User blog:Jeremiah Garland/Conqueror

Earlier, me and a few others began playing a turn-based strategy game called "Conqueror". Looking for a liable way to keep country RP (or RP in general) alive, we realised RP could not survive without some sort of way to simulate war; this game may be our answer, or at least one possible way.

This is a very fun game, if I do say so myself. The gist of it is to build up an empire, maintain it economically and socially, conquer your enemies, and takeover the map. However, it's very complicated and difficult to learn at fast. Therefore, I will be writing up a short "how to" guide on the fundamentals of gameplay, so anybody that may be interested in this game will have a basic understanding.

Anyways, here's the link to the game itself. You must make an account to play, which is both easy and free to do. Post your username in the comments below, so we can keep a list of who's who. If we get enough people interested in this game, we can even set up private matches accessible through a password.

Jeremiah's How-To Guide
"Conqueror" is, in all retrospect, very similar to the classic game "Risk". There are three maps to play "Conqueror" on: Europe, China, and the Great Lakes Region. Europe is considered the traditional map and, in my opinion, the most enjoyable. On this map there are seventy different "lands" or territories making up Europe. Each player begins in one territory and has to build up an army to conquer surrounding territories. Anywhere between two and sixteen players can participate in one match. However, building up an army and taking over nearby territory is easier said than done, and requires you to maintain a healthy income of gold to pay your armies, and also to prevent rebellions in conquered lands by keeping your subjects satisfied to your rule. There are several other features and aspects we'll get into.

"Conqueror" is a turn-based strategy game, which means gameplay is not continuous and spontaneous. Each player must complete their commands and duties and hit "end turn". Once all players have hit "end turn", a simulation will occur in which the commands ordered are carried out and territorial changes are made. There is, however, a time limit for each turn, so players must act quickly.

Conquering
The whole purpose of the game, conquering other territories is how your empire will fluorish. If your empire remains too small, production and income will be crippled; if your empire becomes too large and you spread yourself too thin, enemies can easily attack your weaker territories. It is important to maintain a steady balance of expansion and infrastructure.

When one begins a match, one will notice that each territory contains a small red box with a number in it. This number indicates how many armies there are in that territory. Territories that are coloured are territories under the control of a player. Territories that are grey are neutral and may not attack players, but can defend themselves if a player attempts to takeover that territory. Each player begins with a single territory, which is dubbed the "capital" territory. From this sole province, players must branch out to begin their empire. As in Risk, the larger the number within your territory (that is, the larger the amount of armies you have) the easier and more likely it is to conquer another territory.

Attacking
Let's say Player A owns the province of Austria and wishes to attack the neutral province of Venetia to the south. In Austria, Player A owns seven armies, and the neutral province of Venetia has three armies. In order for Austria to invade Venetia, the player need only suggest the owned territory (Austria) and drag an arrow to the territory they desire to control (Venetia). After the arrow has been dragged from one territory to another, a pop-up box will ask how many armies the player wishes to send to take over Venetia. Because the province of Austria has seven armies, the player may send anywhere from one to seven armies to invade Venetia. If the player sends six Austrian armies to conquer Venetia's three armies, the player's chances of success are reasonably higher because they possess the larger number of armies in this scenario. However, if the player only sends two armies from Austria to conquer Venetia's three armies, the player will most likely fail in conquering Venetia because here, the neutral territory of Venetia has the larger number.

If an attack on a territory is successful, that territory joins your empire and adopts your nation's colour. Remember, different colours besides grey represent different players, and it is the job of the player to take down these rival empires. As in attacking a neutral territory, players may also attack and attempt to takeover enemy-owned territories, by using the same arrow-drag method.

Multiple Attacks and Transporting
In addition to attacking a territory with a single province, a player can attack one territory with two owned territories. For example, Player A owns Austria and Dalmatia and wishes to attack Venetia. Player A can send the desired number of armies from Austria and Dalmatia into Venetia on the same turn, meaning the chances of taking over Venetia are increased. If Austria succeeds in taking over Venetia, then the armies sent from Dalmatia will automatically be added to Venetia's reinforcements.

Similarly, armies within a territory can be partioned and attack multiple targest in one turn. For example, Player A owns Austria and has nine armies there. Player A wishes to takeover the neighbouring provinces of Bohemia to the north, and Hungary to the east, and wishes to do so within one turn. Player A can split up the number of armies in Austria to attack each respective territory; by sending, per se, five Austrian armies to attack Bohemia, and four Austrian armies to attack Hungary.

In addition to attacking foreign provinces, players can shift the number of armies around their empire by transporting armies from owned territories to neighbouring owned territories. For example, Player A has twelve armies in Austria and also owns the Rhineland. If the Rhineland is lacking in reinforcements, Player A can send anywhere from one to all twelve Austrian armies up to the neighbouring Rhineland to provide additonal support and increase the overall number. Likewise, players that are on the same team may transport armies to their teammates for them to use by dragging an arrow to ally-owned territory.

''It should be noted that attacking a foreign territory, transporting armies within your empire, or transporting armies to a friendly empire, counts as one "move". A player may only make five moves per turn.''

Building an Empire
So how does on actually construct armies? Armies can only be produced in an owned territory, but there are several factours playing in to the style in which the army is produced, such as production, population, and culture. A territory's production can be indicated by the number of natural resources shown when that territory is selected. The higher the production in that territory, the more armies it will produce, and at a greater speed. Population also increases production: the higher the population, the more productive that territory will be. A territory's culture will be shown when selected, being either a "primitive culture" or a "developed culture". The better the territory's culture is, the more productive it will be, and also the less likely chance of rebellion there will be (this will be discussed later).

Each territory owned can be assigned a different "task" to complete that turn. By selecting an owned territory, these available tasks, as well as a map and outline of that territory, will appear off to the right underneath your empire's profile. By selecting army production, a certain number of armies will be produced in that province for that turn. By selecting gold production, that province will contribute to your gold income (more on this). If farm production is selected, farms will be constructed in your territory, which contribute to population growth within that territory. If university production is selected, a university will be constructed in that territory, improving that territory's culture. By selecting fortification production, a fortifying feature (keep, castle, fortress, etc.) will be constructed in that province, bettering defense and making it less likely for an enemy to takeover that territory (all capitals begin with a keep). Finally, if diplomat production is selected, diplomats will be sent to that territory to ease the chances of rebellion. Different commands take a longer time to complete. For example, in army production, new armies will almost always be produced every turn; however, in fortification production, it may take several turns before this task is complete.

Gold
Gold is the fundamental currency all nations strive to reach in abundance. Without it, your empire will surely crumble.

The main purpose of gold is to pay your armies. After each winter (every four turns) a certain payment is required to keep your armies intake and fighting for you. If the payment is not met, armies will begin to desert your empire, leaving territories undefended and vulnerable. Whilst playing, one must make note of the "empire profile" situated in the top right-hand corner of the screen. Listed in the profile is your username and your current title. Immediately below that is your finance board. The words "gold", "income", and "support" are each given their own amounts. "Gold" is how much gold you currently have in your treasury, and thus how much you are capable of spending. "Income" is the total amount of gold your territories collectively produce per turn (when production in a territory is set to gold). "Support" is the necessary payment you must make at the end of each winter to keep your armies satisfied. After each payment of support, your treasury will be depleted and you must focus on rebuilding your income for the payment next winter. The "support" cost will expand as you conquer new territory and as your armies grow in size.

In addition to this, gold can also be used expedite production in your territories. In the section above, it was discussed the different methods of production. It should be noted that naturally, production in general occurs automatically over a certain period of time at no cost. However, if something must be produced urgently, a payment of gold can complete production immediately. For example, if an owned territory with few or no armies defending it suddenly becomes under attack, gold can be used to quickly produce new armies for that territory.

Population and Culture
A territory's success and usefulness to your empire depends heavily on its population. Next to each red box in a territory that indicates the number of armies, is a smaller greyish number. This indicates that territory's population, in tens of thousands. Population will not increase automatically over time, or as you conquer new territories.

The only way to increase population is through the construction of farms, which can be achieved through the "farm production" command. The higher a territory's population is, the more and faster it will produce. For example, a territory with a population of 60,000 will produce armies more quickly and in greater amounts than a territory with 20,000. There is no limit to how high the population of a territory can be.

Like population, culture plays a notable role in the development of your empire and the contribution to its success. A territory may either have a "primitive culture" or a "developed culture". A territory that is primitive in culture will have decreased production and is more likely to revolt. On the contrary, a territory with a developed culture is typically devoted or supportive of your empire and will in turn see improved production. The only way to better a territory's culture is through the construction of universities, via the "university production" command.

Rebellion
After conquering a territory, it is not immediately loyal to you. Territories will often wane in support of your empire, and when this happens, they will revolt. When a territory is selected, one can observe its loyalty status; listed will be that territory's mood towards you ("devoted", "supportive", "friendly", "content", or "rebellious") as well as the percent chance that that territory will revolt within the next turn. Generally, it is a good idea, if manageable, to keep two or three armies in every territory, so in the case of rebellion it will be put down. If an owned territory contains no armies defending it and a rebellion breaks out in that territory, it will automatically become independent from your empire and revert back to its neutral, grey state. These rebellious territories can then be recaptured, but it is probably better to prevent rebellions in the first place.

There are two ways to prevent rebellions from occurring. The first is to improve a territory's infrastructure; that is, increase its population and culture. Generally, territories with high populations and/or a developed culture will remain loyal and supportive towards you, but this may not always be true. The second, more efficient method to prevent rebellion is to enlist diplomats. If you notice a territory is not content with you or has a high chance of rebellion, it is best to select "diplomat production" from the commands. This will produce a diplomat in that territory that will hopefully subdue rebellious possibilities. Troublesome territories may take several diplomats to quell. If a territory has a very high percent chance of rebellion, and few or no armies defending it, it is a good idea to expedite diplomat production through gold.

Winning
The only way to win the game is by capturing every single one of your opponent's territories. If the game is being played in teams (as opposed to a free-for-all) you and your partner must work together to defeat the empires on the opposing team(s). Capturing an enemy's capital (that is, their beginning territory) does not render that enemy defeated; rather, they may continue to fight so long as they retain at least one territory under their control. However, capturing an enemy's capital will reward that player by depleting the enemy's gold reserve and giving it to the victor. Note that just the enemy-owned territories must be captured for victory; if there are still grey neutral territories remaining, they need not be captured. Once all enemy territories are conquered, the game is over.