Concept

"Sid's original premise was: 'Let's put all of human history in a box and make it fun."

Taua is a grand strategy game set in Aotearoa New Zealand between 1810 and 1872, You control a hapū (a sub tribal group) through 62 years of political, military and cultural upheaval. In a campaign of taua you will face challenges from european powers, other tribes, hapū within your iwi and even other rangatira.

You begin in a world where the first european technologies and ideas are entering maori society. First you must navigate through the period of upheaval and warfare that arrives in its wake. It is a time of great opportunity, where once stable systems are thrown into flux and enterprising leaders can reap great prestige, power and bounty. hapū must balance acquiring boons from the newly arriving Europeans with retaining tribal authority and cultural hegemony.

Around halfway into the game a new balance of power will have been established and intertribal warfare has settled, however the pace of arrivals from overseas will accelerate, and the British (or French) will seek to establish colonial authority over these new arrivals through a treaty. This new power will be your chief antagonist throughout the latter half of the game. Rather than seeking to expand individually you must now seek to consolidate power, defend your autonomy and ensure you last through to the end of the game. You can do this individually or seek to create coalitions, confederations or even a kingship. By the 1870s you will now be vastly outnumbered by these new arrivals, and pressured in on all fronts.

Core Pillars

Tikanga, above all

All information, systems, icons, and interactions should be rooted in mātauranga Māori. It shapes the lens all decisions are made through.

Utu

The game is based around this alive ledger. You inherit a list of grievances and debts, the larger the outstanding list the greater the drain on your mana. Many actions you take revolve around clearing your ledger. However actions you take can also create entry in others ledgers, and they will also seek to balance their utu.

A Reactive World

19th century Aotearoa is a place in flux. The world of Taua should feel dynamic and in constant change. All systems should be interwoven and reactive. Causality is key.Events throughout the game set you off on dynamic paths and actions you take will affect future challenges. Players should see the repercussions of their choices, and have them generate new problems to overcome and opportunities to exploit.

Time Marches On

No matter what, seasons change. Your toa will have to return to their kāinga to harvest crops. Nothing stops time rolling on, and every decision you make moves the clock forward.

Whakapapa Matters

In the Māori world, whakapapa is one of the most esteemed forms of knowledge, and great efforts have been made to retain it. Relationships and connections define many decisions and responsibilities. In Taua relationality and whakapapa defines where you may or may not act, who will join you and who will oppose you.

Unfolding Information

The people in Aotearoa at that time didn't know what would happen, and what was happening everywhere in the country. You will need to collect information through diplomacy, trade, and rumours continually. Technology and events are not certain to fire at given times.

Core Tension

You want to grow your political network and economic power base. However, every method to do so brings with it instability. The hapū and iwi system was sophisticated and efficient, but also enabled the keeping of utu, and for any small gain to draw many distant relations into conflict against you. European contact provides an advantage, but opens you up to danger also.