Medieval Jousting Tournaments in Knight Estate

Hey ladies and gents, today we'll be talking about one of the things that I had always wanted to include in my game, Knight Estate.

Back in the early days of conceptualizing Knight Estate, before it even had a name, I used to watch tons of documentaries about medieval knights. It was my version of method acting, but for game dev. I wanted to learn everything I could about the lives of knights and their world. Due to my background in art, I've always tried to romanticize my process whenever I'm working on a long-term project, and I wanted that same spirit to carry over into game development.

I'm sure most of you are aware of the most iconic aspects of medieval knighthood, jousting. It was not only done as a sport but also as a key part of knightly tradition. Jousting served both as training for war and as entertainment in tournaments.

Jousting as a Training Practice

Knights used jousting to prepare for real-life combat. My theory is that they discovered the idea during actual battles, maybe realizing cavalry charges were kind of fun, and would be just as adrenaline-inducing in controlled, non-lethal scenarios. Although if we're being honest, people did die in jousts, so it wasn’t exactly “non-lethal.”

Usually, a joust would only involve two knights at a go, but in some tournaments, knights would joust in groups or formations, simulating actual battlefield scenarios. Sometimes, they'd even capture an opponent, who would then be ransomed with real gold or currency, mirroring what happened in real wars when nobles were taken prisoner.

One of the greatest knights of all time, Sir William Marshal, rose through the ranks by dominating these mock battles in tourneys. He made a fortune capturing opponents and became so influential that he eventually, kind of, ruled England. Marshal was the only man in recorded history to have bested Richard the Lionheart in a one-on-one fight, he killed Richard’s horse but spared his life, an act that earned him the soon-to-be king’s respect.

Jousting in Tournaments for Sport

In the 12th and 13th centuries, medieval tournaments had become the go-to events for wealthy nobles. Kings, queens, and high-born lords would attend, or even compete, to prove their valor, impress the ladies, or to simply earn coin.

These tourneys created some of history’s most famous knights. A single good show could help a knight climb the social ladder. If you caught a king’s eye, you might soon find yourself serving under his banner, and eventually ruling your realm.

The medieval tourneys were always a special occasion. The participating knights wore special armor just for the tournaments. Their horses were also clad in intricately decorated armor, and their armor was at times colored to show heraldic designs. Many knights' helms featured ornamental decorations at the top.

A traditional jousting round involved two mounted knights charging at each other with lances and specially designed shields.  Some shields even had an indentation to guide the lance strike. On impact, the lance would shatter on contact, as it was designed to break apart instead of piercing the opponent. However, accidents still happened. If a splintered lance pierced the gaps in a helmet, it could be fatal. A sharp lance combined with failed armor could result in death by thoracic puncture. And even without piercing, the sheer force of a charging horse could cause internal injuries. Many knights died this way.

Death Tournaments

If you’ve watched The Last Duel (based on a true story), you’ll remember the brutal final fight. The two main characters, whose names I won’t even try to spell, ended their legal dispute with a duel to the death. Fun fact, I designed one of the arenas in Knight Estate to resemble the one from the movie, where the duel takes place in winter.

The duel starts with the usual joust, and when one is unhorsed, the fight turns into a melee. It ends in a violent, decisive blow, and the loser is declared guilty. His body is dragged through the streets to shame him.

Jousting in the Game

In Knight Estate, I implemented jousting into the game by allowing players to spend gold to host and participate in tournaments. At the moment, each tournament has 3 rounds, but the upcoming update will allow up to 10 rounds.

Player strength is a key factor, but it’s not the only one, just like in real medieval tournaments, where the winner wasn’t always predictable.

When you press “Begin Combat,” both the player and opponent charge. The unhorsed party loses the round. If neither is unhorsed, it’s a draw.

After 3 rounds, whoever has the most points wins, taking home gold and prestige. If it’s a tie, the rewards are split between both knights.

In the coming update, you’ll be able to use tactics that give boosts to health, damage, and more. There’ll be added depth and complexity to the jousts, and most excitingly, the much-anticipated champions feature will finally be added to the game.

That's it for today, folks. See you in the next blog, where I’ll share more news about the upcoming update.