Quality of Life UI Update

Over the past few weeks I made some custom UI sprites for buttons, scrollbars and panels because the CC0 black sprites I was using up until now just weren't adding anything thematically.

I added a motte model to serve as a fortress for each province on the map, but at the moment it's not functional.  Next update, I will link the province's defense development level to the fortress.  When your defense is below a threshold, it shows only smoking ruins where a fort should be, if it's over that threshold then you get a motte.  If it's higher than the next level's threshold then we show you a stone keep, and if it's above the highest threshold then we show a stone castle with curtain wall.  This will give you a visual representation of the province's development level so you don't have to hunt for that information in dialog boxes.

After that functionality is in place, I plan to start on simple siege mechanics.  Before if a province is invaded, the battle happens right away and province ownership is either changed to the attacker's faction or it stays the same.  Sieges will happen when the province has a motte or higher level of fortress, and when a defender is attacked they'll have the option to retreat to the fortress or fight to defend the province.  If they retreat to the fortress, there is a max amount of soldiers corresponding to the level of the fortress that can fit inside so if you have an army larger than that amount and retreat behind the walls the remaining amount will fight the invading army and likely be slaughtered.  Sieges will take a minimum of one month, which gives the defenders the opportunity to send a relieving army from the interior.  Higher level fortresses would have a longer minimum time to siege (for example, if the fortress level has a stone curtain wall), however the real limit is the amount of soldiers and food in the fortress and the amount of food the attackers bring.  Once the waiting begins, both parties start consuming their stockpiled food and if either party runs out their soldiers start dying and the siege is resolved.  The besiegers are able to receive supplies  and reinforcements from their provinces, while the besieged will not be able to, so that is also a factor.

This planned siege feature also brings me to the topic of siege machines: There is a 'Mercenaries' button that is currently unused which I plan to use to let you hire catapults and soldiers using the gold the army brought with it on the march.  If you bring a siege machine you can reduce the minimum time required to siege which could allow a lightning strike breakthrough into your enemy's interior.

All of this should bring a little more strategy and finesse to wars than simply recruit -> invade -> repeat.