This is a new forum game I'm thinking about starting, a multiplayer player-vs-world TBS, similar to
outpost or
walkers. The difference is that in this game, things are much more complicated. Because of the added complication, no single player, or even group of players, should be able to guide everything. Instead, you take the part of a single notable character. You give orders to your subordinate units, and try to guide them in undertaking some task, which will benefit the entire group. Providing food, say, or constructing housing. Together with the other players, you endeavor to survive in a hostile world. I've already put some thought into this, but I think I've gotten about as far as I can in a vacuum, which is why I'm posting this. So what do you think? Anything look unbalanced or silly to you? I'm not anywhere close to having everything listed, so suggestions for new content are also welcome. Also if something doesn't seem to make sense or looks poorly explained, go ahead and say so. Once I think I've gotten the mechanics figured out, I'm going to try and run a game.
They came down from the north, like a terrible flood that washed away all who stood before them. Their magic brought disease, famine, and drought upon their enemies, softening them for the blades of their armies. They knew no mercy, they sought only eradication. As they cut a terrible swath through the human lands, great armies were raised against them. These armies fought valiantly, but they could not stop the invaders. With destruction imminent, the humans panicked. They fled before the terrible threat. It was then that some vague glimmer of hope shone in the darkness. They could not defeat the invaders, but they could flee. Legend told of a small mountain pass that would displace those who went through it, sending them to strange and distant locations. Thousands of desperate refugees poured through, fleeing to wherever they could. Roped together so as not to be separated, you know not where the mists will take you. But you know it will be better than the place you left behind.
Shrubland
Not very difficult to move through. Bad farming. Bad hunting. Poor foraging. Average woodcutting.
Grassland
Not very difficult to move through. Poor hunting. Good farming.
Road
Makes movement faster. Can stack with other terrain.
Paved Road
Makes movement much faster. Can stack with other terrain.
Light Forest
difficult to move through. Good for hunting, foraging, and woodcutting.
Heavy Forest
very difficult to move through. Great for hunting, foraging, and woodcutting.
Hills
Difficult to move through. Good spot for watchtowers. Can stack with other terrain.
Mountains
Very difficult to move through. Excellent spot for watchtowers. Can stack with other terrain.
These are some of the resources you will need to survive.
Food
The most important resource. Get some or you will die. Can be obtained through any of a dozen methods.
Wood
Used in building constructions and in making some goods. Obtained through woodcutting.
Stone
Used in building constructions and in making some goods. Obtained through mining.
Ore
Used in making weapons and other goods. Comes in many varieties.
Goods & Items
Used for a huge variety of stuff. Made by crafters.
Constructions are semi-permanent changes to the landscape. Their costs tend to vary depending on the terrain and the designer. Constructions made of wood require carpentry, while those made of stone require masonry. Most constructions can be fortified, giving bonuses to any troops defending them. The costs and benefits for this vary from building to building.
Roads
Roads make travel much easier. Travel on a dirt road takes about a day per hex. Travel on a paved road rakes half a day, and is much safer for wagons. Roads require about a worker-week of landscaping per hex. Depending on the terrain, they may also require stone or wood and additional labor. Paved roads also require an extra 5 stone per hex, and two worker-weeks of masonry. Depending on the terrain, additional materials and labor may be required.
Housing
Housing is necessary in order to give all of your units a place to sleep. Costs vary depending on the quality of the housing desired. Some minimal landscaping is usually necessary, along with some wood and stone, and some masonry and carpentry too. When built out of wood on mostly even land, they require about a worker-week of landscaping, 20 wood and 5 worker-weeks of carpentry per ten bedrooms. When built with stone, they require about a worker-week of landscaping, 4 wood, 10 stone, two worker-weeks of masonry and 1 worker-weeks of carpentry per ten bedrooms. Depending on the terrain, additional materials and labor may be required.
Farms
Farms are pretty much THE best source of food, however they are difficult to set up. Farms come in several components, each of which must be built separately. Farms usually consist of some housing for the farmers, some fields, some storage, and maybe some irrigation or an orchard.
Fields
The fields are the main productive part of the farm. They can grow various crops. Keep in mind that crops have varying growth cycles and harvest times, and some may require processing. If built on relatively flat ground, fields require 3 worker-weeks of landscaping per field.Depending on the terrain, additional materials and labor may be required.
Irrigation
Irrigation allows fields to grow crops that require lots of water, and makes them more resistant to droughts. Irrigation usually requires a nearby source of water and a couple of worker-weeks of landscaping per field. Depending on the terrain, additional materials and labor may be required.
Storage
Storage is necessary to keep resources out of the weather. If built on relstively flat ground, from wood, requires 10 wood, 1 worker-week of landscaping, and 2 worker-weeks of carpentry per 100 units worth of storage. Depending on the terrain, additional materials and labor may be required.
Mine/Quarry
This construction will give you access to deeper minerals, and will make mining the area more efficient. Mines have highly variable cost depending on where they’re built, however they will generally require several worker-weeks of mining, a few worker-weeks of engineering, and maybe some wood and carpentry.
Earthworks
Earthworks are a simple defensive structure. They are easily made with only some landscaping labor. They provide a +4 combat bonus to defenders.
Palisade
A palisade is a simple wooden wall made of large sharpened stakes driven into the ground with no space between them. They are simple to make, requiring only wood and carpentry, and once constructed can be used portably by trained soldiers. They give a +7 combat bonus to defenders, and can be combined with earthworks.
Archer-tower
An archer tower serves several purposes, both as a look out and as a place for archers to shoot from safely. It gives any archers stationed inside it a +1 combat bonus for every level of training they have. (+1 for proficient, +2 for experienced). It can be constructed of wood or stone.
Docks
A docks is a place where ships can be constructed and landed. Like the farm, it is actually an aggregate of several building, most notably piers. A small dock usually consists of a few piers, at least one of them large enough to build small sailing ships, and some storage warehouses for goods.
Pier
Piers can be used to fish from, giving a modest bonus, or as a place for docking ships. A basic pier can build small canoes or rowboats, but nothing bigger than that. Piers are best constructed from wood, although stone is possible as well. Building stone piers requires huge amounts of effort, and is still very difficult.
Sawmill
Sawmills make cutting wood much easier and more efficient. They can be constructed from wood or stone, though wood is best. They can be upgraded with metal tools.
Domicile
A domicile is a building that serves as housing. It can be built to hold a variable number of people in a variable amount of comfort. When building a domicile, specify how many people it can hold, how many rooms each of them have, and any other rooms you want. For example, you might commission a twenty bedroom dormitory with an attached kitchen, hall for meeting and eating, and a nearby bathhouse. Domiciles can be built out of wood or stone, and may require some landscaping or engineering depending on where and how big you build them. Like many other buildings, they can be fortified.
Workshop
Workshops allow you to make items and goods. they must be specialized by type of labor performed. They can be built for a variable number of crafters, and outfitted with more or less sophisticated tools. For example, they can be built for a single crafter with crude tools, or for several crafters with sophisticated tools. Outfitting a workshop with more sophisticated tools requires that you have those tools. Workshops tend to take only a few worker-weeks of landscaping and some carpentry or masonry.
In oder to farm, you must construct some fields. Once you have those, you must plant them with crops. You will have to take care of those crops until they are ready to harvest, at which point you can collect food from them. Different crops will take different amounts of labor to plant and harvest, and will give different rewards for doing so. You don't necessarily have to inspect or maintain your crops, but not doing so will make them more vulnerable.
Wheat
A field of Wheat takes 3 farmer-weeks of farming labor to plant and 5 farmer-weeks of labor to harvest. It will take a month to mature, at which point you can harvest them for somewhere around 50 food. Wheat is vulnerable to cold, and so cannot be grown during winter months.
Lentils
A field of lentils takes 3 farmer-weeks of labor to plant and 3 farmer-weeks of labor to harvest. It will take three to four months to mature, at which point it can be harvested for about 200 food. Lentils are only somewhat vulnerable to cold, and as such can usually be grown during winter months with a little luck.
Mixed Vegetables
A field of mixed vegetables takes 3 farmer-weeks of labor to plant, and produces a 3-4 food a week for as long as it's maintained. During winter months, it's output will drop to 1-2 food a week.
Construction
Constuction labors are used in making constructions.
Masonry
Used in making constructions out of stone.
Carpentry
Used in making constructions out of wood.
Landscaping
Used in moving dirt around.
Architecture
Used in designing buildings.
Crafting
Used in making items.
Pottery
Used in making clay pots and bricks.
Woodworking
Used in making wooden items, including furniture.
Stonecrafting
Used in making stone items.
Metalworking
Used in making things from metal, Including weapons.
Tanning
Used in making things from leather.
Clothworking
Used in making things from cloth.
Gathering
Used in collecting materials. Gathering labors will have widely variable payoffs depending on the circumstances. The average payoff is 1 of whatever’s being gathered per worker-week of labor.
Farming
Used for working farms.
Animal Husbandry
Used for raising animals.
Hunting
Used for hunting animals.
Fishing
Used for fishing.
Mining
Used for mining ore. Also used for constructing mines.
Woodcutting
Used for cutting wood.
Foraging
Used for gathering plants
Units must be trained with the prerequisites of a training before they can get that training. Units can learn multiple things. Training in a labor takes one week unless otherwise stated.
Laborer
Civilian. Capable of most labors at 50% normal rate. Can be trained as a builder, a crafter, or a gatherer.
Builder
Does construction labors at normal rate. Can be trained into a carpenter, mason, or engineer. Must be a laborer to be trained as a builder.
Crafter
Does crafting labors at normal rate. Can be trained as a potter, woodworker, metalworker, tanner, or clothier. Must be a laborer to be trained as a crafter.
Gatherer
Does gathering labors at normal rate. Can be trained as a farmer, hunter, fisher, shepard, miner, quarry worker, forager, or lumberjack. Must be a laborer to be trained as a gatherer.
Mason
Does masonry labors at 125% normal rate. Must be a builder to be trained as a mason. Non-masons do poor masonry.
Carpenter
Does carpentry labors at 125% normal rate. Must be a builder to be trained as a carpenter. Non-carpenters do poor carpentry.
Landscaper
Does landscaping labors at 125% normal rate. Must be a builder to be trained as a landscaper.
Engineer
Does engineering labors at 125% normal rate. Must be a builder to be trained as an engineer. Non engineers cannot do engineering.
Potter
Does pottery labors at 125% normal rate. Must be a crafter to be trained as a potter.
Woodworker
Does woodworking labors at 125% normal rate. Must be a crafter to be trained as a woodworker.
Metalworker
Does metalworking labors at 125% normal rate. Must be a crafter to be trained as a metalworker. Non metalworkers cannot do metalworking.
Tanner
Does tanning labors at 125% normal rate. Must be a crafter to be trained as a tanner.
Clothier
Does clothworking labors at 125% normal rate. Must be a crafter to be trained as a clothier.
Farmer
Does farming labors at 125% normal rate.
Shepard
Does animal husbandry labors at 125% normal rate.
Hunter
Does hunting labors at 125% normal rate.
Fisher
Does fishing labors at 125% normal rate.
Miner
Does mining labors at 125% normal rate.
Lumberjack
Does woodcutting labors at 125% normal rate.
Forager
Does foraging labors at 125% normal rate.
This indicates a units ability to fight as part of a larger force. These bonuses do not stack with each other.
None
Unit has combat worth 1d1.
Militia
Unit has combat worth 1d4. Takes one week.
Soldier
Unit has combat worth 1d6. Takes two weeks.
This indicates the training a unit has had with weapons. Must be specialised by weapon.
Inexperienced
Unit has no weapon experience. Gets inexperienced bonus for any weapon used.
Basic Proficiency
Unit gets proficient weapon bonus instead of inexperienced weapon bonus. Requires at least militia training.
Experienced
Unit gets experienced weapon bonus. Requires basic proficiency and soldier training.
How much armor this unit is trained to use.
No Training
gets inexpienced bonus for everything.
Light Training
gets proficient bonus for light, inexperienced bonus for everything else
Medium Training
gets experienced bonus for light, proficient bonus of medium and inexperienced bonus for heavy.
Heavy Training
Gets experienced bonus for light and medium, and proficient bonus for heavy.
Plate Training
Gets experienced bonus with all armor.
Does not stack with weapons training.
Initiate
Combat worth +1d2.
Student
Combat worth +1d3.
Novice
Combat worth +1d4.
Must have fire talent to learn these. Does not stack with weapon or martial arts training.
Initiate
Combat worth +1d4
Student
Combet worth +1d6
Novice
Combat worth + 1d8
Horseback Riding
Unit is trained to ride and tend a horse, greatly increasing the speed with which they travel..
Scouting
Unit is trained in scouting. Unit is able to hunt and forage at least enough food to provide for themself, is able to move quickly even through difficult terrain, and is able to draw maps of the area they pass through.
Weapons grant a bonus to any unit that wields them, depending on how experienced that unit is with such a weapon. Bonus is listed as inexperienced/basic proficiency/experienced. Weapons of superior craftsmanship give bonuses.
Club
1/1d2/1d4
Simple to make. Requires a little bit of foraging in a wooded area to get a simple club. A well made +1 club can be produced by a woodworker.
Hand Axe
1/1d3/1d5
Moderately simple to make. Can be made of stone, or metal. Can be used to chap wood.
Broadsword
1d2/1d4/1d6
Complicated to make. Requires metal and forge.
Spear
1d2/1d3/1d4
Good for hunting.
Shortbow
1d1/1d3/2d2
Gets bonuses from high ground and fortifications. good for hunting.
Bastard Sword
1d3/1d5/1d8
Difficult to learn to use. Only some people can.
Bonuses are listed as inexperienced/experienced.
Penalties are listed as no training/inexperienced/experienced.
Leather
1/1d2
-2/-1/0 movement speed.
Notable Units are units that stand out from the rest in some way. Units with exceptional skill or magical abilities are the best examples of this. These are usually but not always direct player avatars. Sometimes, they may be neutral or even hostile.
Examples
Foreman Johnston
Foreman Johnston is an exceptional miner. Mines run by Johnston work much faster than they otherwise would. They also are much less likely to experience cave-ins and other mishaps. Newcomers to these mines find themselves learning the ropes with exceptional ease. Johnston is an imposing figure, large and powerful. His combat value is 2d4. He gives a morale bonus of +1 to all units fighting with him, to a max of +20.
Lara Mendez
Lara is a master flame dancer. She uses a combination of fire aligned magical talent and martial art to bring destruction to her enemies. She is elegant and refined, yet also not afraid to get her hands dirty. She can train people in the martial arts and in the use of magic, should they possess the ability. Her talents also include a knack for diplomacy, she is capable of negotiating with anyone from barbarians to bureaucrats. In battle, her arts serve her well. Her combat worth is 3d10. She gives a morale bonus of +1 to all units that know martial arts or magic fighting with her, to a max of +30.
Avna Vitrova
Avna is an exceptional farmer. Any farms overseen by Avna are much more productive than they normally would be, and are less likely to be affected by blight or other disasters. She is capable of teaching the skills of farming, animal husbandry, and landscaping. She is a very peaceful person, and does not like killing, but if she must she will fight to defend what she has built. She has a combat worth of 1d6. When given time to prepare a defensive position, her knowledge of the land and her ability to work with it allow her to grant a 4d8 tactical bonus to her side.
Samson, Legendary Architect
Samson is a legendary architect. In his prime, he built fortresses. Now, though, in his old age, he has retired. Unfortunately for Samson, life isn’t fair, and he has been pulled out of retirement by an untimely invasion. He can design buildings that take less materials than they normally would, yet are stronger and more advantageous. He has become a little unreliable in his old age though, one day designing brilliant buildings that seem almost magical, the next designing buildings that are merely a step beyond the rest. Samson is a frail old man, and as such is not much of a warrior, however his frailty hides a cunning mind. His combat worth is 1d2. He is not a great leader, but he did once design fortifications that held back armies. Defenses constructed by Samson may give all sorts of bonuses.
Each unit has a combat worth, represented by a dice + adds system. Before combat, roll and add all the numbers together for each side. The side with the greater number wins. The greater the difference, the more they win by. Some things may give one side or the other a bonus.
When it comes to labors, only a units highest rate in a labor is used. This rate will multiply with all other rate increases, unless they say otherwise.
For combat worth, add all bonuses, unless they say otherwise.
Johnston was the foreman of an iron mine. he worked supplying the ore for weapons until the invading forces shattered his kingdoms defenses and began their terrible plunder. At this point, Johnston gathered up who he could and fled. Strangely enough, his group was one of the few that was not aware of the nature of the mountain pass they fled through. They were not at all expecting to find themselves at the bottom of a verdant valley. Unsure of their surroundings, they they met Avna’s group. Avna had worked her farm all her life, along with her family. When the invaders arrived, every other member of her family left to fight. She stayed behind and tended it with the help of whoever she could recruit until the invaders magic rendered it barren. Then she gathered up the few remaining members of her village and fled. When she heard of the pass, it sounded like a godsend. She led her ragged group through, hoping to reach a place where they would be safe and could live in peace. Needless to say, she was delighted to find herself in such a fertile place. She quickly lead her followers in setting up a prosperous little farm. They had bountiful harvests, but were frequently attacked by wild animals. When she met Johnston, she explained the nature of the pass to him, and where they were. They agreed that in return for food, he should go up into the mountains and mine ore for weapons. It took Johnston a week to find a suitable site, but find one he did. His group quickly set to the task of digging out a productive mine and forge. The first shipment of weapons arrived at Avna’s a week later. Now armed and armored, the occasional attacks were much less threatening. At this point, however, Their activity brought the attentions of a much greater threat. A clan of lizardmen that live in the foothills nearby interrupted on of the weapon transports, making off with it’s goods. Newly armed themselves, the lizardmen began aggressively raiding the human settlements. Avna and Johnston fought back, but The lizards would not be easily deterred. At this point, something very lucky happened. Lara appeared with a small group of novices. Avna and Johnston quickly recruited them, and with their help defeated the lizardmen.
Author
Topic: Through the Misty Pass - A Multiplayer-vs-world TBS Text Adventure (Read 12503 times)