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Design Doc
The game is structured as a series of turns. After each player turn new quests are revealed, existing quests are updated, buildings produce, etc. Each turn, the player can take an unlimited number of actions, including:
- Complete Quests
- Build buildings
- Use building powers
- Gain influence with factions
New quests are revealed randomly. Some are foreshadowed, others are not. Quests have a duration before they fail automatically. Quests arrive at a rate such that, due to resource constraints, it is typically impossible to complete all of them and some must be ignored and auto-failed. Quests are available for a variable number of turns after reveal, but that timer is always known to the player.
You complete quests by allocating resources to them. Quests have cost ranges in Capital and Magic that must be allocated. By investing sufficient resources, the negative effects of a quest can be removed and positive ones gained. If sufficient resources are contributed, a chance for a "Critical Success" appears, and more resources increase its chances. Critical successes increase the rewards for a quest significantly.
Some special resources and buildings allow you to get higher tier rewards or even critical success rewards with smaller investments.
Quests have Tags, such as "Combat", "Nature", or "Intrigue", and powers may refer to these tags.
During any turn you may spend Capital to gain control over a faction. Spending more Capital is more efficient (gets more Control Rating per $ spent). The initial investment to Open a faction is a significant cost. All factions cost the same to open and have the same costs to gain Control.
- It costs $50 to Open a new faction.
- 1 Control -> $5
- 5 Control -> $22
- 10 Control -> $40
- Opening a faction halves its Threat Rating.
- Each point of control reduces a faction's Threat Rating by 3.
There are five technologies, arranged in a circle. You must follow the edge of the circle as you research new technologies. Each technology is themed after a particular occult faction.
A single technology costs 100 Dark Secrets to unlock (Faeries are researchers that produce Dark Secrets, and you begin with a building that produces 1 Dark Secret per turn).
Once all 5 technologies are researched, the center technology, which is required to win the game, is unlocked. The center technology costs 300 Dark Secrets to research.
The research focus can be changed at any time, and Dark Secrets invested in a technology are retained (but not transferred to the new technology).
You are not required to choose the technology associated with your Home Faction as your first technology. You may choose any technology to research first. Once you have completed a technology, only those that are adjacent to a technology you already possess can be researched.
- Mastermind (Vampires): 50% increased influence on factions.
- Savagery (Werewolves): All quests with the tag Combat or Nature require 25% fewer resources to complete and yield 25% more rewards.
- Deal with the Devil (Demons): Your Capital balance grows passively by 2%/turn.
- Guardian Spirits (Angels): All threat generation from failed/ignored quests is reduced by 30%.
- Dancing Lights (Faerie): Magic costs for quests are reduced by 15%.
There are five Occult factions: Vampires, Werewolves, Angels, Demons, and Faeries. At the beginning of the game you choose one faction to control (your Home Faction).
Each faction has a Faction Control Rating, out of 100%, and a Faction Threat Rating, which starts at 10/20 Threat. The Global Threat Rating is the sum of all Faction Threat ratings +/- any global modifiers.
Faction Control Rating indicates the degree to which you control that faction. Your Home Faction always begins at a Control rating of 50% and its Control Rating never decreases.
Faction Threat Rating indicates the degree to which the faction is in panic and causing public relations problems by being panicked. If the Threat Rating for a faction reaches 100%, the faction is lost - you can never control it and it generates quests which are often a problem for the rest of the game. These quests are additional to any other quests that occur. It is usual for at least one faction to max out its threat rating during a game, even a game which you eventually win.
All factions but your Home Faction start Closed. A large initial investment of Capital and/or Magic is required to Open a faction. You can only gain control with open factions. Factions are arranged in a circle identical to the tech circle. Only factions adjacent on the Faction Circle to Open factions can be opened.
Buildings have prerequisites, costs and powers. Once constructed a building is permanent. To construct a building you must fulfill the prerequisites (e.g. possess a certain technology or have 50% control in a certain faction) and pay the costs (usually Capital, sometimes Magic). Only one building may be under construction at a time.
You start with a single city block for your base. Each block can hold up to 3 buildings. Once your city block is full you need to purchase more city blocks using Capital (or earn them through quests).
The Capital cost of new blocks grows geometrically in the number you have already: ($1), $3, $6, $10, $15, $21, etc.
You start with a single building which produces $1/turn, 1M/turn, and 1 Dark Secret (technology point).
Each technology unlocks one building. Opening each faction also unlocks one building. Each faction also unlocks a building when it reaches maximum control. This building allows you to make the threat of that faction permanently 0, but has little other benefit.
- Altar (Angel Tech) When the altar is constructed, choose a faction. That faction's threat is reduced by 5. At any time you may spend 3 magic to switch the Altar's effect to another faction. (Costs $15 + 2M, 10 Turns)
- Den of Sin (Demon Tech) The Den of Sin produces $4/turn. Multiple Dens of Sin on the same block are less efficient. The second Den of Sin on the same block produces only $3 (the original still produces $4) and the third produces only $2. Dens of Sin on separate blocks each produce Capital fully. (Costs $40, 20 Turns)
- Glade (Werewolf Tech) The Glade produces 3 Magic per turn. Glades are more efficient when placed together. For each additional Glade in the same block, produce one bonus Magic per turn. For each building other than a Glade on the same block, reduce Magic per turn by 1. Glades can produce up to 30 Magic before they are exhausted. An exhausted glade produces 1/2 Magic per turn. (Costs $5 + 5M, 20 Turns)
- Chaos Factory (Faerie Tech) When the Chaos Factory is constructed it gains one charge. Chaos Factories have a maximum of two charges and regain a charge with cumulative probability 3% each turn. You can expend a Chaos Factory charge to eliminate a quest and replace it with a new, randomly chosen one. You can also expend a Chaos Factory charge to increase your chances of success on a quest to 100% as long as your chances are not 0%. (Costs $30 + 10M, 1% chance per turn to complete)
- Informant Network (Vampire Tech) Any time you gain Control Rating over any faction, gain 1 additional Control Rating. (Costs $10 + 1M, 40 Turns)
- Font (Angel Opening) Starts with one charge, maximum of two charges, gains a charge every 25 turns. Use a charge to negate all threat increases until the beginning of your next turn. (Cost: $20 + 10M, 15 Turns)
- Summoning Circle (Demon Opening) Opening new factions costs 30% less. (Cost: $5 + 35M, 25 Turns).
- Barn (Werewolf Opening) Whenever you build a new building choose one: Reduce its cost by 20%, or reduce its build time by 20%. (Cost: $15, 10 Turns)
- Garden (Faerie Opening) On construction, a Garden immediately produces a Faerie. Produce a new Faerie with probability 15% per turn thereafter. Faeries research new technologies. Each Garden increases the maximum number of Faeries you may possess by 5. (Costs $5 + 20M, 10 Turns)
- Tomb (Vampire Opening) You may substitute Magic for Capital for up to 20% of cost of any Control Faction action you take. (Costs $40 + 10M, 20 Turns)
- Blood Bank (Vampire 100%) Vampires never gain Threat Rating. Gain an additional point of Control Rating whenever you gain Control Rating. (Prereq: Vampire threat == 0) (Cost: $100, 40 Turns)
- Brimstone Pool (Demon 100%) Demons never gain Threat Rating. Produces 1/2 Dark Secret/turn. (Cost: $40 + 60M, 40 Turns).
- Jacob's Ladder (Angel 100%) Angels never gain Threat Rating. Critical success chance for all quests is increased by 15%. (Cost: 100M, 40 Turns).
- Faerie Ring (Faerie 100%) Faeries never gain Threat Rating. Immediately discover 20 Dark Secrets upon construction. (Cost: $20 + 80M, 40 Turns)
- Moon Bridge (Werewolf 100%) Werewolves never gain Threat Rating. Gain 1 Magic/turn. ($60 + 40M, 40 Turns)
- SOMETHING (Unlocked by researching all technologies) Win the game. (Cost: $300 + 300M, Occupies an entire block, 100 Turns)