Hello harmonious people!
🌴🌳🌴
We are now 4 months after release, and it's time for a big announcement!
Even though I always felt quite satisfied with the game, some core mechanics have been bothering me for a while now. The general idea of 2.0 is therefore to increase replayability, bring more roleplay, and add more strategy while maintaining a credible environment. So let's dig into all the main changes and see what this 2.0 is about.
Please note that due to many core changes, previous savegames will be incompatible.
Version 2.0 will be released on the 24th of February.
Procedural Factions (aka Tribes)
The main reason why factions are static in Roots of Harmony is that I first thought that knowing the game would be part of the fun; and recognising the strengths and weaknesses of the opponents, along with their disciples, would actually give you a good reason to start another game. But the reality is that when you keep seeing the same factions, you just lose interest, and the challenge / reward combo gets seriously diminished.
In 2.0, all factions are now procedurally generated. Their choice of doctrines and their disciples are now fully dynamic. The number of factions per direction is also randomised, and empires no longer exist. Yes, you read that correctly, all "factions" are now called "tribes", and there is no "imperial invasion" and "threat" anymore. This system was a bit unbalanced, to say the least, as imperial invasions would always take ages to reach player lands, and it didn't really make sense to have "factions and empires" on an island. But there's a twist! Now tribes can ally with each other, which means that attacking one tribe can offend another one. Alliances can happen between tribes that live in two different directions, forcing you to think a little more before launching an attack.
Procedural disciples add a lot to the fun. Previously, the disciples you would face were always the same. Now their stats are dynamic, and most importantly, they all receive 1 or 2 traits from the pool of traits that has been drastically increased in the last two major patches (compared to what existed when the static disciples were designed). Have you ever fought an alcoholic healer or a guy who throws fireballs at you while being possessed by demonic forces? Now you can!
I've also added a "combat focus" line to each disciple of the game, which can be "melee", "range", or "balanced". This combat focus determines the traits and the stats generation of the new procedural disciples.
New Game Start
One aspect of the game I always wanted to develop is roleplay. It's a tricky thing to improve, as Roots of Harmony is not a RPG, and you need enough details in the world and in the gameplay mechanics to provide immersion to the player. And I feel that the initial story of the game is doing the exact opposite: it forces you into a very static mindset and it doesn't give enough space for imagination. That's why in 2.0, this whole story is abandoned. There's still the old war in the background, and the escape on a boat, but now you can choose your own story. Each game start gives you specific resources and an exclusive building that unlocks a new champion. Here is a list of those game starts:
- Vicious tyrant: cruelty, stability, vanity. Headquarters: Commissar.
- Vodou worshipper: communication, faith, health. Vodou shrine: Manbo.
- Reckless trapper: cruelty, greed, skill. Furrier's workshop: Tracker.
- Respectable baron: benevolence, inspiration, stability. Luxurious house: Patrician.
- Feared highwayman: greed, skill, vanity. Black market: Buccaneer.
- Fancy priest: faith, greed, health. Golden temple: Chaplain.
- Gentleman drunkard: benevolence, inspiration, knowledge. Beer garden: Maverick.
Trade Routes
In the current version of the game, it's possible to preach to other factions in order to get reputation points. However, this system forces you to dedicate a disciple to the task, which is not always ideal. In 2.0, you can also increase your reputation via trade routes.
Trade routes are an abstract implementation of commerce between you and the tribes. Opening a trade route requires a commodity that some buildings now produce. For instance, the Lumberjack's camp produces Timber, and the Bakery produces Bread. Those commodities are only produced by low-tier buildings in order to give you a little more to do in early gameplay. There are a few rules about trade routes:
- You can open only one trade route with each tribe.
- You can trade a specific commodity only once.
- Each tribe demands one random commodity, and in exchange, they give you one random resource and 1 reputation point per turn.
Trade routes can be blocked by Highwaymen. A Highwayman will randomly be spawned in one of the lands controlled by the tribe you're trading with. Killing him will reopen the route.
Other Stuff
- More milestones.
- More events and landmarks.
- Uneven plots.
- More lands.
- UI improvements.
- And more!
Version 2.0 will be released on the 24th of February.
Thanks for reading!
Guillaume (aka Joubarbe)