Mod: [EA] Sumer: Land of Knowledge (work in progress, early draft attached)

[Marmaduke]

Hiya,

I have begun to work on an EA nation called Su-Mer, Land of Knowledge (working title).

Thematic premises:
- inspired by Sumer, Babylon, Akkad
- a city-based civilization
- bricks = books; cities made of bricks
- the Tower of Babylon, symbol of hybris / defiance against the gods who wish to destroy men
- based around farmland and swamps (Fertile Crescent)... not mountains, not desert

In game design terms:
- very expensive forts (Great Cities)
- units very demanding in resources even though they are not that much armored; the historically older units (Sumer) are cheaper while the units from Akkad for example would be more expensive
- some units very high resources -> need to get resources from surrounding provinces and think carefully about where to place forts
- war charriots
- very high-resources siege engines or easy access to Construction rituals
- most powerful units (some with fortification bonuses) are mapmove 0 and stratospheric resources (you need multiple provinces to buy one), including capital-only unrest-reducing sanctified crockery-throwing holy prostitutes
- bronze armor (mostly), archers (high resources)
- magic: Astral, no Nature (I want those awesome city garrisons to starve to death in sieges)... uncertain about others but no Blood/Fire (this is not Abysia)
- capital has Misfortune (gods dislike the Tower)
- substitute king unit or ritual
- currently toying with different concepts for a Gilgamesh hero (low-powered quintessential mortal or afflicted immortal)

More to come... The downloadable attachment is an early draft (missing units and description, no sprites).
Feedback is welcome about both thematic and game design concepts.
Cheers...

[Gandalf Parker]

Snag the new Bronze game that Shrapnel just released. Its getting good reviews.

[Marmaduke]

Thanks. Would you know if there is an AAR available somewhere to get a feel of Bronze?

[Gandalf Parker]

Its only recently been released. But there is a demo.
And there is a forum for it on this site so if there is an AAR yet it would probably be there

[Marmaduke]

My ideas for all ages so far:
- EA is described in first post
- MA is the Age of Ruins; desert has encroached, civilization has fallen and knowledge has been lost; hints of demonic infestation; tribesmen
- LA is dominated by the ruthless exploitation of a black oil with nefarious properties; demonic businessmen from Hell are managing the whole operation, intent to awaken some slumbering beasts from deep under