Valheim in feudal Japan

[Stugbit]

Greetings guys

I had here an idea for a new game partly based on Valheim and I wanted to post it here so you guys could see and tell me what you think, if it would be worth to create it as a game and if you would like to play it. Some might have had already a similar idea to mine one, and if this is the case, consider my post here as an reinforcement of the concept, or something like that.


I was thinking about a blend between Valheim and the Total War shogun game. A game where you create a clan and together with other NPC characters helping you, you manage it and make it big. Set within a scaled down map of Japanese islands, the game features the same Valheim mechanics like getting things like wood, food and so forth. But in a context of the Segoku Jidai period, so there are other clans to rival and compete against you, and just like it is in the Total War franchise, your ultimate goal is to become the Shogun. There are two kinds of clans within the game framework, the main big and strong classic clans of the Japanese History and the smaller ones, with their names randomly generated.

So, the game has two phases, first you choose a start area to begin as a very small group maybe of three people, a vassal little group of any bigger clan in your chosen area, then you compete against those smaller, randomly generated clans for space and resources through the use of both diplomacy and trade or violence, until you get strong enough to build a specific size castle and then be allowed for the bigger strategic map of Japan. Once you get to the second phase, you start to compete for more regions and influence against the bigger clans instead.

In this game you need to havest all the resources to build stuff just like in Valheim, but with the help of the NPC. You grow your city capital, castle and so forth. Your hero need first to havest and build the itens like a copper armor or something in order for the others to get the recipe and make their own stuff as well. Actually the NPCs only help you in the task, you provide them the upgrades. There would be different materials to havest in the different provinces and so forth, as well as mythical enemies and bosses to defeat just like it is in Valheim. The mobs in the wild are also similar but with also enemies NPCs from the clans added altogether, which may work in the following order:

In an allied clan province you’re free to walk by, teleport to the capital city (once you first travalled there on foot) and get around the fields and havest stuff. In a neutral clan province you would have to ask for a permission which may be granted or not, depending on a random probability based on the player status with this particular clan at the time. So it can be granted or not. In a clan province where the player is at war with, all enemy troops there may be hostile towards the player and patrols around the fields and forests may be present to harass any player incursion. So you either raid the region with you own patrol, or go hidden-like after getting shinobi training in the shinobi academy you just have constructed in you own town.

What determines if you can get to Shogun or not is your clan’s “prestige”. You can get prestige by stirring fear defeating enemy clans, by being a respectiful trader, holding many provincies including the capital Kyoto or perhaps conquering for Japan the northern island of Hokkaido.

The battles are similar to the Total War ones, but scaled down in numbers for easier control (And not too realistic-with many mythical feastures). You control only your hero at the battle, giving orders to the army from his perspective of the battlefield. The battles are centered on strategic points. They may be meant to capture a city or try to siege a castle or just making raids into enemy territory with the goal to destroy plantation fields, infraestructure, things like that. The troops organize themselves to action and go to the intended point only leaving the “marching stance” for a “battle stance” and formation once they see their enemy troops approaching. So barricading strategic points like bridges may come to help. Teleports in summoned HQs to transfer the troops to the borders faster may be convenient. As I said, the map should be scaled down and the player may use fast horses to get to the proper point and then summon the HQ.

If the player gets killed it doesn’t respawn. Instead, his best general get into his place. The importat is the clan name and the player is the clan name. The player may lose all their buffs from the defeated bosses and personal items when dying. But if the player marries latter in the game and get an heir, the respawn would be in the heir instead and all buffs and personal items would pass along. You lose the game if your town is destroyed and your clan eliminated.

Exchange of items have a value on its own and in the first segment of the game this may be the focus of the trade, but once you get to the second phase and hold different provinces, each province may grants you money (koku) over time. During the first phase, however, the only way possible to get koku would be doing quests for the bigger clans which you’re vassal at the time. Since the area may be split between two or more major clans, one clan may ask you to do stuff against the other rival clan, like killing their NPCs and so forth. This all adds to your reputation towards both the specific clans and when you get to the phase two of the game, alliances and rivalries against different clans may already be set on the table. Koku, on the other hand, by far is just another mean of getting some diferente stuff, like guns from the Portuguese, but it should not grant you everything.

So, to summarize, it’s a similar game to Valheim, with the same features and accessible graphics but with NPCs and a political context set in feudal Japan. I think it could be possible for up to 10 players to play this together, either being subordinates within the same clan or having different clans and rivalling against each other.

So, what do you guys think? Could something like this work as game? I think it would be really difficult for the guys who created Valheim to make this game right now, but once they grow a little bit, maybe perhaps they could get this as a side project or something like that. I find it a nice idea, specially with some third person perspective games akin to RPGs selling well right now. I hope you guys read it and enjoy it.

My kindest regards!

[GinsengSamurai]

I like the idea. I think you've put a lot of thought into this. I think it would be cool as an addon via a mod if it is possible, though I feel it's probably way too much of a conversion to make it work - that is unless someone has a lot of time on their hands. I don't think it's something the devs will do, since it's super far off on what the road map is. Basically, it sounds like you're describing an entirely different game.

I would probably buy that game, if someone developed it. ^_^

[Stugbit]

Originally posted by Kagemuschi:

I like the idea. I think you've put a lot of thought into this. I think it would be cool as an addon via a mod if it is possible, though I feel it's probably way too much of a conversion to make it work - that is unless someone has a lot of time on their hands. I don't think it's something the devs will do, since it's super far off on what the road map is. Basically, it sounds like you're describing an entirely different game.

I would probably buy that game, if someone developed it. ^_^

Glad you liked it. Many thanks! I'm a big fan of Valheim, the team I would like to see a game like this developed from would the guys who created it.

Unfortunately I don't have the means to do something like this. So, I'm spreading it into the air if someone likes it and thinks about making something similar.

Would it be too complex to build for a team or is it feasible? Adding provinces, NPCs, battle orders and the like? Perhaps they could create it in a simplified scale.

[Wizard of Woz]

Expect for the Japanrse part, this game basically already exists. It is in EA status being developed by 1 dev. The game is called Kingdoms.
For early access it is already awesome. And the one man dev team puts out more updates than every other EA game I played combined.

[GunsForBucks]

That really sounds nothing like Valheim. Personally not into colony management things. That is a whole other type of game to me.

I mean cool if that is the type of game you want to play... but yeah nothing like this game at all.

[Stugbit]

Originally posted by wizard_of_woz:

Expect for the Japanrse part, this game basically already exists. It is in EA status being developed by 1 dev. The game is called Kingdoms.
For early access it is already awesome. And the one man dev team puts out more updates than every other EA game I played combined.

Cool, do you have a link for it? I'l try google Kingdom here if I find it. Thanks!

[{O|G} Erik the Red]

Eh, I think the idea might be fine, but I think you are stretching the similarities a bit much. The whole Npc idea is fancy, but doesn't quite fit in with the idea and direction of Valheim all that much... while Npcs would be interesting to have, they are not what defines Valheim as the game we know. The worlds of Valheim is based on the mythology and lore of the Vikings, and stretched beyond that with the concept of a tenth world, which is what we inhabit in game. We are the fallen warriors of Midgard, ie our earthly world, from which the Allfather Odin has recalled us to rise again once more, our previous lives naught but a dream or echo.

That said, I would love to see an actual NPC mod or game of our previous lives, a la an actual medieval survival raiding sim; say, the Vikings vs the Saxons, without all the mythological realm elements...

As far as the Japanese go, I think a Japanese version of mythology, possibly Shinto and kami based, would be better suited to a Valheim game world. It would sort of give me old vibes of the Rome total war Blue Lotus mod, where the legendary oriental civs and dynasty fought against their demon realms.

An actual Japanese medieval game with npc clans or whatnot I think would be too much of a different game, other than in styling.

[Stugbit]

Originally posted by GunsForBucks:

That really sounds nothing like Valheim. Personally not into colony management things. That is a whole other type of game to me.

I mean cool if that is the type of game you want to play... but yeah nothing like this game at all.

Yep, I think you're right. But I kind of wanted this mechanic of chopping dpwn trees, hunting animals and exploration, going on boats and facing monsters and such, added to sort of a political environment with NPCs and the like. Played in third person. I don't know if it would work fine. I also like the graphics from Valheim.

[Stugbit]

Originally posted by {O|G} Erik the Red:

Eh, I think the idea might be fine, but I think you are stretching the similarities a bit much. The whole Npc idea is fancy, but doesn't quite fit in with the idea and direction of Valheim all that much... while Npcs would be interesting to have, they are not what defines Valheim as the game we know. The worlds of Valheim is based on the mythology and lore of the Vikings, and stretched beyond that with the concept of a tenth world, which is what we inhabit in game. We are the fallen warriors of Midgard, ie our earthly world, from which the Allfather Odin has recalled us to rise again once more, our previous lives naught but a dream or echo.

That said, I would love to see an actual NPC mod or game of our previous lives, a la an actual medieval survival raiding sim; say, the Vikings vs the Saxons, without all the mythological realm elements...

As far as the Japanese go, I think a Japanese version of mythology, possibly Shinto and kami based, would be better suited to a Valheim game world. It would sort of give me old vibes of the Rome total war Blue Lotus mod, where the legendary oriental civs and dynasty fought against their demon realms.

An actual Japanese medieval game with npc clans or whatnot I think would be too much of a different game, other than in styling.

But do you think it could be possible to take the Valheim base at least? Like the way the third person works, the interaction with the environment, all the combat action and so forth. The way we gather resources and so on. Perhaps without the sofisticated building model Valheim has, with buildings more pre-built and such. And also the graphics from the game.

Valheim has also a huge map, good for a broad game like this I guess. The way the mobs work, hunting, all this I find very well made in Valheim.

[Stugbit]

Originally posted by {O|G} Erik the Red:

Eh, I think the idea might be fine, but I think you are stretching the similarities a bit much. The whole Npc idea is fancy, but doesn't quite fit in with the idea and direction of Valheim all that much... while Npcs would be interesting to have, they are not what defines Valheim as the game we know. The worlds of Valheim is based on the mythology and lore of the Vikings, and stretched beyond that with the concept of a tenth world, which is what we inhabit in game. We are the fallen warriors of Midgard, ie our earthly world, from which the Allfather Odin has recalled us to rise again once more, our previous lives naught but a dream or echo.

That said, I would love to see an actual NPC mod or game of our previous lives, a la an actual medieval survival raiding sim; say, the Vikings vs the Saxons, without all the mythological realm elements...

As far as the Japanese go, I think a Japanese version of mythology, possibly Shinto and kami based, would be better suited to a Valheim game world. It would sort of give me old vibes of the Rome total war Blue Lotus mod, where the legendary oriental civs and dynasty fought against their demon realms.

An actual Japanese medieval game with npc clans or whatnot I think would be too much of a different game, other than in styling.

And also there are people that manages to make complete different games out of a mode of a game. Dota from Warcraft 3, for instance. We may have other examples. Perhaps Day Z from the Arma game.

[{O|G} Erik the Red]

If your looking for a feudal Japan rpg simulator, check out this mod for Mount and Blade Warband: Gekokujo; plenty of npcs and towns to warband about, but it doesn't really have any building or survival elements other than managing your warband and estates.


https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=285786182

[Stugbit]

Originally posted by {O|G} Erik the Red:

If your looking for a feudal Japan rpg simulator, check out this mod for Mount and Blade Warband: Gekokujo; plenty of npcs and towns to warband about, but it doesn't really have any building or survival elements other than managing your warband and estates.


https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=285786182

Cool! Thanks for the indication!

[Wizard of Woz]

Originally posted by Stugbit:

Originally posted by wizard_of_woz:

Expect for the Japanrse part, this game basically already exists. It is in EA status being developed by 1 dev. The game is called Kingdoms.
For early access it is already awesome. And the one man dev team puts out more updates than every other EA game I played combined.

Cool, do you have a link for it? I'l try google Kingdom here if I find it. Thanks!

Here is a link to the steam forum

https://steamcommunity.com/app/409590/discussions/

[Stugbit]

Originally posted by wizard_of_woz:

Originally posted by Stugbit:

Cool, do you have a link for it? I'l try google Kingdom here if I find it. Thanks!

Here is a link to the steam forum

https://steamcommunity.com/app/409590/discussions/

Thank you!

[PickleRick]

Sounds like you might enjoy Kenshi

[Mharr]

Originally posted by Stugbit:

Glad you liked it. Many thanks! I'm a big fan of Valheim, the team I would like to see a game like this developed from would the guys who created it.

The problem there is Iron Gate are a very small team with a whole lot of Valheim still to develop. Kinda booked up for the next few years.