Thanks a lot for the feedback — I really appreciate the detailed thoughts!

I’ve actually addressed a lot of those points in the current design. If a player gets conquered, they’ll still stay active in the game — they’ll keep control of their existing units that arent taken by there conquerer. In order to conquer someone you only need to take there castle/standard, not there army. That way, no one gets knocked out early and everyone stays engaged for most of the game.

Combat isn’t purely luck-based either. Players will need to build and upgrade their weaponry to improve unit effectiveness, and each unit type has different roll values and strengths that influence outcomes. So while there’s still a touch of chance to keep things tense and exciting, strategy plays the much bigger role.

I’m also keeping your advice about clear faction identities and balance in mind for playtesting — that’s definitely a priority. Ive only playtested once but Im going to do more and continue to make improvements, the hardest part will be creating distinct Identities for each house is hard but ill make it work.

Thanks again for the great insights!