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[Rowanas]

Nah. I like to play games for the escapism, so I'd play through as a brave and noble defender, swearing one of those grim blood-oaths or something, that involves never leaving the front gate, until my inevitable and awesome defeat (Boromir style).

[Ultima Ratio Regum]

Oh, yes - you can only hold/wield things made for your size. And larger shields and armor are indeed thicker and much tougher, while large creatures will find it much easier to break through lesser armors .

Work-In-Progress and all that, but this makes me question one thing. How will things balance out? That makes it sound like a single giant (or similar creature), kitted out in decent gear, would be able to beat several human sized units in an even fight.

While you talk of fully kitted titans as a possibility, will they be absent most of the time due to lack of resources (small ratio of giants to smaller humanoids, metal working is expensive). That actually leads to my second question. Will majority of the armies be equipped semi-historically or hollywood style? That is, are majority of the units peasant levy types or knights in full gear?

Yes, that is certainly true; large creatures have a significant advantage, both in terms of practical combat and in terms of the fear they instill in their foes. That's why they'll be suitably rare, and at the moment anyway, giants and colossi are not recruitable. As for question #2, the larger an army gets, the poorer equipped most of its forces are likely to be; I hope to get peasant militias as well as those that are actually kitted out, and most often a combination of the two. And yeah, fully-kitted titans will be supremely rare .

I actually think that starting a common foot soldier would make an excellent setting a tutorial.

There has been some discussion of being able to play a successor once you die, which implies that there are some options at game start. One of those options could be buying your own squad of soldiers so you start off semi-independent versus playing a successor from an old game or starting off as a new recruit.

I agree - that's a great idea. I don't want to make it an explicit 'Tutorial', but I will certainly make it very easy to sign up in the army regardless of what civ you start off in, and make a clear suggestion to the player they do. Good thinking! As for starting conditions, I don't intend to let you start off with a squad of soldiers; either a continuation, or a new player. However, you choose your stats, your skills, and also have a significant level of choice over your starting items, too. I'm also debating allowing you to choose what kind of biome/climate zone you start in, depending on the kind of civilization you select (e.g. 'Nomadic' might give you desert, etc).

Seeing how this will be a medieval/fantasy setting, I'm fully expecting the ability to play as the head or subordinate of your own mercenary company at some point down the road. Who says you have to suck up to the sovereigns?

Yep, I'd definitely like that possible (and will probably exist before armies!)

Just a little hint of the history of the title of this game: It is latin for "The final argument of kings." It was inscribed on French cannons by the order of Louis XIV.

Yup - military force being the 'final argument'. On the topic of history/setting/etc (given that quite a few people have mentioned it lately), here's a blog entry about the thematic setting of URR. Enjoy! http://www.ultimaratioregum.co.uk/game/2012/04/24/opj/

[Ultima Ratio Regum]

In other news, I find myself with slightly more time at the moment than expected, so development will be continuing for the next few weeks, but at a much slower pace for a little while. So there might, just, be a blog entry this week. Still, last night I added shield mechanics with far more ease than I ever expected (though as with all combat calculations, it needs balancing etc), and I'm going to do some more work on spawning/despawning creatures soon, and getting them to appear in the right biomes/climate zones...

[varsovie]

I agree - that's a great idea. I don't want to make it an explicit 'Tutorial', but I will certainly make it very easy to sign up in the army regardless of what civ you start off in, and make a clear suggestion to the player they do. Good thinking! As for starting conditions, I don't intend to let you start off with a squad of soldiers; either a continuation, or a new player. However, you choose your stats, your skills, and also have a significant level of choice over your starting items, too. I'm also debating allowing you to choose what kind of biome/climate zone you start in, depending on the kind of civilization you select (e.g. 'Nomadic' might give you desert, etc).

If you randomize the starting biomes/conditions, then people will just restart the game until they get what they want.

e.g. For the game rogue, where starting stats are randomized, someone made a tool that restart the game until they are maxed out (or near). Ok, it takes a lot of time, but you could start the software the morning and then play your maxed-out guy back from work.

[agertor]

Seeing how this will be a medieval/fantasy setting, I'm fully expecting the ability to play as the head or subordinate of your own mercenary company at some point down the road. Who says you have to suck up to the sovereigns?

Yep, I'd definitely like that possible (and will probably exist before armies!)

Indeed, I believe being a mercenary would be a bit more profitable as you can change sides and go to different wars, while being loyal to a kingdom could get you ranked up higher in said environment, you may run out of things to do, due to peace or otherwise. You could always hunt during this time, but what fun? Although I will still try to become king.

So in essence, I think being a mercenary if somehow implemented comes in. I think they should hire you for battles. Such as *We are planning the Battle of the Hill of Horror* And they would offer you, for this example, 1000 moneys. While the other guys you talked to before offered you 1200 moneys, you could go back and choose to work for the enemy in this case. Or will mercenaries become a semi-permanent job to the kingdom? Which would not be very fun in the merc's shoes. At least to me.

Another thing is, when peasants come to revolt, they won't have a lot of money to give in such cases, but in the kindness of my heart, I will accept their horrible sum of 5 moneys to liberate this village! Then with the good relations I have just gained, take a woman from their village, marry her, and become the King of the Village! Yes! Yes! I will die horribly trying to defend this village with little supplies! 

[Ultima Ratio Regum]

I agree - that's a great idea. I don't want to make it an explicit 'Tutorial', but I will certainly make it very easy to sign up in the army regardless of what civ you start off in, and make a clear suggestion to the player they do. Good thinking! As for starting conditions, I don't intend to let you start off with a squad of soldiers; either a continuation, or a new player. However, you choose your stats, your skills, and also have a significant level of choice over your starting items, too. I'm also debating allowing you to choose what kind of biome/climate zone you start in, depending on the kind of civilization you select (e.g. 'Nomadic' might give you desert, etc).

If you randomize the starting biomes/conditions, then people will just restart the game until they get what they want.

e.g. For the game rogue, where starting stats are randomized, someone made a tool that restart the game until they are maxed out (or near). Ok, it takes a lot of time, but you could start the software the morning and then play your maxed-out guy back from work.

Ah, sorry if I wasn't clear - I mean you get to choose which biome you start in, if I allow that. And there is 0 otherwise randomization in character creation apart from what empire/civ you start in, and you won't know much about the world situation until you start playing it. If I allow you to choose a civ type, it'll start you in that kind of civ; if not, then it will start you in a random location, but I'll make sure all are reasonably well-balanced (taking into account, as I say, that you can only know so much about an empire before you actually start the game).

Indeed, I believe being a mercenary would be a bit more profitable as you can change sides and go to different wars, while being loyal to a kingdom could get you ranked up higher in said environment, you may run out of things to do, due to peace or otherwise. You could always hunt during this time, but what fun? Although I will still try to become king.

So in essence, I think being a mercenary if somehow implemented comes in. I think they should hire you for battles. Such as *We are planning the Battle of the Hill of Horror* And they would offer you, for this example, 1000 moneys. While the other guys you talked to before offered you 1200 moneys, you could go back and choose to work for the enemy in this case. Or will mercenaries become a semi-permanent job to the kingdom? Which would not be very fun in the merc's shoes. At least to me.

Another thing is, when peasants come to revolt, they won't have a lot of money to give in such cases, but in the kindness of my heart, I will accept their horrible sum of 5 moneys to liberate this village! Then with the good relations I have just gained, take a woman from their village, marry her, and become the King of the Village! Yes! Yes! I will die horribly trying to defend this village with little supplies! 

I intend to make sure that 'peace' is a brief, fleeting concept at best! I think a mercenary system would work very nicely, actually, as a separate system from banditry etc; I'd also want some civilizations to be specifically against mercenaries, and specifically hunt them down, while some try to use only mercenaries, and various options in the middle. I think it would be good if villages that either a) weren't part of empires or b) are far from empire protection could put out offers for protection to mercenaries in the same way that states/armies would in the way you mentioned!

[NRDL]

So...the world is in a state of almost total, unceasing war?  Is there any way to stop the wars?  It may sound boring, but it would be interesting to play as a diplomat, if only to protect a kingdom, city or village that you control. 

[Urist McDonalds]

When is an alpha going to be released?

[Leatra]

As a mercenary, you also should be able to hunt bandits for bounties if you aren't strong and/or don't have a big company. Also, if you abandon the army in the middle of the battle, you should expect a severe relationship penalty with the said army (and nation). Army commanders tend to get a little aggresive against deserters after all.

A good mercenary system is important since most players may try being a mercenary to build some capital for leading their own army.

Oh, and you should make earning money not so easy like most other roguelikes. Resources are the power in strategy games after all. Maybe make the player pay tax if he is a citizen or add buyable/rentable buildings.

[Techhead]

This is pretty cool. I'm posting to keep an eye on this thread.

[Ultima Ratio Regum]

So...the world is in a state of almost total, unceasing war?  Is there any way to stop the wars?  It may sound boring, but it would be interesting to play as a diplomat, if only to protect a kingdom, city or village that you control.

Oh, no; I fully intend to allow diplomacy and for potential 'Cold War' variations too. I just mean I want to ensure there will always be something to do; larger and more successful empires may be more likely to produce civil wars, say, or for a portion to attempt to secede, etc. Additionally, if there is no war, there may be internal issues, or bandits attacking here, or creatures attacking there, or...

When is an alpha going to be released?

This summer, at some point.

As a mercenary, you also should be able to hunt bandits for bounties if you aren't strong and/or don't have a big company. Also, if you abandon the army in the middle of the battle, you should expect a severe relationship penalty with the said army (and nation). Army commanders tend to get a little aggresive against deserters after all.

A good mercenary system is important since most players may try being a mercenary to build some capital for leading their own army.

Oh, and you should make earning money not so easy like most other roguelikes. Resources are the power in strategy games after all. Maybe make the player pay tax if he is a citizen or add buyable/rentable buildings.

Agreed, I like both those ideas. Similarly, if you're in a selection of bandits, you should have to avoid mercenary groups as well as traditional armies. I definitely intend to make earning money harder; you won't just find it on fallen foes, lying around dungeons, etc etc, as that's not in the slightest in keeping with the strategy-game feel to it.

This is pretty cool. I'm posting to keep an eye on this thread.

Well, thank you! I normally stick on blog updates, and replies to questions/comments.

[Some1fromMKD]

I have a few suggestions about necromancy based on some other thoughts if you still haven't finished the magic\necromancy system.

-Having different kinds of raising dead. For example: a)Raising a mindless zombie with no abilities other than walk, hit and eat brain. b)Reanimating a corpse able to understand what you are saying and able to obey your commands. c)Making a zombie able to speak, not being oblivious of the world around it and able to inform you of what is happening on a distant part of a battle (other than sending a runner who can get himself killed, send a zombie). and d)Reanimating a dead person who still retains his memories and can continue on with his life or serve you in gratitude of you giving him life again.

-Like I mentioned before but the more advanced corpse raising methods can be used only by better necromancers and those who have practiced their methods for years. Say I'm a novice necromancer with not much knowledge of the act of raising the dead. I can only make a mindless zombie with no abilities. But a more advanced necromancer can reanimate a corpse with no effort and the zombie being unrecognizable from all the normal "living" people.

It would be great sending a zombie who can take an arrow or a sword in the head without feeling any pain to inform me or bring new orders to squad leaders to and from the far reaches of a battle instead of sending a runner who might get killed by a stray arrow or a dragon swooping by and breathing fire on the poor guy.

And about the alpha. Since you moved back the release date from before the end of 2011 to summer 2012, can we expect some features that wouldn't have been included in the first release date, or will we still have an alpha heavily based on combat with no NPCs?

[agertor]

Wait... then everyone is broke?... But.... I wanted to kill the king and take his moneys on him... Sad...

[Leatra]

Wait... then everyone is broke?... But.... I wanted to kill the king and take his moneys on him... Sad...

Well, most people try to become the king after they kill the king

[Blaze]

Being king is a PITA, you're better off stealing everything that isn't nailed down and leaving it for the vultures to pick clean.