| Knights and Merchants: The Peasants Rebellion |
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|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Joymania Entertainment (since changed to Joymania Development) |
| Publisher(s) |
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| Designer(s) | Peter Ohlmann, Adam Sprys |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release date(s) |
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| Genre(s) | Real-time strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer (IPX, TCP/IP, Modem, Net-Games Lobby) |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Everyone (E) |
| Media/distribution | CD (1) |
| System requirements | |
Knights and Merchants: The Peasants Rebellion (abbreviated to TPR) is a historical Real-time strategy game, developed by Joymania Entertainment (since changed to Joymania Development) and published by TopWare Interactive. The scenery is inspired by the Anglo-Saxon period, circa 1000 AD. The gamer plays the role of the palace guard captain whose goal is to win back all of the lost provinces that once belonged to the king. The game was released in 2001, but only in a few countries. Later in 2002 it was released in additional countries and in 2005 it was finally released in the US. The game has not yet been released in the UK. A digital version is available on Good Old Games.
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Knights and Merchants: The Peasants Rebellion is commonly referred as a gold edition or an expansion pack for its prequel, Knights and Merchants: The Shattered Kingdom. It is a stand-alone game, but includes the 20 original missions (although strangely, the Russian release doesn't seem to include the original campaign) as well as a brand new campaign that consists of 14 missions, a scenario mode with 10 different scenarios, and new buildings and units.
Unlike most Real-time strategy games, Knights and Merchants: The Peasants Rebellion only has a single civilization, so all players have the same tech trees to play with.
The game's tech tree is simple and straightforward, and most new technology is accessed upon new building completion. To begin, the player can only build a school house that trains basic workers, but as the game advances more buildings and units become available. When playing a scenario or multiplayer mode, the player's technological advancement is not restricted, however in the single-player campaign some buildings cannot be built until the player progresses to later missions. The AI always begins with a technological advantage against the player, allowing them to develop at a higher level.
The economy in Knights and Merchants: The Peasants Rebellion is complex, stemming from the game's variety of resources, ranging from wood and stone, to sausages and wine. Many resources need to be transported to other buildings to be refined, and then delivered - which presents the challenge of building placement and interconnecting (every building has to be connected by roads) as the player develops.
The citizens in Knights and Merchants: The Peasants Rebellion get hungry - from workers, to farmers, to soldiers. This creates a challenging dynamic for the player - between managing combat, resource gathering, city building, as well as making sure there is a stable food supply for all the units. Unlike other RTS games, Knights and Merchants: The Peasants Rebellion has no unit cap - aside from limited map size and hunger features, which help to limit the player's sustainable unit numbers.
| Name | Occupation |
| Serf | Delivers wares |
| Laborer | Builds and repairs |
| Stonemason | Quarry |
| Woodcutter | Woodcutter's |
| Carpenter | Sawmill, Weapons Workshop, Armory Workshop, Vehicles Workshop |
| Farmer | Farm, Vineyard |
| Fisherman | Fisherman's Hut |
| Baker | Mill, Bakery |
| Animal Breeder | Swine Farm, Stables |
| Butcher | Tannery, Butcher's |
| Miner | Gold Mine, Coal Mine, Iron Mine |
| Metallurgist | Metallurgist's, Iron Smithy |
| Blacksmith | Weapons Smithy, Armor Smithy |
| Recruit | Barracks, Watchtower |
| Name | Attack | Defense | Special | Requirements |
| Rogue | 35% | 25% | Ranged, slow attack speed | Gold x2 (Townhall) |
| Bowman | 35% | 50% | Ranged | Longbow, Leather Armor, Recruit (Barracks) |
| Crossbowman | 100% | 70% | Ranged, slow attack speed | Crossbow, Iron Armament, Recruit (Barracks) |
| Name | Attack | Defense | Special | Requirements |
| Militia | 35% | 0% | Storm Attack (2x Speed) | Hand Axe, Recruit (Barracks)/Gold x2 (Townhall) |
| Axe Fighter | 35% | 50% | Storm Attack (2x Speed) | Hand Axe, Leather Armor, Wooden Shield, Recruit (Barracks) |
| Sword Fighter | 55% | 70% | Storm Attack (2x Speed) | Sword, Long Shield, Iron Armament, Recruit (Barracks) |
| Barbarian | 100% | 25% | Storm Attack (2x Speed) | Gold x5 (Townhall) |
| Warrior | 75% | 50% | Storm Attack (2x Speed) | Gold x5 (Townhall) |
| Rebel | 25% | 25% | Attack +60% vs. cavalry | Gold x1 (Townhall) |
| Lance Carrier | 25% | 50% | Attack +55% vs. cavalry | Lance, Leather Armor, Recruit (Barracks) |
| Pikemen | 35% | 70% | Attack +80% vs. cavalry | Pike, Iron Armament, Recruit (Barracks) |
| Name | Attack | Defense | Special | Requirements |
| Vagabond | 40% | 25% | Mounted (2x Speed) | Gold x3 (Town hall) |
| Scout | 35% | 50% | Mounted (2x Speed) | Hand Axe, Wooden Shield, Leather Armor, Horse, Recruit (Barracks) |
| Knight | 55% | 70% | Mounted (2x Speed) | Sword, Iron Armament, Long Shield, Horse, Recruit (Barracks) |
| Name | Attack | Defense | Special | Requirements |
| Catapult | 3x50% | 25% (50% in SR2)(Not very good) | Siege Weapon (Speed x0.5) | Timber x5, Iron x5 (Vehicles Workshop) |
| Ballista | 100% | 25% (50% in SR2)(Not very good) | Siege Weapon (Speed x0.5) | Timber x5, Iron x5 (Vehicles Workshop) |
No official map editor was provided by the developers. Due to the call for a map-editor from the game's fanbase, a handful of independent players have created their own map editors. Editing the terrain requires a "map editor" and the mission (or script) must be edited separately using a "mission editor". There are currently no fully functional combined map/mission editors.
Several Mods are available but the "KaM Remake" is the biggest mod for Knights and Merchants: The Peasants Rebellion. The KaM Remake is a complete rewrite the game engine and features functional online multiplayer. The Mod is free to download but will not install unless the user owns a legitimate copy of the original game Knights and Merchants: The Peasants Rebellion.
Knights and Merchants: The Shattered Kingdom