"War. War never changes."
Hello everyone!
We're incredibly excited to launch into Early Access tomorrow! Until then, we have one more Star Dynasties Explained post for your reading pleasure. While you can try to deftly maneuver your way through the political climate of the galaxy, sometimes war is inevitable. That's why we're taking a look at combat today.
The politics of war
Before we get into the nitty gritty of combat, let's take a step back and look at the bigger picture. To attack another house is an act of war, and declaring war is most often considered a dishonorable act. That means that your reputation will take a big hit if you declare war without a good reason.
If the head of another house has committed a crime against you or your family and vassals, that is usually reason enough to call the galactic banners and go to war. Another valid reason is when you have a claim on another house's dominion, usually stemming from your ancestry.
Note that your claims will fade away in time if they are not pressed. Turns out no one cares that your great-great-great-great-grandmother had a strong claim back in the days.
To war!
Reputation and honor aside, let's take a look at how combat starts and resolves in Star Dynasties. When you initiate an attack on another planet, you will enter the buildup phase. This is where you call upon your vassals to join your fleet. You can also ask other rulers in range, but your vassals are more likely to join you. Each person who joins your fleet adds their ships to your force.
There are three types of ships that each fleet consists of. These ships all counter each other, like a triangle:
- Bombers deal additional damage to Frigates and less damage to Interceptors
- Interceptors deal additional damage to Bombers and less damage to Frigates
- Frigates deal additional damage to Interceptors and less damage to Bombers
Every fleet will have a number of each ship type, but you can specialize by using the 'Shift Fleet Type Composition' action. While a good fleet should always have some semblance of balance, you may want to prioritize one ship type because of your combat tactics.
Once combat begins, you select a combat tactic from your available list of tactics. You learn these tactics as your Military skill increases. You can also use the tactics known by the Head of Military of your house.
Combat resolution
After both sides pick their tactics, the first round of combat resolves. The attacking and defending side will both roll to see how well their fleets perform, after which damage is dealt. The damage you deal to your opponent is based on your fleet size, your roll, and the selected tactics.
There's a total of three rounds per combat. You may start off aggressively with an offensive tactic, only to find yourself on the back foot in the second round. A combat tactic can only be used once per battle, so you'll have to learn when to use your most valuable strategies.
After all three rounds have passed, combat ends. If you successfully attacked an enemy colony, it will become a part of your League or Faction. Any losses you sustained during the battle will slowly begin to rebuild each turn so that you may go out and conquer more!
And that's the basics of combat in Star Dynasties. Hopefully this was enlightening to all of you. Again, we're excited to see you all get your hands on the game when it launches into Early Access tomorrow!
As always, make sure you join us on Discord! It's where most of the discussion will be taking place.
