Project Introduction

Description

Diplomacy is Not an Option is an RTS game set in a medieval fantasy world. Taking the role of a feudal lord, the player will have to build settlements, arrange production of resources, and organize defenses. Hordes of enemies attack in waves; trying to destroy everything in their path. The game combines elements of city-building and wave-defence with a focus on survival, expansion, and advanced fortifications. Aside from numerous enemies, Player will have to deal with diseases and starvation, constantly adapting to the conditions of the procedurally generated map.

Key Features:

• Battles on an Epic Scale! Hundreds of troops under the player's control standing off against thousands of enemies on screen at a time.


• Cozy low-poly design gives a charming aesthetic while allowing the game to demonstrate the theatre of war at an unprecedented scale and a rock-solid FPS.


• Remarkable in-game physics: boulders from siege weapons hurl scores of foes into the air on each impact, but positioning is vital as all missiles’ arcs are fully collisioned. If the enemy advance to the foot of your wall your archers will struggle to land arrows on them.


• Tongue-in-cheek story: our protagonist, a long-suffering minor Lord, is forced by circumstances to engage in battle with vastly superior enemy forces. Boxed in a by a quarrelsome king, duplicitous advisors, and enemies on all sides there is no recourse to resolve this peacefully. At this stage: Diplomacy Is Not An Option!

Release details:

Diplomacy is Not an Option is coming to Steam Early Access on January 26, 2022.

The game includes:

• 10 different units with which to build your army. The player will have access to light and heavy infantry, bows and crossbows, cavalry, healers, and several types of siege machine. The variety of units gives an impressive range of tactical options to approach each game. In Diplomacy is Not an Option you can progress with large numbers of low-tier soldiers, or build a smaller force of elite troops.


• A multitude of buildings and upgrades. The Townhall sits at the heart of your settlement; losing it means game over. Protect it with extensive wooden and stone fortifications: walls, towers, archer emplacements and elevated siege equipment. But to fund construction you will require a substantial economy to collect and trade food, wood, stone, iron, and gold. All of this is supported by your Infrastructure that includes hospitals to stave off disease, cemeteries for when your hospitals aren’t enough, and various economic support structures such as granaries, and taverns.


• Powerful magical spells. Enemy bases drop a special resource when destroyed: soul crystals. These crystals grant you the power summon Dark Knights to temporarily bolster your ranks, or the Astral Beam, which sweeps enemies away in a prolonged controlled strike.


• Full research tree. Research is needed to improve different aspects of your settlement. You can focus on economy and growth with efficiency technologies, expand your construction options, or grant your soldiers powerful upgrades and unlock new units.


• The economic system of the game has been updated after feedback from the demo. Diplomacy is Not an Option doesn't distract the player with micromanagement. You are free to assign unoccupied citizens to different positions, from builder to soldier. Balance your production, infrastructure, and military to build a beautiful medieval city and crush your foes.


• Key elements of survival. The path to a flourishing city is not straightforward and players of the Early Access build must overcome obstacles such as starvation and plague. Corpses of your fallen people, if left to rot, will spread disease that can soon trigger an epidemic. The constant demands on your resources, as you strive to stay ahead of superior enemy forces, push the player to explore and expand aggressively. As a result; troops or civilians may be caught beyond your defensive lines in the moment of the enemies' approach. Gates in your walls allow your citizens to pass through, but if left open then so can the enemy. Watching the gates, and closing them before the enemy breach, is a vital responsibility.

The Early Access version will feature two main game modes. The single-player campaign comprises the first 3 story missions. In them, the player will meet the protagonist: a feudal lord of moderate stature who must somehow quench the fire of a peasant rebellion that has erupted in his estates. The Early Access campaign can be thought of as a prologue to the complete story, which will be revealed at the time of the game's full release.

The Primary focus of Early Access is the Endless Mode. Here the player must hold off enemy forces on a procedurally generated map for as long as possible. With limited space, and an enemy whose numbers grow to a gargantuan scale, survival will test the player’s tactical and military skills to the limit. The Early Access release boasts a deep building and strategic challenge that will steadily grow over time with an expanded enemy roster, as well as biomes, map features, and environmental elements.

Once the game is released in Early Access, the development team plans to spend time fixing bugs, polishing, and listening to community feedback. Then to turn their attention to crafting the remainder of the single player story, and expanding the game in light of the community’s experiences and comments.

About Developer

Door407 was founded in 2020 by Oleg Sakharov and Andrey Belousov. The two first met as roommates at university and worked together on the critically acclaimed tower defense title Ancient Planet; a game that Gabe Newell (founder of Valve Software) admitted to becoming obsessed with. Today Door407 is an independent studio focused on creating unique strategy experiences. Headquartered in Zelenograd, near Moscow, the whole team working on Diplomacy is Not an Option consists of more than 15 members from across Europe. All the members of the Door407 team are highly experienced and devoted fans of the strategy genre.