Grand strategy games like Europa Universalis, Crusader Kings, Civilization, Victoria and even Total War each immerse the player in a simulated world. Which aspects of reality they focus on while abstracting (or ignoring) the rest, defines the experience and the game. Crusader Kings stands out as the only game attempting to model leaders’ intricasy and humanity. Victoria, through representing and tying populations’ plight or prosperity to events in the world abroad. Each bring a different perspective, yet all feel somewhat static in how they model their world. None besides Victoria even allow for private economy, shifting populations, founding new cities, changing provincial areas, shifting national ideas etc. etc.
Inspired by the Europa Universalis 4 mod Meiou and Taxes and specifically Demian Sky, here I will explore creating a truly dynamic historical simulator and the technical challenges that come with it.
The world should feel alive.
Critical Elements
- Population
- Wealth and Trade
- Ideology, Religion and Culture
- Food
- Settlements
- Knowledge and Technology
- Leaders
- Government Structure
- Diplomacy and Politics
- Geography and Climate
Eventually, all these elements should be linked together. Of course, doing any of these areas justice requires a monumental amount of work, so it’s necessary to start with a smaller scope and focus.
Initial Roadmap
Here’s roughly how I envision this project progressing
- Workable proceducal map generator
- Technical infrastructure MVP
- Initial settlement placement
- Population dynamics
- Trade and economic systems
- Re-evaluation
Next we’ll take a closer look at map generation and then the infrastructure behind the simulation