search for SFX to replace the defaults. Go comedy, like splat sounds for the menus. Or SciFi like Mass Effect.
Speaking of SciFi, look into reflavoring the classic fantasy rpg into a space version: goblins aren't monsters, they're an alien race. Magic items are actually high tech, etc. Be transparent so the player laughs with the storyteller, not at the storyteller.
Saviour Machine / Epic Music. Over-the-top visuals.
DIY kingmaker. Or maybe Queenmaker. The story of Gale's rise to empress. Uses magic to get around how slow cities are built / gains immortality. (And perhaps supplements the population this way, too. Undead army, for example. General Justice. players can choose what flavor of magical guardians.) Need a main recurring villain. A prophet, perhaps? One who can give away her future to her enemies. (Explains how no matter what path the player takes, the enemy is always able to be 1 step ahead.) Something more personal would be cool. An anti-Gale who's also super intelligent. Make it especially infuriating in that he's an equal, but is treated as superior, he takes pity on her, even attracted to her. (Maybe she seduces him, and that's how she finally wins. Even though she hates that as being the woman's weapon.) Player has the option to beat him in other ways. Prof. Gaston. Tim agrees.
So game has an option: "I forgive you, dad," Or, "Your suffering will never be enough to pay for what you did." ( Turns out, this scene is playing out in her mind. The only way to break free from the daily cycle of loonie daydreams is to forgive. ) More options a good thing. Maybe forgive option has to be unlocked?
Better to intro the villain, but not sure how he'll kick a puppy. Maybe Gale outside his room overhearing a servant girl friend being abused. (Severity depends on dark/PG mode) Prophet warns the master that Gale is plotting to kill him, so she has to find a way to escape. (Make sure the villain boasts about how much smarter he is, how predictable you are, even though it was the prophet who warned him ahead of time every time he gets away. Be careful to make sure that though the recurring villain isn't defeated till the end, you at least make some progress with each encounter. "He used decoys to get away last time, this time will be ready." "He teleported away last time...")
Backstory should be in flashbacks, and things should start with exciting stuff. She's got plenty of spells, and villain doesn't know that when he tries to kill her first, so that's how she's able to escape in spite of being ambushed.
Flashback: Child Gale complains to friend about boys and men being so mean. Friend says, "boys will be boys." or some other non-sympathetic answer. Gale gets super angry and yells at the friend, or runs away in tears or "..."
Flashback during puppy-kick scene: Gale is abused by her dad, "for her own good." (like burning her books) And/Or is verbally belittled (PG mode).
Each citystate starts with a unique starting point and golden outcome. They're dissatisfied with the church, nobility, sheriff, crime, poverty, etc. ( What was hometown like? Did they complain a lot? Or praise the bosses? Both. ) Usually, overimproving is a waste, and in some cases counter-productive. Eliminate or completely replace the corrupt church and you get unrest. Reform is the golden outcome. Overimprove poverty and you get people who aren't afraid of you, etc.
Atheism can be a national thing, but isn't easy to sustain. It works best applied in certain places, such as where multiple opposing faiths have oppressed in succession and the people are tired of religion.
Queen worship can be a thing. (Does it grant miracles? Or perhaps Gale discovers magic potion creation. Does the church keep secret their healing magics? How real are the gods?)
NPCs will report the current status with varying degrees of accuracy.
Super expensive project: mind control statue (Of some historical hero): increases loyalty. (Available only to evil?) Size: the bigger the citystate, the harder it is to control, but the greater the tribute. Any change at all can be met with some resistance. Great change, great resistance. The more gradual the changes, the less the people resist. Cutscene of a conquered town, where the people are terrified and hide from zombie army without a fight. The crier announces the new rule and the army moves on. A teen throws a rock at the zombies, they turn and arrow him.
Bait and switch: Gale disguises herself as a man married to a mysterious woman. On a quest to get her back. Once he is undisputed ruler, he gets her back, he declares her his queen and their unborn child his heir, and winds up dead of an illness. The child is a miscarriage. The wife recovers and rules in place of her husband, unwilling to remarry and mar her husband's memory.
Black widow: Wear disguise. Seduce influential men and get them to declare her the benefactor, then murder the husband. Money and wife then vanish. Men become terrified of the Black Widow. Maybe Gale is trained by a Succubus. Devils claim to not have gender bias.
Fight the Power! No deception. No tricks. Just brute force of will. (Hard Mode)
Menus allow for TLDR or skipping the exposition entirely. (Reward for watching cutscenes? Or just 'if you like story, here you go.' 'reading is it's own reward.')
OMG mecha castle!!!
http://www.artofmtg.com/wp-con...Eldraine-MtG-Art.jpg
Gale uses magic books to communicate over long distances
Moral question: Monster parts for healing potions? Farm the monsters?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...282001_video_game%29
Stronghold concepts: Popularity = population growth or decline. Food consumption rate vs taxes vs remaining food, etc all affect popularity. Maybe Food mechanic replaced with occasional cutscene regarding food. "The granary was overrun with rats. All the food for the winter is gone. Do we: let the village starve? Have other villages absorb the population? Swallow your pride and request help from neighbors? Plunder the food stores of the army? Other villages? Etc."
Popularity mechanic?
Budget mechanic! Where the money goes decides what grows. Rapture a good example: Focus on one thing for a while. All the other things take a slight cut.
Mass mind control through media manipulation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be
The quality of a society is directly proportional to the quality of its money. Wage and cost controls don't curb inflation induced economic collapse, they worsen it. (Something the Romans did.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDeTAiazCJU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAWx-D4WenU
https://store.steampowered.com...30/World_of_Castles/
https://kotaku.com/kingdoms-an...ding-game-1797211088
https://games.lol/applist/keyword/castle/
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:11, Tue 12 Nov 2019.
