I’m just glad you’re still working on this as I think it’s your best game to date and I really like it much more then the Aswick series. 
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I enjoy both equally - different time periods, different societal norms explored.
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Maybe I just like the fancy clothes and uniforms of this period much more then the full plate armours of Aswick.
Yes, that must be it! 
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There’s no plate armour in Lords of Aswick. You’re thinking of mail and a coat of plates. And the coat of plates was a relatively new fashion.
Full plate is more in the sequel’s era. and the one after that has already moved on from plate (except breastplates) because of gunpowder.
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Ah yes, the common misconception that hand-held firearms got rid of armour. It’s introduction was one of the reasons why full plate was developed. I think it was the better gunpowder solutions and corning which increased the muzzle velocity of firearms that made armour impractical rather than the guns themselves. The improvements to the gun itself was to make it lighter, fire faster (wheellocks and flintlocks fire instantaneously while matchlocks don’t), and fire more reliably by reducing misfires.
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Aye, I was referring to the development process with a broad and romantic term. My apologies.
To clarify, gunpowder itself has already been introduced in Lords of Aswick, as have cannons and hand cannons. The sequel will have formations sporting arquebuses, and the one after that will have a proliferation of muskets going on.
It’s not just the firearms that became far more sophisticated and deadly even to those wearing great amounts of armour, all weapons developed to counter the benefits of plate. Hammers, spiked maces, halberds (and related pole weapons), and even swords eventually specialised to cut/bludgeon through plate armour and the usage of specialised weaponry increased to a great degree towards the High Medieval and Renaissance periods.
In order to counter the development of melee weapons, just the same as with firearms, at some point the armours would have become either far too complex and costly to be used on a mass scale, or far too heavy for proper use.
Flintlock weapons do not fire instantly. Far faster than matchlocks, slower than wheel lock, far slower than caplock which would be the next big leap. But speed of firing as a concern is far outweighed by reload speed and consistency in massed use. For that, the flintlock was by far the best option for the age it dominated, wheel lock being hindered by its relatively complex design and cost of production.
The evolution of the musket into something that can be mass-produced (for the capabilities of the time) reliably while also being easy to use for even a fresh conscript was a great boon to all armies and guaranteed the phasing out of most other weaponry and armour. Flintlock muskets essentially became the spear of the modern era - a default weapon that even a complete idiot would be able to use reliably and consistently within a few hours of training.
And if we wish to be extremely pedantic, the final blow against historical metal armour was rifling and cartridges, which allowed for greater precision and greater seal for the gasses. Not to mention the development of smokeless gunpowder which is far more potent than black powder.
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I am getting the impression that I may have been bit snappish with my above response, which was not intentional. I apologize for that.
To clarify, gunpowder itself has already been introduced in Lords of Aswick, as have cannons and hand cannons.
Sweet. I will confess that I do not have the game yet (it is next on the list but I’m getting some issues with Bluestacks).
The sequel will have formations sporting arquebuses, and the one after that will have a proliferation of muskets going on.
Pike and shotte time!
It’s not just the firearms that became far more sophisticated and deadly even to those wearing great amounts of armour, all weapons developed to counter the benefits of plate. Hammers, spiked maces, halberds (and related pole weapons), and even swords eventually specialised to cut/bludgeon through plate armour and the usage of specialised weaponry increased to a great degree towards the High Medieval and Renaissance periods.
In order to counter the development of melee weapons, just the same as with firearms, at some point the armours would have become either far too complex and costly to be used on a mass scale, or far too heavy for proper use.
True. The heyday of heavy cavalry was long past that point, but to their credit they were still dangerous. As an aside, does the rapier count as one of those swords. I’m very curious what other swords other than massive two-handers could count as anti-amour swords.
And yes the next development in armour that could practically resist such weaponry had to be moved by an internal combustion engine. 
Flintlock weapons do not fire instantly. Far faster than matchlocks, slower than wheel lock, far slower than caplock which would be the next big leap
I stand corrected. I love capandball btw. Interestingly, the concept of isomers was discovered when someone found out that silver cyanate shared the same formula as silver fulminate, the latter being discovered a year before the former and used as a detonator for explosives and percussion caps (the other more commonly used detonator being mercury fulminate).
The evolution of the musket into something that can be mass-produced (for the capabilities of the time) reliably while also being easy to use for even a fresh conscript was a great boon to all armies and guaranteed the phasing out of most other weaponry and armour. Flintlock muskets essentially became the spear of the modern era - a default weapon that even a complete idiot would be able to use reliably and consistently within a few hours of training.
The bayonet was also important for this. Without it, cavalry could still wreck an all musketeer unit (provided they were not disrupted by the massed fire) and pikes would not have been phased out until machineguns and barbed wire at the latest. The comparison to the spear is a fitting one.
And if we wish to be extremely pedantic, the final blow against historical metal armour was rifling and cartridges, which allowed for greater precision and greater seal for the gasses. Not to mention the development of smokeless gunpowder which is far more potent than black powder.
Bring on the pedantry! And yes, good old nitrocellulose. Reducing sulphur content of gunpowder making it less corrosive and making battlefield horrors clearer since -err, the late 1800s I think.
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Rapier is on the light and flexible side of the spectrum, yes. Very nasty, able to slip past mail and through cracks in the armour. There aren’t too many of other examples of precision over power.
On the heavy side you have the estoc (often two-handed) which is designed to have significant mass while providing a sharp narrow point for thrusting through armour. There’s the messer as well, which is much akin to a heavy sabre. Bastard swords and claymores were also a solution to punching through armour.
Often the solution was not to try and slip past armour, it was to bash through it. For smaller swords, such as your standard arming sword or longsword, I believe the solution was far more simple than you might think: the Murder Strike.
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this is why I like your games and comment section very good discussions on history also fun games
Here we are, an update is now finally out. Enjoy.
And with that, the story has broken the 100k word mark. Huzzah!
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So apparently the name of the Soradour Circle was changed to Cocardists. Why is that ?
Also, are there any major changes to the existing chapters ?
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I’m going with a different name for the Soradour Circle, mainly to tie it more closely with the conventions of the era. Especially the Francophone conventions of the 19th century.
I am still debating on whether or not I should have it develop naturally to the Soradour Circle in the aftermath (as in it becoming the commonplace term after the fact) of the revolutions and have Cocardistes as a term used during all the chaos in the Empire.
There are no major changes to the previous chapters aside from the renaming.
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I like the change you made to comply with usage … with that in mind, concerning your dilemma, can you have the term be different depending on your background and political/societal leanings?
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Maybe have the “Cocardistes” be the name of the political movement and/or their ideology (Cocardism ?) and have “Soradour Circle” refer to the Conspiratorial Organization that organizes this movement.
Though I am unsure whetever this group really was a larger political movement or just that Conspiratorial Organization…
If I understand right, than “Soradour” is also the name of Ekaterina’s Residence on the Isle de Serein, and the Circle is logically named after it ?
@Eiwynn That is a possibility that I haven’t completely ruled out at this point either. Background might not come too much into play in that, but political and societal leanings can very much prove an influence. I will think about it.
@Juanita Yes, there is a little bit of a hint in there establishing that the Cocardistes may already be a small movement growing among the students. Although they might very well not be called that at this point. So the Cocardistes may not be established and directly controlled by Soradour Circle, but they will at some point become a major influence.
Think Sons of Liberty more than the Illuminati.
Yes, Soradour is the name of the hunting lodge (more like a small mansion really) belonging to the Comtesse de Louvais. At some point, some people will come together there and form the Circle.
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In this case it would probably be better if the young Duc would use the term “Soradour Circle” at the beginning, assuming that being a Corcardiste is not necessarily special, but being a Soradour is.
Also assuming that the existence of the Circle is common knowledge by the point the MC is a teacher.
*One
Also just a side note but how would we know that they’re 16, especially in heat of battle. Do all soldiers have a tag on arm with age?
"teen-aged soldier, or just young soldier would be better, mind you my mc is about the same age as that.
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This a very intriguing idea you have, reminds me of the “Sabres of Infinity” franchise.