Lionhearts: Crusade/Lionhearts: Crusade

Lionhearts: Crusade is a medieval war game inspired by the historical Third Crusade of the twelfth century in real world. It is owned by .
== History of the Game Development ==
The Third Crusade genre has a very long history. The developers who were leaders of an old war clan called had started developing this game since 2013. 
In 2016, the in-game Third Crusade began. The main game in this genre was Kingdom: Animus at that time. However, the genre was not very active at that time. Many old factions were forgotten after this period ended.
On 30 April 2017, The Third Crusade: Alpha was released to replace Kingdom: Animus. In the following years, the game attracted many players. In the final battle which happened before the game was updated, the Crusader Alliance gained a small victory at the end of this stage of the war. 
In mid 2020, The Third Crusade: Reforged was released. Many new factions were added to the game. However, because of the glitches and the bad combat system, the game was very unpopular. Many old players left The Third Crusade genre in that year. 
In early 2021, Lionhearts: Crusade was released. The in-game groups on Roblox were no longer in use. Every in-game faction started to use server on Discord for operation. The developers improved the combat system and the quest system. Moveable NPCs were brought into this game. Before that, the NPCs in game could only talk to players. The game successfully attracted a lot of new players thanks to some famous YouTubers' introductions of this game. 
Stepping into 2022, Lionhearts: Crusade had become one of the most popular medieval war games on Roblox. 
In January 2024, Credenzio Studios announced in a video that Lionhearts: Crusades would become a game which required payments for entry. On the comment wall of the video, many players said that they agreed with this decision. However, some players said that they worried that this decision would make the game lose a lot of players, which would be harmful to the expansion of the community. 
== Unofficial Backstory ==
=== Before the Second Crusade Began ===
In the backstory of the game, the rise of Islam stormed Western Asia. Although west religious army successfully captured Yerushalayim in Rinaldo's Crusade, the Saracen Kingdom hadn't been completely destroyed yet. In the Battle of Manzikert, the small army of the Eastern Roman Empire was defeated by the huge army of the Seljuk Empire. Therefore, the Greek Orthodoxy states decided to ask help from the Catholic states. The latter started planning to start a crusade against these powerful enemies. 
The First Crusade was aimed to capture the Holy City of Jerusalem from the Arabic states. The Crusading Army succeeded in this crusade. However, the Islamic states were still very powerful, which made the leaders of the Catholic states worried a lot.
On another hand, over the past decade, the Al-Mulahid State defeated all its major enemies including the Moslem Empire, and built the Shaamian Alliance. At that time, conflicts between the Shaamian Alliance and the Arabic Alliance kept happening in the following years. 
=== Consequence of Starting the Second Crusade ===
The Second Crusade was originally aimed to fight off the invaders who wanted to capture the Holy City of Jerusalem. However, during the Second Crusade, the other member states of the Crusader Alliance betrayed the Eastern Roman Empire and the Sicilian Kingdom, which were their allies. The Crusader Alliance took most of the former's cities including Constantinople, and built the Latin Empire and some other states in order to spread Catholicism to the believers of Greek Orthodoxy. The Kingdom Of Sicily and the Byzantine Empire, which were built by the people who were loyal to the Eastern Roman Empire and the Sicilian Kingdom, soon sent their huge armies to join the Arabic Alliance, trying to take revenge. The Kingdom of Sicily also gave up Catholicism, and Western Orthodoxy became its state religion. On another hand, after the Crusader Alliance failed to drive off the Arabic Alliance from the Holy Land during the Second Crusade, the Jerusalemite Kingdom, the Antiochian Principality, the Tripolitan County and the Edessaian County were extirpated by the Empire of Ayyubid and its allies after the Second Crusade ended. After that, the Kingdom of Jerusalem and some other states were built to replace them. However, these new states were not member states of the Crusader Alliance. They didn't stably provide assistance to any other state. They built a new alliance called the Levantine Alliance. This alliance only served for those who successfully captured the Holy City of Jerusalem. Jerusalem City Watch was built to prevent crimes in the Holy City of Jerusalem because no soldier of any state had the permission to arrest criminals in this city. Jerusalem City Watch did not fight for any state because it was completely neutral. 
== Fan-made Lore ==
=== Beginning of the Third Crusade ===
A few years later, the Papa of Catholicism endorsed the monarches of the Catholic states to start the Third Crusade against Islamic states. Many people, such as some peasants of the English Kingdom, became soldiers of the member states of the Crusader Alliance and step on the journey to the Holy Land. On the other side, the member states of the Arabic Alliance rallied up many huge armies and prepared to crush the small armies of the Crusader Alliance. The Shaamian Alliance was another main power in Middle East during the Crusades. 
=== Animus Era ===
In the first stage of the war, the Crusader Alliance, which the Crusading Order of England was the main forces, tried hard to fight against the Arabic Alliance and the Shaamian Alliance but the former lost in many battles because the combat effectivenesses of the soldiers of the Crusading Order of England were very low. At the end of this stage of the war, the Crusader Alliance failed to take the Holy Land in a short time. Therefore, the soldiers of the Crusader Alliance retreated to the territory of the Crusader State in Near East and started planning for another attack. The army of the Holy Roman Empire lost many soldiers in these battles; therefore, the Holy Roman Empire decided to stop to participate in the crusades for a long period of time. 
=== Alpha Era ===
In the second stage of the war, the Knights Templar Order led the other armies to fight against the huge armies of the Arabic Alliance. The soldiers of the Knights Templar Order were well-trained and won some battles. Therefore, the Knights Templar Order was seen as one of the most powerful armed forces at that time. 
For several years, these four alliances kept fighting against each other. Hundreds and thousands of battles happened and ended. The Shaamian Alliance was much weaken in these battles. 
After a very long period of time, the Crusader Alliance successfully took the Holy City of Jerusalem for the last time. Therefore, the Levantine Alliance became its ally. They pushed back the powerful armies of the Arabic Alliance and the Shaamian Alliance in a 'road battle', and started pushing to Siracusa, the capital city of the Kingdom of Sicily. In the Battle of Siracusa, the small armies of these two alliances successfully defeated the huge armies of the Arabic Alliance. Due to the latter's miserable failure, the Arabic Alliance was almost broken up. The Byzantine Empire and the Kingdom of Sicily left the Arabic Alliance and built an alliance with the Holy Roman Empire and the Kingdom of France together. This alliance was called the Roman Alliance. Although all the member states of the Roman Alliance were Christian states, the Roman Alliance was not interested in defending the authority of Christianity. On another hand, the Crusading Order of England was replaced with the regular army of the Kingdom of England because the soldiers of the Crusader Order of England were not well-trained as the soldiers of the army of the Kingdom of England. 
After the armies of the Arabic Alliance were fought off, a peaceful period began. 
=== Reforged Era ===
Although the major alliances were overally at peace in this period, conflicts between them often happened. The Crusader Alliance was one of the most powerful alliances at that time. On another hand, the Holy Roman Empire decided to participate in the crusades again. 
One day, the Holy Crusader Empire suddenly gave an order to the other member states of the Crusader Alliance, commanding them to destroy the Knights Templar Order, ignoring the fact that the Catholic Empire once promised that they would never betray the Knights Templar Order. Therefore, most of the soldiers of the Knights Templar Order were killed. The leftover soldiers escaped and built the Order of the Knight Templars, which attracted a lot of people to join and quickly became a powerful enemy of the Crusader Coalition. Besides, the Levantine Alliance was disbanded. The Kingdom of Jerusalem and its allies were no longer controlled by the other states which captured the Holy City of Jerusalem. Jerusalem City Watch was soon disbanded because it had lost its usefulness. 
=== Lionhearts Era ===
==== Beginning ====
In the third stage of the war, even though Triumphism pervaded Christendom, the Crusader Alliance found out that it became much weaker than before because it had destroyed the Knights Templar Order. Although the Papal State joined the Crusader Alliance, this could not help much because the Papal State didn't have a regular army. On another side, the Abbasid CaIiphate and the Emirate of Mosul joined the Arabic Alliance, making it powerful again. 
==== Nightmare of the Franks ====
Even though the Crusader Alliance had been weaken, the ruler of the Crusader State did not care about this. He gathered the leaders of the other member states of the Crusader Alliance to start a meeting, commanding them to rally their troops in order to fight off the incoming powerful armies of the Arabic Alliance. However, the weak armies of the Crusader Alliance were completely defeated in the Battle of Hattin. After that, the leaders of the Crusader Alliance finally realized that a hard time had already come. 
The Battle of Hattin has already become many Franks' nightmare. 
==== Former Time====
The Crusader Alliance lost many cities after the Arabic Alliance and the Roman Alliance kept attacking the Crusader Alliance. The Crusader Alliance realized that it was in big trouble, and the decline of Catholicism resulting in a serious conseuence that the Catholic states like the Kingdom of France refused to reconcile with the member states of the Crusader Alliance which were also Catholic states. Even the pápà himself lost the power to command the former. Eastern Orthodoxy was started being spread in the countries where Catholicism was the main religion. It was said that many soldiers of the Crusader Alliance secretly turned to Islam. And yet the Crusader Alliance was still trying the best to fight against its powerful enemies. A lot of battles happened in this period of time. Lots of soldiers lost their lives in these battles. 
As war kept going on, the Crusader Alliance lost in many battles. Clergymen of Catholicism had been persecuted in the territories of the member states of the Arabic Alliance for years. 
Luckily, in the 'Legendary Battle', an elite troop of the Crusader Alliance successfully fought off the huge armies of its enemies, saving the member states of the Crusader Alliance from destruction. After that, a short peaceful period of time began. 
However, the shadow of war was still looming the Holy Land. At the late time of the peaceful period, Pápà Gregory VIII announced that an expedition which aimed to assist the Order of the Hospitallers had begun due to the aggression against the Crusader Alliance. It was marked as the beginning of another stage of the military action made by the Crusader Alliance. 
After weeks, Cardinal liutenentawsome announced that the second expedition was over, and he told the congregations that they did a good job. However, the war was still going on. The Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Jerusalem were planning to take back the cities which were occupied by the other states. Some of them were member states of the Crusader Alliance. 
After months, Cardinal liutenentawsome announced that Pope Gregory VIII had left his position; therefore, the College of Cardinals would begin the process of electing a new Pope. 
After days, liutenentawsome was elected to be the new pope named as Pope Innocent III. This is the first time in nearly four years the Church have had a new Papal Election. Pope Innocent III announced that he would start reforming Catholicism. This means that Catholicism will probably encourage its believers to start fighting against their enemies.
====Nowadays====
Because of the decline of religious fanaticism which caused the Crusades, there were often some states leaving their alliances. The states of different alliances keep changing as time passes.
The war has been going on for a long time. The end of the peaceful period will bring death and destruction to the world again. A person needs to stand up and become the hero who will bring peace to the Holy Land.
==Game Story==
 
One night, the protagonist dreamed about the Battle of Hattin. In the dream, he saw that many soldiers of the Crusader Alliance were cruelly killed by the soldiers of the Arabic Alliance. After that, he woke up in his home, and he went to Malta to join the army of the City State of Malta. The City State of Malta was not member state of the Crusader Alliance; however, its soldiers' uniforms looked like the latter's soldiers' uniforms. 
After passing the training, patrolling the city and defeating some thugs, the protagonist successfully became a recruit. In the following days, the protagonist saved some hostages, helping the other soldiers to take back the fort and took away an artifact from the dungean under the castle. 
However, after he went back to Malta, he saw that the whole city was burnt. Many civilians and soldiers were killed including the protagonist's close ones. The count who was dying told him to escape from Malta immediately. In the same time, some unknown enemies kept coming to try to kill the protagonist. The protagonist fought against them while he was running in the woods. After finishing off the killers, the protagonist met Captain Marion and the other survivors near shipside. However, many attackers suddenly came. The captain and the leftover guards decided to stay there to hold the attackers off so that the protagonist and the other survivors would have enough time to escape from the island. 
The protagonist entered the territory of the Kingdom of Sicily, stepping on the journey for revenge. The corporal who survived told him that the City State of Malta had been completely destroyed already. The protagonist was encouraged to join a faction so that he could seek help from allies, which would heavily affect his destiny. 
An adventure awaited him.
==Gameplaying==
===The Third Crusade: Alpha===
The Third Crusade: Alpha was very different from The Third Crusade: Reforged. The Third Crusade: Alpha was constituted with many trivial games in order to avoid serious lag during battle. Players usually needed to walk for a long way in order to travel to another location. Each trivial game was connected with a grey teleport wall. To capture a city, the high-ranking members of a faction needed to start a battle and sent soldiers to take all the specific capture location on a 'road' which was a trivial game. After winning a 'road battle', the attackers needed to take all the capture points in the trivial game which they wanted to occuply and defended them until the round ended. The combat system was hard for players. Players could be easily killed in a fight but this also made fighting very execiting. There were four alliances in the game. They were Crusader Alliance, Levantine Alliance, Arabic Alliance and Shaamian Alliance. In The Third Crusade: Alpha, there were many events other than battle. Clerymen of different religions usually hosted religious events in cities. There were some secret places in specific trivial games. Players could explore these places.
===Lionhearts: Crusade===
In Lionhearts: Crusade, things are completely different. Although Lionhearts: Crusade is also constituted with many trivial games in order to avoid serious lag during battle, players can now be directly teleported to the trivial games which are occupied by their own factions. The combat system has changed a lot. Players cannot be easily killed now. Instead, they need to fight for a period of time until their HP becomes zero. A faction can capture a city by sending soldiers to start a battle and take all the capture points in the trivial game which they want to occuply before the round ends. There are a lot of missions for players to complete in different locations. The clergymen of some religions usually hosted religious events in cities. They were often messed up by the believers of the religions which were hostile to them. Factions have more power than they did in The Third Crusade: Alpha. They can form an alliance with the other factions or declare a war on them. The amount of the alliances may change as time passes. Some animations were added to the game. New players need to complete tutorial before starting their journey in this game. 
==Events==
On August 12 2023, an event for free limited UGCs items was held. Items came out one by one every day. The event ended on September 11, 2023. All items were dismantled on October 1, 2023. A new UGC limited item was released on October 2, 2023.
===Limited prizes===
Name 	Image	Quantity	Objective 	Release Date
Ruby Crown of the Cobra King 	 	2,445 	Collect 2000 points in arena mode. 	DAY 1 (August 12, 2023)
Amethyst Crown of the Cobra King 	 	2,300 	Collect 4000 points in arena mode. 	DAY 2 (August 13, 2023)
Onyx Crown of the Cobra King 	 	2,062 	Collect 4000 points in arena mode. 	DAY 3 (August 14, 2023)
Aquamarine Crown of the Cobra King 	 	2,140 	Collect 4000 points in arena mode. 	DAY 4 (August 15, 2023)
Emerald Emerald Crown of the Cobra King	 	2,020 	Collect 4000 points in arena mode. 	DAY 5 (August 16, 2023)
Topaz Crown of the Cobra King 	 	2,029 	Collect 4000 points in arena mode. 	DAY 6 (August 17, 2023)
WaffleTrades Crown of the Dessert King 	 	1,000 	Collect 4000 points in arena mode. 	DAY 7 (August 18, 2023)
Cerberus' Cataphract 	 	1,630 	Collect 5000 points in arena mode. 	DAY 8 (August 19, 2023)
Hannibal's Triumph 	 	700 	Collect 5000 points in arena mode. 	DAY 9 (August 20, 2023)
Hermes' Messenger 	 	1,250 	Collect 5000 points in arena mode. 	DAY 10 (August 21, 2023)
Sicilian Conqueror 	 	1,500 	Collect 5000 points in arena mode. 	DAY 11 (August 22, 2023)
Zeus' Cavalry 	 	3,500 	Collect 4250 points in arena mode. 	DAY 12 (August 23, 2023)
Patrick's Revenge 	 	500 	Collect 5000 points in arena mode. 	DAY 13 (August 24, 2023)
Helm of Artemis 	 	2,000 	Collect 5000 points in arena mode. 	DAY 14 (August 25, 2023)
Zarc's Holy Halo 	 	4,000 	Collect 3250 points in arena mode. 	DAY 15 (August 26, 2023)
Apollo's Hoplite 	 	1,250 	Collect 5000 points in arena mode. 	DAY 16 (August 27, 2023)
St. Lazarus' Hospitaller 	 	1,250 	Collect 5000 points in arena mode. 	DAY 17 (August 28, 2023)
Poseidons Champion 	 	1,250 	Collect 5000 points in arena mode. 	DAY 18 (August 29, 2023)
Jormungandr's Chosen 	 	1,250 	Collect 5000 points in arena mode. 	DAY 19 (August 30, 2023)
St. Lazarus' Bishop 	 	1,250 	Collect 5000 points in arena mode. 	DAY 20 (August 31, 2023)
Nidhogg's Warrior 	 	1,270 	Collect 5000 points in arena mode. 	DAY 21 (September 1, 2023)
St. Lazarus' Assassin 	 	1,500 	Collect 5000 points in arena mode. 	DAY 22 (September 2, 2023)
Fafnir's Faithful 	 	1,350 	Collect 5000 points in arena mode. 	DAY 23 (September 3, 2023)
St. Lazarus' Friar 	 	1,250 	Collect 5000 points in arena mode. 	DAY 24 (September 4, 2023)
Helmet of St. Peter 	 	1,703 	Collect 5000 points in arena mode. 	DAY 25 (September 5, 2023)
Emerald Wreath 	 	1,270 	Collect 5000 points in arena mode. 	DAY 26 (September 6, 2023)
Eastern Bishop's Helmet 	 	1,270 	Collect 5000 points in arena mode. 	DAY 27 (September 7, 2023)
Lazurite Wreath 	 	2,500 	Collect 5000 points in arena mode. 	DAY 28 (September 8, 2023)
White Bishop's Helmet 	 	2,000 	Collect 5000 points in arena mode. 	DAY 29 (September 9, 2023)
Winged Knight of Aureus 	 	100 	Collect 20000 points in arena mode.	DAY 30 (September 10, 2023)
===Other limited prizes===
Name 	Image	Quantity	Objective 	Release Date
Crown of the Topaz Tyrant	 	1,250 	Collect 5000 points in arena mode.	October 2, 2023
==Trivia==
*The Third Crusade: Alpha's design was heavily influenced by a famous video game series called Assassin's Creed, having being reflected in the combat system, the climbing design and the secret places.
*Assassin's Creed, which most of Lionhearts: Crusade's developers once worked in, did not originally aim to create such war genre. It had been a normal war clan since it was built in 2009. However, after the leader of this grouo Mithandir improved his developing skills a lot, he decided to develope a war game which was later known as The Third Crusade: Alpha. Its successor had become an important war faction in The Third Crusade genre before it started declining after Lionhearts: Crusade was released. After a period of time, Assassin's Creed: Elite Assassins became the Order of Assassins in the game.
*The creator of another famous group Levantine Assassins Botherhood, Netblaze (formerly named as CrimsonOculus), was once a high-ranking member of Assassin's Creed. According to the saying of Assassin's Creed, CrimsonOculus was once a good helper; however, he betrayed Mentor Catman9876 and stole many of his models; therefore, Most High Leader Credenzio kicked him out of the group so he built Levantine Assassins Botherhood to stand against Assassin's Creed. However, after a period of time, Netblaze lost his position in the group. Another member became leader of this group. Therefore, Netblaze was not able to achieve his goal anymore. As time passed, Netblaze has already been forgotten among The Third Crusade genre even though some rumors say that he is planning to return to The Third Crusade genre in order to take back his place.
== Reference List ==