Under the Comanche Moon
Development Thread
Development Thread
Premise
Under the Comanche Moon puts the player in control of the "Lords of the Plains," the Comanche people / "empire" that stretched from Texas to Colorado, and raided well beyond. The scenario will take place from 1836 to 1861, and begins after Texas has won its war of independence against Mexico, and directly after the Comanche raid on Ft. Parker, where a war party kidnapped Cynthia Ann Parker.
The date was chosen for a few reasons: while the Comanche rise to power in the southern plains and 18th century wars against Spain and the Apache are fascinating stories, they also pose less of a challenge to the player. The 25 years after Texan independence would mark a massive increase in settlers/homesteaders to the West, and see the Comanche giving -- for a time, at least -- Texan, Mexican, and US authorities a run for their money. This all abruptly changes, in history, with the spread of disease, the lack of unity among some Comanche tribes and allies, the railroad / rapidly diminishing bison population, and the booming population of "Anglos" in the Texas area. Eventually outnumbered, out-gunned, and their buffalo dying in droves, the Comanche would surrender to reservations, but hold on to threads through the 1870s.
This scenario ends at the start of the American Civil War. The goal is simple: bring the West to its knees. What this looks like, to the Comanche, is enough fear and intimidation to slow down settlement, and to create a renewed demand for a clear, demarcated boundary/border (historically, something the majority of Comanche tribes attempted to bargain for, and almost got [but we know how that turned out for the Lakota...]). So it isn't to annihilate everyone. In fact, this scenario's strategy will lie in formulating a delicate balance: anger frontier American/TX settlements too much, and you'll have to contend with more elements of the US military than you can handle. But some of their people will need to be raided. Goods stolen. Guns taken. People taken, too. The West is not black and white.
Texas is another story. A fledgling nation (though most, even at this time, assumed an eventual joining to the US) with US support -- but not necessarily guarantees -- means that some of their frontier towns are ripe for looting. Yet they also generate profitable trading houses, good for the Comanche, who are wealthy in horses and require other goods. This is another balance: to raid, or to trade? Raiding is more immediate, good for the short term. Trading is a bit more sustainable. But one thing is clear: the Comanche will need guns and ammo and experience.
Then there is Mexico. Mexico is an "easy" target: civil disorder, unrest, and an unreliable central government from Mexico City means that the entire northern Mexico frontier is virtually undefended. A recent humiliating defeat by Sam Houston has also left the military in shambles. Still, the Presidios along the Rio Grande are walled with thick stone and cannon... dangerous, but tempting, targets, if they can be breached. Easier, though slightly more involved, are the frontier towns. Cattle can be taken, and more horses. These can be sold to the Anglos, and traded for guns.
Throughout this, there are wild card characters that may tip the balance, if cards are played right: the Apache, while soundly defeated by the Comanche and pushed out of the plains, are vengeful and still roam West Texas and Mexico. The Cheyenne and Arapaho are not quite as bitter enemies of the Comanche, but will not hesitate to attack -- until, perhaps, an alliance can be forged. Yet they have their own enemies: the Osage. Furthermore, Mexico has placed a bounty on Comanche scalps. Who knows what riffraff will come out of the woodwork to hunt you down. Then there are the Comancheros to the West, locals of Nuevo Mexico, who are willing to ignore orders from Mexico City to continue a healthy trade relationship with your braves. Could they become a steady source of arms?
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Some Oversimplications
In the name of trying to make a fun scenario, the Kiowa are being lumped together with the Comanche. There will be a unit or two to represent the Kiowa. They were allies, and often raided together. Therein lies the main oversimplification, though: that the Comanche were ever a unified group of people. Historically, they were dozens of bands, with some major ones representing. They did often raid together, and in large numbers, but did not have any kind of centralized authority. In this scenario, the player gets to control all of these tribes, and with this unity, can hope to tilt history in the favor of the Numunu people. Some mechanics will simulate the "disunity," or potential conflict/disorder there. But generally speaking, I want you, the player, to have a tool chest to change history with and explore this part of history and the West. Additionally, the subject of how important guns were to the Comanche in particular is disputed. Braves would often fire once, drop the gun, and move in with their bows and arrows and lances. Yet guns, if anything, were symbols of battle prowess for many braves, and having them represented an advancement in fear factor and adaptability. Part of the a-historical narrative of this game is the opportunity for the player to procure guns to arm their braves with more widely, especially in later years when they'll become more available.
...And Fictionalizations
Finally, I aim to have some pretty fun unit types floating around, that may fictionalize aspects of the West -- or perhaps, over-embellish. Vigilantes will prowl Texas if too many women/children are kidnapped, leading to the Texas Rangers. Wanderers will roam the mountains, and can be bargained with. Historical events will occur, absolutely (the Mexican-American War, which the Comanche can take advantage of if they wish, the movement of settlers along the Santa Fe Trail and beyond, the discovery of gold, etc.). However, some other, non-historical events or characters may arise, too, depending on player choice. I am for strong historical, semi-realistic bones, fleshed out with imagination and possibility.
On Timeline
I know that Adobe Walls and Palo Duro Canyon were major sites of Comanche/US armed engagement. Nevertheless, they were very late encounters, and actually quite minor on the grand scale of things, being more symbolic of the end of both the Comanche and free-roaming bison herds. Qanah Parker is an interesting character (his father, Peta, will lead the Comanche in this scenario), but ultimately, I think 25 years is a good chunk of maximum time for the scenario. At 12 months/year, we're looking at 300 potential turns. Yikes. But the player can certainly win before 1861.
Victory
"Victory" is all relative here. There will be no Comanche raids on Washington. Victory, as mentioned above, will be to unify just the right numbers of tribespeople, gain suitable numbers in the face of disease and onslaught, develop your bands, and create a balance between defending your land and annihilating frontier towns and setting back the waves of settlement just enough. The Anglos are notorious for signing deals when convenient, and not honoring them later. Your job will be to force them to honor the deal.
Playable Civs
Only the Comanche
Other Civs
Americans
Texans (allied w/US)
Mexicans
New Mexicans (allied w/Mexico)
Plains Tribes (representing Cheyenne + Arapaho)
Apache
The Map
A huge map that covers all of Texas and adjacent American territory, Colorado, New Mexico, and North and North-Central Mexico, as far south as Guadalajara. I aim to capture the vast distances and disparate groups of people connected by the Comanche range. Comanche units, in my current thinking (if mounted) have alpine and a fairly high movement rate, allowing them to move from the panhandle of Texas to Durango in a single turn (preferring some terrain, at the cost otherwise of some HP). I'm utilizing all available terrain types.
Work in progress. Featuring the high plains, cross timbers, and hill country, the Red, Arkansas, and Rio Grande w/ocean tiles, countless other rivers (can't see when zoomed out), and Mexican frontier towns flanked by the Sierra Madre. Pretty sure I'll use 1 terrain slot to be "impassable" black tiling, which will be placed over the oceans.
Some Game Concepts
The Economy: I'm working on a new in-game economy for this scenario. The player, the Comanche, do not have or ever maintain cities, keeping with their presence as a nomadic people. Instead, they have tipis and bands clustered in 3 primary locations to start with, which can be expanded or settled elsewhere. It is in these tipis that Comanche units are made. The tribespeople chain is essentially: women -> children -> youth -> women/warriors -> braves (also need to win a few fights to get here) -> chief. Maintaining populace, keeping everyone fed and warm, and keeping tribe numbers up was essential to survival.
Chiefs (Paraibo) can create new tipis.
Hides are the backbone of the economy. They can be harvested by a specific Bison terrain tile by Youth, Warriors, and Braves, and "carried" using @Prof. Garfield 's wonderful landCargo module in lua. They can then be taken to a tipi and "used." To upgrade all of the units in the chain, you need hides. To create a new tipi, you need hides.
Bison tiles are generated randomly each turn (each game month). This is a tile type that is placed on High Plains tiles, and moves around each turn, simulating moving herds. Warriors must go to these tiles and press a key to harvest hides. The numbers of bison could decrease as the game goes on, depending on player actions. This will be a huge handicap for the player, so it is a goal to keep those numbers up.
But hides are useful for another reason: coveted by folks from the east, they can be traded for Guns. Guns can be carried by any mounted Comanche unit and taken back to tipis. They are required to create 1 variant of Warriors (w/guns; the more powerful variant), and to create Braves (in addition to hides). These units will be essential for combating encroaching settlers and military personnel.
Horses are represented with gold (the word changed from gold to horses). Horses can also be traded for guns (purchased, essentially). Horses are also needed for units in that chain above.
Historical events will roll through the game world. You can interact with them, and potentially use them to your advantage. Depending on player actions, non-historical events may also occur.
Diplomacy will not exist in Civ2 game form, but will be via menus where you can craft temporary agreements. This can buy you time (but can also buy your enemies time).
Settlers/Homesteaders will take off from Independence, MO and head westward. Raid or trade or leave alone?
Take Captives in your conquests, which can be used in tipis to create other units, or bargained for through trading houses.
Towns will be destroy-able, and destroying enough will tick objective boxes for the player. Still need to figure objectives out, though.
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Current Status
I have much of the lua started (mechanics). No events yet, though. Cities are placed. Units file and most other graphics completed.
That's all for now! I thought it good to make this specific place for all of the questions I've been asking recently. I learned a lot from making my mod (which I am still working on updating!), and wanted an outlet to put some of the ideas I had floating around.
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