Grand Strategy Axioms|Making Culture Concrete: What is culture, why is it important, and how can we make it concrete and meaningful in a strategy or simulation game?

[Lady Error]

And what is a DIP strategy game?

 

[Axioms]

https://axiomsofdominion.substack.c...tuff?r=i2fsj&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

New design side companion piece to previous post.

And what is a DIP strategy game?

[D]iplomacy is foreign affairs, ntrigue is shadowy affairs, and [P]olitics is domestic affairs. This is a relative focus compared to a typical Paradox style "grand strategy" game where even CK2 has a shallow and chincy non-combat framework. The Intrigue in CK2-3 is especially lame and puddley.

 

[Lady Error]

And what is a DIP strategy game?

[D]iplomacy is foreign affairs, ntrigue is shadowy affairs, and [P]olitics is domestic affairs. This is a relative focus compared to a typical Paradox style "grand strategy" game where even CK2 has a shallow and chincy non-combat framework. The Intrigue in CK2-3 is especially lame and puddley.

I don't think that "DIP" is a term that most potential buyers know. "Fantasy strategy game similar to CK2" is more than enough to give people an idea.

 

[Axioms]

And what is a DIP strategy game?

[D]iplomacy is foreign affairs, ntrigue is shadowy affairs, and [P]olitics is domestic affairs. This is a relative focus compared to a typical Paradox style "grand strategy" game where even CK2 has a shallow and chincy non-combat framework. The Intrigue in CK2-3 is especially lame and puddley.

I don't think that "DIP" is a term that most potential buyers know. "Fantasy strategy game similar to CK2" is more than enough to give people an idea.

No I want to separate my game from CK2. They aren't actually that alike. No more so that the Illwinter Dominions 3-4 games or Sovereignty: Crown Of Kings or something. Axioms existed before I ever played a Paradox game but people recommended them as similar and the only change was that it is now partially, a rejection of what Paradox did. Graphical cruft, multiplayer bullshit focus, piles of unconnected shallow mechanics. Who would want to link their game to that? Also fuck the "mana" shit especially.

 

[Axioms]

https://axiomsofdominion.substack.com/s/axioms-development-blog

There is a subsection of my substack for my development blog. Basically talking about what I'm doing. Try to post several times a week. Recently? Just grinding out some code changes from library updates from TGUI and SFML and doing a ton of refactoring of systems that support core systems. Almost got the basic loop functioning after all the changes. Conquering stuff, making deals with the AI, and some of the economic stuff.

My current hurdle that is giving me a compile time based break right now is that when you don't have traditional "nations/factions" as the core of gameplay but pure character relationships, and characters and their associated populations can move around, it is hard to have a good model for who "owns" a province. Been slowly cleaning up code related to that and getting a solid model and figuring out how to display that on a map mode or two.

Especially in the case of mobile, if not actually nomadic, tribes and stuff like that, how do you define control over territory? And since characters and their relationships are what define the political landscape, you can just have giant homogenuous swaths of color in the style of a traditional map painter.

 

[Lady Error]

And what is a DIP strategy game?

[D]iplomacy is foreign affairs, ntrigue is shadowy affairs, and [P]olitics is domestic affairs. This is a relative focus compared to a typical Paradox style "grand strategy" game where even CK2 has a shallow and chincy non-combat framework. The Intrigue in CK2-3 is especially lame and puddley.

I don't think that "DIP" is a term that most potential buyers know. "Fantasy strategy game similar to CK2" is more than enough to give people an idea.

No I want to separate my game from CK2. They aren't actually that alike. No more so that the Illwinter Dominions 3-4 games or Sovereignty: Crown Of Kings or something. Axioms existed before I ever played a Paradox game but people recommended them as similar and the only change was that it is now partially, a rejection of what Paradox did. Graphical cruft, multiplayer bullshit focus, piles of unconnected shallow mechanics. Who would want to link their game to that? Also fuck the "mana" shit especially.

The point is that nobody knows what DIP means and you use it in the title of this thread.

 

[Axioms]

The point is that nobody knows what DIP means and you use it in the title of this thread.

Worst case they assume it is just short for diplomacy which is close enough.

 

[Joined on the 4th of July]

And what is a DIP strategy game?

strategy game

 

[Axioms]

https://axiomsofdominion.substack.c...ties?r=i2fsj&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

A new post, with linked development blog post, about what I've been doing and how mechanics work for vassals, character interactions, celebrations, feasts hunts, holy festivals, and also stuff like marriage, fostering, and oaths.

 

[Axioms]

https://axiomsofdominion.substack.c...ioms?r=i2fsj&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

The Development Trade-Offs Of Axioms
How can you have so much mechanical detail when major studios don't?

 

[Fedora Master]

Go away, insane person.

 

[Axioms]

Go away, insane person.

Feel free to simpy not read the posts?

 

[what am i doing]

Go away, insane person.

Feel free to simpy not read the posts?

I have been taking that liberty, tbqh. Blogposts are boring, unless maybe they're about an existing game I already know. You should show gameplay, not talk about it without showing. Doesn't matter if the graphics are basic - people don't play GSGs for the graphics.

 

[Axioms]

Go away, insane person.

Feel free to simpy not read the posts?

I have been taking that liberty, tbqh. Blogposts are boring, unless maybe they're about an existing game I already know. You should show gameplay, not talk about it without showing. Doesn't matter if the graphics are basic - people don't play GSGs for the graphics.

See you say that they don't and maybe hardcore people don't but normies really do.

 

[what am i doing]

Go away, insane person.

Feel free to simpy not read the posts?

I have been taking that liberty, tbqh. Blogposts are boring, unless maybe they're about an existing game I already know. You should show gameplay, not talk about it without showing. Doesn't matter if the graphics are basic - people don't play GSGs for the graphics.

See you say that they don't and maybe hardcore people don't but normies really do.

Well, you're posting on RPGCodex, so which of those groups do you think are going to be reading this thread?

Edit: also, what makes you think normalniggers would want to read blogposts anymore than we would?

 

[Axioms]

https://axiomsofdominion.substack.c...ries?r=i2fsj&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

The first post in a series on the unique, far reaching, and integrated magic of Axioms.

Specifically Divination Rituals and their use in Espionage, Exploration, and Diplomacy.

 

[Axioms]

https://axiomsofdominion.substack.c...ther?r=i2fsj&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

My somewhat late post on Weather Working magic. I'm thinking of doing a second Esoteric Arcana post today since this one was delayed but I'm trying to do a solid 10 hours of programming today on Modafinil as well.

 

[Theodora]

Worst case they assume it is just short for diplomacy which is close enough.

Worst case is that eldritch language makes them overlook it entirely.

With all due respect, you gotta turn off the autism brain when trying to sell a game.

Mockups are dirty and shameful. TWS had amazing mockups.

Prototyping in any form is not "dirty".

 

[Axioms]

So the forum says someone posted here but they are ignored so I can't see it. I only ignore people for being insufferable in the shoutbox so good job.

 

[Mortmal]

Go away, insane person.

Feel free to simpy not read the posts?

I have been taking that liberty, tbqh. Blogposts are boring, unless maybe they're about an existing game I already know. You should show gameplay, not talk about it without showing. Doesn't matter if the graphics are basic - people don't play GSGs for the graphics.

See you say that they don't and maybe hardcore people don't but normies really do.

He's right , but rather than graphics i'd say presentation. His game better look at least as good as an illwinter game at least. Right now , from what i see, it wont .

 

[Axioms]

Go away, insane person.

Feel free to simpy not read the posts?

I have been taking that liberty, tbqh. Blogposts are boring, unless maybe they're about an existing game I already know. You should show gameplay, not talk about it without showing. Doesn't matter if the graphics are basic - people don't play GSGs for the graphics.

See you say that they don't and maybe hardcore people don't but normies really do.

He's right , but rather than graphics i'd say presentation. His game better look at least as good as an illwinter game at least. Right now , from what i see, it wont .

I mean there's functionally no graphical work done. Why do you think it can't look at good as an Illwinter game? Also considering the graphical quality of the new shadows game, Shadow Of Forbidden Gods, I'm not super worried about the graphics not being good enough.

 

[Mortmal]

Go away, insane person.

Feel free to simpy not read the posts?

I have been taking that liberty, tbqh. Blogposts are boring, unless maybe they're about an existing game I already know. You should show gameplay, not talk about it without showing. Doesn't matter if the graphics are basic - people don't play GSGs for the graphics.

See you say that they don't and maybe hardcore people don't but normies really do.

He's right , but rather than graphics i'd say presentation. His game better look at least as good as an illwinter game at least. Right now , from what i see, it wont .

Why do you think it can't look at good as an Illwinter game?

Because i can only judge what i see right now, early vic 20 era. But that doesnt mean you cant make it .

 

[Axioms]

So I've been looking at the Way Of Kings CK3 mod and damn did they do a ton of fancy shit. Maybe Paradox will never get to the level of gameplay I'm working on but the modders are scaring me lmao. This motherfucker made Darkest Dungeon inside CK3. The Courtship system he made for the mod is not quite at the level of character interaction in Axioms but it is close.

In any case I'm currently working on social gatherings. Feasts, Hunts, Festivals, Weddings, Ceremonies and so forth. God what a pain. Tons of complex UI stuff, needs lots of fancy data structures, loading code for all the stuff, and once I get to more AI work that will be a pain as well. Not that I can't do it but it requires a lot of hard thinking work which makes my brain tired.

 

[Silva]

Bro, Johan Anderson rubbed your girlfriend or something? You look like an animated villain seeking vengeance from Pdox.

 

[Axioms]

Bro, Johan Anderson rubbed your girlfriend or something? You look like an animated villain seeking vengeance from Pdox.

Well I did get banned from the Plaza after I wrote a "strong" criticism of mana, multiplayer obsession, and boardgameyness in EU4. Johan's influence on Paradox is all negative. But I started working on Axioms before I had ever played a Paradox game.

On another topic, here is what military conflict looks like in Axioms at a high level:
https://axiomsofdominion.substack.c...view?r=i2fsj&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Lots of character interactions, a simulation of war councils like you see in The Prince Of Nothing or The Way Of Kings and some other stuff.