Survival navigation and chariot racing -Phase 16

Dear City Builders,

Greetings.

Before everyone officially enters the city, this week's log includes two pieces of content that will give you a more intuitive feel for the chaotic world of the Spring and Autumn Period: our ongoing "small-state diplomacy," and a Mandate Order Mini - Class on "war chariots."

I. Human Relations and Game Theory: A Diplomatic Deduction for the Survival of Small States

We don't want diplomacy to be a dry, monotonous panel—a click to increase goodwill, a click to form an alliance. In Mandate order, diplomacy is a realistic, blood-and-tears account. To give everyone a genuine sense of the pressures of survival, we've buried these elements at the bottom:

● Trade and Profiteering: Imagine a harsh winter approaching, and the city is starving. You grit your teeth and go to a neighboring country to buy grain, only to be met with exorbitant demands because you are a weaker nation. You might only be able to exchange chests of coins and scarce ores for a few life-saving grains of coarse rice.

This corresponds to the "dynamic trading" mechanism in the system. In Mandate order's "national trade," there is no absolutely fair exchange of equal value; the "goodwill" between two nations directly affects prices. A weak nation has no diplomacy, and this will be reflected in prices.

● Expensive and Cruel Reinforcements: When the enemy is truly at the city gates and the militia has been wiped out, you can bow your head and appeal to a friendly superpower for help. But when those few reinforcements arrive, will you use them to fill the gaps in the city walls, or escort the refugees to safety?

This is where our "Government Request" feature comes in. We hope that these precious reinforcements will bring a sense of tactical "choice," rather than a mindless "one-click clear."

Note: This complete diplomatic system is actually quite complex and will involve various gameplay elements such as tribute and bribery in the future. During the trial phase on April 10th, we will first run through part of the underlying framework, and will gradually reveal the full picture as development progresses.

II. Mandate order Mini - Class: The Violent Aesthetics of a Thousand Chariots - War Chariots

In chaotic times, diplomacy is undoubtedly an art of survival, but as the saying goes, "a weak nation has no diplomacy." When the tug-of-war of interests completely collapses, or when stronger bargaining chips are needed to support the negotiating table, the inevitable return is to direct confrontation. And in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, when national strength was measured by "a state with a thousand chariots," the ultimate weapon supporting all this hard power was none other than the chariot.

In *Mandate order*, chariots are far more than just "fast infantry." They are iron plows tearing through enemy formations, absolute rulers of plains battlefields. However, their construction requires vast amounts of resources and is limited by terrain.

When you're in a narrow "river valley and hills," blindly building chariots might only block your own city gates; but when you possess a "river valley and plains," a well-organized chariot force is your strongest asset. How to strategically deploy this high-cost strategic resource in conjunction with the terrain will be a major test for all city lords.

III. Some Confessions from Friends in the Comments Section

Over the past few days, we've been reviewing everyone's comments, and we'd like to sincerely respond to a few representative feedback points here:

● Regarding Famous Generals and Gacha: Many friends have suggested adding a Famous General system, or even an SSR Famous General gacha system. This is a great idea, but at this stage of *Mandate order*, we want to depict not an epic tale of invincible heroes, but the struggle for survival of ordinary people. There are no super generals who can single-handedly defeat hundreds; only ordinary laborers and soldiers who need to eat, get tired, and die in battle. The profound sense of history is paved by these nameless individuals.

● Regarding MOD support: Frankly speaking, because our current energy is entirely focused on refining the underlying gameplay, we don't yet have the resources to create a dedicated MOD support interface. However, we understand the significance of MODs for this type of game, and we will seriously consider this suggestion once the game's framework is completely stable.

● Regarding benchmarking against competitors: We've seen everyone comparing us to established releases. Speaking privately, we have absolute respect for our predecessors in the same field. We don't want to be price-cutting predators; we just want to work diligently to realize the "right time, right place, and right people" that are inherent in the Eastern people.

The current version is still in its early stages, and bugs and operational inconveniences are inevitable. On April 10th, the pioneer team will be navigating the minefield for everyone. We hope that with everyone's encouragement, *Fengsha* can steadily progress step by step.

Conclusion: April 20th, Prove Yourself in the Mire

On April 20th, Mandate Order has confirmed its participation in the Steam Medieval Game Festival. We'll see you there.

——Sincerely, the Mandate Order Team