The first major multiplayer test concluded at the beginning of August.
In my opinion, it proved that the underpinning principle of the entire game was true – that it could be a platform where people play out the same social, political and strategic dynamics that drive cooperation and conflict in the real world.
Typically, computer games demand that players win through mastery of game mechanics.
Terra Dominus demands players achieve mastery of other players.
The mechanics of Terra are definitely essential to understand and master, however, this will be fruitless if you cannot motivate, persuade, coerce, organise, mobilise, build trust, spy, prove loyalty, and otherwise employ all other tactics available as artifacts of the human condition.
While I feel we’ve proven that the idea works, which was impossible without the incredible participation of the volunteer game testers; the challenge is execution. This vision is suffering a long and difficult birth. But we’re getting there. There’s a lot more work to do before I announce another test.
In the meantime, I would like to present evidence of our success – Ansik, the winner our first game, has written a biographical account of his journey toward victory.
And yes, he did use post-it notes on his wall IRL to keep track of what was happening in the game. This has inspired a post-it note feature which allows players to write notes directly to the map (which others can’t see).
Enjoy.
Tell me of a simple cat, muse tell me how it wandered and was lost
I chose my spawn because it had lots of rainfall and seemed protected by the mountain range and ocean, by then I don’t think there was many neighbours either. I have no idea what I’m doing, but as there’s no fog I can see what everyone else is doing. Vigil is sending a ship somewhere so I do the same, this later become the envoys who visits the world.
I reach out to my neighbours as I know we need to unite if the mountain is to serve as protection, so send i speak with Wiglaff who joins me before I even offer, and then I invite the rest of the neighbours.
While my envoys make introductions across the world I try to organise the kingdom to speedrun bronze together, and we do make some headway. Trying to instigate some drama I try to antagonise Vigil and Slege slightly, hoping to get a clear line dividing our realm and vigils realm (but not through outright combat).
The first Trojan attack, utilising envoys to capture unprotected land is executed against the southern western land with Wiglaff. At first, a mission of genuine diplomatic character which went unanswered became our first successful conquest. It’s also now I start using a physical ’map’ to organise my thoughts
The Northen tension follows. While Vigil wages war against their Northen neighbour & yellow, we come in seize the yellow kingdom.
We debate what the next steps were; some wanted to conquer the whole continent immediately through force while others argued we didn’t have enough to hold the continent yet.
In the end we settled for war. Our envoys ordered to seize capitals across the map, while our army moved on Vigiland from the north. In just two days we had grown the empire to stretch across the map from north to south and from west to east.
Resistance began immediately, so this is when the first atrocity took place. By royal decree, and in the chaos of our conquest, I manage to convince most of the opposing armies to leave behind their ration. Causing many to starve immediately and many more in the following days
But as predicted, we didn’t have the numbers to hold any of the lands really. We told the southerners we had no designs for their land and withdrew. At the same time my envoy in Latytude was assassinated while trying to sway them to our cause.
With the last chance for a second wind gone, and attrition killing our few troops we sued for peace with Vigiland and after a short negotiation they accepted. War seemed so costly now and the deal allowed for more communication, ushering in what my people called the age of diplomacy.
Then the great land reform happened, everyone’s border were reduced when absent lords were booted from their holdings. (Kicked AFK players)
From here I have screenshots less often but I’ll try my best.
After the war and loss of cities we began to rebuild. I had an initiative where I tried to populate most tiles around me to continually farm wood while Wiglaff focused on massive population growth. As neighbours again joined in we conquered them immediately and adopted them into the kingdom, most didn’t stay for long but some were very resourceful.
Gold, to me, seemed like the natural way to motivate the vassals continued faith in my leadership. Trade seemed far away still for us, so I tried both mining at home while seeking out another conquest, without breaking the peace treaty. I had the best case for casus belli with Latytude after their assassination, and they had a fairly large gold reserve, and after mustering troops we set sail there. But just as we reach their shores they had just been seized by Grant (vassal of Vigiland) and their throne left absent (afk). Not wanting to go home empty handed (and seizing the opportunity for drama), I demanded the gold from the kingdom of Vigiland. We came to an agreement but I knew I had overstepped.
After this I pivoted towards the age of diplomacy, sent envoys to our neural land GasTown and made efforts to invite others. I made plans for trade and even deals to pay toll while moving through Vigiland’s rivers.
While this was happening Wiglaff had grown their population much larger than most, and suddenly had a massive manpower advantage that was hard to surpass. They built fortresses across the region and I made plans for how we could invade Vigiland, if diplomacy would fail and my earlier overstepping took its toll.
But without my knowledges Wiglaff, driven (I think) by a wish to unite the world, had made plans with Vigil and turned on me. They made an offer were I could submit without bloodshed and I was in no position to resist their massive army now. So I took it, choosing to bid my time. The crisis this brought on for my people lamented the fact that the age of diplomacy was nearing its end.
I had finally taken Wiglaffs advice a few turns earlier to merge my population and grow them. As a vassal of Vigiland I could make introductions with Guerrila and the second I saw a slight crack in their foundation I began to pour water: The Latvian people still wanted vengeance on Leapolis after the earlier war. (I obviously did not mention how many of their soldiers I had directed to starve during the same conflict)
When Vigil later ordered us to turn our attention to the southern conquest it was the final nail in the coffin for the age of diplomacy. Now was our chance to act if we were to break free of Vigiland, so I sent offers to Guerrila and Big. Big pledge their support immediately, and Guerrila seemed just as driven by our cause of freedom. I also sent an envoy to Fish under the guise of making demands, but instead warned of the conquest and advised in defences. So while conquest is planned of the southern continent I concurrently plan an occupation of Vigiland. Only hitch seems to be that Vigil suddenly moves lots of people north toward my old borders, but my invasion was planned by sea so I don’t feel too threatened.
When Vigils troops landed in the southern continent, I send my final instructions to my co-conspirators. My ships, seemingly moving for the southern continent were in striking distance from Vigiland and would arrive the next turn. Everything halted when Guerrila instead made their subterfuge known; they had fed Vigil my plans and they would join their forces against mine. Slightly panicked I decided to deploy my second atrocity. Small units push out far into enemy territory with orders to request all resources from other members of our kingdom, and as the orders of war had not reached the general infantry man, they offer no resistance to the order. We end up with a ton of surplus food and tools while it leaves most of Vigils population with neither, again. Forcing them to either change to food production or risk starving.
Vigil can now offer little resistance, and my army can move with ease across their lands and destroying the remaining units. At the same time my home guard free our region and secure the border. I offer a truce to Guerrila but they refuse, so my armies must plan for an occupation of the whole continent. Even with many of our citizens already committed as armies, I’m able to grow enough population to make ~50 more every second turn. So for now we will endure a war economy until Operation Declaw is complete across the continent.
With at least Vigil mostly neutered, the envoy to Fish now began planing for a relief force to end Vigils conquest on the southern front. My ships and armies on the northern front began blockading the movement of Guerrila, with more ships and soldiers arriving anytime they tried to move.
A few turns later we have pushed Vigils invasion back and my occupation of Guerrilas capital Latvia began, and with overwhelming force it ended in a few days with the unconditional surrender of Karlis the Politician.
In the aftermath or epilogue, my ships deported the remain population from Vigiland and Latvia to a barren land. With the great rift over my people began colonising the lands we’ve conquered. An uneasy peace grew between cat and fish. But cats, in the end, could not overcome their natural instinct. Once we had licked our wounds after the previous war, preparations was made for an invasion of Fish.
