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[Zsinj]

That is a fantastic book series, I recommend the sequels as well when you have time. I like the way you're thinking! It would be interesting to have a political game going on in the 'background', something like a council of elder dwarves from each clan represented in your colony/city who bitch and moan and try to get their petty causes advanced or put one over on you. At first this would probably just be one or two, maybe just your own clan and a representative of the king. Later, as you grow, you might have to deal with petitions from the miner's safety authority and demands from a distant king all while appeasing the Guild of Artisanal Cheeses by relaxing quality requirements of the dairy industry some and mediating a clan feud between the Hammerfist family and the Oakheart family.

Have you considered how you'll handle labor organization? Is it a free for all sort of thing where anyone with the labors enabled will take the jobs available, or will we organize the dwarves into coherent work gangs with a foreman?

Definitely plan to get through the sequels when I have a little more time (after the Kickstarter perhaps), right now everything is running at 100% to get the prototype ready

Looks like we're on the same page! It's a fair way down the line after the more basic management stuff but it feels good to both know where I'm heading (to plan stuff in better) as well as give people a look at the overall vision.

Initially (already implemented actually) labor will be the "usual" workers with the right professions enabled will pick up jobs as they're available, but I do plan to have foremans and work gangs, or maybe just "guild leaders" per profession to actually dole out the jobs that need doing in-game rather than the ant-farm telepathy you get currently. Eventually I plan to have an AI-only simulation where you can watch the leader/mayor survey where they want things to be built, speak to the respective guild masters, who then pass on the jobs to the workers to carry out. Playing the game will work as a sort of intermediary where your orders are beamed into the head of the colony's leader who then talks to the other characters to get things done. Less efficient for sure, but I really want to capture that peaceful ant farm-like satisfaction of seeing everyone going about their jobs without your input.

That's kind of where I was going with the 'levels of ownership' idea. Stuff like a pickaxe would be settlement level (or miner's guild), a bucket probably the same. A fine War Axe or Sword, clothing, and other personal goods like that are probably Family owned. Really opens you up for criminal actions and feuding families and the like without having to stress over stupid things.

Although feuding families causing you headaches by refusing to let the other clan use their bucket might be fun...

That's it Those super-high-value legendary crafted artifacts are a good candidate for that kind of thing when they don't otherwise have a use.

[forsaken1111]

I'd be in favor of a caste system developing as the settlement grows. Castes spring up along major labor lines so a miner's guild forms and takes control of all mining operations and labors for example. Then they handle regulation and ownership of equipment, you could give them general directives and quotas rather than micromanaging the miners at that point, but then they get to keep a small amount of the turnout for their own wealth which they invest in better equipment, safety, whatever.

This would be complex to model but I think would be pretty rich and lead to some interesting emergent gameplay

[Zsinj]

I'd be in favor of a caste system developing as the settlement grows. Castes spring up along major labor lines so a miner's guild forms and takes control of all mining operations and labors for example. Then they handle regulation and ownership of equipment, you could give them general directives and quotas rather than micromanaging the miners at that point, but then they get to keep a small amount of the turnout for their own wealth which they invest in better equipment, safety, whatever.

This would be complex to model but I think would be pretty rich and lead to some interesting emergent gameplay

Definitely going to have something along the lines of guilds forming when the population is large enough for it to make sense. There's kind of need to differentiate the game from Rimworld, so while that focuses on a small group of colonists (very well!) I'm aiming at the larger social dynamics of a bigger population, perhaps around 100-200 in a decent sized settlement. We'll lose the intimacy of knowing each character very well but I'm hoping it provides some scope (like this) for some interesting mechanics.

[Zsinj]

As an aside, you three (Retropunch, Mephansteras and forsaken1111) have been consistently engaged and helpful through the life of this thread and development. I'll definitely come up with something unique in-game as a thank you (maybe naming and giving the background for an important event or character in the world, designing something that makes up part of the world, a free pledge/upgrade to one of the higher Kickstarter rewards, that kind of thing). I'm open to any suggestions! If nothing else, I'll PM you when I'm in a better position to get things worked out. Thanks guys!

[forsaken1111]

Just let me be a tester or something and that will be enough, I don't really do this for acknowledgement. It is a personal interest of mine.

[Zsinj]

Absolutely! Very first playable build is nearing some kind of working state (just a few rough edges to iron out) and I'll send you guys some of the first keys to it.

[TheImmortalRyukan]

Well, you have my interest, just point me in the direction of your Kickstarter, and I'll contribute

[Zsinj]

Wonderful! Just in case you (or someone else) haven't come across it yet, there's a one-time mailing list at http://kingunderthemounta.in/download/ to remind you when it launches (spoilers: It's going to be March 27th) though I'm sure I'll be making as much noise as I can when that happens. I'll also have a thunderclap campaign set up when there's less than 2 months to go (which is the limit, so pretty soon) and signing up to that would mean the world to me. Thank you so much!

[forsaken1111]

I'm already on the mailing list but will keep an eye out for the campaign and I'll spread the word.

[Mephansteras]

I'll definitely be backing this. Might be fun to have a presence in the game world, though. We can ponder it.

[Grisher]

Been watching this for quite awhile as well, looks good.

I may have missed it and if I have I apologize,how are you going about population growth?

Reproduction or migrant only?

[Mephansteras]

Been watching this for quite awhile as well, looks good.

I may have missed it and if I have I apologize,how are you going about population growth?

Reproduction or migrant only?

In the dev plan it mentions both.

[Zsinj]

Thanks guys!

And yep both for population growth, and its not mentioned there but playing as orcs will be inspired by the way their population works in the warhammer world - they give off spores that grow mushroom-like growths that eventually spawn new orcs. They'll have a very fast population turnover due to fighting each other and everything so much, and dealing with a high death rate (and birth rate) is one of the challenges that differentiate them from other races.

[Dorsidwarf]

Just dropping in to say that while the artstyle initially didnt convince me, that lit picture of the blacksmith definitely did.

The music is excellent too!

[Zsinj]

Just dropping in to say that while the artstyle initially didnt convince me, that lit picture of the blacksmith definitely did.

The music is excellent too!

That's extremely pleasing to here, thanks! Really happy with the music by Jordan Chin too and I'm hoping the Kickstarter is a success so we can commission more of it