Author's Comments: I've been dissatisfied with what Strategus has become, compared to what I'm confident it could be, for quite some time. Multiplayer version of Singleplayer? Count me in! But that's not what it became.
So I talked with a lot of different people with a lot of different ideas. None of us agreed on everything, but that's a good thing. Several diverse ideas and opinions have gone into this.
Then, I wrote this. It's a proposal for change-- big changes. Not everything, of course. A lot of things in Strategus work great. If it's not mentioned here, it's safe to assume that we like it as-is.
However, I never wrote this to be my proposal but instead the place to begin for many minds to read it. I figure that it's about as ready as it'll ever be. It's very long and thorough, so fair warning. Take your time. Read it all, think about it all. Each piece is designed with the rest in mind. Use your imagination to see how these features would interact. Then talk about it. Feel free to "Sign On", too.
If you want to chat, you're welcome to contact me on Steam or via PM on these forums.
Hope this sparks something interesting. Cheers!
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Mission Statement: To develop a proposal for an equitable strategy game to compliment cRPG including aspects of territory warfare, resource management, exploration, and player environment control for both independent and clan-based play.
Preface: Everything within this proposal is variable- from production rates to battle systems. This is merely a design proposal to give a rough idea. Our mathematicians are creating formulas to ensure balance. We'll base our final numbers on these results.
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Theories and Assumptions:
Balance
Balance will be achieved through negative feedback systems. We will not rely on trust or theories of human behavior.
Action will be rewarded above inaction.
Resources
Resources will be measured by the players in hard numbers.
For developmental purposes, we will look at resources as a figure of Time.
For example, assume we want a village to take 25 hours of play to earn. If Silver is made at an average rate of 500 per hour, the hard cost of a village will be (25 hours * 500 silver = 12500 silver).
Although resources are created, mostly, by cRPG playtime we wish to avoid two specific and foreseeable problems:
(1) Account sharing
(2) Incentivizing unhealthy play
Both issues can be mostly resolved by a per-day limitation to playtime. Cap or diminishing returns styles would be appropriate.
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Topics Index
Mission Statement
Preface
1). Resources
-a. Troops
-b. Money
-c. Other Resources
-d. Trading
-e. Retainers
2. Fiefs and Fief Management
-a. Zendar
-b. Creation
---1. Types of Fiefs
---2. Improvements
-c. Fief Management/Improvement
-d. Resource Acquisition
3. Characters
-a. Attachment to cRPG, Character Locking
-b. Horizontal Development
-c. Moving Around
---1. Troop Upkeep
---2. Map Options
---3. Movement Speed
d. Losing Battles
4. Clans/Factions
-a. Leadership and Members
-b. Map Actions
5. Battle System
-a. Field Battles
-b. Sieges
---1. Attacking the Wall
---2. Waiting it Out
---3. Sallying Out
-c. After Fief Battles
---1. Looting
---2. Razing
---3. Claiming
6. Fief Design
-a. Associated Costs
-b. Limitations: Block Sets
7. Game Design
-a. Set Rounds
---1. Pre-Round Goals
-b. End-Round Results
---2. The Revealing
Conclusion
Short-Form Community Suggestion List
Signatories
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1. Resources
Resources are gained in two methods: by fief modifications and each cRPG tick. Resources can be gained both ways, and at changeable rates depending on a variety of factors. Most importantly, fief modifications will change the rates of production (sometimes a flat bonus, sometimes a rate bonus).
Flat bonuses give a set amount per hour, day, or week. These only come from Improvements.
Rate bonuses increase the rate of production, the rate being the amount of time in cRPG, to a maximum of 250 ticks per 20 hours. This is approximately five hours of playtime.
Resources are ALWAYS sent to the fief at which the character is bound! This will either be (1) the fief that the player is the master of or (2) the fief of the player's master, if that player is a retainer.
If the player has no fief and is not a retainer to another player, he will not produce any resources until he founds a fief.
Most fiefs will give a bonus to resource "Rate" bonuses.
All resources can be picked up by characters and moved around the Strategus map. They can also be bought and sold in the Markets of each town, the amount of buy offers or sell offers being limited by the Improvements of the fief.
1.a. Troops
Troops are acquired at a rate of 1 per in twenty cRPG ticks. In an hour of play, you'll create about three troops.
1.b. Money
Money is gained at an equal rate to that of cRPG. cRPG characters earn gold; Strategus characters gain silver.
1.c. Other Resources
Other resources are gained at a rate of 1 per twenty cRPG ticks, but only after the initial Improvement is built.
These resources are required to build certain improvements, and they tend to improve different aspects of the fiefs.
For most Improvements, multiple kinds of resources will be required, and virtually all of them will require Silver.
Wood: Used for economic Improvements
Iron: Used for military/offensive Improvements
Stone: Used defensive Improvements
More optional resources: grain, wool, food, oil, mercury, fish, livestock, etc.
-Foods may be used as a resource that drains over time for larger cities, or some other balancing utility. Small fiefs should be self-sufficient to help non-faction players.
-For simplicity's sake, Silver is better than food in the author's opinion. Growing food is for the peasants and helots; silver just pays for their wages (or for their oppression!).
1.d. Trading
Trading will be a great way to make money for independent players, although faction-based traders may find profitable business as well if wars don't get in the way. All commodities will be tradable, which will be a key way that different territories or areas with particularly large deposits of one resource but lacking in another can acquire it, profiting the middle men who take the risks of transport!
1.e. Retainers
Retainers are characters who are bound to the service of another. They cannot own a fief, but instead their production rate is added to their Master's total production, but only for Silver. Retainers do not produce troops and resources. This is a great way for players to get involved with Strategus without worrying about the management.
Retainers do not need to work for free. Retainers can be hired on and paid back a percentage of the Silver they make as cRPG Gold. This pay percentage can be as high as 50%. Better Retainers can demand higher pay.
Let's say you are a Retainer to Lord Bob at a pay rate of 10%. You play for three hours and make 5,000 cRPG Gold. Instead of making 5,000 Strategus Silver, plus troops and resources, you only produce the 5,000 silver, 90% of which goes to your Master and 10% of which is automatically converted into cRPG gold. Lord Bob gets 4,500 Strategus Silver, and you get a nice bonus of 500 cRPG gold for your hard work.
Independent players may also register as Retainers to any other player. Players in one faction may even register as Retainers to another faction's player.
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2. Fiefs and Fief Management
Fiefs play a critical role in the game, and come with significant advantages to players who possess them. They range from camps to massive cities. Fiefs can be developed for different roles: siege/assault camps provide defensive support for armies at war but produce fewer resources than they take to build, while a castle may protect a large timber industry hub.
Some players may not want to have fiefs as they don't want to bother with managing a fief with the possibility of losing their hard-earned place on the map. More will be explained under Section "retainers" later, but this will be a viable option, also supplementing that player's cRPG gold.
ALL fiefs will be owned by players, except for one: Zendar.
2.a. Zendar, the Haven City
This neutral city will be the starting position of all players, and all fiefless players that lose in battle respawn at Zendar. Zendar cannot be conquered.
Zendar will be at the top center of the continent.
It will have a market essentially the same as the cRPG market.
2.b. Creation
All fiefs start as a Camp. Founding a Camp takes twenty-four hours to build, but costs nothing. Attacked Camps are field battles, but they do provide the player a means to start acquiring wealth and getting troops, including any resource rate bonuses for the area.
There can be only ONE fief per Grid.
You cannot tell the resource type and Rate Bonus of a Grid until it has a Camp; it then becomes visible to the owner of the Fief. Of course, trees, mountains, or cliffs on the map are pretty good indicators!
Prospecting/Explorering is a great career for quick-witted folks or those that don't mind traveling light. This career's profitability wanes as time progresses in a Strategus round, of course.
2.b.1. Types of Fiefs
Fiefs are not linearly developed- different aspects can be changed at different times. However, fiefs are given a "Type" based upon their basic type- this type changes the kind of battle map that the fief will use! Technically, these are the same as all other improvements, but they don't change anything about resources, just the appearance on the Strategus Map and the Battle Map.
Furthermore, the higher-end improvements require minimum threshholds of Fief Type. A Camp can't hold an Estate, for example, but a Village or a Castle can. You might consider the "type" to be the base development level.
The exact battle map used is randomly chosen out of the geographically appropriate set; this cannot be changed. You may also Design-A-Fief. More on this below.
Name - Strategus Map - Battle Map
Camp - Tent Icon - Random Geography-type Battle
-- Bandit Lairs are marked with a B; Siege Camps are marked with an S.
Village - Fief Icon - Fief Battle
Castle - Castle Icon - Castle Siege
City - City Icon - City Siege
2.b.2. Improvements
Type Improvements
Camp: Changes nothingness into a fief; little more than a claim to land.
--Special Camp Upgrades:
- Bandit Lair: The camp cannot be seen until a character moves on top of it. Changing from this type into any other type reveals it normally. It gains no benefit from Grid resource Rate Bonus. It otherwise acts like a normal Camp.
- Siege Camp: This camp allows for the construction of Siege equipment. Siege equipment cannot be moved- it stays at the camp, but can be used to besiege adjacent fiefs. It otherwise acts like a normal Camp.
Village: Changes a Camp fief into a Village fief; Camp Pre-req
Castle: Changes either a Camp fief or a Village fief; Camp Pre-req
City: Changes Castle into a City fief; Castle Pre-req
Storage Improvements - Increase Silver storage
(None): 10,000 Silver maximum
Cabin: 100,000 Silver maximum
House: 1,000,000 Silver maximum; Village Pre-req
Manor: 10,000,000 Silver maximum; Village Pre-req
Estate: 50,000,000 Silver maximum; Village Pre-req
Barrack Improvements - Increase Troop storage
Tents: No troop storage; gives "resident" troops -20% upkeep. This includes local Lord's personal army and any guests and retainers inside the fief.
Militia Huts: 200 Troops, -30% upkeep; Village Pre-req
Guard House: 450 Troops, -35% upkeep; Village Pre-req
Soldier Barracks: 1000 Troops, -40% upkeep; Castle Pre-req
Man-At-Arms Dormitory: 3,000 Troops, -50% upkeep; City Pre-req
Recruit Rate Bonus Improvements - Increases Troop Levy Rate Bonuses
Family Yurts: +10% Troops a day
Log Cabins: +15% Troops a day; Village Pre-req
Stone Houses: +20% Troops a day; Village Pre-req
Brick Homes: +25% Troops a day; Village Pre-req
Urban Apartments: +30% Troops a day; City Pre-req
Recruit Flat Bonus Improvements - Increases Troop Levy Flat Bonuses
Levy Beggar: +1 Troop a day; Village Pre-req
Street Caller: +3 Troops a day; Village Pre-req
Patriotic Rallies: +6 Troops a day; Village Pre-req
Propoganda Machine: +10 Troops a day; City Pre-req
Resource Rate Improvements - Increases Silver or Local Resource % Rate Bonus
Lumber Camp/Mining Camp/Stonecutter Huts: +10% resource rate
Sawmill/Smelter/Mason's Lodge: +20% resource rate; Village Pre-req
Resource Rate Improvements - Increases Silver or Local Resource Flat Bonus
Lumber Yard/Mineshaft/Rock Quarry: +1 Resource a day of whatever the grid's type
Lumber/Mining/Quarrying Business: +2 Resource a day; Village Pre-req
Lumber/Mining/Quarrying Company: +4 Resources a day; Village Pre-req
Market Improvements - Increases trade orders per fief (Lord always gets orders = total; true sum is double below)
Street Markets: One order
Market Stands: Two orders
Market Square: Four orders; Village Pre-req
Trading Hub: Eight orders; Village Pre-req
Emporium: Twenty orders; City Pre-req
Finance Improvements - Increases the Rate Bonus for Silver earned
Chieftain's Hut: +10% Silver rate bonus
Mayor's Lodging: +20% Silver rate bonus; Village Pre-req
Tax Collector's Hall: +35% Silver rate bonus; Village Pre-req
Landlord's Mansion: +45% Silver rate bonus; City Pre-req
Other Improvements - Give fief bonuses but have no other category
Watchtower: Gives extra vision distance
Messenger Stables: Gives Lord vision from fief, even when afield
Scout's Tent: Divulges the resource rate bonus for adjoining territory
Blacksmith: Gives a 20% discount to buying arms and armor
Breeding Stables: Gives a 20% discount to horses
Training Grounds: Allows a character to Retrain once per month.
Palisade: Changes a Camp or Village's Battle Map into a small wooden fort. This upgrade makes no changes to Castles or Cities.
Architect's Dwelling: Allows the fief owner to design his own fief through the Fief Design system.
2.c. Fief Management/Improvement
Obviously, fiefs can significantly increase the wealth of a player with proper management and upgrades! However, the cost will be prohibitive to most players. A few dedicated players working together may be able to build a castle, but a city would take far too long to be cost effective. Strategic decisions must be made- a city with every improvement would either take massive player input in time and expense. If enemies come knocking down a flimsy village before a castle can be built, the juicy loot inside may be susceptible to raids. If every penny goes towards defense, the army may not be strong enough to repel a dedicated assault.
Improvements should reflect the offensive, defensive, and economic strategy that a clan intends to use- or a nice balance of them all.
However, Improvements CAN be destroyed by raiding parties if left unhindered. Only by making wise development decisions matched with cunning military strategy and tactics can you preserve your fiefs and claims!
The master of a fief may set limitations as to who may visit his fief (and benefit from that visit), such as: Faction members only, Independents Only, Certain Factions Only, Nobody but Owner.
He may also kick out individuals at any time.
If he is present in the fief or has stationed troops, he may attack any visitors he deems unsavory.
2.d. Resource Acquisition
An infinite amount of resources may be carried by a character. Large amounts will slow you down.
Fiefs will produce and store resources until capacity is filled. Equipment does not have a capacity limit, so spending money is always favorable, either to players in the local market or by purchasing equipment.
Resources can be acquired either by Flat Bonuses from Improvements, Rate Bonuses (base + modifiers), and from combat: caravan raids, army loot, and pillaging fiefs. No resources are gained by destroying fief improvements, however. No resources are safe from the victor, either: Silver, Equipment, Wood, Iron, Stone-- everything is looted by the victor.
A victor may also choose to take over conquered fiefs (although any former fief would become vacant and susceptible to immediately being taken). All former improvements remain.
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3. Characters
Characters are the avatars of the player in the world of Strategus. A player's interests in the world are either on their character or at their fief.
Characters are essentially the same in cRPG as they are in Strategus. However, Strategus characters are more limited.
Characters can carry infinite amounts of Silver and Equipment, but can only carry up to 1,000 Troops without the assistance of Perks.
Silver will never slow a character down, but too much equipment can cripple his ability to traverse the world.
3.a. Attachment to cRPG; Character Locking
They cannot level beyond 30, and automatically lock as cRPG characters level past this point. When a player retires his cRPG character, he gains a "locked" status on the Strategus, unless the character was already locked. You never have to worry about being unable to participate in Strategus merely because your character hasn't leveled up yet so long as you lock your character.
This system allows players to enjoy cRPG at their own pace, either by retiring or working up to level 34. Neither will provide a major benefit or hindrance to the player.
However, to use a particular character build in Strategus, you do have to play it through in cRPG to lock it.
Most importantly, characters (including alts) in cRPG are the primary method of resource production in Strategus by dictating the production rate.
Heirlooms may increase your ability to win cRPG games, and to hence to increase your production rate, but they have no other bearing in Strategus.
3.b. Horizontal Development and Perks
With the Locking system, Strategus characters do not develop vertically. However, they can still develop in different ways.
Characters receive perks/character upgrades for participation in battles; the ability to carry more troops and reduced upkeep are examples of this. These perks are hard to earn but permanent to the character for each Strategus round. They do not, however, give particularly large bonuses overall, they're merely small boosters as a reward for active participation.
Treble points are earned for initiating battles. Participating in a battle you initiate earns the initial bonus as well as the treble bonus, hence four points.
3.c. Moving Around
Characters move around the Strategus map. You can even set waypoints, if you're looking to avoid a certain area while you're traveling.
Unfortunately, Fog of War prevents you from knowing exactly what's ahead of you. Only terrain is visible- even fiefs you've visited before.
If you can't see a fief destination that you know is there (Bandit Camps, for example), you can simply move to the Grid where you know it is located and check the Auto-Enter command. If no fief is present at the end location, you'll simply stand around unprotected, so make sure you know what you're walking into!
3.c.1. Troops and Upkeep
Characters can only carry up to 1000 troops at once.
Troop upkeep costs at an exponentially increasing rate.
This can be modified by a myriad of factors, but the best way to reduce upkeep is to stay in a fief with an upkeep modifier from improvements.
3.c.2. Map Options
Characters can move around the map, enter fiefs in their Grid, set movement waypoints, and start a Camp in Grids without an existing Fief.
From the Strategus Map, players can also check a full income/expense report with every change being accounted for.
They can also make changes to their fief from afar, if their character is in the field.
3.c.3. Movement Speed
Character movement is determined by a four factors: Army size, Equipment weight, Horse Bonus, and Character Perks.
The larger the army, the slower it moves. 100 Troops will move slightly slower than 80 troops.
Equipment weight slows down at a per-troop basis. 100 Troops with 10 Weight apiece moves at roughly the same speed as 10 troops with 10 weight apiece.
Armies with siege equipment cannot move at all; no army can carry a siege tower. It must be built in a Siege Camp and used there, abandoned after use (or stolen in a counterattack!)
Horses provide a flat decrease to weight; horses count as eight troops for the weight ratio.
Lastly, character perks may modify the final calculation, giving a small bonus in speed.
3.d. Losing Battles
When a character loses a battle, he loses all of his troops, Silver, and equipment. The character is put into limbo for 12 hours when it is sent to the character's fief.
If the character does not have a fief, it is sent to a clan headquarters after 12 hours.
If the character has no fief and no clan headquarters, it is sent to Zendar after 12 hours.
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4. Clans/Factions
Clans/Factions play an integral role in the landscape of the Strategus map. Although fiefs are built by individuals, it is expected and encouraged that Clans form zones where they can cooperate and protect one another, as well as invite independent players in as merchants bringing goods they need. And, of course, everyone knows that information is power-- spy games will surely happen.
Although the emphasis will remain on factional conflict and teamwork, independent players should not fear factions so long as they mind their own business or bribe their way out of danger.
Lastly, all players may join the Zendar faction and defend the area around the Haven City, keeping the trade routes clear.
---Theoretical: NPC Bandits around Zendar?
4.a. Leadership and Members
All factions have four ranks. The ranks' names start as follows can be changed to be more appropriate; the powers are set.
King - There is only one. The King can give and strip ranks; he can also change the rank names. The King's fief is the "Faction Headquarters". If the King changes fiefs, this becomes the new HQ. The King can accept faction members, expel members, and set battle rosters.
Lord - These are the faction administrators. They can set battle rosters and accept members.
Vassal - These are standard faction members. They have no particular powers, but can hold fiefs.
Retainers - These are not necessarily members of the faction, but they do support the faction by increasing resource output. They cannot hold fiefs; when they do, they lose Retainer status. Retainers may still be used to carry troops, equipment, scout, or any other such activities.
4.b. Map Actions
If a player is a member of a faction, he carries that banner above his head while traveling and it flies proudly over his fief on the Strategus map.
Kings and Lords can see the locations of all fiefs owned by members of their Faction, including Bandit Camps and those hidden by the Fog of War.
5. Battle System
The Strategus battle system was an impressive innovation on Warband Multiplayer. Very little has been changed.
Fights occur 24 hours after the attacker initiated.
5.a. Field Battles
Much like the original Strategus, field battles occur when a player attacks another (1) outside of a fief or (2) by attacking a Camp (if it lacks a palisade).
Village battles occur on the village battle maps, but otherwise occur like field battles, unless the Village has a palisade.
5.b. Sieges
Sieges occur when a camp with a palisaded Camp or Village, a Castle, or a City are attacked. Sieges work very differently than field battles. Most importantly, Besieged fiefs do not produce resources, nor does the besieging army's character. Improvements that don't affect resources still function normally. Furthermore, no characters can enter or leave the fief.
Sieges don't occur like normal battles. Instead, they can be triggered by either the attacking or defending sides at any given moment with the battle occurring 24 hours later from the trigger.
Sieges are initiated by either (1) an army attacking from a field nearby or (2) an army attacking from an adjacent fief, especially the Siege Camp.
Sieges may last for several days, even weeks. A critical factor for any besieging army is going to be its ability to keep itself supplied with Silver while it waits for the enemy forces within to diminish, as most fiefs will have at least basic improvements to make their troop upkeep lower than that of a Siege Camp.
Given the limitation on troops per character and troops per fief type, it will take many coordinated players with large armies to take down castles and cities.
5.b.1. Attacking the Wall
Aggressors can attack the walls whenever they choose.
Of course, they'll need a Siege Camp to build siege equipment to give to the army if they want to make a serious attempt at taking the fief.
5.b.2. Waiting it Out
Doing nothing is always an option! If the attacking army can pay the Silver, they can simply wait. If the defender thinks it can outlast the attacking army(-ies), it too can wait for the enemy troops to desert. It becomes a battle of time and attrition.
5.b.3. Sallying Forth
Defenders don't have to do nothing while they wait. A besieged fief may always Sally Forth, attacking the enemy outside the gates of the Palisade, Castle, or City defenses, thus liberating themselves to continue resource production normally.
5.c. After Fief Battles
If the defender wins, resource production continues and the attacking player character is returned to his fief in 12 hours.
If the attacker wins, the defender's character is sent to his Faction HQ or Zendar 12 hours later.
Any other players in the fief that are not the defender are immediately expelled from the fief and subject to attack.
5.c.1. Looting
The winner of the battle claims the remaining equipment and Silver of the losing party; if the fief's owner was present in the fief, he loses his property in the fief as well as on his character.
5.c.2. Razing
For 24 hours, no other players can claim the fief or make any changes to it. The victor, however, can choose to raze structures at a rate of (Initial Buildtime/5). If an upgrade takes 500 minutes to build, it will take 100 minutes to demolish. The character cannot move or this timer will be undone, although he is not frozen in place and may run if enemies loom nearby.
This also applies to the owners of fiefs, allowing fief owners to practice "scorched earth" tactics.
5.c.3. Claiming
The victor may immediately claim his prize fief. In doing so, he will automatically forfeit his former fief. Any troops inside will be removed, thus letting any new claimants take any wealth left behind.
If the victor does not take the fief after 24 hours, another character may claim it instead.
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6. Fief Design
One is not necessarily locked in to using existing battle maps. Players are welcome to create their own fief's battle map to suit personal tastes!
This does come at some cost, and changes must be reasonable. Guidelines will enforce designs to certain objects so that every castle is not "maximized" and made into ideal conditions.
The spirit of Fief Design is to allow players unique control over their fief's development and appearance, not to give a player the ability to create overly powerful or unbeatable defensive structures. Any designs to this effect will be immediately discarded. A voting committee will be given control of the map to explore and test before voting on approval. Denied Fief Design applications will be given the best feedback possible.
Absurd or imbalanced proposals will be dismissed out of hand immediately.
Once created, your Designed Fief will be put into circulation for the random-map selection process for the geographies groups it fits within.
6.a. Associated Costs
Unique fiefs will require an Architect's Dwelling. Without it, a fief owner cannot participate in Fief Design and must use the standard set of fiefs. Of course, a fief owner can still be given a unique fief created by Fief Design in the random battle map selection process.
If a fief owner wishes to use the Fief Design of another player, he may do so, but he must still build the Architect's Dwelling.
6.b. Limitations: Block Sets
Obviously, a unique village without a palisade will not get to build a tall stone keep in the middle of the village. Furthermore, a Fief Design castle cannot be as large as a city.
Each fief type will be limited in size by "Block Sets" for a degree of uniformity and the sake of fairness.
7. Game Design and Rounds
Initially, a Strategus Round will be three months long. This will not necessarily be so of Strategus rounds following: some may be shorter, some may be longer.
Before and during the beginning of Strategus rounds, the community voice will be heard to establish this criteria before it begins.
Furthermore, each Strategus round will have a new map.
7.a. Set Rounds
Strategus Rounds will be distinct, instanced game rounds that have a definite beginning and ending. They are free to set their own goals for each round, or no goals at all.
7.a.1. Pre-Round Goals
Each individual and each clan leader my write their Goal for a given Strategus round. These will be hidden from all other players until the end of Strategus. They cannot be changed once Strategus has started.
These goals give each player and clan the opportunity to plan and accomplish, eventually revealing those schemes at the end of the round to the whole community.
7.b. End-Round Results
The results of each round for individual characters and clans will be displayed at the end of each round, including how many troops were produced, how many were lost, how many fiefs were taken, how many fiefs were lost, and all manner of statistics, etc.
7.b.2. The Revealing
At the conclusion of each set round of Strategus, the Goals of all individuals and clans are revealed to the whole community. These Goals can be compared to the clans End-Round Results, giving players a way to examine how each player and clan has challenged themselves and if they have accomplished that successfully.
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Conclusion:
This proposal is not intended to be final. It is merely the attempt to improve on existing systems to create a game where independent players, small factions, and large factions can all have a hand in determining the outcome of the game by setting and pursuing their own agendas.
This proposal does not cover every aspect of Strategus. Many, perhaps even most, of the existing systems are very effective and no alterations would bring any improvements.
Lastly, most of the "hard numbers" and values are not set, cost of improvements being first and foremost among them. The game mechanics will need to be examined closely with mathematical, hypothetical-input/output testing. These formulas will be tested and developed after the Strategus community finds common ground on the general policy proposals within this text.
We hope that our proposal is given full, fair consideration and discussion for a better Strategus game.
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An additional, unedited compilation of short-form suggestions list from the entire community that may or may not have been within this proposal has been compiled below:
Suggestion Notes
-Change your Title (for Fiefs)
-No more big armies - many smaller armies
-Tickets and Equip follow the player
-Following feature
-Respawn at faction leader
-Bots defend Neutral locations
-More equipment, less troops
-Obvious tables for who is at war with who, who is allied to who
-Create a bandit lair, neutral location
-See clan mates on Map
-Multiple factions per fief
-Mercenary mode for Independents
-Bandit Lairs (hidden)
-Easy re-entrance to game
-cheaper gear
-cavalry a legit option
-small clans become easier
-pre-set factions
-Pick either Long Term Persistence OR Short Term Powerstruggle, clear Win/Lose
-Better time-of-battle options for Attacker and Defender (clear window)
-Flags won't help even matches
-Show banner on Roster lists
-Show faction banner on Strategus map over Fief
-Time of fief defense set to to the player's Sleep time, not on arbitrary lines
-Reserves list for Strategus battles to fill rosters
-Upcoming Strat battle in-server Message
-Purchasable upgrades to recruit, economy, etc.
-Auto-calculate travel time estimate
-Each faction starts with a fief
-Banner pack support for Updater
-Spawn in Strat based on who you support
-Fiefs for factions, special independent bases for non-Strat players
-Preset factions, clans can join in addition to player factions
-Special equipment for specific locations
-Faction equipment themes
-Stop last-survivors from delaying
-Pre-set tax income
-Ally/War feature
-Resources
-Reward battle commanders, starting fights
Signatories:
Garem of the Fallen Brigade
