Age of Wonders: Planetfall Amazons Dev Diary: Balancing Faction Development and Exploration

In our previous dev diary, we explored the concept of the Assembly faction in Age of Wonders: Planetfall. Today, we're going to delve deeper into the design process for another exciting faction - the Amazons.

As with any faction, the Amazons require a solid foundation to bring their story and history to life. We need to consider how many towns they would realistically have on a roughly even distribution, without taking into account the population boost provided by Kir'Ko's unique abilities. This will help us determine the overall scope of the faction's settlements.

The Assembly lineup

When designing a faction, it's essential to balance their development with exploration and resource gathering. We need to create a sense of discovery and challenge for players as they settle new territories and uncover hidden secrets. To achieve this, we've decided on a system where players can discover independent settled towns around the map.

However, this raises an interesting question: what happens when you encounter a town that's not visible on your screen? For example, imagine trying to settle a sector only to find out there's an unknown city in the neighboring sector. This could lead to frustrating moments where players feel like they're being blocked from settling by some unseen force.

To mitigate this issue, we need to strike a balance between exploration and settlement. One approach is to limit the number of sectors that can be settled to around 20-30%, making each new discovery feel significant. This would mean that finding an additional city could be a game-changer, as it might give you access to more resources or strategic locations.

In a typical 6-8 player game on a medium-sized world, this could lead to some interesting strategic decisions. For instance, having one extra city might seem like a minor advantage at first, but in reality, it could translate to an additional 20% of settlements - a significant difference from your opponents' progress.

By carefully balancing the number of sectors and habitable areas, we can create a sense of excitement and discovery that drives players forward. The Amazons will offer a unique experience, blending exploration, combat, and city-building in a way that feels both familiar and innovative.

Stay tuned for more updates on Age of Wonders: Planetfall, as we continue to refine the design and features for each faction.

Age of wonders: planetfall amazons dev diary