(I hope this is the right thread) So I’m contemplating making a 3rd Factory Forum Game, (for those you that don’t know, was a forum game I hosted nearly 5 years ago),
It is a variant on the civilization game formula that focuses resource management to build machines for more resources; It previously failed due to horrific balancing, too heavy a focus on description of nominal actions, and attempting to track resources by hand.
In the time since I have learned a good deal of programming, and I want to try GMing it again with a program to do the hard part (Resource management) for me.
If you want a draft of what I want to do with the game
As stated above, it will be resource management;
This means you will have an inventory of materials you have collected, as well as a list of machines you’ve built.
Each round you gain and loose resources based off you machines inputs and outputs.
Some machines generate resources, while other turn them into more advanced recources.
You may build as many machines as you desire on your turn, assuming you have to resources to make them.
I want to have ‘sites’ which each have an inventory and machine list (Rather than have it universal), sites have a limited amount of machines that can be built on the them, and you can only have as many sites as your communications system allows, sites can share resources via trains, sites also determine where resources are (You can only mine coal on a site with coal), you can choose new sites using scouting units.
It will have a somewhat low amount of writing for a forum game to keep rounds fast paced; only having the rules, descriptions of resources and machines, one news brief per round for all players, and descriptions of newly found sites.
There will be little to no RNG.
There will be no research/technology tree, late game tech will be gated by the resources you have.
Players may trade resources in any way they see fit.
If I implement combat, it should be simple, you will have a squad consisting of a number of units of the same type, each type of unit will have health, damage, and armor stats, with some simple unit-based damage multipliers (Ex. Anti-air do more damage to air units), from there it is a simple damage calculation.
You can command each squad individually (Though how they get to their destination may require some work).
Of course if combat is implement you can also attack sites and destroy the machines (Although defensive structures like walls, or guarding sites with units may be necessary).
The ultimate goal will either to build a specific machine (Like a rocket or something), or if combat is implemented, kill all other players.
And lastly, I want to try having a ‘Skip turn’ button at the bottom of the round (Via a poll with one option) since you might not want to have build something every turn, players that take too long can also be skipped this way.
So now I’m asking, would this be something you guys are interested in any of this?
I also want to ask, do you want any specific sort of themes? I will probably go with an alternate tech earth, but do you think something more alien is appropriate, and what resources (Good old iron, copper, water, stone, and coal? Or something more unique?).
Finally, it needs a new name, because I am terrible at names, any suggestions?
I’ll update you on my progress making it in a week.
Update:
Progress on the program-side hasn’t been great, but not awful, sites, machines, and inventories are in, and combat is going in, attack damage formulas are implemented.
I still don’t want to implement a tech tree, but structures you don’t have the resources for will be hidden, and lastly, the story will be receiving more focus. It still needs some more time in the oven, but hopefully it will be soon.
Update 2:
Well, it’s been a week since last update, and I have accomplished nothing since; the idea for this is still on the shelf, but don’t get your hopes up for it being soon. I apologize.