Ok, so I thought I'd jump in with another Brainstorm. I apologise if I'm bombarding you with these recently!
I want to look at how we control our armies and the tactics we use to gain victories over our enemies. I'll break this Brainstorm into two pieces to make it easier.
Current battle system: Move Army A to Enemy B. You either win or you end up chasing the enemy accross the world in a Tom & Jerry style. I don't want to change this drastically, but add some more layers and options to make things more interesting.
Part One - Terrain
Each province on the map should consist of two or three terrain types (depending on the province). These terrain types should be visible icons when the province is clicked on for a closer look. When you move an army to a province, you can choose where you wish to position your troops. If you don't choose a position, the game will use the default setting (i.e. no modifiers). Each terrain type will have pros and cons and you can choose depending on your situation, playing style.
For example, if I moved my army into an Alps province, I'll have a choice of terrain to station my troops:
Mountains
Plains
So, in this example I might consider Gallia Cisaplania a key province. I need to defend it at all costs. I don't have any horses or elephants, so I decide to dig in and defend a mountain pass. I may not have the offensive bonus, but the enemy will have to throw themselves at shields and stone.
If, in another game, I have the same situation but with an army with a majority of horses, I might want to use the open fields to my advantage. My infantry will be exposed on all sides, but my cavalry will have the freedom of movement.
You don't have to use the terrain, but it may just be the factor you need to turn the tide of a decisive battle. You cannot switch to the terrain options if your army is a) moving, b) under attack or c) retreating from a defeat. The attacker would have no terrain modifiers. Unless it was the standard "river crossing" or "sea attack" modifier. With this new terrain system, you could craft your own Battle of Thermopylae or Battle of the Teutoburg Forset.
Part Two - Army Orders
Can only be used by armies with a General attached.
Marching Camps
When your army is stationary at a province, I'd like to be able to construct a temporary marching camp. This wouldn't literally construct a building at the province, but instead give modifiers to the army that used the action. A marching camp could provide the army with the following:
If these marching camps were mixed with the different terrain types (see above), they could be used very potently. The camp and modifiers are immediately lost if the army moves from the province.
Forced March
Forced March is a command used when you're desperate to reach a province before an enemy or trying to catch up with an enemy army before it reaches safety. When you move an army, you can use the Forced March action. This causes your army to move at double it's usual movement speed, but causes the following negative effects:
Anyway, that's enough for now, I think. Let me know what your thoughts and ideas are.
I want to look at how we control our armies and the tactics we use to gain victories over our enemies. I'll break this Brainstorm into two pieces to make it easier.
Current battle system: Move Army A to Enemy B. You either win or you end up chasing the enemy accross the world in a Tom & Jerry style. I don't want to change this drastically, but add some more layers and options to make things more interesting.
Part One - Terrain
Each province on the map should consist of two or three terrain types (depending on the province). These terrain types should be visible icons when the province is clicked on for a closer look. When you move an army to a province, you can choose where you wish to position your troops. If you don't choose a position, the game will use the default setting (i.e. no modifiers). Each terrain type will have pros and cons and you can choose depending on your situation, playing style.
For example, if I moved my army into an Alps province, I'll have a choice of terrain to station my troops:
Mountains
- All Unit Defensive +100%
- Militia Offensive -15%
- Heavy Infantry Offensive -25%
- Cavalry Offensive -50%
- Horse Archer Offensive -25%
- War Elephant Offensive -75%
- Max. Attrition +2.00
Plains
- Militia Defensive -25%
- Heavy Infantry Defensive -10%
- Cavalry Offensive +25%
- Horse Archer Offensive +25%
- War Elephant Offensive +50%
So, in this example I might consider Gallia Cisaplania a key province. I need to defend it at all costs. I don't have any horses or elephants, so I decide to dig in and defend a mountain pass. I may not have the offensive bonus, but the enemy will have to throw themselves at shields and stone.
If, in another game, I have the same situation but with an army with a majority of horses, I might want to use the open fields to my advantage. My infantry will be exposed on all sides, but my cavalry will have the freedom of movement.
You don't have to use the terrain, but it may just be the factor you need to turn the tide of a decisive battle. You cannot switch to the terrain options if your army is a) moving, b) under attack or c) retreating from a defeat. The attacker would have no terrain modifiers. Unless it was the standard "river crossing" or "sea attack" modifier. With this new terrain system, you could craft your own Battle of Thermopylae or Battle of the Teutoburg Forset.
Part Two - Army Orders
Can only be used by armies with a General attached.
Marching Camps
When your army is stationary at a province, I'd like to be able to construct a temporary marching camp. This wouldn't literally construct a building at the province, but instead give modifiers to the army that used the action. A marching camp could provide the army with the following:
- Gold Cost 5.0
- Unit Defensive +25%
- Unit Offensiveness -25%
- Morale +0.25
- Reinforcement Speed +2.5%
- Retreat Delay +2.00
If these marching camps were mixed with the different terrain types (see above), they could be used very potently. The camp and modifiers are immediately lost if the army moves from the province.
Forced March
Forced March is a command used when you're desperate to reach a province before an enemy or trying to catch up with an enemy army before it reaches safety. When you move an army, you can use the Forced March action. This causes your army to move at double it's usual movement speed, but causes the following negative effects:
- Army Morale -1.00
- Reinforement Speed -2.5%
- General Popularity -10%
Anyway, that's enough for now, I think. Let me know what your thoughts and ideas are.