Skirmish to total war
Wars run on a six-rung intensity ladder — from a low-intensity skirmish to total war — and the rung sets how much of your army fights and how hard it grinds.
How it works
The WAR_COMMIT table maps each war level to the fraction of your army committed: Lv1 20%, Lv2 25%, Lv3 30%, Lv4 50%, Lv5 75%, Lv6 90%. A 'limited' war caps that at 35% no matter the level, keeping proxy and border fights small.
Level isn't just a dial you set — it escalates from what happens on the ground. Occupying under 10% of enemy land keeps it a Border war (Lv2); holding a full district makes it a Limited war (Lv4); breaching the homeland pushes it to Full-scale (Lv5), and after 3 years of breach it becomes Total war (Lv6).
Higher rungs bite harder. Each level carries an attrition multiplier (Lv1 0.3 up to Lv6 1.3) and an occupation cap. Total war (Lv6) mobilizes the whole economy — GDP and population slowly drain while wartime production adds army = gdp × 0.0015 per tick, turning it into a grinding war of attrition. Across multiple fronts your total commit is capped at 95%, since 5% always stays home on defense.
Formulas
WAR_COMMIT = {1:0.20, 2:0.25, 3:0.30, 4:0.50, 5:0.75, 6:0.90}commit = min(0.35, base)if Σcommit > 0.95: each front × (0.95 / Σcommit)Key numbers
How to play
- ▸To keep a war small and cheap, hold it as a limited war — your commit stays under 35% and attrition is halved.
- ▸Don't spread across too many fronts: past 95% total commitment every front gets proportionally weakened.
- ▸If you want a decisive result, let escalation happen — breaching the homeland unlocks Full-scale (Lv5) and the harshest peace terms.
- ▸Total war (Lv6) drains your GDP and population every tick; only ride it out if you can win the attrition grind.