The Kingdom Simulator

This is a “game” designed to simulate the rise and fall of “kingdoms” in a fantasy medieval world. It was inspired by my interest in fleshing out a detailed history of my fantasy world.

For now, this “game” is nothing more than a few notes – and is far from playable. Eventually, I would like it to be either a computer simulation that can be run without human intervention – or a full-fledged game playable in a play-by-email format.

-jds, 25 Nov 2017

The game consists of a map detailing a number of communities – each with its own set of characteristics and skills. Play consists of each community (in secret) determining how to move its resources and then what actions (if any) to take. Once all communities have made these decisions, all moves and actions are revealed – and the consequences are determined. Finally, one or more random Events are resolved.

These turns are repeated until the players get bored or a pre-determined end condition is reached.

The map is the playing field of the game. It's only required feature is to determine which communities are neighbors to each other.

The game was conceived using a hex grid for its map – where each hex represents a single community. Thus, each community would have exactly six neighbors. However, more complex maps in any configuration could be used.

Three of the characteristics are defined by the map: Land, Resources, and Defense.

A variant rule would be to assign different Defense values for each entry point into the sector. (For a hex grid, this would usually mean six different values).

• Fixed value – based on map
• Defines how much Arable Land is available to the community
• Required by Farmers to produce Stores

• Fixed value – based on map
• Defines how many Natural Resources are available to the community
• Required by Producers to produce Wealth

• Fixed value – based on map
• Reduces effectiveness of invasion by neighbors

• Open-ended, Initially 1-100
• Can be split between:
  • Farmers → with Farming, produces Stores
  • Producers → with Production, produces Wealth
  • Military → with Attack, used to attack neighbors; with Combat, used to defend against neighbors
• Increases naturally
• Low farming reduces
• High population reduces

• Open-ended, Initially 1-100
• Decreases naturally (can be maintained by expending wealth)
• Required for Production

• Open-ended, Initially 1-20
• Decreases naturally
• High attracts wars/raids
• Low reduces Infrastructure

• Limited by Infrastructure, Initially 1-20
• Reduces naturally
• MUST be used to feed Population
• Can be bought with wealth using Diplomacy skill
• Can be used to offset Farming shortage

• When combined with Farmers, feeds population or increases Stores

• Produces Wealth
• Produces Infrastructure

• When combined with Military, allows attack on neighbor
• When used, this provides a penalty to Defense skill

• When combined with Military, defends against neighbor

• Used to avoid Uprisings

• Used to spy on neighbors

• Can be used to buy Stores from neighbors
• Gives Military “reach”
• “Range penalties” occur the farther away the target community is

• Can be used to enhance (most?) other skills
• Used to defend against SOME natural disasters

• Can be used to enhance (most?) other skills
• Used to defend against MOST (ALL?) natural disasters

Each turn consists of a “Move” and an "Action". The moves from all communities are resolved before any actions are resolved.

The Move allows the community to redistribute Population units between Farmers, Producers, and Military.

No more than 20 units can be shifted in each turn.

After each community's “Move” is completed, the actions are resolved.

First, all “Initial” actions happen, then the “Planned” action occurs. Finally, at the end of the turn, the “Automatic” actions occur.

Each turn has a series of “Initial” actions. These are:

• Farmers produce Stores
• Producers produce Wealth
• Population consumes Stores

Only one planned action is allowed per turn and may be one of the following:

• Use Attack to attack neighbor
• Provides penalty to Defense for rest of turn
• Can target any stat (Population, Infrastructure, Wealth, or Stores)
  • Each has its own mechanism, but all are defended by Military(Defense)

• Use Diplomacy to buy Stores from neighbor

• Use skill(s) to affect neighbor
• Can target any skill (?)
  • Each has its own mechanism

At the end of each turn, the “Automatic” actions occur:

• Characteristics decay or grow
• Events occur
• More???

This is the meat of the game…

Each of the actions has consequences. And they are determined using one of the characteristics and one of the skills.

Some events affect only one community, while others affect all communities.

• Plague → Reduces Population
• Blight → Reduces Farming
• Earthquake → Reduces Infrastructure and Population
• Storm → Reduces Infrastructure and Population
• Magic →
• Divine →
• Uprising →
• High-level PCs → (comic effect)