White Shining Rock Logo
White Shining Rock Logo

Q&A

March 22, 2013 | Dukus | 131 Comments

Everyone - thanks for the support! If I haven't returned your email yet - I will get to each one - there's just a lot of them. The response to the gameplay video has been phenomenal, and the comments and suggestions have been really inspiring.

I'd thought I'd answer a few of the more common questions.

Q: Will the game have combat?

A: Eventually?  I don't want to give much away as combat is just a design on paper and I'd want to prototype and test before giving anything away. The game was designed originally without combat, and since then I had planned on getting out a non-combative version and adding combat as an expansion or patch. This isn't set in stone. Regardless, if it gets added, for those that don't want combat there would always be the option to disable it.

Q: Will there be mac/linux support?

A: I'd love to support more platforms, but I can't promise anything. I wrote the code to make this easy, but system interfaces (disc i/o, input, graphics, etc) need implementations per platform. I'm just one guy, so my first priority is to get the game finished. If the game does well I have ideas for expansions, and I could probably be convinced to extend the engine for multi-platform support. I know that no one likes a later release date for their platform of choice. Sorry.

Q: What engine did you use to make this game?

A: None, it's my own engine written from scratch using C++.

Q: Why isn't this on Steam Greenlight and/or Kickstarter?

A: I wanted the game to be fairly polished before showing it off to a large group of people, and I wanted something concrete to show before asking for any sort of crowd-sourcing. I've been thinking about these things and how/when/if they'll be done. I'll certainly post news should they happen.

Q: Can I be an alpha/beta tester, where the heck are the alpha/beta builds?

A: Again, before letting people play, I want the game to be polished to my standards. I will certainly have some sort of demo build or beta program before release. I'm not sure how the distribution of this will work yet, but I will let people know before it happens. It's just not ready yet. The code is in flux. I don't want to give false impressions and set biases based on really early impressions of the game play - it might change.

 

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131 comments on “Q&A”

  1. Well, the content you've put out so far got me really interested.

    While I would be more than happy to get my hands on an Alpha/Beta build, I'm also happy that you're taking your time.

    Good luck with your project.

  2. Thank you for this work. It's tremendously encouraging to see the progress you have made so far. I love that it definitely falls in to the "What happens if I do THIS?!" realm of games, which I love.

  3. Thanks for the Q&A. It's really motivating to see one guy do such a good job building something he's passionate about.

    I know I'm going to buy this game merely based off of the initial game play video a friend showed me. I would LOVE to see this game on Linux, though I understand the challenges.

    I'm a web developer - if there's anything you need on that front, let me know. Will work for a free copy of the game 🙂

  4. If you are wanting dedicated testers please let us know, I will happily apply. The game, even in its current state, looks great.

  5. Really impressive game! I'm amazed that you created all of that alone. I'm sure you could get the funding for this on Kickstarter. 🙂

  6. Thanks for the update. Please feel free to contact me if you do want testers etc.

    Cheers.

  7. I was super blown away when I found it was just you doing this. The art, environment, even the people! Camera View looks good, I am that guy in Anno2070 that zooms in and watches the birds fly around the mountain and I can see myself playing in "real time" and enjoying the process. I would definitively help kickstart/greenlight this! Good luck and remember. Take your time!

  8. Just got linked to this from a friend and it looks excellent. You should put together a mailing list for updates - I would love to be sent emails when you post updates. Also - if you put up a Kickstarter - I will back it.

  9. I am super excited about this project! It looks amazing! Do you have a mailing list? I would absolutely want to follow the progress of this game!

  10. I am eagerly awaiting this game after reading about it and seeing the gameplay vid. I love that a major focus is on the people/village instead of a vast, faceless army stomping off somewhere. I'm a sucker for anything to do with trading and things of that nature. Give me gold coins instead of bloodied swords any day. 😉

    I'd totally support a Kickstarter or Steam Greenlight / Early Access and I know a ton of other people would too. You've got a growing number of fans.

  11. Cant wait to see more video. Will be checking up every couple days. I'm already hooked and its not even beta released.

  12. Hey, I was wondering if you used any libraries for graphics or physics or sound or anything. Thanks! The game looks like it'll be great!

  13. I myself would be willing pay a full Game Price just to play the Alpha. You be amazed how many people want to support you. You should reconsider not going the whole professional route and go more the Indy way that Minecraft did. I will never understand why some developers could get really famous and big and some choose the whole wait till it releases and overtime things die down.

  14. I agree with a number of posters here.

    I backed Shadowrun Returns, Wasteland 2, and a fair number of other Kickstarted games that had less (or none) actual game footage to show than you do here. What you have here is enough to prove you can produce the game. I am betting any number of the other Indie Producers like Hairbrained Schemes might be willing to give you some pointers on running a successful KS campaign.

  15. I would also pay full game price to see this on Early access for Steam. I'd support this 110%! Would be to see a forum section on the website as well!

  16. Looks like fun. I have never contributed to a kickstarter but this project would be my first if you decide to go that direction.

    In the video it looks like the buildings rotation and the turns on the roads are limited to 90 degrees, are you planing to implement curvy roads and 45 degree (or free rotation) on the buildings, and is it even possible with the engine you have made?

    I only ask because one would have alot more options to visualy form the city.

    I really hope you succeed, and I would love to be a part of the beta (as everyone else) when that happens!

  17. You've got a winner here so far. Excited to get my hands on it and play even an Alpha version. Would be glad to help in any way I can including kickstarter $$.

  18. Hello.

    From what i saw actually,it seems really good.

    And you did all of that alone?
    Nice work,continue on that way.
    I like gestion's game and city builder,and your could easily be in my game list from what i have seen from now^^

  19. This game is going to be amazing! I would love to be a beta tester for this. I really need another good game like AOE. Best of luck.

  20. Wow
    That looks awesome, If it comes up on kickstarter I will definitely put some cash towards it.

  21. I too am very excited about the potential of this game. I've been playing strategy builders for 15 years now and this is the first game in the genre I've seen for years that has looked really exciting. What you've accomplished thus far is very impressive, especially since you've been working alone. I'd be interested in supporting this game via whatever avenue you choose: Kickstarter, Greenlight, or some kind of private preorder program.

  22. Looking very good there sir. Hope you continue working on this gem as it looks quite neat 🙂

    Hope to see it out for alpha/beta/full release 😀

  23. Looks really good mate. Reminds me of Anno 1503, I'm really interested in playing the game when it becomes available. I'll be watching this space.

  24. This game looks amazing! You are very talented and love the indieness of it. Yes, get this on Kickstarter or Steam Early Access. I would support you wholeheartedly! All do a "Keep me updated" email list so we can keep up with your progress.

    Thanks again for an amazing concept.

  25. Game looks awesome 🙂 I hope you can manage to set linux support up and running at some point after release.

  26. Even if this is very alpha, it still clearly shows your love for your work! What are your plans for technological advancements? How far can your computer town advance? How large are the map areas? Co-op (Trade between towns, combat as someone already asked?)

  27. This looks really, really good. It reminds me a bit of Age of Empires 2 but with a lot more depth to the building aspect. I'd be more than up for giving you money for this.

  28. Nice! Found my way over here via Rock Paper Shotgun, and I think what you have so far looks wonderful. Keep up the good work.

    As far as Kickstarter goes, if you need the funds/time to do this right, I definitely encourage you to think about it. Take a look at limit theory ( http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/joshparnell/limit-theory-an-infinite-procedural-space-game ) Which is another game made by 1 guy using his own from scratch engine. He received a LOT of a support, and I bet you would too. Looking forward to purchasing when its available, good luck!

  29. Watched your videos, read everything I could find, and was very impressed. Can't wait to see what you do! Good luck!

  30. Don't panic. Take your time to make a game you are happy with. We'll survive. Maybe. Hopefully.

    I like that there will be an option to play entirely without combat. I also like that there will be combat, although I personally see it as secondary. Leaving it up to the player is defenitely the way to go.

  31. I am throwing money at the screen and nothing is happening.

    Seriously though. I am excited for this!

  32. You have a winner here. Definitely the kind of game many of us have been waiting and looking for.

    Will be checking back regularly for more information and any news on Kickstarter and/or requests for testers!

    Cheers, and good luck the rest of the way 🙂

    PS: Forums?

  33. I want to throw money at you. Please take my money, take it all, just maybe let me in on a beta!

  34. I must say that this 'pre-alpha' beats many publishers betas as far as polish, and kudos to developing your own engine. Very impressive work, and I cannot wait to see what you consider ready for a limited user test.

  35. I am glad Rock Paper Shotgun lead me here. I subscribed your RSS. Really looking forward for more information! I reserved some of my money on my account for this. Really impressed what you can do alone. Amazing.

  36. As a follow up, I just watched your voice-over video. I must say that this game excites me more than 22-Cans' Godus. Please, I beg you, let us throw money at you as so commentors above have said.

  37. Greetings to Shining Rock Software,

    I have been browsing reddit this evening, and I chuckled at several posts, before eyeing the headline that led me here, I just finished watching the youtube clip, and I am very happy to know, that people such as yourself, are still around this day and age, to produce a game that is simple at heart, without the corporate media and beancounting yes men taping it in black and yellow duct tape, and treating their playerbase like labrat experiments.

    In other words, I am happy to see your game rising up, gathering this attention, while the people of Battlenet Diablo3 and SimCity are in absolute disarray , while they un-understandably still support those horrible game engines that operate around carrot on stick microtransactions.

    You are here, at the right time, at the right place, with the right product, congratulations, and I am ready to award you $69 for your game on Steam or on GOG if you choose to release directly there. I love Black and White series of games, AOE, and just older casual games where ambience is intuitive, emotional, interactive, and simplistic, yet deep if you choose to dive into the complexities of things.

    Congrats, and I look forward to your game, and I really encourage the young generation of today, to stop playing Corporate made AAA dumbed down sequel games, and channel your energies to create these games, for yourselves, you will be greatly rewarded for your efforts, it will take time, maybe 3 or 5 years, but the gaming wave is here and now, and it will forever be, a grand ocean. Sink, or Swim, you have the choice though.

  38. This looks amazing, I have been looking for this kind of game for quite some time now. You can take my money anytime 🙂

  39. This looks phenomenal. It looks like you just created the game that I've always wanted to play. Take your time, don't rush it -- my money will be here when the game is ready.

  40. I wont say I'm impressed. nope, I'm truly not! I'm just AMAZED! Finally a game which focuses around resource gathering and surviving.

    I'd like to pre-purchase this game, and if you want to put it on kickstarter, I'll support you. If you want a tester, i'll test for you. If you want any ideas, I'll help you. and I want nothing in return. I just want a game that is pure fun, challenge and beauty.

    You can count me as one of your first clients, and Sure Hundreds of thousands or even million will follow!

  41. Looks great! I read that you've developed for console before and I'm a little worried you're letting that color the way you seem to be planning alpha/beta testing.
    Remember that there's a lot of different systems out there and that the game may run well on some but not others. Hopefully you've already considered and planned for this 🙂

  42. Thank you for creating this! So many great games coming out from Indie developers. People giving back what people actually want. Thank you for taking this risk! ( possible poor choice of words ) I can't wait to see this grow.

  43. What a beautiful peaceful looking game. May I ask what time period this will be set in? Either way my friend I am glad that a game like this is being developed. And I also would love to throw money at it.

  44. Kickstarter/Steam Greenlight and beta testing have been mentioned. You replied that you want time to poilsh the game before venturing down these avenues. The game looks great but don't wait too long as many writers find that the more time spent on a piece of writing, the more it changes from what originally made it appealing.

  45. "It’s my own engine written from scratch using C++."
    Come on, man, that is plain and simple masochism.
    Seriously, though, that is something amazing. I have been coding on several languages for a few years, and although C++ is one of the "easiest" (as in, easy to start, but very hard to master), it is incredible that you made a full engine from scratch.
    Keep up the good work, man!

  46. Hi, I'm a South Korean gamer. I really liked your gameplay video...but, have some trouble with your studio's logo that remind of Japanese Rising Sun Flag.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rising_Sun_Flag

    I don't know what you intended with the logo, it can be offensive to East Asian players (like Hakenkreuz to Eurpean people).

  47. My friend jut alerted me to this game, and from the images/footage/things written about it, It looks like a game I would enjoy, a lot.

  48. Just wanted to say good luck from far away Poland m8 🙂

    Game looks great and I look forward for realese:) Looks like a thing I have been longing for, really detailed "city" sim with a flavour of fighting for survival in primordial land. No dumbing down.

    Polish it and off u go to Kickastarter/Greenligh, You will get my money;)

  49. rockpapershotgun led me here and now I'm staying. I just can't wait to play this. This is EXACTLY the game I want to play, how did you know? O.O

  50. Oh man this looks good... Reminds me some of the old Caesar games.. (Caesar III was my favorite)
    Only complaint in those games was the constant looming combat threat, it was usually just an annoyance at times but occasionally it just stopped your game entirely and you had to start over :<

  51. Hey, saw a link to this game and it looks amazing. I have a suggestion based on the description I read to try and maked this game more realistic. If foreigners bring a risk of disease then surving the disease should increase the immune system of the survivors.

    Can't wait for it to be released. Good luck!

  52. Hey there!

    Great job here with the game, i'm really looking forward to a release.

    That is why i'm posting to ask you, if there will/or is any way to pre-purchase this. It really doesn't matter to me, if you don't have an ETA on when you will let people betatest or play it at all.

    I just want to put out there, that if there is any way for me to pre-purchase/pre-book this, Then i really want to do that. Even if it doesn't leave any guarantees for an ETA like i said.

    Because this game looks really good, it just hits the spot with my favourite type of games. And you seem to have been adding the things that other games of this type lack.

    really looking forward to a E-mail reply

  53. Congratulations! You created something that everybody wants to play! I wish you good luck, and I hope it will bring you fame and fortune, which is deserved.

  54. Thank you for making this game! I've wanted a game like this for such a long time, I'm really looking forward to trying it. Are you making this all by yourself? keep up the good work!

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  56. I have a few questions about the game if you don't mind. I love it already, and I've just seen a few pictures and trailers. This is just the kinda game I've been waiting for!

    So, my questions. First. Will there be a survival instinct to it? What I mean by that is; will the hunting and medicine collecting matter alot? It would be a shame if you gathered food and such, and it didn't matter for the game. It might have stood in the description, but I'm asking again just to be sure I understood it right. And will it be so realistic that you will have a harder time surviving when the winter comes?

    Question two. Will it have multiplayer? This is just my own opinion, but wouldn't it be great if you had an option for multiplayer where you could build your towns in different areas, and then be able to trade eachothers, maybe help eachother defend your cities against different things, which will be my next question.

    Question 3. The game seems to be about building your city up, and collect reasourses, and that's it. At least that's how I see it. If you're not going to have some kind of battle system of Town vs Town, would it be maybe wolvees in the woods which could kill your villagers? Bandits who would raid your villages, and if it's multiplayer, trade convoys between your own town and your allies towns?

    I hope my questions are looked into, answered, and maybe drawn inspiration from. I'm really looking forward to this. Best of luck!

  57. Hello
    I am among the astonished at your gameplay videos. I can tell you for sure that after Settlers, Caesar, Pharaoh and other games, these historic city building games really have a market. Sierra and the others really touched on great potential, but in many cases failed to develop their products in a way that ensured the longevity of such games as Sim City 4. With that in mind, I have a big question: Will you plan on mod support? After playing Sim City 4 today, 10 years after its release, it's plainly visible how much of its longevity is due solely to the spirited, creative followers that put their spare hours into the game.

    On a similar note, you mention combat. Perhaps it'd be an idea to feature the 'Banished' a kind of fealty endgame, with the risk of having levies raised that go out to war for the king/feudal lord? This way war factors in, but only as a tradeoff between possible bonuses from a lord protector, and the possible losses to lives.

    I too would -treasure- some primitive multiplayer element. If nothing else, just something that could be built upon when further 'feature creep' was made possible by modders and your own vision.

    Will you enable us to select eg. farming areas from more organically shaped areas? Perfect rectangles being something of a feat in those days, and not all soil being as easy to till as other areas. Certainly would introduce a pleasant aesthetic.

    Lastly, will you set up a forum for this?

    Please keep up the good work! I would love to contribute with my money.

  58. Looks really great, just the kind of strategy game I have been hankering after for years! All the more impressive that you have created it from the ground up on your own!

  59. This game is looking Awesome! I can't wait to see how this looks once it's in a beta form and when it's ready for release. I hope you will add a way for us to try the game for ourselves some time in the future, but I'm prepared to wait too. Great job and keep up the amazing work!

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  61. Hi, I'm just wondering if you have any sort of political challenges planned in to the game? The first thing that came to mind when watching your trailer was the omnipresence of the feudal system on the time period you're using.

    Restrictions on hunting/chopping trees, demands for tribute, and looting by enemy forces were all features of the time period. I wonder if there would be any way to counteract these, in order to make it a fun gameplay element and not an overly inevitable set of restrictions (as it was in reality).

    Things like rivalries or grudges between the townfolk could also make things interesting.

    I mention all this because of the inevitable question for a city builder; how long til I run out of challenges? The game looks beautiful and I would love to see deep gameplay to match.

  62. I just found the Banished Gameplay(Alpha) on youtoube. I must say it looks great. Im not a very experienced programer, but do you need help implementing the simpler stuff(that is if it's anything that is simple left to implement). I would really like to try and help if i can.

  63. This game looks very good! Im really looking forward to playing.
    I am a big fan of dwarf fortress, and banished reminds me a lot of some parts of df (society building).
    There is one thing which bothers me though:
    You write that there is no skill tree, everybody can do everything. Are there any plans to have skill levels? Like if someone does blacksmithing very much he will learn it and get better. I think it makes more sense, and might add even more bonding to your individual people.
    However, keep up the good work!!!

  64. This looks amazing. Would absolutely love to see it as an "Early Access" game on Steam.

  65. Strike while the iron is hot!! Well several thousand SimCity fans have recently been let down and are clamering to fill the hole that was left by the recent launch from EA. Its going to take a year or two (if ever) for them to get that game up and running. Meanwhile the rabid fans want something. There is going to be some overlap of these fans that would be very interested in your game. I can certainly appreciate your approach on quality (EA could have used that). If there is any chance to get a beta out for these folks you would have an instant following. And considering the shape of the SimCity game was in when delivered, as long as your game turns on your going to look like a rock star to them. Any way, good luck and please include me in any beta testing. Can't wait!!!

  66. Just wanted to write a quick note to say that I'm really excited about what you're doing. I have fistfuls of legal tender I'm looking to stuff into your hands. Really looking forward to seeing this game released.

    I'd rather not have to buy this thing on steam, and pay you directly instead. I guess steam gets you into a that huge distribution machine though.

  67. This looks absolutely amazing. It seems to combine all my favorite elements in strategy/sim/city-building, to make one of the most awesome games imaginable.

    It's easy to see what games have influenced this one, and the way it looks that you have thrown them together is great!

    As many others have said, if/when you greenlight this game, I will be one of the first to throw all my money at it 😀

  68. Looks really good so far.

    I really like the whole family thing, and I hope you stick with it. Seems like people will grow attached to their population as they can see them grow.

    Hope you get a alpha/beta out soon, very interested to try it out :p

  69. I must say I am very impressed with your work. I guess working on consoles maybe bogged you down and you wanted to make a game (in your eyes) worthwhile!

    I am very happy you did as I think you have a great deal of talent!

    Keep up the good work and I will support you when the time comes!

  70. Hey, just gotta say you're doing amazing job so far. Looks really interesting and I will definitely buy it also if you release on kickstarter I'd back that.

  71. Don't wait too long with a kickstarter campaign (or something a la minecraft), because the buzz about your game is now, so profit of it, before it gades away 🙂

  72. This game is just what i have been looking for ages,its like ''Knights of Merchants'' with ''Stronghold'' combination and still much more.
    Hope this game will support Linux in near future .Cheers for making this game and good luck with making it. Waiting for release date.

  73. This game looks amazing, but as the previous posters have mentioned, the game needs more content. With a proper content this could become the game of my dreams (multiplayer, combat system etc.) I understand that its too much to ask from 1 person, but it would be great, if u could implement those things, mb later.

  74. I was watching the serie Vikings and i was like dam it's look like this game loool it would be incredibly awsome if we could like build boats and do raids on other cities to bring some new riches like iron, gold or silver and bring back some slaves for working in the farmes or even bring new seeds just an idea 😛 keep the good work and hope to see it soon on kickstarter!!!

  75. I just stumbled upon this one and I have to say - it is amazing! Hats off sir. I'd love to get my hands on the alpha / beta build and I'm definitely buying it once it's out.

  76. Will there be any geology in the game like there was/is in The Settlers series? Where you can go wander off to find gold/coal/iron and stuff?

  77. I'm on youtube and see the trailer on my feed. Youtube sugests that I would like this. I said no I don't like it... I love it. My first games on PC included things like Sim City, Stronghold series, Age of Empires Series. Now a days I find myself wanting to go back to my roots but I'm just not getting the experience I had with those past games. After seeing the video I told myself to find out more. I was so disapointed to find there is no alpha/beta testing at this moment but that disapointment went away when I read that you want to make sure its polished enough to play even for a beta test.

    I wish you the best and hope for more updates. And of course if you need anyone to help test it please let me know. I will definitely be spreading the word about this game and you amoung my friends and community.

  78. I cannot wait for this game. It looks great, and I'll be glad to pay for it when you finish. I would also be jazzed as * to alpha or beta test it haha. Keep up the good work!

  79. Super excited for this game... Looks like a lot of fun! Can't wait for some sort of early access or beta to come out.

  80. I, too, would be thrilled to beta test this when the time comes. I'd also pre-order it, no questions asked. Please make sure to let people know as updates occur!

  81. Thanks for those answers, you're doing a great job and I look forward to release. You'll have all my support.

    Please be focus on the simulation aspects of the game instead of combat... Seasons, food, life cycle of the people, diseases, wild animals, fires, merchant system...

    Combats generally destroys simulation games 🙁
    Good luck

  82. Please dear god let us have curved or at least diagonal roads. Look at any medieval village, straight streets and grids were just not at all common.

    Other than that, this looks magnificent and I cannot wait to get my hands on it!

  83. Are you going to make it to where you can end up making skyscrapers by making universities and studying?

  84. Suggestion for distribution-
    Have a free download or something for alpha build. Optional donation with purchase is my thought. Eventually you could have paid download, but in truth, I don't care that it's alpha. I want to play this game. Best of luck to you!

  85. Definitely would love to join the testing whenever a test is released!

    Love the idea, love the originality! Can't wait to get my hands on it!

  86. As long as it doesn't have glaring AI issues, always online DRM, and claims to be something it isn't, ill def throw money at this game. Looks nice.

  87. Money I has. You want?

    All in all, keep doing what you're doing! I for one will not hesitate to buy a copy the moment it is available in whatever form.

  88. I ve watched that gameplay video so many times. Cant get enough of this game 😀

  89. Assuming that this is a commercial product, two questions immediately come to mind:

    1) What distinguishes your game from other games in this genre -- in particular, Settlers 7?
    2) Have you considered implementing the road mechanic from Settlers 2 in your game? There is quite a bit of pent-up demand for a new game offering this style of play.

  90. This is shaping up to be a very interesting game. One thing I would like to see in Banished is how religion plays a part in the village's progress, and how it could affect the people's social needs and their consumption of resources according the religion being followed. Banishment or exile due to challenging or conflicting religious beliefs also would fit well both with Banished's player-driven portion of the story and with the time frame the game takes place in.

  91. I love Age of Empires II & I love SimCity(s)
    This looks like a mix of the two with some spice. I want to play Banished now. I watched one video from a review on another site. Looks awesome. I need to play it now for 5 stars.

  92. If you're to introduce combat (which personally I believe would be great), I'd suggest an Age of Empire 2 approach, whereby units are selected separately. Games like Anno that use the grouping concept, take away it's full potential. Swordsmen, archers and torches (to burn down buildings) are a must. Anything beyond that is a choice. Lastly, before you start a game, it would be great to for users to select what units they want / don't want to be apart of the game, making it more suited to the player's preferences. Either way, this looks incredible and I will support you all the way. Great work!

  93. As an atheist, I'm irked by Religion in games - it's fine if it's fantasy and there is actually magic and things, but just having to build a church to satisfy delusional villagers? I'd rather they spend some time with psychiatrists...

  94. Jon,
    Are you seriously complaining about the possibility of representing religion in a medieval village sim? Get over yourself.

  95. I am also an Atheist bordering on Anti-Theist. With that said I have no problem with religion in games such as this. It's playing make believe and really it's just a mechanic for a game.

  96. Troll,

    I didn't complain, just gave my opinion about religion in games when it's used as a mechanic (like in Tropico when you have to build churches to satisfy the religion need). It won't stop me from buying this if it involves the same or similar mechanic - it's all just fiction. But if there's religion, I'd rather it relate to something real in game (for example in Black & White, praying at the alter gave you more mana to use for spells).

    Is that clearer? Groovy 🙂

  97. "I'm irked by Religion in games" is a complaint, idiot.

    I'm an atheist, too. I don't extend it to demanding that religion be ahistorically removed from games where religion should be an obvious element just to feel smug about myself.

  98. I am already madly in love with this game. Please, please let me get my avid hands on some sort of alpha build 🙂

  99. This looks amazing, exactly the kind of game I love, but please don't make it online only. If people want the option for Steam etc, fair enough. But consumers like choice & I prefer the choice of no digital shackles.

  100. This game looks amazing so far.
    Just wondering whether other survival aspects such as plagues (food or human), storms, droughts, floods beside rivers, maybe bandits or wolves etc are planning on being added. Just curious at what kind of city builder game this will be.
    Cheers,
    Pieter

  101. I'm not surprised that my suggestion got attention, but I mentioned it because in a game that's based upon needs, I considered that social needs would also be something that had to be fulfilled. Religion is, for the most part, just a way to fulfill that need; it's just an option in that matter. Taverns and brothels can meet the same need, and all three have their pros and cons after all.

  102. Thanks for the Q/A your game is really looking fun. Do you have any plans on sharing how certain things work programming wise with the community? Or just tutorials in general? Not sharing code, but the thought process behind some decisions? Would be nice to see into the mind of a good developer so myself and other devs can be better at what they do.

  103. Hi i really appreciated what your are doing are you concentrating also on Multiplayer options online as this is important fro the Game to Excel. that would be great like having world economy, trade and then of course war and diplomacy with others.

  104. Man, this looks beautiful! It will be a wonderful game.

    Seeing all the feedback on this page --as useful as it may be to your personal 'brainstorming' (and yes, I almost fell into the trap of adding my own "Do this and Don't do that")-- please follow your own vision of your game... All I may ask for is to keep "features" such as combat, multiplayer, trading, always-online and so on up to the player's choice. We do see everyday what happens to games where every choice is taken away from the player.

    Eagerly looking forward to your next gameplay video!

  105. I love the idea of having to increase your population by social mixing lol and yeah keep it true cause you are our last hope for real live strategy game as Age of empire and other games like it has stopped being made.

  106. i'm stoked for this game, hope that there will be an alpha or demo out soon!
    (pherhaps make a demo available for everyone?)

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April 17, 2022
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