bring balance to Saiadha and its people. 

Visual Inspirations 

The visual inspirations for the Aspects started from a robot-coral hybrid, but a mix that was initially based on Greco-Roman statuary. So what started life as centaur archers slowly moved away from that, into a more robotic base and a more fantastic torso and head. 

For the units, the styles and forms came largely from Asian inspirations, though other elements that were mechanical or even insectoid were integrated as well. The artists sampled a wide range of silhouettes and effects before finalizing them. 

The Aspects’ buildings reflect numerous different influences from Asian cultures, with many of them showing pagoda-like roofs but the colors and motifs of Central Asia. 

Notable elements

Machines 

Inheritance of their original function. 

Coral 

Coral is worn with pride; it's an outward sign of wealth. 

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Gameplay 

The Aspects are a great choice for players who enjoy focusing on their own economy more than fighting their enemies, as the Coral can help them explore the world and expand their cities, and they can employ some unique diplomatic interactions. Of course, they can go to war if necessary, but the Aspects will do best when they live in harmony with other Empires, minor factions, and the Coral. 

Some words from our Game Designers

The Aspect is Endless Legend 2’s diplomatic faction. For them, we wanted to move away from the classical trope of diplomatic pacifist faction and make them something more like “deal with the devil”. They don’t want this world to be safer but manipulate people for their own good.

At first, we wanted to make them evil landlords, capturing territories then selling them to other empires. This idea evolved into the Coral growing toward other empires’ assets and giving to the Aspect the possibility to sign some specific treaties and get additional resources.

The main difficulty dealing with the development of this faction was the fact that the Coral is a common resource shared by all Aspect empires in the game. This creates drastic changes in how you will play this faction whether there is another Aspect empire in your game or not.

Faction Affinity: Coral Chorus 

The Aspects live in permanent symbiosis with the coral, so they do not claim territory by founding games like other factions but instead place coral spores. While these spores can be turned into cities, their first use is to serve as nodes for Coral growth across the map spreading the growth to a new tile every so often. These coral-overgrown tiles will provide extra dust to any empire that exploits them, and vision and other benefits to the Aspects, as you can see in their traits. 

The Aspects are also masters of diplomacy with a few tricks up their sleeves. They can unlock the ability to force other empires to accept a treaty or a truce. Both of these actions become easier the more coral the other empire exploits in their territory. 

So, why would any empire want to exploit the Coral, if it gives the Aspects such power over them? To stop other players from trying to cut down all coral in their territory, the Aspects can offer some unique treaties that will extend some of the economic and military perks Coral has for them to the other empire. 

Traits 

• Coral Foundation: Making use of existing coral structures, it’s cheaper for Aspects to establish Foundations on tiles with Coral growth. 

• Coral Roads: Aspect units can move faster across any tiles covered in Coral. 

• Coral Flow: Coral in water tiles allows Aspect armies to cross them, though they will not be able to engage in combat while on the water. 

• Reef Regeneration: Thanks to their symbiotic relationship with it, Aspects units will heal more quickly when surrounded by Coral. 

• Sightless Cities: Districts in cities of the Aspects provide no vision outside their own tile. 

• Coral Omniscience: Thanks to their connection to the Chorus, the Aspects always know what’s happening around Coral-covered tiles. 

• Flourishing Harmony: As they value harmony and cooperation, it’s easier for Aspects to gain additional benefits from a strong minor faction presence in their empire. 

• Cohabitation: Minor Factions that join the Aspects will provide stronger economic bonuses, but it will take influence to maintain this relationship. 

Military 

Much like their overall philosophy, Aspect military tactics rely on cooperation, with units working together to amplify their effectiveness. Their roster is varied, with units ranging from their swarming scouts to steadfast archers and cavalry support, and even powerful flying behemoths. 

Battle Affinity: Harmonious Tactics 

Whenever an Aspects unit defends in battle rather than attacking, all allied units receive a bonus to their damage. 

Swarms of Envoys skitter across the land to explore Saiadha, though in combat they support their allies by holding the line and destabilizing enemy defenses. 

• The Scrapers are capable fighters, even more skilled at defending and weakening their enemies than the Envoys. 
• The Emissaries fill a more strategic support role, helping armies move more quickly across the map. 

Sentries provide ranged support to the Aspect armies and are especially powerful if they can take up a fixed position. 

• Stingers are especially effective at supporting your frontlines with powerful attacks. 
• Resistors are more independent, offering longer range attacks with even greater benefits for holding their position. 

Observers are fast-moving units that mark their targets and leave them vulnerable to the attacks of their allies. 

• On top of marking their targets, Arbiters also inspire their nearby allies to strike even harder. 
• Currentwalkers on the other hand focus on delivering a devastating charge themselves. 

Skyscales are the most dangerous unit in the Aspects army: Flying behemoths with powerful attacks. 

• The Scales of Balance can deal with swarms of enemies as their attacks are powerful enough to strike multiple targets. 
• The Scales of Justice excel at taking out single targets with devastating blows that overwhelm their defenses.

Soundtrack

Time to seek Harmony by listening to the main theme of the aspects, Equilibrium 🎶🧘‍♀️ 

You can check the theme on other platforms

📡 INSIDERS PROGRAM 📡

We are including more and more people from the community to get early feedback and improve the game based on your feedback. If it is something you're interested in, please sign up for the program (you will require an Amplifier's account + Steam Link).

​Will you embrace the Chorus? 🤔

Let us know your thoughts about The Aspects 🌟