Why the bug I wrote became a core gameplay mechanic?!
Chapter 41 Wolong Strategy

Chapter 41: Chapter 41 Wolong Strategy

The narrative content of "Destiny of the Sleeping Dragon" is quite rich, featuring a total of 200 warlords and 30 cities.

Of course, scattered around each city are some historically famous locations.

If we compare it to other strategy games, these numbers aren’t really impressive, especially when the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" series easily boasts seven or eight hundred warlords and more than a hundred cities.

But "Destiny of the Sleeping Dragon" is a game of modest scale. Given that the gameplay has been substantially truncated, having 200 warlords and 30 cities is already quite considerable.

The game still takes place on an ancient Three Kingdoms-like grand map, only the scale of the map has been reduced.

Using a turn-based system, every three months, the player and other NPCs can take action once, displayed in the format of "221 Spring/Summer/Autumn/Winter."

At the end of each year, the major events of that year are showcased together.

Unlike typical strategy games, there are very few things a player can do in "Destiny of the Sleeping Dragon," with only a few limited actions to choose from. This means that each turn ends very quickly.

Even if you start from the year 189 when Dong Zhuo entered the capital, to the Autumn Wind at Wuzhang Plains in 234, it’s merely over 40 years. According to the pace of this game, one could finish a whole game in roughly an hour.

If the player selects a later starting time, or makes decisions more quickly, this duration can even be shorter.

This is fundamentally different from those strategy games that could last from "9 am to 8 am" the next day.

To extend the gameplay duration, it mainly relies on players constantly restarting and exploring different directions and possibilities.

From this point of view, "Destiny of the Sleeping Dragon" feels less like "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and more reminiscent of "Plague Inc."

Similar to some classic Three Kingdoms strategy games, "Destiny of the Sleeping Dragon" also allows players to choose the starting year, but it is not divided by major events like "Dong Zhuo enters the capital," "Battle at Hulao Pass," or "Battle of Guandu."

Instead, it is divided based on Zhuge Liang’s age and experience.

The first stage is called "Crouching Dragon Not Employed," starting in the year 189.

During this period, the significant events are "Dong Zhuo enters the capital." At that time, Zhuge Liang was only eight years old. He had just lost his father and followed his uncle, Zhuge Xuan, to take up a post in Yuzhang until the Eastern Han court dispatched someone to replace Zhuge Xuan’s position, and then, Zhuge Xuan went to seek refuge with Liu Biao in Jingzhou.

The second stage is called "Tilling the Soil in Nanyang," starting in the year 197.

During this period, the significant events are "Yuan Shu declaring himself Emperor," Cao Cao’s failed campaign against Zhang Xiu, and Yuan Shao seizing Ji, Qing, You, and Bing provinces. At this time, Zhuge Xuan had passed away, and the young Zhuge Liang was living in seclusion in Longzhong.

The third stage is called "Sleeping Dragon Emerges," starting in the year 207.

During this period, the significant events are "The Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage," Cao Cao’s major victory over the Wuhuan tribes, unifying the north, and preparing to campaign against Liu Biao in the south. At this time, Zhuge Liang began to get involved in the affairs of the world.

The fourth stage is called "The Minister Entrusted with an Orphan," starting in the year 223.

During this period, the significant events are the deaths of Cao Cao and Liu Bei. Zhuge Liang, serving as the Prime Minister, started the southern campaigns against Meng Huo and the northern expeditions into the Central Plains.

Players can choose any of these stages to start the game, but the objective is always the same: to achieve the ultimate goal of "Aid the Han Dynasty."

The game’s story background can be considered an alternate version of the Three Kingdoms, where demons are rampant, possessing these historical figures, and their goal is to kill two vitally important "Destiny’s Chosen": Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang!

And this is precisely the origin of the name "Destiny of the Sleeping Dragon."

The player, taking on the role of Zhuge Liang, can mainly perform two operations.

The first is the conventional internal governance and military operations.

When other warlords are present in the player’s power, they can be assigned different internal and military tasks based on their attributes.

However, the specific execution by these warlords mainly depends on system calculations; the player can only give a general direction and cannot operate the specific details.

The second is the game’s original gameplay, known as "Wolong Strategy."

As the "Destiny’s Chosen" and Master Wolong, Zhuge Liang has seven unique "Wolong Strategies" with very powerful effects.

"Observing Stars": For 1 year, one can continuously view the target warlord’s data and detailed status.

"Brocade Bag": This strategy allows you to gift a specific tactic to a designated person, which may enhance their administrative or military capabilities, or it could influence AI’s decision-making and actions.

"Personal Farming": Can significantly increase the yield of cultivated fields and food production.

"Verbal Combat": You can attempt to persuade the enemy, making them temporarily ally with you or retreat voluntarily.

"Fire Attack": In suitable environments, this can cause massive damage directly to the enemy troops, with a higher success rate and greater lethality in narrow terrains.

"Empty Fort": With far fewer troops than the enemy, you can try to scare them off, but the success rate will drop considerably with repeated use.

"Warding off the Star": Use the Seven-Star Lamp to extend life directly, but if you’re attacked by the enemy, the process will be disrupted, and the success rate is low.

Each turn, players can choose any three out of these seven "Wolong Strategies" to execute, combined with standard administrative and military deployment, and what follows is like watching your capable generals expand the territory and conquer the world in Plague Inc.

Gu Fan briefly finished reviewing the basic gameplay and actually found it quite appealing.

If it’s viewed as a small-scale game, as long as these mechanics are solidly implemented, it can indeed be considered a good pastime.

A quick session can be done in less than an hour, and the strategic options seem varied enough for some fun.

But since the game is designed by Lilith, how could there not be any pitfalls?

After some thought, Gu Fan said, "If I’m not mistaken, the pitfall of this game should be buried in this basic setting, right?

"According to the game’s storyline, demons run rampant, possessing historical figures, and their goal is to kill the two vitally important Destiny’s Chosen: Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang.

"So, does that mean players will attract aggro from the entire map right from the start?"

Lilith was pleased, "Eh? You’re really smart! You actually figured it out.

"That’s right, in this game, NPCs absolutely won’t give players any time to develop. I’ve naturally set higher aggro values for ’Liu Bei’ and ’Zhuge Liang,’ drawing aggro from the entire map.

"Meaning, other NPCs will stop at nothing to take them down!"

Gu Fan pointed to the design draft’s section on "the four stages" and asked, "Does this apply to the first and the second stage as well?"

In the first stage, Zhuge Liang is only eight years old, and in the second stage, he’s merely living in seclusion in Longzhong. Without any power during these two stages, any approaching general could bring an end to him.

Lilith nodded, "Of course!"

Gu Fan was shocked, "Then don’t the players have no chance of survival?"

Lilith was unconcerned, "No worries, I trust in the players’ wit and wisdom. They still have ’Wolong Strategy,’ and with proper use, there’s still hope for survival."

Gu Fan was momentarily at a loss for words; what a sadistic design this was!

It’s like Zhu Yuanzhang was originally just begging with a broken bowl around Huangjue Temple when suddenly he gets surrounded by tens of thousands of Mongol cavalry. Just the thought of such a scenario is enough to make one panic.

Clearly, these four stages appear to offer the player choices, but no matter what they choose, the likely outcome is doom.

In the first two stages, although Zhuge Liang is young with plenty of time, he has no troops under his command and has maxed out aggro, making any NPC able to end the game.

What about the last two stages? By then, you have troops, but the enemy forces are stronger than ever.

And most importantly, Zhuge Liang’s life is only so long, seemingly living at most until the year 234 at the Wuzhang Plains.

If you choose the fourth stage, Zhuge Liang can only live for ten more years, taking action once every three months, at most, 40 times. How could this possibly be enough time to "Aid the Han Dynasty"?

While "Wolong Strategy" seems very powerful on the surface, after all, a clever woman cannot cook without rice.

In an equal or slightly disadvantaged situation, Wolong Strategy might work wonders, but when the odds are greatly against you, it’s useless!

If the enemy is at the gates, it doesn’t matter if you have three Wolong Strategies per turn, or even thirty; they’d be of no use!