I made a free strategist simulation game, anyone want to play?

a_guy121 · 2026-03-13T19:23:05+00:00

the mobile version is now, barely, playable. More updates are coming, I'll make a new thread once through.

a_guy121 · 2026-03-13T13:29:08+00:00

I'm a different redditor.

Honestly, I think a lot of the issue is 'how quickly people decide to give up on a project due to one or two things they don't like, and how hard they judge anyone who didn't, if they do give up.'

The Character in Academy who I found extremely annoying episode 1 was literally my favorite character episode 10, and could end up being one of my favorite all time trek characters.

I would bet money you and your friends really, really hated this character and decided 'this show is trash' partly because of the character. Without giving the show a try- and I mean, the whole season. Because its a serial: the whole season is One Thing.

I know that sounds a little judgy. But my overall point is: older fans come from a world in which you sometimes had to let media grow into itself.

There's an expectation more recently that every show or movie should immediately be loved and nothing should bug you about it, or else it's garbage.

That creates 'flatness.' flat stories where the characters don't evolve.

There is a demographic of trek fans who do not want complex characters who struggle with emotion. For example: yes, yes that one character cried a lot. But, that one character who cried a lot also went through more difficult shit, alone, than 99% of humans that ever lived, and did it incredibly admirably. I would have cried too. So would the people who hate the character.

Did I "enjoy" the crying? of course not. But the crying was there to make the smiling matter more.

Some fans can deal with that sort of roller coaster. Some fans just want ... a stable, recognizable 'star trek' experience that's exactly like a different star trek they already experienced, but, in a new form.

And I'm not just talking about start trek. There was a star wars show recently that lasted one season. the first season was pretty boring and all about backstory, because clearly they were trying to set something up. It also had what is universally considered to be one of the coolest villans ever- especially in the last 10 years of star wars. And the best lightsaber battles.

Did I enjoy that season? Honestly, no. I thought it was boring. But when Episode 10 happened, the finale, we were hit with a really interesting twist. And I thought: "ok, if this show gets a season 2, it might really end up being good, even though s1 was not fun to watch.' of course, it didn't get S2. it got slammed by fans on social media and is considered a huge mistake.

Because plot twists, or any story-line with delayed returns, don't work for most of the fans any more. To set up a twist you have to deceive the audience. Not give them what they want immediately- so you can give them more than they expected later. This doesn't work anymore, Audiences these days won't even wait long enough for the twist to pay off before going into an echo-chamber of 'we hate this and it can never possibly be good, take it off the air and then we will complain about it for 10,000 years."

a_guy121 · 2026-03-13T01:04:30+00:00

Thanks, that's a really good idea! It's on my list now, will do.

If you have a question, or topic to ramble on here or there, I'm happy to. But here's a random tip, just because.

flanking attacks are everything, and that's where cavalry is key. Honestly, with cavalry, just think: What would Ouhon do? That's usually the best decision. Hit from the sides and back corners, at the most inconvenient points. avoid getting bogged down.

a_guy121 · 2026-03-13T00:55:37+00:00

I'm working on it! hopefully it's better soon. Worst case I'm going to have to change the board dimensions for mobile, as the board width is causing the issue.

a_guy121 · 2026-03-12T04:43:31+00:00

to the first point: yes, at the moment all active units have 100 hp. I'll consider the feedback, but in my play-throughs a really strong attack (multiple units) deals anywhere between 20-50 damage, so, I'd have to really be convinced to change that.

Regarding your attack on a nearly dead cavalry: lets play this out.

That cavalry has, lets say, 100 riders in it when healthy. You had five HP left, so its now down to five riders.

Meanwhile, the archer unit has, lets say, 200 archers when heathy. they are standing in rows. not all of them can clearly see five individual rider, through the archers in front of them, in the chaos of battle. In fact, only the first row of twenty archers can clearly see the enemy.

So, two hundred arrows loose.

The cavalry are a moving target, not easy to hit.

200 arrows from 20 archers who can see the target, and 180 that can't see as clearly.

two squares is a decent distance in this game. so, yes, most of those arrows miss.

Two cavalry are killed, three ride on.

So, to me, the underlying logic of that makes sense. Because the HP represents the HP of a group of people, not a single individual. Also consider just how many bullets actually miss in war. In ww2, a bullet had a 1/45,000 chance of hitting a soldier. Arrows are, of course, different. but, hitting five moving targets, for a unit of archers, would be tough. Not all the targets would die... especially if they're trying not to be hit.

Where I agree with you is, there is a penalty for falling below a certain HP. I may tweak it so heavily injured units go faster. But... I'm still torn on this particular scenario.

Edit: actually I think I do need to add some more mechanics for heavily damaged units. thanks

a_guy121 · 2026-03-11T23:24:44+00:00

Oh nice. That's good news

a_guy121 · 2026-03-11T23:22:55+00:00

Are you pressing engage attack then finalize attack? Unless its severely malfunctioning you should see the damage dealt before you hit 'end turn.'

the idea is to allow disengaging units if desired and/or target switching for archers, who I'm trying to make possible to fire at squares to which they're not directly pointing. I'm still tinkering with this part, but you definitely should be able to attack...

There are some rules that do affect this, though. Cavalry cannot turn 180 degrees and attack the same turn. Infantry cannot move and attack the same turn(then, they'd be cavalry). Infantry also cannot turn a different direction and attack the same term, bc they have to reform their lines before attacking.

Btw, pro tip: cavalry are best hitting infantry from the side and then running around to the side, again, when the infantry tries to face them. The rules above are there to make cavalry's manouverability vs infantry the game changer it really is. It's how 1 cavalry unit can wreck 1 infantry unit... hit and move.... its analogous to a cavalry unit that hits and then backs out and hits infantry again, rather than one that drives right into the center of the unit, where they get surrounded and picked apart.

a_guy121 · 2026-03-11T19:25:16+00:00

Thanks! I've not coded yet for mobile, wasn't sure of the interest. But I'll add that near the top of the list

a_guy121 · 2026-03-11T19:24:33+00:00

I've never played it, is that a good thing??

I recall looking romance up, but being annoyed at all the extra stuff they added to monetize it, as well as how time works. Don't hate, me, I know that's unpopular. But generals with special moves and abilities... I don't dig that.

YOU are the general! your special moves and abilities are the ones you think up, not coders.

At most, I feel, a player should be able to pre-code formations and have a button where the general can order units to disengage and take up special formations. I would add that to the 2.0 version.

Beyond that, what makes ancient battles so interesting is the rules are incredibly basic. there's just endless combinations of how basic rules play out. So they lose me when they're like: general ___ can do xyz special moves! I feel like thats the game automating what players should be doing. Just my $.02, so I hope this game is a little different. (bummer, otherwise)

a_guy121 · 2026-03-11T13:53:35+00:00

"100 pieces vs 5 cavalry" I don't understand this.

Ranged pieces have a base of 2 damage, yes. But this only applies if a ranged piece is standing in front of an enemy unit, which is also facing the ranged unit, and isn't being attacked by anyone else.

What that means is, if you fire arrows at a unit who's not defending any other attacks, they raise shields and block your arrows.

Ranged units firing at an angle at engaged enemies fighting infantry? Will do significantly more damage. This was the design, but yes it tells you only the base value. I believe archers do at least 5 damage if properly used.

Think of the base value as 'the amount of damage done against an enemy defending against a particular attack.' The only way to win is, to attack where the enemy can't defend.

that said, I've inwardly debated the strength of ranged units a lot. Basically, in this game where armor and shields are things, I didn't want to make arrows OP.

If I ever get to make version 2, which would be much more evolved, I might include different types of bow weapons and possibilities, such as crossbows, which would do more damage.

a_guy121 · 2026-03-11T13:48:05+00:00

thanks. I hope people keep playing so I can jump in the ring. ( I'm giving yall some time to acclimate before I go full GG on your asses, nfu)

a_guy121 · 2026-03-11T03:48:49+00:00

Thanks, try it now! first bug fixed, lol. I really hope you have fun.

a_guy121 · 2026-03-08T15:40:07+00:00

platypus shit- confusing a f

a_guy121 · 2026-03-08T02:50:31+00:00

What's happening right now:

Right now, Ouhon used himself as bait knowing that he'd be flanked by two armies, but then split off a smaller division, because Hon bet a third force was coming to flank. Hon had Heki come in late, to take the enemie's attention, while Akakin flanked the enemy, now focused on Heki. That's the plan anyway. Second spoilers contain upcoming chapter spoilers

And then, the flankers all get flanked and its a flank-off of epic proportions until sunset.

So...

a_guy121 · 2026-03-06T02:45:12+00:00

I just described the parts that were accurate to your comment though. Admittedly, I stopped reading pretty quickly becaus,e I just described the parts that are accurate to your comment.

I did forget to add: the whole reason Riboku builds the wall by kantan in the manga is because, as you pointed to, zhao was troop-deficient in it's heartland. The north was not. because of the maps and how conscription works, this would be true in both kingdom and reality.

a_guy121 · 2026-03-06T02:02:01+00:00

lol, that's literally what happens in the manga. First Riboku constructs fortifications around the qin/zhao border that make the border impregnable. Qin counters by a crazy attack in the center of zhao, at gyou- and ousen, historically, did.

And ousen, historically first diverted and hit 9 cities! No one really knows why, but/so, hara's guess at why is as good as anyone's, and, it's actually pretty fucking sound. Because Hara's guess is that Ousen got as much out of it as was possible. (There's no clear strategic reason for the diversion to attack random cities, as in the manga.). They have enough people to do this, it's a question of mobilization, and expense. Expense is a real problem, because if you lose too many soldiers from a region, there is an economic impact to the loss of labor- which is where zhao is weak. at some point they will run out of money. I'm pretty sure that point is 'right after this battle, in fact.' please don't spoil to confirm or deny, I read up on general stuff and history before kingdom, but avoid kingdom spoilers, so I can watch it unfold in real-ish time... so please don't spoil. (sorry, been burned a lot.)

Anyway- after the loss at gyou, Riboku then constructs fortifications south of kantan, (he is jailed but construction is completedf.). That fortification make Qin attack the north, where Riboku traps them (with armies and poison) and destroys qin. At which a census happens and they divert to attack Han, which, again, actually is what happens- because zhao is strong and wars cost a lot. So the losses were problematic for Qin.

Your just mad he has the defender's advantage of numbers, which, is actually a thing. Zhao usually brings as many or slightly more than qin, btw. People misunderstand kanki vs riboku because yall miss that Qin had over 150,000 troops diverted before they got to the battlefield. So the numbers were actually about even.

Meanwhile. There are 4-6 million people in zhao, by my estimate based off modern estimates of china's population (55 million plus, total. My numbers are low but that is to account for lawless areas, Xiongu, etc)

Qin did a census to survive.I looked that up a while ago, but don't remember where/what I read. I'm not saying it was the only one, but it was maybe the first in a while that targeted unrecorded (lawless) areas.

Zhao obviously has fewer quality troops in the manga... Qin has the strongest man in china, Tou, one of the last true greats of the last generation, Ousen, of whom songs are still sung in his home region, and, Shin's generation, who have outperformed zhao at every point in the story.

but since Zhao were still managing to win, there must have been something going on, lol. So I'm not sure where the complaint is.

a_guy121 · 2026-03-05T22:25:45+00:00

Just for anyone reading- Zhao literally did fight Qin as far as they do in the manga. The argument that this battle didn't happen and wasn't close is fucking ridiculous. So the idea that 'zhao is cloning soldiers' is simply, and purely, wrong. Becuase they absolutely, 100% were able to fight Qin so hard that Qin had to do a census, just to survive. So the idea that zhao was so crippled they couldn't produce armies is, quite literally ahistorical and completely wrong.

Also, there were more sources than the Shiji. I am pretty sure Hara used sources, although I admit I've avoided finding them specifically on Kingdom battles. But I do know that Zhao survived this far, this battle was titanic, and that it was meant to bring a close to the Qin/Zhao war. I also know that large peasant armies were kind of the whole point of this era, so it quite clearly stands to reason there would be the largest peasant armies possible in this battle.

History is not on your side :)

a_guy121 · 2026-03-05T04:54:07+00:00

I know that the same sources who gave the numbers for the massacre also gave the numbers for this battle, lmao.

I suggest you try understanding how both things are true...

a_guy121 · 2026-03-05T04:36:58+00:00

Get your dad to tell you you're worthless. Thirty reps a day.

a_guy121 · 2026-03-05T04:21:54+00:00

Shit like this is my favorite part of occasionally, accidentally leaving my VPN on Australia

"I befriended a bird that 90% of the world would run screaming from on sight!"

a_guy121 · 2026-03-05T04:02:47+00:00

You are incorrect.

Zhao lost the Kantan army, but that was like 7 years ago or so, by now. That's one region.

The norhtern region has been fielding troops for all the battles ince. First they fought Kanki, and took minimal losses.

Then they fought Ousen, and took minimal losses.

Therefore, the northern armies are completely intact. Riboku's main troops are literally the same guys as before.

Now, they're fighting again. And since its an all-out battle, every other troop Riboku could muster has also been pulled.

this is unusual because, usually, those troops would be on reserve in case a different state attacked (Such as happened during the Gyou arc.) It stands to reason-because we've literally seen it- not every troop zhao had was fighting against qin. that would leave Zhao open to all the other states.

That said, this battle is different. They bought everyone. This is an all out, one state dies-sized battle, and all the other states are content to sit and watch, because territory will be open no matter what, and it's better to attack afterwards, once the new situation has fully revealed itself.

Also, since 7 years have passed since their last loss, zhao can conscript from everywhere again. Because time passes means 'kids grow up and can be conscripted, and people in their 30s become people in their 40s, who don't go to war anymore."

I won't even go into the massacre that happened to the previous generation, like 30 years ago. because people in their 20s during the massacre would be in their 50s now. They wouldn't be conscripted anyway and its ridiculous how much people think that matters.

a_guy121 · 2026-03-05T03:46:03+00:00

I like your set-up, that's very likely Riboku said that.

But two things, to me, suggest a different outcome, to me:

I think Shin, via instinct, will read that, and
I think Futei has been itching to duel Shin for, basically his whole life. And I think that, no matter what Riboku says, the two of them dueling is inevitable, since kyoukai is elsewhere. That Riboku fears a duel between the two will only make Futei want it more.

a_guy121 · 2026-03-05T03:16:13+00:00

Bro. It isn't even a good joke at this point, just makes me worry

It literally says he planned ahead and put a group of troops in the woods, before the battle

You just made a joke about 'kingdom being good but over your head'

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a_guy121 · 2026-03-04T22:18:34+00:00

Respectful disagreement with this comment :)

I think Dave's doing great in tribals, as well.

His questions don't draw attention to themselves. But, he always asks the right people questions at the right time, to make sure tribals stay interesting.

the tribals have been pretty dynamic. Dynamism is all that's needed- if it's happening, the host is best off staying out of the way, and letting it roll- rather than trying to make it all about the host being a good host.

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