War Doctrines
Declaring war in Havor is a formal act - not just permission to attack. Wars have claims, exhaustion tracks, war scores, and a forced resolution mechanic. You don't win by destroying the enemy; you win by sustaining the fight until their willpower breaks, or by negotiating terms they can live with.
Declaring War
A war declaration requires at least one claim already filed against the target player. Claims define what you want from the war. You cannot declare war without a valid cause.
Once declared, both players' diplomatic status changes to war, and a conflict record is created linking all pending claims.
Claims
Claims are the objectives you fight for. Each type has a different gameplay effect when enforced:
| Claim Type | Effect if Won | Base Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Conquest | Territorial transfer | 2,000 score |
| Vassalization | Ongoing tribute obligation | 1,500 score |
| Humiliation | Reputation penalty for loser | 500 score |
| Resource Tribute | 10% production tribute for 7 days | 1,000 score |
Maximum claims per war: 5
War Exhaustion
Both sides accumulate war exhaustion (0–100) throughout the conflict. When either side reaches 75, the game forces a status quo resolution.
| Event | Exhaustion Gained |
|---|---|
| Fleet lost in combat | +5 |
| Planet successfully raided | +3 |
| Passive per hour | +0.5 |
High exhaustion signals that your empire has been stretched thin. A defender who survives long enough can force an attacker into status quo even without ever winning a decisive battle.
War Score
War score tracks who has the military advantage. Positive values favor the attacker; negative values favor the defender.
| Event | War Score |
|---|---|
| Combat victory | +10 |
| Successful raid | +5 |
War score is the tiebreaker if both sides exhaust simultaneously - the higher war score determines which side's claims are enforced.
Peace Offers
Either party can propose peace at any time. A peace proposal specifies which claims to enforce (winner keeps) and which to drop (abandoned). The other party has 24 hours to accept before the offer expires.
Accepting a peace offer:
- Resolves all claims per the proposal
- Ends the conflict
- Resets diplomatic status to neutral
Status Quo (Forced Resolution)
When exhaustion reaches 75 on either side:
- Attacker exhausted → Defender wins; attacker's claims are dropped
- Defender exhausted → Attacker wins; claims are enforced
- Both exhausted → War score decides the winner; ties result in all claims dropped
A forced resolution still fires all claim notifications (won/lost) and sends war_ended to both parties.
Tribute Mechanic
If a Resource Tribute claim is enforced, the defeated player pays 10% of their production to the victor for 7 days. This is deducted passively - the loser cannot opt out. Hegemony pact alliances receive 5% of tribute to their treasury automatically.