Rule of Iron: Dark Age

Campaign
A real population system with different classes. Recruiting subtracts from the population class and disbanding adds to it. Plagues wipe out.

No building slot limitations.

No locked minor provinces, a village can grow into a metropolis.

No magic 20-unit hard limit per army.

Armies don't need a general. Split them up and move them freely.

Armies need ship units to move across water. They don't magically spawn transport ships.

No skill trees. Traits are gained organically.

No gamey tech trees either. Technology happens historically at certain turn thresholds.

Road upgrades are visible on the map.

Visible trade carts and ships reflect your trade income.

Innovative UI to reduce late-game micromanagement.

Battle
The battle terrain is generated exactly from the campaign map features.

Historical scale featuring battles reaching tens of thousands of soldiers.

A sophisticated physics system to simulate a shifting battle line and to make formation depth and tightness emergently matter.

Morale, fatigue, high ground and flanking as first-class systems. A skilled general can defeat an on paper superior army with ingenious tactics.

Archers and other units range depends on their relative altitude to the target.

A per soldier line of sight system paired with a per missile collision system where trees, buildings and other objects block missiles.

No canned pair animations, combat outcomes depend on the position and rotation of the soldier at the time of the strike.

Modding support
Create entirely new campaigns including the map. The code will generate features like rivers or castles where you tell it to.

Create new units, even fantasy creatures with custom rigs.

Adjust the UI to your taste.

Tune the AI.

No gimmicks, no anti-player gangup, no bloated mechanics mess, no superheroes. Tactical depth paired with immersive empire-building.