Daria: A Kingdom Simulator (Releasing Apr 4, 2024)

Link back to Upcoming Games by Lucid

Steam Page: Daria: A Kingdom Simulator on Steam

Introduction:

This is not a book. It’s a resource management game with a good story.

The idea of building a thriving kingdom from nothing appeals to me.

Began in 2018 and finished in 2023. It will be released sometime in early 2024. I hope people enjoy my new game.

Features:

  • Equip and specialize your character (good cleric, evil cleric, fighter, or wizard)
  • Complex yet easy-to-learn battle system using troop compositions and strategies.
  • Random events and weather-related events.
  • Challenge to grow from nothing, sustain a thriving kingdom, and build a legacy.
  • Rival kingdoms with diplomacy, warfare, and possible subjugation.
  • Endless tournament mode for when the main story has been completed.
  • A full story about the founding of the great Kingdom of Daria.

Resources:

Food, Wood, Stone, Carcasses, Clay, Stone Tools, Bronze Tools, Iron Tools, Copper Ore, Copper Ingots, Tin Ore, Tin Ingots, Bronze Ingots, Iron Ore, Iron Ingots, Coins, Paper, Books, Horses, Pottery, Leather, Wooden Goods, Tin Goods, Copper Goods, Exotic Goods, Icons, Spears, Bow and Arrows

People:

Food Gatherers, Stone Gatherers, Wood Gatherers, Farmers, Skilled Farmers, Horsebreeders, Stone Toolmakers, Papermakers, Carpenters, Coppersmiths, Tinsmiths, Bronzesmiths, Blacksmiths, Spearmakers, Bowyers, Potters, Tanners, Miners, Smelters, Lumberjacks, Scholars, Shamans, Priests, Innkeepers, Tavernkeepers, Engineers, Merchants, Recruiters, Hunters, Skilled Hunters, Spearmen, Archers, Bronze Warriors, Swordsmen, Cavalry, Knights, Wizards, Catapults, Heroes, Nobles

Buildings:

Huts, Houses, Farms, Barracks, Churches, Kilns, Tanneries, Stables, Paper Mills, Smelteries, Forges, Workshops, Stores, Inns, Taverns, The Bloomery, The College, The Grand Cathedral, Academy of Wizards, Upgradeable Keep and Castle

Heroes:

Special heroes can be found and collected that will help you grow and defend your kingdom.

  • Yourself, the ruler, may specialize (Good Cleric, Evil Cleric, Fighter, or Wizard)
  • Boranthia: The elven huntress.
  • Grimden: The dwarf prince.
  • Roggi: The halfling weapon master.
  • Archmage Alussar: First archmage of Daria.
  • Bishop Otavic: First bishop of the Light.
  • Marta, the former leader of the tribes.
  • Gaul, the former leader of the Norgan.
  • Lucy, the former Senator of Laslonia.
  • Celeste, disgraced Empress of Jilal.
  • Trupoc, former orc warleader.

Nobles:

Draft patents of nobility to create nobles to help you rule:

  • Office of Agriculture
  • Office of Finance
  • Office of Housing
  • Office of Production
  • Office of Resources
  • Office of War

Battle Strategy:

Summary
  • Defensive Structure Advantage: If you are fighting from your keep or castle, you will have an advantage in battle.

  • Magical Advantage: Wizards who have nobody countering their spells gain an advantage in battle. Effect: Each unopposed wizard gains 5 extra power.

  • Magical Vulnerability: Wizards with no infantry to support them will have a disadvantage in battle. Effect: Each unsupported wizard loses 15 power.

  • Mounted Advantage: Mounted units are able to charge archers and are difficult to hit with their arrows. Effect: Each archer opposed by a mounted unit loses 4 power.

  • Mounted Vulnerability: Mounted units have trouble attacking spearmen, since they will set the buts of their weapons into the ground to stop their charges. Effect: Each opposed mounted unit loses 4 power.

  • Ranged Advantage: Archers can strike infantry from a distance. Effect: Each opposed infantry unit loses 4 power.

  • Siege Warfare Advantage: If a side has catapults they will have an advantage in battle. Effect: Catapults do very good damage.

  • Siege Warfare Vulnerability: If a side has catapults, they must have at least 3 infantry to guard and operate it. Effect: If a catapult is left unguarded, it will be destroyed.

  • Heroic Advantage: Whichever side has the most knights will gain this advantage. Effect: The side with more knights will gain +1 power for every unit they have.

Infantry includes militia, hunters, skilled hunters, spearmen, bronze warriors, and swordsmen.

Mounted units include cavalry and knights.

Note: Skilled hunters are counted as infantry and not archers because their tactics and training are for short-ranged killing.

Help Menus:

A full dictionary of all resources, people, buildings and game concepts is found in the stats menu.

A “advice from the people” option suggests what to do next.

The following stages make great achievements and further guidance for new players:

  • Stage 1: Survive. Shelter and Food
  • Stage 2: Thrive. Lumberjacks, Miners, and Farmers.
  • Stage 3: Bronze Age. Develop bronze tools.
  • Stage 4: Grow. Assign an innkeeper and tavernkeeper.
  • Stage 5: Taxation. Hire a merchant and earn some gold coins.
  • Stage 6: Iron Age. Develop iron tools.
  • Stage 7: Nobility: Elevate six nobles.

Difficulty Settings:

Easy, Normal, Hard

  • Number of starting citizens. (9, 6, 3)
  • Aggressiveness of enemy AI. (Low, Normal, High)
  • Amount lost after surrender or defeat (25%, 50%, 75%)
  • Hero Recovery Times (2, 3, or 4 days)
  • Time/Size until discovered by enemy nations.
  • Various chances of freezing to death, exposure, and desertion due to starvation.
  • And more!
247 Likes

Is this on Patreon? I mean… you have my full support, @Lucid.

3 Likes

I’ve been giving more updates to my Patreon peeps, but no, it isn’t anywhere yet. WIP. :slight_smile:

Patreon peeps get to name/create some characters in this and future games. They also get the first spots in beta testing. Www.patreon.com/LucidsGames in case anyone is curious. :slight_smile:

But no, the game itself will eventually release the same as all others.

I’ll be having a closed, mid-game beta very soon. Don’t ask yet, since it hasn’t begun and it’s not ready. :slight_smile:

5 Likes

Sounds thick. I’m not really into the war scene though. Good luck?

3 Likes

I love the kingdom sim genre games on here and grand strategy games in general, so I’m hyped for this one too.

9 Likes

A few questions-

  • Why isn’t there an Elf or Dwarf nation to compete with? Or is there?

  • What are carcasses for? Fertilizer? Sacrificing to the dark gods?

  • How about Priests as a war unit? Good ones heal, Evil stoke up bloodlust.

  • Can we do mounted archery?

-Is Parnaxxus in the game?

Whatever the answers, good luck!

4 Likes

You’ll get to meet the other races through the story, but you don’t compete against them. This is the story of how Daria was founded, which occurs by the joining of the humans. We’ll see other races, but not as conquerable nations.

Leather is the main use, although there are others. Gut string bows and shaman head gear are used. And yes, fertilizers too. :slight_smile: No evil god sacrifices yet, although I’ll keep it in mind.

I had this in during early stages, but took it back out. Just didn’t fit well. All occupations, including priest, can fight as militia. The bishop is a special hero unit too.

Not at this time. The combat advantages work nicely to include a bit of each type. Mounted archers feel redundent, since it would take from both mounted units and archers, but maybe, I’ll have to see how the current system pans out.

Not yet. :slight_smile: No dragons anywhere, so far, but I’ve been toying with the idea.

5 Likes

About dragons… it’s a bit dated now but this one particular scene had some emotional impact.

2 Likes

Definitely love the idea of this!

2 Likes

Sounds great, I am a big fan of your games and I also love swamp castle which is the genre you are getting into. I do have one concern however, it seems there are a lot of different types of people and resources, and I am certainly a fan of in-depth games but, it seems like it may be a little tough to keep track of all those different things

4 Likes

Another use for carcasses I thought of- Necromancy!

2 Likes

I have played many of your games lucid and I look forward to this one! You are a amazing writer and I can’t wait to see how this project grows

1 Like

So the last wizard took place the closest to the present in the Daria timeline the last heir was in the middle and this Daria kingdom management seems to be the very beginning

Also would it be possible to have special units like mercenaries or perhaps you can reform bandits if your skill is high enough? Just a suggestion

3 Likes

Not a big fan of resource management or kingdom simulators, but I would most definitely give it a try simply because it’s by one of my favorite interactive fiction authors. It seems very detailed and could prove to be really challenging, might even be the first game of it’s kind that I actually end up liking. Best wishes, @Lucid! I’m excited to see how this turns out.

2 Likes

I’ll pay even 50 bucks for the game, really.
Although as a king i hope i could rise vassals like dukedom,earldom,viscounty,barony etc.
And press to the political schemes too, i can’t wait for it bud.

5 Likes

Really cool idea, but I am hoping for a title change anytime soon.

2 Likes

This seems very cool! I love management and fantasy/medieval games! I’ll check on this every few days.

2 Likes

In development. I have all this coded and working, but still much to do before it’s ready for open beta testing. I’ll run a closer, mid-game beta soon though.

That’s how this type of game works. You build and gather and fight your way forward. :slight_smile:

No skills at all. Yes, more units, including mercenaries, may be added. The finer details are still in flux. I want to hammer out the core a bit more first.

It takes several liberties in order to make it into a fun and manageable game. You focus
on one city which represents your entire kingdom. I use “days”, although it’s understood that at times a “day” is more like a year. Yes, you still get to do some diplomacy with other nations, so some is there still.

I really wanted to stress what this game is. This is NOT an book! It isn’t like any other story. This is a game. My biggest worry is that someone will get it thinking it’s a novel, but it’s not.

If a person doesn’t like building units and structures and gathering resources, they should not get it. My hope was that the title helped to make this clear. What name would you suggest?

6 Likes

I understand it’s a game, but even for it, imo the title is still somewhat… off. I’ll try to think of suggestions.

2 Likes

I hope There will be some plots , secret societies and Shadi and sacrifices. So far sounds interesting and fun to unified it with a evil character

4 Likes