Goblin Camp is a roguelike citybuilder, inspired by Anno 1404, Dwarf Fortress and Dungeon Keeper.
General direction
My goal for Goblin Camp is to be a fun city-builder with a robust economy and military system. With the economy regulating itself once it is built, the player can then concentrate on military matters. Of course the economy will require fine tuning whenever circumstances change, and quick responses in case of disasters such as plague or fires.
Designing defenses should be easy and intuitive, and it should be possible to make strategic choices which affect the outcome of battles. Primarily combat will be about defending your settlement, but raiding other civilization’s settlements is definitely on the list.
I want to concentrate on macro rather than micromanagement. You won’t be looking at labour settings for individual creatures, nor will you be ordering anything at individual workshops. Instead the player’s role is to situate buildings efficiently to allow products to flow well, set the aims of the industry and the military. Various managers will handle the micromanagement.
Goblins and orcs (especially goblins) should be considered expendable. Sure, orcs will gain skill in their professions, and protecting your long time experts will increase your industry’s efficiency, but when it comes down to it an orcs life is a short and brutal one. Rank-and-file orcs won’t be given much personality, only if an orc distinguishes him/herself and is especially long-lived will they be given more details.
Terrain elevation will be simple. Mostly everything will be on one level, but it’s possible to dig out the ground to make pits or a moat. Flying creatures will simply ignore terrain, and guards in towers firing down at invaders is achieved using Status effects.
Given that the player is on the side of orcs, the traditional fantasy “bad guys”, Goblin Camp will go with the bad guy theme ala Dungeon Keeper. Your orcs, trolls, undead and demons will do battle with the heroes in gleaming armor and their parties of companions.
