Fallen Empire

[alkexr]

There was once an empire encompassing most of the known world inhabited by various races and mythical creatures. But the forces holding the empire together were constantly on the decline, while the ones pulling it apart kept growing in strength. Soon enough the empire collapsed into chaos and war as countless self-proclaimed rulers started to take control over whatever they could grab. But now out of the ashes of the fallen empire twelve new great powers are emerging, taking up arms to reunite the empire under their banner...

It is a new year (here in Hungary anyways) and a new year comes with new possibilities - and new commitments. Hereby I break my habit of not announcing new projects until release.

I've been working on this map for a while, it's still in alpha stage right now. I'm planning to release it this year. Which is 2018. I'll also regularly write about the progress I'm making (at least once every two weeks if I can help).

The vision:

• Many players, primary focus on FFA
• Large map with a lot of room for initial expansion
• Fantasy setting with races and creatures that are well known or easy to identify with (but I'm fed up with elves, orcs and dwarves)
• Roughly equal start, preferably winnable with each player against AI
• AI compatible in the sense that playing against AI should be enjoyable
• Decent art

Design features:

• Unit choice really matters: more difference between units than just attack/defense stats
• Strategically important territories which can give bonuses (other than simply more PUs)
• XP system: XP is gained for killing stuff, and can be used to level up heroes
• Supply system: the size of your army is capped, so simply staying out of the fight and building up is not a good strategy
• Every playable faction is unique
• A relatively large portion of land territories have a coastline, making naval warfare important

[alkexr]

Reserved post, will be edited later

[alkexr]

Reserved post, will be edited later

[alkexr]

Progress report #1

I've been making good progress on the map graphics in the past few days. It is rather time-consuming, even though I'm trying to keep the artstyle simple and clean. I'm not (yet!) too good at it, but it already is waaay beyond what I used to think I was ever going to be capable of.

Here are two screenshots showcasing parts of the Winter Kingdom, and four of their units: Axe Raiders, Berserkers, Boar Riders and Giants. The Winter King rules this barbarian-tribal-styled faction from his seat in Heimard. They start out in a region well protected by a barrier of impassable mountains, but the lack of resources will force them to invade new lands to the east and possibly south.

The area of Tronjrond with hills and and pine forests. Pine trees are purely cosmetic, there is only one "woods" territory effect.

The region around Gianthall, with the (neutral) giant-populated lands ruled by Kragbart.

Evreything is subject to change. Any reference you might discover is definitely either purely accidental or just an imagination of your mind.

[Hepps]

@alkexr Looks great! Love the idea and concept.

The graphical stuff is really just about patience, practice and trial and error.

[Hepps]

@alkexr And for your New Year.....

Ege Shege dre!!! Hope you are enjoying some Palinka.

[alkexr]

@hepps The spelling is a little unusual and I'm an anti-alcoholic, but thanks anyway

[Hepps]

@alkexr Not a native Hungarian... adopted... so you'll have to forgive my limitations...

As far as the Palinka.... no biggy.... all the more for me.

[RogerCooper]

@alkexr Don't forget to put in political options,. Pure FFA does not make for interesting games.

[General_Zod]

If you add politics to a ffa, it should be a system that honors all agreements from the point of acceptance.

Most triplea politics models use end of round instead. This gives the players at toward the end of turn order extremely unfair politics.

[Cernel]

@alkexr I'm excited to try this out soon as long as it is not too complex (especially referring to territory effects) and requiring not more than 5 human players. Do you plan to have 5 or less alliances, Domination style, or 1 power per player and rest to AI, Feudal Japan style, or what? I seem to understand there will not be fixed alliances, but each player on its own (like Feudal Japan)?

I suggest to have the borders of the land units in light grey instead of white, as the white may cause confusion in reading the white stack numbers.

And main suggestion do whatever you can to keep the playtime low (like having low income); FFA are never too fast, legit not quit.

[General_Zod]

@cernel

Yes I tend to agree, on 5 players/alliances is pushing upper limit for a ffa, since there are few multi and even fewer ffa gamers around lately. (so welcome back )

Also a one day affair is ideal, since its so hard to get continues of any type of multi. Unless you can wrangle a dedicated group of people into game.

[General_Zod]

@alkexr
Btw, the game of thrones ffa map seems to be abandoned by its creator. Maybe even consider picking that one up. It has a connection bug caused by a few open borders on the baseTile image. But is a relatively easy fix. I can fix it for you if you want to play around with that one.

[redrum]

Looks interesting. Kind of reminds me of some blend of LOTR and Greyhawk Wars in both concept and screenshots.

[alkexr]

At present moment, there are 12 players, 452 passable land territories (116 owned at start of the game, rest is neutral), and the total supply production of the map can support 353 units. Preferred way of playing is single player or 1 faction per player, rest to AI, PBF/PBEM. Adding the option of playing in alliances, like 6 vs 6 / 4 vs 4 vs 4 / 3 vs 3 vs 3 vs 3 is just 100 lines of brainless xml, so I can add as many options as you like.

Everything is subject to change.

[Cernel]

@alkexr I don't think you should create a bunch of different options of alliances, as that would detract from the lore of the map and I doubt you can decently balance each one. For example, I don't really like Galactic Wars with the three different alliances options, because I prefer a scenario having its own specific setup, instead of whatever. If it makes sense that it is 1 against anyone else (you know, often in fantasy there are good and bad factions), like in the case of Feudal Japan (or in a fantasy in which everyone is evil), then my suggestion would be a set of playable players for a specific number of players, I'd suggest either 3 or 4, specified in notes, leaving the rest to the AI, and the game fairly balanced around that concept.

For example, I mean you say that those 4 are the players supposed to be assigned to humans, 1 player per gamer, these players being human default, and the remaining 8 players are for AI, and being "Hard AI" default; then you try to devise and balance the game based on this scenario. Likely it would make the most sense to reserve the most civilised players for humans.

Alternatively, you can try to balance the game for 12 players, then leaving the gamers pick what they prefer, 1 player each, rest to AI, but this is going to be a mess to balance, and would oblige you to give the game an un-organic feeling, since you must take care that no player is doomed since start and, even more important, that there are no over powered players. Still, in this case, it would be advisable to write in notes a set o suggested playable nations for each number of human players, like in the case of Feudal Japan, tho I believe the suggestions therein aren't well balanced, and would not play with those myself.

Having a decent balance is very important for FFA, as most people don't enjoy playing disadvantaged players in such setups, and bidding is not really an option, with more than 2 factions.

As for the map, my main concern is that you might go too heavy with the territory effect modifiers. Very few people like to have a lot of modifiers from territory effects, and I ain't one of them.

[justbleh]

I do like a lot of territory modifiers, LOTR large map is the best one you guys have (opinion I know).

My original intent on coming to this post was to figure out how on the GoT map how to get units into the province of Qohor? I know it is possible bc the AI does it from all players but I cannot seem to, they just automatically go into the highlands road. Any help will be appreciated.

[redrum]

Yeah, I really like the territory modifiers as well.

@justbleh Total World War is another map that extensively uses territory modifiers.

[Cernel]

@justbleh So, you should open another topic about that, but the GoT map is heavily bugged in the east continent. It's years that I hope somebody will take it over because, as it is, it is not really playable (not only that, but also several wrong connections and unclickable spots, all in the east continent, which is a mess).
That is one of the several maps that would benefit from having a "Broken" category in download list to stay into, as I've proposed several times.

[justbleh]

@redrum thanks I look forward to trying that one out next!