The New Dawn

Genre : Solo, Turn-Based strategy, 4X.

Target : Strategy games players, Ready to invest many hours on a long campaign.

Pegi : 16+

Console : Computers, potentially the Nintendo Switch.

This game concept is inspired by a conception exercise I had to realize during my second year of Bachelor at Rubika Supinfogame.

Summary :

Welcome to the year 2022. Ten years ago, a series of catastrophes made Mankind fall in a new age of violence and bloodsheds. France is now a fragmented territory where reigns the law of the strongest. The communities which were able to form in order to survive have now a fierce hatred, and conflicts are resolved by arms. Now at the head of your faction, lead your followers to become the builders of the new age, and spill the blood of those who stand in your way.

The New Dawn is a strategy game I conceptualized by drawing inspiration from two genres I think aren't used enough together, from my point of view. These two genres are 4X strategy games, and tabletop wargames. Yet, the mixture of Grand strategy and tactical games offers a wide variety of gaming experiences, and requires high reflection, overview and versatility from the player.

Development process :

• I initially made a brainstorming to get an initial idea of the game I wanted to make. I used other games and Game patterns to support my reflection.

• I ended using these three main patterns : turn-based (The players take turns to make their actions to change the game state, and the progress of game time is not tied to the real time), strategic knowledge (Knowledge based on processing information about the game elements, rules, possible actions, or evaluation functions of a game without regards to a specific game state ) and randomness (Effects or events in the game cannot be exactly predicted). The games that inspired me the most were the Civilization serie and Endless Legend, and the tabletop wargame Warhammer 40k for its battle system.

• I then worked on the core mechanics : The game would be a post-apocalyptic 4X where factions strive to violently impose themselves as the omnipotent ruler of this desolate land. Although some may try to resolve conflicts peacefully, battles would be a ruthless method to assert dominance on their foes and an omnipresent mechanic of the game. Each faction should consequently look after its economic strength and the unity of its people.

• I quickly came to the point where I needed a greater way to emphasize on the fragmented and divided communities of a post-apocalyptic world. The solution was found in four different faction systems : democracies, feudal domains, bandit hordes and tyrannical regimes. Each faction system is asymetrical and provides a different gameplay experience.

• Afterwards, I started putting on a blank document all of my researches, starting with the data sheet. As I wrote down, I marked every part of the Game Document that deserved a sketch or an illustration from another game for further comprehension.

• In the last phase, I worked on the document layout and inserted the last illustrations to provide the most comprehensive experience possible to the reader.