Developer Note #3
Hello, I'm the developer of Three Kingdoms: Alias.
I am focused on development for v0.6.0. Many tasks are underway, but today I would like to share a little about the new combat system among them.
I am developing a new combat system that is completely different from the one in v0.5.0. The system has not yet been fully validated, so it may not be updated exactly as it is shown here. I would appreciate it if you read this as a progress update.
The New Combat System
The new combat system is based on simultaneous turns. Each side enters the actions to be taken by each unit during the turn, then presses Execute. Every unit carries out its entered commands at the same time.
The theme of the new combat system is information. The battlefield is covered in fog, and you do not know where the enemy is. Instead, your officers hold a council of war each turn to 'predict' enemy positions. Officers with higher Intelligence make more accurate predictions. Bringing an excellent staff of advisers to the battlefield will let you fight with more reliable information. If an enemy is already within sight, you can even predict what that enemy will do on the following turn.
Information, Terrain, and Supply
These predictions of position and action become important because the battlefield has a terrain system. High ground, forests, rivers, and other terrain can be used for ambushes. To see through an ambush, you must either predict the enemy's position accurately or send scouts ahead to find out directly.
There is also a supply system. Supply convoys can establish supply bases. Friendly units within a certain area of a base are supplied with provisions automatically, while units outside that area must operate on the provisions they carry. Knowing the location of an enemy supply base therefore makes it easier to gain a strategic advantage.
The Direction of the Combat Renewal
Because this is a system completely different from the existing combat system, I worried that players accustomed to the current system might find it off-putting. However, the existing system had several clear, fundamental limitations, so I decided to make a somewhat bold choice.
The concept of this game, in which officers conceal their identities, is built on information-hiding mechanics. I want to build the combat system in a direction that can maximize those mechanics as well.
A battlefield where you do not know the enemy's position or their next action. But also a battlefield where fighting alongside outstanding advisers can give you the upper hand in an information war.
A battlefield where you can bypass and raid a poorly guarded enemy supply base, like Wuchao. A battlefield where forcing your way through terrain that may conceal an ambush, trusting only in superior numbers, can cost you dearly.
It may take some time because this is such a large system, but I will do my best to let you experience a combat system that is uniquely fun in Three Kingdoms: Alias. I am working diligently, and I would be grateful if you would trust me and wait for it.
I will share more development progress in the next Developer Note. Thank you.