Developer Roadmap: War Improvements Package

[Anaris]

I've been talking about this here and there for a few months now, but now it's time to actually get back to work on it, and I think it's appropriate to share at least some of the planned changes with everyone here.

War Improvements Package

This is a collection of changes intended to make war easier, less frustrating, and more fun for both sides. This is not a comprehensive list of changes, but it should give a good idea of the things that I've got planned over the next few months.

Economic Warfare

• Regional Buffs/Debuffs:
  
  • Right now, anything that affects region stats pretty much has a line in the region turn script that says, "Is this happening? If so, reduce one or more stats by x%."
  • This leads to situations where a region, when left unattended, can drift steadily down in stats to the point where it begins to spiral out of control. (Particularly when combined with the fact that some of the things that reduce one region stat are based on another stat of the same region being too low!)
  • Change this to a system where each thing that affects region stats adjusts a soft cap up or down. This would mean that when a stat is above its soft cap, it will go down by a percentage of the difference, but once it reaches it, it will remain there unless something actually changes about the region.
  • This should lead to a very different paradigm of region damage: rather than a region being able to spiral out of control if it just gets its stats pushed much under 50%, it should be able to remain steady even at relatively low values for all stats, and not run the risk of going rogue.
• Changes to starvation & food management:
  
       
  • Add the ability to double & halve food rations for peasants
  • Region lords will be given warnings if stored food will be insufficient to feed the region within a week
  • Starvation will kick in slower, and recover faster
  • Naturally, starvation will be a region debuff, so it won't simply drop stats like before. However, because of its nature, starvation is cumulative, so the longer it goes on, the worse it will get.
• Looting effects get stronger to start, but decay much faster
• Recruitment Centers will be easier to disable, but harder to destroy
• Rogue regions (especially food producers) should no longer become wastelands unless something makes them so
• Depopulated regions should recover faster

New Takeover System

• Finish implementing the new Love/Fear takeover system
• This means splitting the Loyalty stat into Love and Fear stats for every region
• Every action that once changed loyalty/sympathy will now affect Love and Fear. Some actions that didn't affect loyalty before may also affect love and fear.
• Once this is done, the new takeover system will use these values, so that love takeovers and fear takeovers will be fundamentally different
• Details still TBD, but generally, a love takeover will take longer, but leave you with a friendly populace; a fear takeover will get you the region faster, but you'll have to keep the people in line pretty carefully.
• Trying to switch over from love to fear (or vice versa) will not be trivial, but switching from fear to love will often be better in the long run.

Combat Damage

• Rework damage formulas to emphasize the effects of weapon and arm our quality
• Clarify and emphasize purposes of all combat stats
• Add the possibility for recruitment centers with exceptional stats

Equipment

• Add several types of equipment that armies can purchase to help differentiate them
• No army can have more than one type of equipment
• Paid for out of the war chest
• Some of the equipment has special new Marshal formations that will go with it, and be much less useful without.
• Some examples of equipment we plan to add:
  
       
  • Pikes: Infantry in an army with Pikes can use the Set To Receive Charge formation, which will break cavalry charges and deal massive damage to the charging cavalry.
  • Heavy Barding: Provides cavalry with protection from the worst effects of Pikes. Cavalry with Heavy Barding will still take increased damage from the pikemen and their charge will be broken, but they’re not going to get shredded outright.
  • Sapping Equipment: An army with Sapping Equipment will act completely normally in combat unless they are fighting against a fortified enemy and they reach the wall. At that point, they will not deal any damage to enemy units, but start to sap the walls. While sapping, they will be vulnerable, but if they survive long enough to complete the job, the walls will be breached regardless of whether the army has managed to get to the top of them successfully, and the fortification will take a lot of damage.
  • Boiling Oil: Can only be used once per battle per unit in the army, and then only when the unit is on top of a fortification and there is an enemy unit at the foot. In that case, though, it will deal massive damage to the besieging units below.
  • Tower Shields: Gives access to the Turtle formation, which provides strong protection against archers, and can also protect themselves and an equivalent number of units without Tower Shields from Boiling Oil.

Note: I've been mentioning here and there that I will be making an announcement that people will like soon. This is not that announcement, though I hope you like this, too. Stay tuned.

[Vita`]

I'm excited for the future of warfare - particularly people's attempts to use and adapt  to these in greater strategies.

[vonGenf]

No army can have more than one type of equipment

Did you mean unit, or do you really mean army? In that case, would it be the marshal that controls it?

In either case it looks great! I really like this.

[Anaris]

Did you mean unit, or do you really mean army? In that case, would it be the marshal that controls it?

I really mean army.

At present, I think it will be the Marshal, but there's a case to be made for the Sponsor. I'll make a decision one way or the other when the time gets closer to actually implement it.

In either case it looks great! I really like this.

Glad to hear it :)

[trying]

Nothing to boost ranged units?

[Anaris]

Nothing to boost ranged units?

I said they were examples; I didn't say they were comprehensive :)

We have some ideas for ranged units. When it goes live, no one will be left out, I promise you that.

[Stabbity]

Squee!

[Zakilevo]

Can't wait for the coming changes. How long will this take? Looks like a big change.

Also, I think weather should actually affect all unit types. Like rainy day making it cavalries and infantries more sluggish or something like that.

But I really like the equipment idea. Maybe Crossbows and just bows for archer types? Just a thought.

[Anaris]

Can't wait for the coming changes. How long will this take? Looks like a big change.

A while.

Months, but hopefully less than a year. There's also other stuff that has to happen in the same time frame, so it's not trivial to estimate it all.

[Anaris]

Added a section I forgot to put in there about finishing up the new takeover system.

[bofeng]

This is a very ambitious plan but it will definitely add more fun to the game. 8)

Any part of the changes would improve the game. In addition, I suggest focus is given to how to increase player interaction or interdependency through these mechanics. The beauty of the game is in interaction. For example, the line setting is kind of player interaction, which requires players to discuss and communicate those settings, which adds fun. The added features should avoid becoming just simple button clicking, but should focus on these functions or settings' interdependency. After all, this is best part of this social game.

[Buffalkill]

Cool  8)

[Dishman]

Plans to take away some of the heavy labor in tending regions (which sometimes feels like the boring aspects of PvE), and plans to give more diversity to PvP battles? All while the doctrine system and noble density is already half-way fixed?

My breeches are moist with anticipation.

[Hinamoto]

Interesting.

[Kellaine]

sounds awesome