Game of Thrones Ascent gameplay detailed

Game of Thrones Ascent, a Facebook game set in everyone's favourite fantasy epic, is close to launch, so developer Disruptor Beam has provided a rundown of what it will actually involve.

Players take on the role of bannerman to the Starks or Lannisters, charged by the Hand of the King to find a specific child. Fans can probably already see where this is headed, but choices grant the player some control over the story.

Your character and his or her Sworn Swords go on quests, which can be approached with battle, intrigue or trade options. Investing in various businesses and crafting new equipment increases the likelihood of success.

Friends can co-operate or hinder each other in completing regular challenges, and game-wide events will call on all players to contribute to a collective challenge. How challenges work isn't entirely clear but it sounds like you'll need to acquire or produce set amounts of various kinds of resources.

A team of advisors is on hand to assist the player in managing their estate and alliances, which should come in handy as Disruptor promises the Seven Kingdoms will start to fall apart as the story progresses, forcing the player to pick sides.

Game of Thrones Ascent is "soon on the horizon", apparently; sign up to its Facebook page for timely updates.