Crownfall

Crownfall is a medieval Minecraft modpack built around three core mods: TerraFirmaCraft, MineColonies, and The Hundred Years' Warfare. Together, these mods form the foundation for a survival and civilisation-building experience where players must establish settlements, manage resources, develop their economy, and compete with other groups in a world where survival is never guaranteed.

The pack is built for the Crownfall server, where nothing is handed out. Every tool, wall, meal and soldier in the world is produced by players or by the colonists who work for them.

Survival and Resource Management

TerraFirmaCraft changes the way players approach survival and progression. Rather than relying on the standard Minecraft progression, players begin with knapped stone tools and work their way through copper, bronze and eventually iron, with each stage requiring its own processes for smelting, smithing and crafting.

Resources are not always easy to obtain, and the materials available to a settlement will influence what it can produce and how quickly it can develop. Some ores are common in one climate and scarce in another, which means no single region has everything it needs. Food must be sourced and preserved, crops must be grown, and supplies must be managed to ensure a settlement can support its population.

Weather and seasonal conditions also play an important role. On Crownfall, each season runs for roughly three real days and continues while players are offline, so winter arrives on its own schedule rather than waiting for anyone to be ready. Cold Sweat gives players a body temperature, and the cold will wear a person down without proper clothing and a source of warmth. Food spoils if it is not stored properly, which makes preparing for winter one of the most important tasks a settlement faces.

Settlement Building and Development

MineColonies provides the tools for players to establish and develop their own settlements. A colony begins with a town hall charter, the only part of a colony that is purchased. From there, players build housing, establish workplaces, assign jobs, and gradually expand their colony into a functioning community.

Every other building in a colony must be crafted using TerraFirmaCraft materials, and many require goods produced at the matching trade's own equipment. A glassblower's hut needs glass, and a smithy needs worked metal. This ties the growth of a colony directly to the progress of the players running it. A settlement cannot skip ahead of its own industry.

Developing a settlement requires more than simply placing buildings. Players need to consider the resources required for construction, the materials available locally, and the infrastructure needed to support further expansion. As a colony grows, so does its demand for food, building materials, tools, and other supplies. A well-run colony earns tax for its owner, but only if its people are fed, housed and kept working.

The location of a settlement can influence its development, with access to resources, suitable farmland, and defensible terrain all affecting its long-term prospects. A colony's borders also mark the land its owner holds, so where a settlement is founded decides what it can claim.

Trade and Economy

Resource scarcity creates a reason for settlements to interact with one another. Not every region will have the same resources, and not every settlement will be capable of producing everything it needs.

One settlement may have access to valuable ores, while another has productive farmland or specialises in manufacturing. These differences create opportunities for trade, allowing settlements to exchange surplus goods for resources they lack. Caravans & Convoys allows goods to be moved overland between towns, making trade routes something that must be planned and protected.

Crownfall uses a coin economy of copper, silver and gold. The server shop will buy goods from players, but it will never sell anything players are capable of making themselves. If a settlement needs iron, cloth or grain, it has to make it or buy it from someone who does. This keeps the economy in the hands of the players rather than the server.

As settlements grow, decisions about production, resource allocation, and trade become increasingly important. The ability to produce and distribute goods efficiently can be just as valuable as the size of an army or the strength of a defensive wall.

Warfare and Territorial Conflict

The Hundred Years' Warfare introduces another consideration into the development of player civilisations: the ability to wage war.

Players recruit and command NPC soldiers, allowing a single lord to lead an army in the field. Mercenary companies can be hired for those who need more men than their colony can supply, and siege engines are available for breaking fortifications. Battles are fought on a scale closer to a strategy game than a typical Minecraft fight.

As settlements expand and resources become more valuable, disputes over land, access to materials, and regional influence can develop between groups. War 'n Taxes and War 'n Nobility govern how these conflicts are fought and what is won. Players hold noble ranks, and a lesser lord may declare war on a greater one. The loser of a war becomes the winner's vassal, paying a share of their income for a set period.

Military strength requires preparation and resources. Equipment must be produced, supplies must be maintained, and soldiers need to be supported. A settlement that cannot sustain its own population may also struggle to support a military campaign. Poor decisions can leave a civilisation vulnerable at home while its forces are committed elsewhere.

Nobility and the Crown

Above the lords and dukes of the realm sits the Emperor. The title is not given out. It must be taken, and once held it carries real authority: the Emperor can issue realm-wide decrees, fund contracts for goods and deliveries, and appoint officials to help run the realm.

Holding the throne is another matter. An Emperor who cannot keep their vassals in line or defend their seat may find someone else sitting in it.

Races and Professions

Each player chooses a race and a profession when they first join. Races carry their own traits, and professions shape what a player is best at, whether that is mining, smithing, hunting, trade or soldiering. The choice is permanent, so it is worth giving some thought before committing.

Building Civilisations

Crownfall is designed around the interaction between these systems. Survival determines what players can produce, resource availability influences how settlements develop, and economic relationships connect communities with different needs and capabilities.

As settlements grow, players must make decisions about infrastructure, production, expansion, diplomacy, and military security. Some may focus on developing prosperous trading settlements, while others may pursue territorial expansion or establish communities built around particular industries.

No settlement exists independently of its surroundings. Access to resources, relationships with neighbouring groups, and the ability to respond to changing circumstances all contribute to its success.

The goal of Crownfall is to create a world where players build their own civilisations, with their growth, prosperity, and conflicts emerging from the decisions they make and the challenges they face.

Requirements

• Minecraft 1.21.1
• NeoForge 21.1.248

Joining

Crownfall is whitelisted. Join the Discord to request access: Discord

New players should read the Crownfall section of the TerraFirmaCraft field guide before setting out.