MY new game idea. What do you think?

[SeekerOfTruth007]

I can't reveal too much information on this just yet, because i need to patent some of the game mechanics I've invented in the past few weeks.

I am working on a Table Top Turn Based Strategy Game. the game is set in the early Colonial Period, where Knights are being phased out as guns and cannons are being invented. IN the game you make various types of combat units, but the Knight and Rogue are the most powerful middle and late game units, along with Cannons eventually flushing out other units, such as the ultimate harass unit: Mounted Archers.

The ULTIMATE technology in this game is "Chivalry", which allows some mind blowing strategies late in the game as the Knight and Rogue combine their abilities in new and exciting ways.

There is no sorcery or spell casting in this game. It is simulating realistic warfare in a single resource economy to slightly over-simplify resource management. I figured out two resources is too complicated for new players to understand and enjoy. All activated abilities are based on real-world historical combat, including Rogue abilities.

There are two versions of the rules. The Simplified Rules are for ages 12 and up, while the Advanced Rules are for ages 16 and up to enjoy.

The ULTIMATE Rogue. This Rogue is even more powerful than the Fairy Thief Lord from Lords of Magic video game, yet she can be killed by something as simple as a Hot Air Balloon in the right situation.

How will you engage your opponent? Will you try to make more Rogues and win the Information Warfare? Or will you just mass knights and try to crush your opponent to smithereens? And early Sword Man all-in might be tempting, but your opponent might know a way to stop that strategy. It's all up to you in this game which is enjoyable to the entire family.

[AI Opinion]

Your game idea sounds absolutely intriguing! 🎲✨ The blend of historical realism with strategic depth is a fascinating approach. The idea of phasing out knights in favor of emerging gunpowder technologies adds a unique edge to the game dynamics. The single resource economy is a smart move to keep it accessible while still offering depth through advanced rules. The balance between knights, rogues, and technological advancements like cannons and mounted archers seems well thought out. Simplifying resource management will definitely make it more engaging for new players, while the advanced rules will cater to more experienced strategists. The contrasting strategies offer various ways to play, which keeps the game replayable and exciting. Can’t wait to hear more once you can reveal those patented mechanics! 🎉🛡️🔫

[SeekerOfTruth007]

Thanks for your well-thought out response. I hope to get the game notarized and patented pretty soon. I do still need to make some test maps to ensure the game balance is about what I think it is. Every combat unit in this game has at least two counters on the tech tree, so there is no broken system, however, it is true Mounted Archers are very, very powerful in the middle game. That's how warfare was for thousands of years, pike and mounted archers were king.

[msc545]

Too complex, not enough visual stim.

[SeekerOfTruth007]

The game is designed to be played in about 45 minutes or so on one base economy or early two- base economy. Most games will be decided in about 15 to 20 rounds of play. Only when two experts play in the Advanced Rules system will a game go much longer than that. The Simplified Rules favor offensive all-ins, while the Advanced Rules favor defense and positioning along with unit harassment.

I don't want to explain specific game mechanics yet, because I need to notarize and patent a few of them which are very unique for turn-based Strategy. At least I've never seen similar abilities in any other game before now.

[SeekerOfTruth007]

Most games will likely end in an early rush/counter-rush scenario.

I figure in a 20 rounds game (about 40 to 45 minutes of playing) the Aggressor can crank about about 20 to 25 Sword Mans and research all of their abilities. If the Defender does not play correctly, he could lose all of his workers in a hurry, and that would spell disaster for the Defender.

On the other hand, if the attacker is rushing Sword Mans and doesn't get enough damage done to the Defender, then the Attacker will be behind in both economy and tech, and he might just say "GG" and concede if his first wave fails.

There are several ways to stop a dedicated Sword Mans all-in if the defender plays well, but people like to rush in strategy games, so average and even slightly above average players will try an all-in from time to time, just to test whether you know how to stop it.

To stop a fastest possible 25 Sword Mans rush, the defender will need one or two Scout Towers, Walls surrounding his Gold Mine and both Scout T"owers, some Sword Mans of his own and hopefully some Pikemen and basic Archers of his own too. If he cannot get that in time, he may be locked into permanent defense and contained to one base, in which case he'll eventually lose.

The Sword Man timing attack is such that if 5 Sword Mans manage to break your defense, they can kill all 30 of your workers in ONE TURN, so when the game is over, the game is OVER.

[SeekerOfTruth007]

It's also possible to get 3 Rogues, 2 towers, and some sword mans of your own in time to fight the 25 Sword Mans rush. You won't have time to research Rolling Retreat if you go Rogue First, but you can manually do runaround micro, and Rogues do 50% bonus damage on their Attacks of Opportunity, and sword Man's special ability cannot reduce a Rogue's attack of Opportunity. So going Rogue First might be a good defense against a Sword Man all-in. You are limited to 5 Rogues at a time, and so getting the Academy and rushing to 3 Rogues ASAP puts you well on your way to maxing your Rogue count. You also won't have time to research Subdue nor Non-Detection in time for the battle, but that doesn't matter. The attacker cannot defeat your Rogues without either Balloons or Rogues of his own.

That's how defender's Advantage works. It takes 3 or 4 turns for the attacker's Sword Men to cross the map, so by the time he is in position for the final push, you can speed build the Academy and get out 3 Rogues.

In this game, players start with 25 Gold in their Banks and they start with their first Barracks on the battlefield. You should probably make a House with th e25 Gold to speed along early unit production, but you'll get to place it where ever you need it as a form of walling off.

If the Defender goes Archer First, they WILL have time to research Rolling Retreat, and Archers with Rolling Retreat and Wall and Tower support can slaughter Sword Mans.

[SeekerOfTruth007]

The Attacker needs to Research Torches and Spin Cut to get much damage done on offense and both of those are Forge researches, so his Rush will be ineffective until he gets both researches. He needs Torches to destroy your walls and Towers, and he needs Spin Cut to be effective at killing Workers. Otherwise, he'll be of little threat to the defender and may as well not attack.

[SeekerOfTruth007]

War Horses and Chivalry are used to break Cannon Stalemates in the very late game. The first person to get a Third Base will probably also be the first person to finish researching Chivalry.

A War Horse allows the Knight to move around much faster, and gives him new abilities.
Chivalry allows a Rogue to ride a War Horse and she gains some of the Knight's abilities while riding a War Horse.

Upgraded Cannons have 10 range, so you need a 10 Movement speed War Horse to attack defending Cannons. Just pushing more cannons of your own probably won't work very well, because the defending Cannons get an Attack of Opportunity when you try to push them. A War Horse makes either a knight or Rogue immune to Attacks of Opportunity, among other things.

You are limited to 10 Knights at a time, 5 Rogues at a time, and 10 total War Horses at a time. You are also limited to 30 Scout Towers and 3 Forts at a time.

the reason you can only have 5 Rogues at a time is because She is INCREDIBLY POWERFUL once you research all of her abilities. Stealth and information warfare wins wars, so the Rogue is designed to be the most powerful unit.

the first person to take a 3rd base and research Chivalry will be a ta significant advantage. You could research Chivalry on just 2 bases, but that would consume your entire income and delay your third for a long time, so it probably is ill-advised to try that.

[SeekerOfTruth007]

It takes around 3000 Gold to unlock all knight, rogue, and War Horse abilities, and it takes another 2000 Gold to actually train 10 War horses.

It makes sense to organize raiding parties with 1 Rogue and 2 Knights per party, and keep two raiding parties close enough together to Focus Fire enemy Cannons using Thundering Kick. The Rogues protect your Knights from enemy Rogues. Rogues cannot attack one another directly, because they have "Diplomatic Immunity". However, a Knight who has a War Horse and Thundering Kick can kill a Rogue and most other Tier 1 or Tier 1.5 units in one hit each. Rogues only have 100HP and are the least cost effective unit in terms of HP per cost. Knights have 450HP and are the most cost-effective unit for HP per cost. You can focus fire cannons with 5 Thundering Kicks in one turn to kill one cannon per two raiding parties per turn. With 5 rogues, you can make 5 raiding parties of 1 Rogue and 2 Knights each.

Hopefully, this will allow a skilled player to break Cannon Stalemates and get a win.

There will be a 15 turn limit after you research Chivalry. If you have not advanced your positino noticeably in an official match after 15 additional turns, then the game ends in a Stalemate. The exception is if your opponent also researches Chivalry after you do it, then the 15 turn limit is reset to the most recent player who researched Chivalry. Once the 15 turn limit is reached, if nobody has won or conceded, the game ends in a Draw/Stalemate. Nobody's official rank changes in a Stalemate.

[SeekerOfTruth007]

I honestly think you are mistaken about this being too complex. I have taken steps to simplify the game, and it is now no more complex than axis and Allies. I have seen 12 to 16 years olds playing 30 turns games of Axis and Allies at a local gaming shop before.