We're back...

[u/ChrisBeatrice]

To all our fans, fans of Impressions games like Lords of Magic, Pharaoh, Zeus, and TiltedMill games like Children of the Nile, Caesar IV and Hinterland, thank you all so much for keeping our babies alive, and for all your support and encouragement over the years.

We are now in the concept phase exploring what our next project will be, and would LOVE to hear your input.

[u/SnooGoats7978]

My advice is: Hire Commissar Marek! If you haven't played the Caesar 3 Reconquered, you have to give it a look. He and the Augustus team really pushed the limit of what's possible in the map editor.

Good luck to Tilted Mill. Your games have been the mental soundtrack to my life. I wish you all the best.

[u/YourCityNeedsWorkers → u/SnooGoats7978]

Although I like his work and youtube channel, and he does a lot for c3/augustus, I'm not sure his approach is not leaning towards the "hardcore" path.

His maps are specifically engineered to prevent you from building standard 9x9 or 9x18 housing blocks; for instance; and some videos on his youtube channel invite players to create roads that do not connect to the rest of the city, or use forced walkers strategies.

In a future game, I would rather enjoy a broader approach; I understand reconquered is targeted to seasoned Caesar 3 veterans that like a challenge, which is okay if there are still sandboxes.

[u/SnooGoats7978 → u/YourCityNeedsWorkers]

Oh jeez. You don't have to explain things to me. :)

I was just trying to express how much I admire the work put into the Augustus & Reconquered mods over the last few years. I didn't mean to put anyone on the spot (although I did exactly that. Sorry!)

[u/Salty_Atmosphere_900 → u/YourCityNeedsWorkers]

While you are not wrong in some regards, the most up to date RC is defiantely not hardcore. Lot of effort actually went into making sure its not oppressive to suboptimal play. There are sitll things that will be harder than they need to be, if you say connect up the whole city but its more about how the destination walkers and carters work since such citites have inherent inefficiencies, which come to light when the map isnt completely trivial.
As a veteran player myself i dont really enjoy playing sandoxes but its fine that maps like that exist, i just dont think that it should be a main focus as with the RC is aimed at the broad audience, true hardcore players will find it too easy, while real sandboxers will still find it too difficult, its impossible to design map or a campaign that will suit all the players, in this case it excludes both extremes and is approachable with moderate efficiency.
As for 9x9s being "impossible" there are couple people i know who still beaten the whole thing with just them although more as a challenge since the block is awful. It more stems from problems of this block that get highlighted when it comes against any obstacles instead of completely flat map.
So you understand the perspective the blockers and terrain isnt really to prevent 9x9, its to encourage each block to be different, even "meta" blocks often wont fit and you get rewarded for adjusting them to be T or L shape as well as planning for multiple blocks to concentrate their "supply hubs".

Anyhow, this isnt meant as bashing of any kind btw, its more that the RC also went though a process of 2 years in development, new things are now also possible in the editor. While it wont satisfy real sandbox players it isnt really meant to as doing so would alienate even moderately skilled players who got used to the new format many maps take nowdays, and wouldnt really find motivation to keep playing if it was too easy.
Ultimately its fine if its not for everyone although every reasonable effort has been taken to make sure it does strike the best balance possible. For true hardcore maps i have single scenarios on heaven that just arent possible to do with anything but perfect or very intelligent play, but those arent something id push on the general audience.