Update: Site Features and Integration

This is probably the last you will hear from me until the New Year.  Currently as Lundy mentioned progress is being made on the game.  After reading comments as well as doing some thinking, I thought I would clear up a few points as well as bring up a few others over this post and maybe a few others. 

This game will be a web based browser game, as will most of our games in the near future.  Most web rpgs are forum based and lack any real structure.  This unnamed project will be integrated with the forum, though the majority of actions will not take place on the forum.  In fact no forum action is will effect the outcome of the game. 

Spring Testing

Due to various factors the tests will now be conducted in the spring as it is unlikely that Jupiter will be able to finish given his schedule and his lack of having received stuff from me ;). Lots going on, I am doing AP classes for September and Jupiter has shit to do as well, on top of that we are both going ot attempt to create an online OTP and Verses League for NHL 11 on the Xbox 360. So ya, thats the update! Basically it looks as though a full release will occur in the Early Summer (only 2-3 months behind schedule). Everyone who signed up for the alpha is given first priority but it is understandable if you are unable to show.

Back~

Ok, had to move (still looking for a decent job). But I am back in the dev saddle, I am as of now just cleaning things up and handing stuff off the Jupiter. He also told me he has made good progress on the website, but I will leave that to him as far as posting. As far as my next post....tonight after looking over the game's development document is done I will just pull something interesting out.

Victory and the End Game

Many of you (especially those from CCRPG) will be surprised to hear that yes, this game will have a set of victory conditions. This will undoubtedly make some upset but they are going to have to live with it.

The biggest problem with a truly "open ended" nation simulation is that it lacks the necessary structure for the game to have an longevity. Eventually (and depending on the game rather quickly) two or three players will gain the upper hand and dictate how the rest of the game is played. This is virtually impossible to prevent, and in reality the game should reward good ideas anyway so it should not be prevented from happening. This of course leaves the rest of the players wallowing in the gutter with no chance of advancing beyond middle power status.

Giving players goals to achieve allows them to have both something to shoot for, and if you are one of the many stuck at the bottom of the food chain you get another chance next game to start on equal footing.

Do not fear my role-playing friends, this game is not abandoning you. There are several ways to win, each of which is designed to take 2-4 months that way you will plenty of time to show off your impressively detailed nations.

Through Imperial Might: If you control a certain amount of territories you can win the game. There are conditions of course. For instance you will need at least 20 territories. On top of that you will need to have 5 more territories then the next largest empire. And you will have to be considered "stable" ie a country not on the brink of falling apart either economically or socially. What quantifies as stable is of yet undecided, but I have a general idea.

Through Cultural Superiority: Using various means countries gain "culture points". There are various ways of achieving the necessary amount of points. Either through having many magnificent buildings, having a widely practiced state religion, having many preferred trading partners, and having many protectorates or allies. It will require a combination of all to gain enough points but it is a more...peaceful way to win.

Game Times Out: Eventually the game will end and simply make the player closest to reaching the victory conditions for either of the above the winner. As of now it looks as though 4 months will be the maximum.

This will hopefully make the game flow smoothly and allow the players second chances and the chance to feel as though they won something.

A note on private games: Eventually if the game gains enough popularity private games may be created. These games will have customizable victory conditions.

Rescheduling of of Alpha

Due to unforseen circumstances (mainly academic) the games alpha will have to be delayed by 1-2 months. A November-December Alpha is now expected. If anyone has issues with the timing please contact me, I will do all possible to have the alpha on a week that everyone can participate.

Just so everyone is aware, everything is still on schedule this is a preemptive delay as Jupiter Trooper has informed me about his upcoming mid-terms, a time when (I hope) he will not be able to work on programming.

Out with the old in with the new?

I have been thinking of late about how to incorporate relativity complex economic structures while at the same time allowing players the ability to choose their own path. I am considering a system where every country starts as a "barely functional state" and can change their country based on passing various laws and researching various technologies. This will mean that your country can take on a distinctly feudal, imperial, or even democratic feel. Players will not be as confined, that being said it will take a bit more work on the part of the player, that and it will increase game development time.

Just throwing the idea out there, thoughts?

Notes: This will not actually change the core economics of the game, many of the formulas and ideas will be carried over.

Edit: Examples

Players would initially choose from one of several "economic/government systems". Feudalism, Oligarchy, Empire, Republic, etc.

Each faction would have a very basic list of core rules that they follow. Players would then have an extensive list (50+) laws, regulations, and edicts to choose from. These choices would be divided up into one of several categories such as Economics, Civil Law, and Military. Of note, many of these laws would be mutually exclusive.

IE You cannot make the mayor of a town appointed by the king and then go on to pass another law that stated that the mayor was elected by all landowning persons. Obviously these two laws are contradictory and only one (or neither) can be in effect at any one time. Most likely the system will work on a "last law passed" system where the last law you passed took precedent, that being said the game would inform you that if you accept that laws a,b,c would no longer be in effect.

The laws WOULD HAVE A REAL AFFECT. For instance if you passed a law giving merchants more control over how cities are run then you will increase your tax revenue, but that law would also decrease the loyalty among city dwells to your central authority, which affects many things, such as military recruitment, willingness's to rebel, etc.

Shoutmix!

I added a Shoutmix chat-box to the blog (see the right). Signup is easy, and yes it does have guest posting. Feel free to chat about...well anything, the game, ccrpg, waffles, its all good.

Class

Each type of government has its own unique class structure. Unlike many games the government players choose will actually effect how their social and economic structure is set up. Every class operates differently, and with unique rules. this insures that the difference between factions and classes is more then just aesthetic.

All classes have good and effects. Serfs/Peasants produce food, the ratio of educated commoners to the rest of the population dictates the amount of money/resources lost to corrupt, etc. There are also social affects. The more "middle class" persons a feudal kingdom has the more likely a rebellion will form. That being said such a situation usually indicates that the kingdom is wealthy.

Below is a brief overview of what each societal structure looks like.

Feudal;

-Agricultural Workers: Serfs, Peasants.

-Lower Class Workers: Urban Peasants, Tradesmen

-Middle Class: Merchants, Educated Commoners

-Upper Class: Nobles

Oligarchy;

-Agricultural Workers: Peasants.

-Lower Class Workers: Urban Peasants, Tradesmen

-Middle Class: Lesser Merchants, Educated Commoners

-Upper Class: Oligarchs

Notes:

-Military Classes: Each Unit recruited by an army fits into one of several military classes. Essentially an individual is taken out of their parent class and put into a military class.

-All information subject to change.

Meet the Dev Team Part 2

Last month you met our lead designer Lundy.  If you missed that you can read it here.  Now it is meet 'n greet v2.  So who am I you ask?  Well I am the lead(and only) programmer.  As Lundy mentioned he will be the primary poster in this blog, and will be the primary voice of the game.  I though will occasionally respond to questions as well as post technical updates on this blog.

A bit about myself before I begin.  First I am currently pursuing a degree in computer science, and pondering a minor(or double major) in economics.  When not hard at work and school  I can be found reading up on history and current affairs, gaming, watching TV or enjoying the great outdoors. 

As for the game, the origins are quite complex, and I expect to bring you some back info on the roots of the game in the future.  This game though has, at its roots been brewing for quite a few years.  Lundy and I have been attempting to bring a unique online gaming experience to players for quite some time.  And that gaming experience is almost here. 

I look forward to bringing forward more information in the near future, as well as a full website.

Warfare Introduction (Land)

Originally I was going to hold off on the warfare introduction, but I was just so excited I couldn't wait, so here it is. A separate post will be made for Naval Units on a later date.

Warfare Mechanics (Land):

Warfare is meant to be user friendly. When when two non-allied forces meet in the same province they fight. The battle itself takes place on a turn by turn basis meant to finish in 24 hours. The winner stands their ground and the losing army flees for its life.

What Stats will the units have?: Well as of right now the units have 6 stats each indicating what the units purpose is.

Where do you buy units?: That is undecided, I am going back and forth on two different ways to go about it. I may in fact make a post about it and have some input from you guys.

How do the units fight each other?: Once the battle begins each unit finds its preferred target. Each unit has a list of preferred targets that forces it to engage units it is best equipped to fight. Knights go After other Knights, light cavalry go after archers, etc. Units are one hit kill (or not). Only two units have more then 1 HP.

Is there morale?: Yes it determines whether or not an army routes from the field.

Can you "upgrade" armies with various abilities?: Yes

Is there any feature with guerrilla warfare included?: Simple answer is yes.

Can units board ships and travel across the water?: Yes

Can you have more then 2 armies face off against each other?: Yes, in certain situations.

Mercenaries?: Definitely.

I am going to expand of topics throughout the next few months, hopefully that will peak everyone's interest. As always feel free to ask a question and post a comment.

Meet The Dev Team (Lundy)

Job Title: Lead Designer/The Marketing Department/Co-Producer
Screename: Lundy or Lundymaphone, Lundamaster is also acceptable
Gender: Male....?
Age: Early Twenties
Favorite Indie Game: Gotta be the Penguin Cannon game
Favorite Game of All Time: Starcraft: Broodwar or Final Fantasy VII
Favorite Food: I have a soft spot for cheese, and properly cooked bison burgers.

Dashingly handsome, unbelievably intelligent, and all around awesomeness is how I am usually described.....I may have embellished that a bit but you guys get the point.

Back in the real world I am a underemployed Canadian preparing to either join the ranks of the Canadian Forces or go to the University of Waterloo for Physics. Sorry ladies, not single. I also have a warped sense of humor that many consider offensive or downright sinful. So if you have no sense of humor or are touchy about your religion, gender or hair colour then best not read my casual comments.

I have a good deal of game design/consultation under my belt. Made mistakes along the way, been through countless Betas, and joined a community or ten. Most of my creation experience has been in the forum-based nation sim genre, but I do have some RPG and even FPS modding experience. I will come right out and say it, am not a programmer, although I am making efforts to fix that. I am a game designer first and foremost, I come up with ideas and formulas, thankfully some of which are actually good.

I hope everyone enjoys my post as I will probably be doing 90% of the posting, I am always up for any questions you may have and am always up for comment chatting. For those wondering how often they should check up, I am planning on 3-7 posts a week (depending on the week).

Diplomacy & Player Interaction Intro

Diplomacy and player interaction is often overlooked in many nation-sim games, I find that quite disappointing. Giving players the opportunity to interact simply isn't good enough, you must activity encourage interaction through various incentives.

Although a country may be able to survive without trade or diplomatic action, it will not thrive. You only start with one-two provinces (thats right) and there are no "perfect" provinces that give unlimited resources. If you want to advance technologically, militarily or economically you will almost certainly have to trade with others.

When it comes to warfare, it favors defenders rather heavily (more on that another time). This means that coalitions and alliances are not only advantageous, depending on your situation they may be necessary for even modest campaigns.

The games focus truly is on player-to-player interaction, we [the dev team] hope this gives the game both longevity and variety, if it leads to better and more proficient role-playing all the better.

Some Diplomacy Facts;

-There will be at least five diplomatic "stances" you can have towards another nation, allies, right of way, neutral, trade embargo, and hostile. All will have noticeable impacts on how you interact with that country.

-We are exploring adding a "coalition" diplomatic status. This would create allow you to create a profile for your coalition and set various rules (ie you may decide that you elect your ruler, or that the ruler is the coalition creator, etc).

-There WILL BE FORUMS for you to talk to other players. You can personal message them with secret plans and all that jazz.

-The map will force interaction! The map only has 51 provinces and players start off with 1-2 provinces. That means that you will have neighbors, you can of course choose not to communicate with them but this will not necessarily bode well as you are on a crowded map.

-There will be support for casual forums as well as a shoutbox. There will even be a mini-game/creative forum. This will (hopefully) foster community growth.

Introduction to Economics & Government

Project Mongoose operates on the idea that economics should be complicated enough to require thought and management, but straightforward enough to be accessible to new players. The following is not so much a rulebook or development guide, but a general outline of what you the players can expect for the finished product. There will be an in depth explanation of virtually every aspect of the game...eventually, I am hoping to average 5 posts a week.

The Basics;

Money & Resources:

-Currency in the game will be made up of gold coins. The way you acquire money is quite simple. Every province has a "base level" of potential revenue, there will be several different ways to increase the value of your province, including building various buildings, increasing the size of the merchant class, and so on.

-Resources are going to be the back bone of most economies. Every province is different, there is not "perfect" province, every nation will require some sort of trade if they want to advance. This will hopefully make for a more dynamic world.

-Class divides people based on social/economic status, each class produces different goods/services and you recruit soldiers directly from each class. IE Knights can only be recruited from the noble class. The number of serfs (among other things) determines your food production.

-Population Consumption are the resources that your population (as opposed to government) consumes. How much is consumed is determined by your demographics (class, population, wealth, etc). Each province has a self contained "economy".

-Government Consumption are the resources that your government and government buildings consume.

-Revenue comes mainly from taxation, every resource is tax individually (including money) and the government withholds a certain percentage of the resources.

Trade:

-Direct trading between parties is simple and straight forward. One party sends a trade proposal and the other party has the option of accepting the deal or not.

-The unified market is where you send resources into the market and they can be bought by anyone (who you are not at war with or have a trade embargo against). This will allow players to more easily sell their resources.

-Other features are being explored as well such as regular automatic trading and an international banking guild.

Economic/Government Systems:

-Players will have 2-3 economic "systems" to choose. Each has its own unique advantages and challenges.

-Feudalism: The default economic system is based on European Medieval Feudalism. Class divisions are deep and stable, everyone knows what their place is and there is little social mobility if any. Tends to be very war friendly, although this also tends to stunt economic development.

-Oligarchy: This is a system where a small group of people, often merchants, bankers or businessmen control the nation. They are privileged and like to maintain the status quo. Class mobility is relatively high (compared to the feudal system) although becoming an oligarch usually requires one to have friends in high places. Soldiers are very good but expensive, takes full advantage of economic advancement. Wide use of mercenaries is common.

-Republic: The "catch all" system, ranging from democracy's to imperial states. This system is a mixed bag, it is usually less stable then the previous systems but offers some of the greatest rewards (with a bit of hard work and luck). More or less the most "free" of all the systems. Good for producing a large amount of moderate quality troops. Economically stronger then the Feudal system but well behind the Oligarchy.

More to come later on

Welcome to Project Mongoose

Welcome to Project Mongoose, the codename for a Medieval Nation Simulation. The game will be free to play and allow players to create and take control over a nation and lead them to victory both on the battlefield and in the economic arena. Players will interact with each other forming alliances, imposing trade embargo or declaring all out war.

More information will be posted as it comes in, expect a flurry of activity in early September.