Which setting would you prefer for a strategy game: medieval, modern, or futuristic?

[SeekerOfTruth007]

I'm done with the one set in Modern times. I'm working on polishing up a version for Medieval times. I will also work on a future version too.

"Modern Conflicts" is actually set in the near future.

Commandos are the basic combat unit, and they are armed with Plasma rifles.

There are mutant Hell Hound units which are good at killing commandos.

"Spider" which is the first mechanical unit i'm still tweaking a bit.

Siege Tanks, good at killing mechs and static defenses.

Mechs strong vs air, weak vs Siege tanks

Jet Aircraft, Good at attacking air but weak vs ground.

"Chopper", which is good at attacking ground units, but can't attack air.

Mage is a spell caster which can hose opponent's bad positioning of units.

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The future version of the game is set about 500 years in the future and people have dimensional weapons and anti-matter weapons. I'm still working on the design and logic for the future game.

Medieval

Modern

Future

[AI Opinion]

Your futuristic idea instantly hooked me 🛸

As a strategy gamer, I’d totally prefer the far-future setting, especially with dimensional and anti-matter weapons. It gives you freedom to invent unique mechanics instead of copying real history. Mixed tech like mechs, spiders, siege tanks, and mages already feels fun and chaotic.

Medieval is cool for slower, tactical play, but your near-future and 500-years-later versions sound way more original and replayable 🔥

[Ez-Bri-Z_v2]

While i have played in a Lancer campaign with friends, I have never gravitated towards futuristic settings with mechs and outer space. I only went along with it because my bestie wanted me to join. He's starting another one but I backed out this time.

We were also going to try The Electric State which I think is set in a dystopian 1990s but that never got off the ground.

Give me medieval settings any day though. I enjoy D&D campaigns in that setting where magic and wordplay rule. My favorite was playing a Curse of Strahd campaign.

I am sure futuristic appeals to some, but for me it just doesn't resonate.

[SeekerOfTruth007]

My Medieval strategy game has the following combat units:

Swordsman: Attacks ground only. Cost effective against workers and Archers.
Pike: Best against basic Cavalry.
Archers: Attacks land and air. Flimsy, but also has First Strike. Range 2.
Cavalry: Best flanker and also great against Cannons.
Mounted Archers: Good against everything, but flimsy and beaten by basic Archers. Range 2.
Balloon: Basic Detector and Transport unit. Can hold 8 Cargo Space worth of units.
Cannon: Good for destroying static defense and softening up troops. Has range 4.
Scout Tower: Beats most early game units. Range 3. Beaten by Cannons easily.
Mage: Can cast Frost Armor, Fire Storm, and Rust. Potent caster unit.
Knight: Heavy Melee unit with healing ability and chain lightning ability. Very tough to defeat.

[SeekerOfTruth007]

I'm still working on the details for the Medieval one, but it's actually the most advanced strategy game I've made so far.

Some researches and abilities so far:

"Attack of Opportunity".
When you move into the range of a ranged combat unit, that unit gets one free shot at the moving unit BEFORE the active player even gets to declare a combat action.

"Rolling Retreat"
Once this ability is researched, the combat units of the non-active player may disengage from combat and retreat by 2 spaces, even if they've already spent their normal movement points for the round.

I'm working on a couple other special abilities.

[Ez-Bri-Z_v2]

Interesting premise. A few questions though...

Where is balloon coming from? Scout towers seem good to take these down, but air travel seems really out of place. Most did traveling in that time by carts or oxen/horses/mules pulling carts. I would think about separating the two into:

Familiars- which can be like owls for aerial vision and maybe cats or something stealthy for ground information gathering.

Armored carts- can transport 8 units. Give it some sort of AC, susceptible to fire arrows, fireballs, cannons. Allow it to accommodate archers inside as a compensation for the dmg it can take.

Knight having chain lightning feels out of place. Maybe switch that to some sort of holy spell that does a higher single target dmg instead. It can still be tough to defeat that way, but just changing the flavor of the spell and taking away any sort of aoe ability for a melee unit. If you want to give him a mini aoe, then give him a wide arc cleave that does less dmg but hits more opponents in melee range.

Also, you mention workers being a unit in the swordsman description but I dont see anything saying what they do specifically.

Just my thoughts there though. Curious as to what you think about it.

[Ez-Bri-Z_v2]

As for special abilities, why not some sort of specialized magic feature for your mages? They can take one of X number of spells such as polymorph (which can be used to pacify an opponent for a turn or to enhance an ally in someway by giving them a bestial form), chain lightning (to put it back on a mage where I think it belongs), or maybe a chain heal of some sort?

Aoe is a good one

The retreat is also good

Maybe some sort of berserk move that empowers attacks at the cost of tactics or AC? Perhaps making them more susceptible to magic/arrows instead?

Maybe some sort of teleport ability that let's them shadow step/teleport a space away at no cost of an attack of opportunity (if you have those). It can be used to close the gap or retreat without penalty but can only be used once a combat (just spitballing here, you know your system better than I do for the number of times it can be used).

Fire arrows for archers should be a thing, just saying.

Just a few ideas anyway

[SeekerOfTruth007]

Workers collect resources to build your town. In this case, it's Gold and Wood. Workers also construct structures, and you can speed build as follows:

1 Worker= normal build time.
3 Workers = half build time.
7 workers = one quarter build time.
15 Workers = one eighth build time (not really worth it though).

The Mage already has Fire Storm, w hich does 25 damage to everything in a single grid space. A grid space can hold up to 12 Cargo space worth of ground units and unlimited air units, so theoretically, one pop from Fire Storm can do up to 300+ damage to the enemy army.

I forgot to mention the Rogue, which is probably the most powerful unit. She starts with 50 Energy, regenerates 15 per round. She can cloak at an activation cost of 25 Energy plus -5 energy per round cloaked. She can SUBDUE enemies, killing them instantly, at a cost of 100 Energy. She's really the best counter to Mage Spam.

Then if you research "Chivalry," which is the last research on the Tech Tree, both the Knight and the Rogue can ride a War Horse, which is much faster than walking, and gains additional special abilities. A War Horse can War Stomp non-cavalry units for 100 damage, which KOs any legal target except a Cannon. Right now, Knight has a movement of just 2, while Rogue can move 3. While riding a War Horse they can each move 6 spaces per turn.

[NathanDavis]

I'd like one with cave people..

[DryGermanGuy]

That's how the first missions of Age of Empires begin. :-)

[NathanDavis]

@DryGermanGuy exactly!!

which is one of my favorite games, lol

[DryGermanGuy]

Mine as well! I completed it three times over the years.

[SeekerOfTruth007]

@DryGermanGuy I played AoE 3 to perfection. I can beat 5 max difficulty AIs allied against me on both land and especially Sea maps.

I've only ever lost one game of 1vs1 in AoE 3.

[DryGermanGuy]

@SeekerOfTruth007
I have only played AoE 1 and AoE 2 so far.

[NathanDavis]

I did beat the full map with my left hand, and a ChuKoNu