In addition to the three Goblinz Publishing titles seen by Kyotenshi, I had the opportunity to test Ozymandias with its developer.
Generally, 4X games are ultra-demanding games that require an investment of several dozen hours of play before succeeding in developing your empire enough to claim victory. Ozymandias tries to shake up habits by offering very short sessions, lasting a maximum of one to two hours.
The story is inspired by the travel stories of the explorer Gertrude Bell, as well as resources protected by Unesco. Eight maps will be offered at launch, all set in the Bronze Age era. Six more are planned, at the rate of one per month, in the form of DLC. Each map being made by hand, with a scenario in the form of a common thread, it takes time to make. And if you're wondering where the title comes from, the game bears the same name as a poem by Shelley which notably evokes the fame of empires which fades over time (Wikipedia).
A tutorial covers the basics of the game and the four essential resources on which the simulation is based. The food, quite classic, represents the population. Knowledge enables civilization to evolve. Power is relative to one's military strength. Finally, money reflects its economy.
Each turn, the player lays down flags, which cost food, to claim land near those already conquered. Costs vary based on various factors, such as distance from a city, type of terrain, and bonuses unlocked. It's all about exchange and balance between the four resources. For example, the sacrifice of food points is used to gain knowledge, to unlock a technology on the next turn, which will lower all the costs of a specific type of terrain, which ultimately leads to less food spending. Everything is settled in the form of points, with a somewhat abstract side, although it is not difficult to imagine that this food was in fact used to hire scientists, who worked on these great projects.
Waste is to be avoided, or at least to be reduced as much as possible. Food and Power are the two currencies that are most impacted. Hence the importance of making exchanges at the right time. No need to keep stocks of food that will rot or mobilize a useless army.
Between turns, after finding out what other empires are doing, opportunities appear. It is only possible to choose one... or none for that matter. Some upgrades activate immediately. Others ask to complete small tasks to get the reward. No option is useless, the selection being semi-random among a hundred different opportunities.
After ten to fifteen turns to solidify the economy, the game becomes military. The fights are settled with a power opposition system. Each army stands on its claimed ground and opposes that of the enemy. After a few turns, the adjacent terrain is won by the Empire with the greatest military power. There is of course nothing to prevent a retreat if the fight is lost in advance.
The difficulty is high. As the developer explains to us, the whole game is based on mathematical equations that are relatively simple to manage for a machine. Thus, seven levels are proposed, in order to offer a challenge adapted to all players, regardless of their skill level. The game is slated for release in October, and you can now request playtest access if you want to get involved in development.
I just did it myself because, even if I wasn't totally convinced, the concept is interesting. In particular, I fear a certain repetition in the actions and far too many calculations to be made. But the passion with which the developer presented his project to us promises great things if he puts as much fervor into the development. To see therefore what the concept gives with a clear head, far from the hustle and bustle of gamescom which does not necessarily help to appreciate the challenge that Ozymandias represents.
