🛠️ War of Banners Developer Notes #08

Since our last update, we have been working silently and diligently for a long time. Over the past five months, we have completely redesigned the core combat system and focused on expanding the tactical options available on the battlefield.

This update is a major step toward achieving the depth of medieval tactical simulation we aim for. Please check out the new combat system, which maintains the tension of real-time action while delivering the calculated weight of every turn-based move, along with a more sophisticated mercenary management system.

1. Fundamental Changes to the Combat System

The combat has transitioned from a real-time system to a Turn-Based System where the sequence is determined by each character’s Action Delay.

• Determining Action Order: All characters basically have a 5-second Action Delay, which fluctuates based on various factors. This delay decreases in real-time, and the character whose delay reaches zero first begins their action. If your Action Delay is short enough, you may even act multiple times in a row.

• Influencing Factors: Heavier equipped gear increases Action Delay, while a higher Perception stat decreases it.

• AdjustedStat OverhaulThe existing Will stat has been changed to Perception . Perception is a core stat that affects the operation of siege engines, unit/fief management, and significantly reduces Action Delay.
• AddedDamage RangeDamage is no longer a fixed value but is determined within a specific range. We have added a feature to preview the minimum and maximum expected damage in the combat screen and tooltips.
• AddedTrait DiversificationVarious status effects and combat traits have been added. Additionally, tactical options have been expanded through perks earned at proficiency levels 5 and 10.

2. Tactical Movement and Positioning

• Zone of Control (ZoC): A system where characters are attacked if they attempt to leave a tile adjacent to an enemy. Tactical positioning, such as blocking enemies to protect your archers, is now essential.

• Directional Combat: The direction a character faces is now crucial. Attacking from the rear grants an accuracy bonus. You must spend Stamina to turn in the appropriate direction before ending a turn.

• Terrain and Elevation: Occupying high ground increases accuracy, while moving through difficult terrain or uphill consumes extra Stamina. Certain terrains also allow for concealment, hiding you from enemy sight.

• Environment Visualization: The height of rivers or low-lying terrain is now displayed in feet (ft), allowing for a more intuitive understanding of the terrain's verticality.

• AddedTile-Based Line of Sight (LoS) and Fog of WarFog of War has been introduced. Sight range now varies depending on elevation, obstacles, and the presence of light sources.

• AI Behavior Mechanisms: Enemies will now march in formation, and cavalry will maneuver tactically to match the main army's speed. The AI now calculates Stamina recovery, kill probability, and regional injury chances to act strategically.

3. Precision Combat Mechanisms

• Part-Specific Targeting: When attacking, you can target specific body parts: Head, Torso, Arms, or Legs.

  • Head: Lower accuracy but deals massive damage. Landing a critical blow to the head has a chance to execute the target, striking fear into nearby enemies.

  • Arms/Legs: Lower damage but can inflict injuries that hinder enemy attacks or movement. In some cases, targets may drop their weapon/shield or fall over, becoming unable to move until the next turn.

• Parrying and Counter-Attacks: Characters have a chance to deflect enemy attacks and attempt a light counter. Depending on the distance, they may respond with a punch or by throwing a nearby stone.

• Shield Mechanism Changes: Shields now have a chance to block frontal attacks, taking only 20% of the damage as durability loss. Be careful, as shield effects do not apply to attacks from the rear.

• Equipment and Tool Expansion:

  • AddedCombat Tools AddedNew auxiliary tools have been added to combat slots. These can be used to repair armor, recover Stamina, or hinder enemy actions mid-battle.

  • Horses and Siege Engines: Horses amplify mobility and can disrupt formations with charge skills. Siege engines specialize in powerful bombardment, wall infiltration, and breaking gates.

4. Mercenary Growth and Management

• AddedProficiency System12 proficiency categories have been added where experience is gained through actions. You can choose a destiny at each proficiency level to earn perks, and at levels 5 and 10, you can select even more powerful perks to further specialize your units.

• Injury Overhaul: Taking significant damage results in injuries. If HP reaches 0, a character may die or survive with a permanent injury.

• Maintenance and Economy: Daily maintenance costs now apply to horses and siege engines in addition to mercenary wages. Insufficient funds will cause morale to plummet, increasing the probability of desertion during battle.

• Marriage and Sworn Brotherhood: You can now forge bonds between units. When bonded units fight together, they generate synergies such as blocking attacks for each other or performing joint strikes.

5. UI/UX and Polish

• AddedIntro/EndingNew intro and ending sequences have been added.

• Tooltips: Overhauled to provide more detailed in-game information.

• AddedLog and Result ScreenAdded a detailed real-time combat log and a result screen showing XP, loot, and injury status at a glance.
• AddedVisibility ImprovementsAdded a toggle to hide buildings and trees for a clearer tactical view.

• Fast Combat Mode: Speed up the pace of battle by removing AI action delays and accelerating animations.

• AddedOutlines & GraphicsAdded character/building outlines for better visibility and implemented graphic settings for low-end environments.
• AddedAnimations & EffectsPolished animations for incapacitation, falling, weapon dropping, and decapitation. Added feedback effects for footsteps, projectile trajectories, and tile interactions.
• AddedSound & OptimizationAdded situational background music and enhanced sound effects for various skills to increase immersion. General performance optimization has been conducted.

Developer's Comment

This update was a massive challenge for the development team. From the transition to a turn-based system to complex AI logic and the bond system, many things have been newly added or changed. We were able to present this patch safely because of the unwavering interest and patience from our users during the long development period.

Of course, this update is not the end. We will closely monitor how the new systems work on the battlefield and continue to build a more complete game based on your valuable feedback.

We look forward to seeing you write your own great history with your mercenary group on the new battlefield that has arrived after a long wait.

Closing

If you encounter any issues while playing, please let us know via Discord or the community, and we will check them promptly. Thank you.

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