If you were a video game, what … game would you be and why?
You have to ask?
After the incredible success of
my board game, I've been inundated with requests to bring it to the video game world. The clincher was when Gabe offered to release it as the B side of Half Life 3—so design is well under way, working title
Brian's Saga.
You play as me, of course. Starting as a young prince of
Thomond, the game begins in 976 after the death of your
older brother and your first action is to drive the Vikings from
Limerick city and secure it.
After that tutorial-like prologue comes Act 1, expansion until dominating the southern province of
Munster by 978. Act 2 continues the expansion until achieving domination over the southern half of the island by 996—this will be the toughest part of the game, with many shifting alliances and strong opposition.
Act 3 is securing the High Kingship of Ireland by 1002, mainly by defeating the previously dominant O'Neills. Rather than the previous clan v clan battles and skirmishes, this period will feature full-on major campaigns and conflicts.
Act 4 is the final one, dealing with various rebellions, but mainly culminating in the final epic
Battle of Clontarf in 1014, where you lead your army against a Norse-Irish defense of
Dublin—and finally end the Vikings as a military force on the island.
Only 4 acts, but 50-100 scenes all told, just fleshing out some at the moment. Only sure one is the game's final scene, the big duel where you cleave
SilkBeard in two, thereby making him ForkBeard…
So there you have it. While the outline sounds like one long bloodbath—and it is!—there will be a major diplomatic game going on beside the military one. If you don't bring the right guys onside, if you don't marry the right woman, if you don't give the right gift, if your daughter doesn't accept the right proposal… you get the idea, things will quickly go south on the battlefield. Which clearly isn't good, since most of your push is northwards
I haven't decided yet, but seems natural for combined turn-based strategic and diplomatic phases interspersed with tactical resource claiming and military action. Perhaps dynamic, switching to tactical only when there are opposing strategic moves into the same region.
There will be an easy difficulty level where you don't have to meet the 'by year' targets, and I'll probably take some liberties with the map to enable more naval tactics—navy was a big part of BB's success.
Anyway, early days yet, Gabe says I have a bit of time to flesh it all out.
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