Line #10 VideoGame/SoliumInfernum


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/solium_infernum.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:''To reign is worth ambition.'']]
3	[[quoteright:460:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/header_405.jpg]]
4	[[caption-width-right:460:"Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven." from John Milton’s book Paradise Lost - Book II]]
5
6	'''Solium Infernum''' is a turn-based strategy game created by Cryptic Comet. Players take the role of Hell's archfiends (of varying ranks, determined by the player's build at the start of the game), who in [[HaveYouSeenMyGod Lucifer's absence]], have decided to [[TheStarScream take it upon themselves]] to fill the EvilPowerVacuum.
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8	A modern remake of the game was released in February 2024.
9	----
10	!!Tropes seen in both versions:
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12	* AlwaysChaoticEvil: [[JustifiedTrope This isn't a universe]] where SatanIsGood; no, Lucifer rebelled for purely selfish reasons, as did his followers, and this has resulted in them and their demons being collectively awful people. The only on-screen entities that aren't evil are the neutral mindless monsters and, on occasions they attack, the angels...who hate you all for being evil people and will not engage with your legions as anything but obstacles between them and their mission (which is generally [[HeroAntagonist a good thing]], mind).
13	* AuctionOfEvil: [[BazaarOfTheBizarre The Bazaar]] allows each Archfiend to bid on unholy legions, artifacts, and more.
14	* BegoneBribe: Nine times out of ten, an Archfiend who demands a tribute against a rival isn’t actually after the money, only the chance to execute a vendetta against them when they refuse. All the same, that doesn’t mean the targeting archfiend in question can’t just actually cough up the tokens to buy some breathing room for three turns. [[MoneyIsNotPower Beware doing this too much]], however, as paying the bribe three times in a row to the same Archfiend will allow them to [[BribeBackfire publicly declare your weakness]] to the Conclave and pursue a vendetta regardless.
15	* BulkBuyOnly: Obviously justified based on how legion mechanics work in game, you are nonetheless incapable of only purchasing two of the 10,000 Screaming Bastards.
16	* CitadelCity: Pandaemonium’s defenses are great indeed, even without the constant lightning.
17	* CityOfSpies: More like “entire realm of spies,” given how lying and deception are part of everyday life in Hell and espionage is literally mandatory. There’s even a specific event in the remake detailing how unreliable intelligence gathering efforts have become on the basis that every single network has been irredeemably compromised by double agents.
18	* CityOfTheDamned: Both Pandaemonium and the city of Dis are urban settings among the sand and sulfur of Hell.
19	* CombatByChampion: Rather than settling things by pursuing a vendetta, an Archfiend can challenge a rival to a Praetor duel in the arena instead.
20	* CrapsackWorld: Played with. It is for ''you'', as you are in literal Hell, but it's heavily implied to not be the case for anyone outside of Hell, as [[LightIsGood Heaven is benevolent]], and elements from outside Hell have to be actively corrupted or imprisoned in some way for demons to make use of them.
21	* DemonLordsAndArchDevils: Most playable characters and several praetors are straight out of the Ars Goetia with all the titles and ranks this entails. Further enforced in-game through the progressively more powerful ranks of Baron, Marquis, Duke, and Prince.
22	* TheDevilIsALoser:
23	** When the forces of Heaven want to do something to the denizens of Hell -- take back souls they have judged worthy, send an Angelic Host to wreak havoc, punish the demon lords for whatever -- there's not a single thing the combined forces of Hell can do to stop them. In contrast, Hell's attempts to RageAgainstTheHeavens by sending demonic hordes are invariably doomed to failure (though it's possible for your troops to survive and gain strength through their ordeal).
24	** Emphasized in the remake, where the demons managed to main and imprison the Tyrant (AKA God himself)...and [[GoneHorriblyWrong absolutely fail]] at ''keeping'' Him fully sealed, with a lot of Hellish society barely keeping Him chained while Heaven runs just fine in His absence. It's clear the only reason the Tyrant hasn't destroyed Hell [[GodsHandsAreTied is that He physically cannot]], and in the Triumph of the Abyss ending He gets free to do exactly that.
25	* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Both the Temple of Lust in the original and the Garden of Infernal Delights in the remake look very... "organic".
26	* EldritchLocation: Many of the Places of Power that you can capture borrow from this trope.
27	* EvilPowerVacuum: The premise of the game. Lucifer is gone, and now the remaining archfiends vie for his position.
28	* EvilVsEvil: Every major player in this game is an archfiend who uses damned souls and incarnate darkness for ''currency'', commands armies of devilish minions, and spends all their time plotting against their rival demonic lords for the rulership of Hell itself.
29	* GratuitousLatin: Latin words are often used in place of typical strategy game terms, I.E ‘legions’ replacing ‘units’ and ‘praetors’ replacing ‘champions/commanders.’
30	* HeroAntagonist: The forces of Heaven, when they show up, are generally after saving souls from eternal punishment, preventing the Archfiends from interfering in the mortal world, or sometimes just punishing demons for their crimes. All of these are noble causes, the issue is that they also happen to be causes that make you, the {{Evil Overlord}}s of Hell, very unhappy.
31	* OurAngelsAreDifferent: Occasionally an Angelic Host will decide to crusade against Hell, and will wreak havoc on whichever unlucky players it crosses paths with.
32	* OurDemonsAreDifferent: Part of the appeal of the game is the effort it puts into showing off just how many different kinds of demons have been depicted throughout human history.
33	* RageAgainstTheHeavens: Occasionally you will be asked to loan [[CannonFodder forces]] to crusade against heaven. [[SuicideMission Those who go rarely ever survive.]] The ones who do make it back TakeALevelInBadass, which is the only reason to even consider doing this.
34	* ShoutOut: One of the Praetors (commanders) of Hell that you can recruit is named [[Franchise/{{Ghostbusters}} Zuul]].
35	* TheStarscream: The player characters. Especially ones with the Kingmaker and Power Behind the Throne traits.
36	* StrategicAssetCaptureMechanic: All places of power, and indeed most tiles on the map begin as neutral territory up for grabs by whoever can secure them first.
37	* TagLine: ''To reign is worth ambition'', quoted from [[Literature/ParadiseLost John Milton's]] ''[[Literature/ParadiseLost Paradise Lost]]''.
38	* ThereCanBeOnlyOne: The primary point of the game. The Archfiend who wins second place receives the ConsolationPrize of being the new Dark Majesty’s Lieutenant, but that pales in comparison to the throne itself.
39	* VillainProtagonist: You're an archfiend, a lord in Hell. You're not in any way trying to reform Hell or make it a less hellish place -- you just want to take over in Lucifer's absence! And you'll use any combination of extortion, insults, backstabbing, dark powers, and outright war to achieve your goal!
40	* XanatosSpeedChess: Outright conquest is difficult in this game, so it's often better to plot against your rivals in more subtle ways -- and you can rest assured they'll be returning the favor.
41
42	!!Tropes specific to original version:
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44	* PointBuildSystem: How archfiends are designed: each player gets a set amount of points that can be spent on starting stats, starting rank and perks
45
46	!!Tropes specific to 2024 version:
47
48	* ACommanderIsYou: Since PointBuildSystem of archfiend creation was replaced by pregenerated characters with limited customization, each archfiend now has a predetermined area of specialty:
49	** Andromalius: ''Technical''. Andromalius specializes in Praetor utilization. Their unique skill empowers a chosen Praetor to deal more damage in duels and get more Prestige for combat as long as he remains a Legion commander, while their starting 2 Charisma allow him to quickly start hunting for Manuscripts to give his Praetors special moves. Their personal Legion, however, is quite vulnerable and they lack starting levels in military-important stats.
50	** Astaroth: ''Brute''. Astaroth is a warmonger through and through: his personal Legion has quite high statistics, he starts with 2 Wrath, allowing him to field more Legions and his unique skill automatically forces a 1-turn Vendetta allowing him to eliminate vulnerable Legions or steal weak Places of Power without bothering with the [[CasusBelli formal war declaration system]].
51	** Beelzebub: ''Gimmick/Spammer''. Beelzebub is another aggressive archfiend. She starts with 1 Wrath and her Stronghold has bonus to Command rating, allowing her to field greater number of Legions, but her main strength lies in Rituals: 2 starting Destruction means easier access to damage spells and her unique skill is a free Ritual that gives her a Tribute token for every destroyed enemy Legion.
52	** Belial: ''Diplomatic/Guerilla''. Belial is focused on manipulating other players. He starts with 2 Deceit, allowing him to quickly let loose nasty Rituals allowing him to steal Tribute or block enemy Legions' movements, his Stronghold bonus buffs those same his unique skill [[FalseFlagOperation insults another player while making it look like a third party did it]]. He thrives by sowing discord and paranoia between his competitors, but if his machinations are revealed, his limited military options often lead to him folding like wet noodle.
53	** Erzsebet: ''Balanced''. While Erzsebet is also geared for military, thanks to starting with 2 Wrath, but her toolkit is focused on more strategic side of combat: her unique skill allows her Legions to walk freely through enemy territory for 1 turn, her Stronghold bonus improves her Legions healing rate and her secondary stats are Deceit and Charisma, giving her an inch in diplomatic and economic fields.
54	** Lillith: ''Technical''. Lillith is a spellcaster focused on information. With her starting 2 Prophecy she immidiately knows about Bazaar bids and her unique skill is a Ritual revealing all buffs of targeted Legion while decreasing its spell resistance. Furthermore, her Stronghold bonus improves Prophecy rituals, to uncover even more, and her secondary stats are Deceit and Destruction, so that revealed targets can be easily bombarded or infiltrated.
55	** Mammon: ''Economist''. As can be expected, Mammon is focused around getting and using money. His unique skill increases another player's choice of Tribute while simultaniously giving Mammon all the discarded tokens, allowing him to make "mutually beneficial" deals with other players. Furthermore, his strongold gives bonus to Tribute quality and his starting 2 Charisma means he has quick access to Tribute conversion and improved Bazaar access.
56	** Murmur: ''Technical/Spammer''. Murmur is an aggressive spellcaster. They starts with 2 Destruction and his Stronghold gives boost to Destruction rituals, allowing them to wipe out enemy Legions with magic from the get-go, while their unique skill is a free Ritual that summons a weak Legion anywhere on the map.
57	* AngelsDemonsAndSquid: Subverted. Some lore reveals existence of [[EldritchAbomination bizarre]] celestial architects, but they seem to just be morally neutral maintainers of cosmic order. The only factions that matters are the angels and demons, with those celestials that become genuinely evil becoming demons, like Beelzebub.
58	* AntiFrustrationFeatures: Each Archfiend’s personal Legion cannot be mind-controlled and will always respawn if defeated. This prevents an EnemyExchangeProgram while also ensuring that no matter how bad things get, you’re never completely helpless.
59	* ArmyOfThievesAndWhores: All Legions fit this description to a certain extent given they’re all either demons or sinners, but the Legion of Lemures is specifically noted to be low class swine.
60	* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: The Encylopaedia Infernum will gleefully describe exactly how the Abyssal Cavalry [[GoodTamingEvilTaming acquired their mounts]].
61	* BodyguardingABadass: The Stygian Guard are Lucifer’s personal protection squad. Yes, the same Lucifer [[KillTheGod who killed the body of the Tyrant.]]
62	* CharmPerson: Available only to Archfiends who have maxed out the Deceit power tree. Can count as VehicularTurnabout if done to specific titans.
63	* DarkHorseVictory: If ''every'' Archfiend is Excommunicated, thus unable to become the successor to Lucifer, the Triumph of the Abyss will begin - the [[SealedGoodInACan Tyrant of Heaven]] will start awakening and summon Abyssal Striders to attack everyone, and if someone doesn't gain control, He breaks free completely, destroying Hell itself and banishing the Archfiends to the [[PrimordialChaos Abyss]], causing ''everyone'' to lose.
64	* DeathIsCheap: Each Archfiend's personal unique legion will continuously rise from the abyss no matter how many times they are killed, or more accurately, killed again.
65	* DeliveranceFromDamnation: A [[BarefootSage 'shoeless prophet']] can, by event, redeem a large amount of souls from Hell, ruining the economics of all Archfiends.
66	* DemBones: The Army of the Fallen, the Frozen Lords, and several other Legions are entirely skeletal.
67	* EliteMooks: What every Archfiend’s personal unit winds up being by the end of the game, given both their lore as well as the fact that they get to keep their promotions when they die and respawn.
68	* EvilWearsBlack: It would [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer legitimately]] be easier to list the demons who aren’t wearing some degree of black than those who are.
69	* FangsAreEvil: In effect for several Archfiends, Legions, and Praetors alike.
70	* FireAndBrimstoneHell: Flames and lava are everywhere, and the ‘burdened air and churning ash’ mentioned in the opening cinematic can only be the sulfur of brimstone. Combined with the literal, actual RiversOfBlood, the [[ThirstyDesert endless choking sands]] and the [[SwampsAreEvil difficult to navigate marshes]] and you’ve got the worst version of {{Mordor}} possible.
71	* GambitPileup: Both a Kingmaker gambit and Power Behind the Throne gambit can simultaneously be applied to the same Archfiend, in which case the latter will win out. [[ObviousRulePatch The fact that a specific rule had to be made just for this one scenario]] goes to show just how common gambit pileups are for the rest of the game as well.
72	* GenderEqualEnsemble: There are exactly three playable characters of each gender and even two gender-neutral Archfiends.
73	* GladiatorGames: [[BloodSport Praetor duels]] in the arena are open for denizens of Hell to spectate freely.
74	* HornedHumanoid: Most Archfiends and {{Pun a Hell of a lot}} of Praetors count as these. Given where we are, they are definitely also HornsOfVillainy.
75	* IShallTauntYou: The in-game codex will openly tell you that a valid strategy is sending an insult to an opponent who you’re militarily superior to, forcing them to either pursue a vendetta from a disadvantageous position or concede and bite the prestige loss.
76	* LongGame: The entire point of a Kingmaker victory. You have to decide on a puppet within the first ten turns of the entire game and can’t back out of your choice once selected. 10-60 turns later, if they win the election, you win the game in their stead.
77	* LoreCodex: The Encycloapedia Infernum, half of which speaks to the player in a non-diegetic manner and half of which is an [[GreatBigBookOfEverything actual codex in-universe]].
78	* LosingYourHead: An Archfiend who has their stronghold captured will have their head [[DecapitationPresentation presented to the Conclave]].
79	* LovecraftLite: As evinced by how the [[GodIsGood Tyrant]] can wreck your shit whenever He or the angels want and the existence of [[EldritchAbomination celestials]], the wider cosmos is effectively what would happen if the universe was run by alien entities that are unremittingly hostile to demons but at least neutral towards everything else if not [[BenevolentAbomination outright compassionate]], and have set the rules of the universe to toy with beings that both exist in willful ignorance of their own unimportance to the order of the world and [[AssholeVictim absolutely deserve it]], providing hope to everyone else.
80	* MercenaryUnits: Barring the automatically-granted personal unit for each Archfiend, ''all'' Legions in Solium Infernum are this, given that they can only be purchased, never trained.
81	* MonstrousHumanoid: Literally every single person in Hell except for Andromalius and Lucifer himself. Some because EvilMakesYouMonstrous, others because they chose to look that way.
82	* MyDefenseNeedNotProtectMeForever: An Archfiend that has seized the capital of Hell is free to be relentlessly assaulted by all other factions, but can still win no matter how many legions march against them so long as they manage to [[HoldTheLine hold Pandaemonium]] and their stronghold for long enough.
83	* NotCheatingUnlessYouGetCaught: Rituals cast against Pandaemonium will result in excommunication for the person who they ‘’think’’ is responsible, not the person who actually is.
84	* PlanetaryCoreManipulation: The Mines of Gehenna are said to lead directly into the Earth’s core itself, which is why Hell is so hot in the first place.
85	* PrivateMilitaryContractors: Applies to all Praetors and Legions (barring the personal units of each Archfiend), given that they are OnlyInItForTheMoney. Notably, even members of Hell’s professional army-that is, Lucifer’s Choir-have become this given that their master is now missing.
86	* PsychoForHire: You can’t get into Hell without being at least a little psycho, meaning that essentially all Praetors and Legions apply. Some, however, are noted to be especially sadistic.
87	* RedFilterOfDoom: As the Assembly of the Conclave and the Triumph of the Abyss edge the game closer and closer to completion, Hell gradually becomes more and more bathed in the red light emitted from Pandaemonium.
88	* {{Ronin}}: The Oni’s Faithful Legion definitely counts, at least until someone hires them.
89	* RuleOfThree: Various actions and effects have a cooldown of three turns, and it takes exactly [[ThirdTimesTheCharm three vendettas]] (barring the use of a certain relic) against a single opponent to declare a blood feud.
90	* ScrewTheRulesItsTheApocalypse: [[InvertedTrope Inverted.]] The Triumph of the Abyss and the end of Hell itself will only begin if every single Archfiend has been excommunicated [[ScrewTheRulesTheyreNotReal specifically by screwing the rules.]] This behavior is, however, encouraged within the game...
91	* ScrewTheRulesTheyBrokeThemFirst: ...Because the amount of turns required to win an Usurpation victory is lowered every time Pandemonium changes hands. This provides incentive for Archfiends who are in good standing with the Infernal Conclave to battle those who have been excommunicated by breaking the rules, only to break the rules themselves by seizing Pandamonium for a quick win.
92	* SealedGoodInACan: The Tyrant of Heaven had His body slain by Lucifer and imprisoned in Hell...[[NotQuiteDead but His mind and will lives]], and He [[LeakingCanOfEvil regularly makes the Archfiends miserable]] by invoking punishing miracles on Hell.
93	* SecretShop: Archfiends of significant enough charisma can enter the Backroom of the bazaar, where items that aren’t up for sale yet to everyone else can be readily purchased. Would easily count as a BlackMarket [[WelcomeToEvilMart if the normal market wasn’t black already]].
94	* SevenDeadlySins: The archfiends are based on their original list: Eight Evil Thoughts:
95	** Andromalius: {{Pride}}. They are a vain, egotistic FallenAngel, focused on glorifying their (most likely exaggerated) position and skills
96	** Astragoth: Wrath. He is a brutal warmonger that desires only destruction of everything on his path
97	** Beelzebub: Gluttony. She cares about nothing but constant consumption.
98	** Belial: {{Sloth}}. Rather than take action himself, he manipulates others into doing what he wants to be done
99	** Erzsebet: {{Lust}}. She is a temptress that seduces others with their deepest desires to feed her own insatiable hunger for power.
100	** Lillith: Envy. Her primary motivation is bitterness for being cast out of Eden as punishment for rebelling against Adam, and now drives her to constatly spy on her rivals to outmaneuver them and never be subservient again.
101	** Mammon: {{Greed}}. His entire existence is focused around acquiring more and more money, to the point he is mentioned to have invented usury.
102	** Murmur: Despair. They are a necromancer that hates all life, driven to extinguish it and replace with soul-crushing cycle of death and reanimation into undeath.
103	* SkeletonsInTheCoatCloset: Multiple Archfiends and more than one Praetor love to use skulls as accessories, let alone incorporate them into their architecture.
104	* SpikesOfVillainy: A nearly universal trait for all clothing and architecture in Hell.
105	* StoutStrength: The Sons of Typhon, Thammuz the Praetor, and even Astaroth the Archfiend are quite hefty despite their physical prowess.
106	* ThenLetMeBeEvil: Or perhaps in this case, ‘let me be even more evil than I was before.’ An Archfiend can be excommunicated [[EasilyCondemned for no other reason]] than because the Conclave [[TheParanoiac paranoidly suspects]] that ''someone'' is plotting against them (which, to their credit, [[ProperlyParanoid is usually the case]] for at least one Archfiend) and thus decides to hold a [[ConvictedByPublicOpinion popular vote]] to pin a [[TheScapegoat scapegoat]]. The person who gets voted off is usually the strongest Archfiend, done as a way of eliminating a threat…and yet, they are now free to use said strength to capture Pandaemonium for an Usurper victory now that the Conclave’s own actions have ensured that they have no other choice. It’s even lampshaded in the game itself through the achievement ‘The Monster You Think,’ earned by doing just that.
107	* ThisMeansWar: What declaring a [[ForeverWar Blood Feud]] to the Conclave is. It signals that satisfying individual vendettas against a certain Archfiend is no longer acceptable and that the only way to settle their differences is to fight until someone drops dead.
108	* UndergroundCity: The only parts of the city of Dis that remain above ground are the highest parts of its tallest skyscrapers.
109	* WeirdTradeUnion: Despite the utter depravity, complete chaos, and complete lack of morality within Hell, everyone seems to respect The Order of Infernal Engineers. Palaces still need to be built by someone, after all.
110	* WingedHumanoid: Nearly every Archfiend and numerous notable Praetors have some sort of evil wings.
111	* WorldOfJerkass: The only character in the entire game who isn’t absolutely evil is the Tyrant, and he has no actual spoken line of dialogue.

Context VideoGame / SoliumInfernum