WorldBox - God Simulator A Guide to Arcandale

Introduction & TLDR

Hello there, and thank you for checking out my guide. It details some lore and some gameplay suggestions for the map of Arcandale that you can find here:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3316405126

Wait, throughout the guide you mention rounds and d6, what on earth are you talking about?

When making the map I liked to think of certain special events happening in certain places (like spawning certain creatures or raining traits on to towns). A round is just how often you do all these things, I chose every 10 years when playing, you could do it less or more often or just whenever you feel like it. A d6 is a dice, to make things random, you can just use an online random number generator if you don't have one.

To skip the lore and get to a summary of the gameplay suggestions, head straight to the Gameplay chapters at the end of the guide. With that said, I'll hand you over to the White Mage for the lore. And don't worry if the teleportation spells make you feel a little queasy, everyone upchucks their breakfast the first time! Take it away Mage!

Welcome Traveller!

Welcome to Arcandale. It was here that in ages past the dominions of Dwarves, Elves and Men brushed uncomfortably up against each other. There was friction undoubtedly, but also periods of peace and harmony and flourishing trade. Some called it the centre of the world, but those days have passed far beyond the memory of any mortal man.

It is a wild land now, claimed by none. Well... none of any honorary scruples in any case. Along the old Golden Road, bandits and outlaws prowl among every wooded copse; in Felmarch, necromancers cursed and foul lurk in ruins as equally decayed as their morbid marionettes; and high in the Titan Peaks, wild Orcs range further south with every passing season. To top it all, the old Northern Wall - the great dam holding back the tide of inevitable freezing death we call the Cold Ones - falls ever further into disrepair!

Why then, you may ask, would any prospective lord consider staking a claim in this accursed place?

For the Dwarves, it's their stubborn pride and their inexorable quest to retake their old holds, all in some vain hope of rekindling past glories. It is an unbearable shame that those once held in such high regard have fallen so far... in their own indisputable opinion of course.

For Man, it's simple hubris and his unquenchable thirst for wealth and power! Those who went before him may now shuffle mindlessly beneath unending moons shackled by the curse of undeath, but you don't expect that to act as any kind of deterrent, do you? Pah, not when there's a profit to be made!

And what of those sanctimonious Elves? Once they get wind of Men and Dwarves poking around the borders of their precious forest, they'll be back to do some poking of their own... poking of their noses into everyone else's business! Ha, some things never change!

We're in for quite a show aren't we? But before you plop down those eager, ambitious lords - look at them, all full of hope and expectation - let me introduce to you the various points of interest that lie about Arcandale as well as suggesting a few ideas to spice up the gameplay!

The Four Realms

The land of Arcandale can be loosely divided amongst the four realms of old: the Titan Peaks, a mountainous realm long ago home to the Dwarven Kingdom of Runehold; the Elven realm of Faewood, or the western most borders of it at least, the Elves having migrated east long ago; Felmarch, a cursed fallen realm of Men who succumbed to the temptation of dark magic; and the Golden Road, a former lucrative trading route between Man and Dwarf.

The Titan Peaks - Runehold

Let us begin our tour in the north, high in the Titan Peaks. The mountains you see around you are the highest peaks anywhere in the known world, so massive that (according to Orcish folklore) they pierce the heavens themselves! But the real wonder of this gargantuan range is what lies beneath it!

Runehold, the lost kingdom of the Dwarves! It took almost a thousand years to carve out these magnificent halls and mere weeks for them to fall to ruin. I'll spare you the retelling of it's fall since the Dwarves are a prideful folk, and I count at least some of them amongst my friends, and the tale is one that elicits great shame in each of them.

This particular hall is known as the Seat of Destiny. It is from here that the Dwarven king ruled over the realm. The Rune of Destiny, one of the six Great Runes of the hold, dominates the hall. Just beneath the Great Rune, in the centre of the fountain, you can see the capstone that marks the final resting place of the king. Each of the Great Runes possesses a powerful enchantment. Alas my friend, neither you nor I will feel the benefit of the enchantment since it can only be felt by a Dwarf.

Suggested Gameplay Effect: If the Rune of Destiny falls inside the territory of a Dwarven settlement, at the start of each round use Gamma/Omega/Delta rain to bless everyone in the settlement with the Ambitious and Wise traits.

To the south of the Seat of Destiny we come to the Crossing of Ways. This huge construction at the heart of the mountain is home to the Rune of Guidance and serves as a crossroads connecting the various chambers of the hold.

And to the south of the Crossing we find the Grand Hall. This was a bustling market place full of traders from every corner of the world. Here you would find stables for horses and pack mules, inns for weary travellers, stores selling every kind of ware you could think of and, perhaps best of all, food and ale galore! To either side of the hall two great turrets jut out of the mountainside where drunken and weary guards would watch over the Titan Road as it approached the hold from the east and west. No Man or Elf was permitted to stray deeper into the hold, but everyone was warmly welcomed to the Great Hall.

Now, if you head back to the Crossing of Ways with me and cast your eyes to the west, you will see a small entrance down amongst the molten rock. That leads to the Great Forge, where the six Great Runes were cast. I presume at some time it was easier to access, or perhaps had some secret entrance known only to the Runemasters. The Rune of Fire lies within... ruined.

Suggested Gameplay Effect: The fiery Great Forge is one of the few places that Adamantine forms naturally in abundance. At the start of each round place an additional 3 units of Adamantine anywhere in the Forge.

We'll head East now, passing briefly into the cool mountain air as we cross the dam that holds back the High Loch, and shortly thereafter enter into the Vault of Wonders. Here we find the Rune of Prosperity, its opposing sides representing hard work and the just rewards thereof. It was in this hall that the Dwarves fashioned all manner of wonders from Mythril, which was found in abundance throughout the hold.

Suggested Gameplay Effect: If the Rune of Prosperity falls inside the territory of a Dwarven settlement, at the start of each round use Gamma/Omega/Delta rain to bless everyone in the settlement with the Greedy and Miner traits.

Careful now, as we head North to the Myconid Hall. Take care not to disturb the Myconid King! Although he is peaceful, he swore an oath long ago that if he is disturbed and his kingdom usurped, the usurpers would face the terrible wrath of his children. The Dwarves knew better than to meddle with him and so should we. Come along now, let's not dawdle here any longer than is necessary, there is a canal I need to show you!

The canal runs from the Seat of Destiny to the sea and passes through multiple points of interest along the way: the Deepwharf with its Rune of Mariners; the hall of remembrance where the six sons of the King lay at rest; the first of two locks, which is outside in the mountain pass; the small fortress that guards the pass and shelters the last of our six runes, the Rune of Fortitude; and finally, after descending the second lock, the Great Beacons which conclude its journey.

Suggested Gameplay Effect: If the Rune of Mariners falls inside the territory of a Dwarven settlement, at the start of each round use Gamma/Omega/Delta rain to bless everyone in the settlement with the Honest and Gold Tooth traits.

Suggested Gameplay Effect: If the Rune of Fortitude falls inside the territory of a Dwarven settlement, at the start of each round use Gamma/Omega/Delta rain to bless everyone in the settlement with the Strong and Tough traits.

The Titan Peaks - Other Locations

The WolfpassThat concludes our tour of Runehold, but before we head to Faewood, there are a couple of other points of interest I'd like to show you here in the Titan Peaks. Firstly the Wolfpass, so named because of the white wolves that constantly migrate through it from the north. They are the eyes, ears... and noses I guess... of the Orcs and wherever they find Dwarf, Man or Elf, their masters won't be far behind them.

Suggested Gameplay Effect: At the start of each round spawn a pack of white wolves somewhere in the Wolfpass (they will not fight with Orcs).

Suggested Gameplay Effect: The volcanic hot springs of the Wolfpass are one of the few places that Adamantine forms naturally in abundance. At the start of each round, if the two Adamantine resources have been mined, replace them with an additional two resources of Adamantine in the same spots.

Wyrm MarshAnd finally, the fabled Wyrm Marsh. In ancient times many great wyrms migrated south to die here. Why they chose this place is as much a mystery to me as it was to the Dwarves, but I do have a theory. Everybody knows that Wyrms love gold and the mountain to the northeast of the marsh is chock-full of the stuff! I surmise that the wyrms were drawn here by their natural tendency to gravitate towards the precious metal, and with that in mind I can't help but think the Dwarves were more than a little foolhardy in carving out that mountain to rob it of its riches! Some say the vaults of Wyrmhold are still full of gold to this very day, but I'm not stepping foot in that cursed tomb of a hold to find out. If you want to, be my guest. I'll wait here while you go and look. No? Okay then, on we go...

To the Northern Wall. Be still for a moment. Listen, do you hear that sound like the cracking of ice? That isn't the sound of a glacier melting in the morning sun, but the sound of the Cold Ones shuffling about beyond the wall. Probing, testing, weighing against it in ever greater numbers... it won't hold forever.

Suggested Gameplay Effect: At the start of each round roll the d6. On a roll of a six break the wall and place an Ice Tower. On a roll of anything else add five more Cold Ones to the army beyond the wall making the eventual break more dangerous. Note: I didn't add any Cold Ones here when making the map because I forgot, lol. But you can add five to start if you wish!

Faewood

Ah, now that's better, the climate is much more comfortable down here in Faewood, wouldn't you agree? This enchanted realm was once home to the Elves. They have long since migrated eastward, deeper into the forest, though I doubt it will be long until they make their return. In their absence the Druids, under the leadership of their Matron Mother, now act as the realm's custodians. If we're lucky we might catch sight of one while we're here!

Fae CirclesThis is a "fae circle". We'll pass several more as we head south along the main track that runs through the forest. Most are made of carefully placed stones, although I've heard tell of a mushroom circle too. Some of the circles contain enchanted trees and others mounds of pure silver like this one. But they all have one thing in common, the incessant buzzing of fairies! Have no fear, they are quite harmless... unless antagonised. I know it's difficult, but please resist the temptation to bat the pesky little creatures away.

Suggested Gameplay Effect: At the start of each round, if a Fae Circle falls inside neutral or Elven territory drop a silver resource in the centre of the ring (assuming it is empty) and spawn a fairy at the silver. You could spawn fairies at circles occupied by enchanted trees too! The mushroom ring will cease to function if any of the mushrooms are stolen! There are LOADS of these circles, how many can you spot?

The Druid StonesWe're deep into the forest now, and there is a place of great importance nearby that I'd like you to see: the Druid Stones. They sit at the conjunction of four separate tracks inside a small, natural basin sheltered by cliffs on all sides. This is where the Druids hold council. We'd best not disturb them, so lets keep our voices low and our footsteps light as we make our way out of the forest.

Suggested Gameplay Effect: At the start of each round, if the Druid Stones fall inside neutral or Elven territory spawn a Druid.

Felmarch

It is time to leave the tranquil comfort of the forest behind us and head now into the cursed realm of Felmarch. The men who once dwelt here all but destroyed themselves when they surrendered to the temptations of dark magic.

DeadmarshWe cross first into Deadmarsh, to my mind at least, the most sorrowful place in this whole accursed realm. The remaining good folk of the realm tried to flee through here as their kingdom came tumbling down around them. Pursued by demons from the south and unliving nightmares from the north, they tried to cross the bridge into Faewood. But the Elves, fearing for the safety of their own land, blocked the bridge with their army turning the refugees back into the marsh... they never stood a chance.

The dead do not rest easy here, so I advise you to stay close to me and not to stray from the road.

Suggested Gameplay Effect: At the start of each round roll the d6 and raise double the resulting throw of skeletons across the marsh. If a battle has taken place in the marsh since the start of the previous round, raise zombies instead.

FelburgThe rat infested ruin that we now approach is the old capital of the march, Felburg. It wasn't always named as such. Originally, it was called Aldburg after its founder, King Aldrich, and in those times the realm was known as Highmarch, if you can believe such a thing! Aldrich was a kind and compassionate king, a good man, but he died with no heirs and passed the kingdom into the care of his high council. He was buried on a small island in the south of the realm, beneath a great oak, and with his enchanted sword at his side.

The council who succeeded him was led by a powerful mage who, with the good king out of the way, was free to pursue the foul magics that he was never able to before. To this day, Felburg remains a locus of necromantic activity. So, if you don't mind we'll skirt quickly around the perimeter and on to our final point of interest in Felmarch... and the scene of the most heinous of crimes.

Suggested Gameplay Effect: At the start of each round roll the d6 and depending on the result: 1, spawn a Necromancer; 2, 3, 4 or 5 spawn a pack of rats and a rat king; 6 spawn a Plague Doctor and a few black cats (put them on the cursed squares to make them black).

If the town is reclaimed by humans (they can settle the ruined buildings) spawn a Plague Doctor on a roll of an even number and do nothing on the roll of an odd. You could also do this for any human settlement in Felmarch if you like (it will help stop the entire map dying to zombies/mushrooms/plague).

The Altar of Fire and Hel's CauldronSouth we must travel now, through the narrow gorge and around the mountain. If you can smell rotten eggs, I assure you it's got nothing to do with me! No, its the mountain that looms overhead: Hel's Cauldron. They used to throw innocents into its fiery depths. You see, once the mages of Highmarch were able to open a portal to Hel, they weren't able to close it again! And so, a bargain was struck: a regular sacrifice would be made, and in exchange the demons would stay in their own fiery realm. Failure to provide souls to the cauldron meant that the demons would come and collect.... personally...

We approach the altar now:

The White Mage points his gnarly finger westwards, towards a huge, flaming altar jutting out high above the violent sea. You think you see a figure striding through the flames towards you, but it is hard to make out amongst the haze. Though you only gaze upon the figure for a moment, you feel a rising dread deep in the pit of your stomach. Your body freezes shackled with fear, not cold, for it feels as if it is burning. And a voice, a deep, enveloping voice, erupts inside your skull, mocking, goading, and beckoning you all at once... The mage's voice cuts through it all...

Hold on to your breakfast, I'm teleporting us out of here!

Suggested Gameplay Effect: Roll the d6 at the start of each round. If Hel's Cauldron falls within the borders of a human settlement: double the number rolled and throw that many people from the settlement into Hel's Cauldron. If Hel's Cauldron does not fall within a human settlement's borders on a 1 or 2 spawn one demon on the Altar, on a 3 or 4 spawn two demons and on a 5 or 6 spawn three demons. Note: Personally I remove the Demons Burning Feet traits to stop them destroying the map.

The Golden Road

You find yourself standing atop a small watchtower upon a high ridge above a fertile valley. On the horizon to the far north, you can see Hel's Cauldron belching its foul smoke into the sky.

Calm yourself, friend, you're quite safe now. We're miles from that blasted altar.

This region is known as the Golden Road, named for the old road that winds its way through the valley beneath us. Great wealth once flowed back and forth along the road, and I've a hunch that, before long, it will again. The road crosses these mountains from the "Countless Kingdoms" to the south - that's the name the Elves and Dwarves give to the land of men, for their kingdoms are forever rising and falling and fighting amongst themselves - and winds its way westward through the vale to an old Dwarven trading colony on the coast.

Bandit Camps and the Old WatchtowerThis old watchtower has a commanding view of the entire region. In times gone by, it was used to keep a close check on the movements of bandits down in the vale and to keep watch over the caravans passing through. Take a look around; it seems there are multiple bandit camps in the area at the moment. This is a problem any potential settlers are going to have to deal with if they want trade to flow freely along the Golden Road again.

Suggested Gameplay Effect: At the start of each round spawn four bandits at each of the three campfires unless they fall inside a settlements territory. If the old watchtower falls inside a settlements territory, spawn no bandits at all. Note: Personally, I remove the bomberman trait so they don't destroy the map. See the Gameplay Summary chapter for more suggestions regarding the bandits.

The TrademeetFinally, I want you to turn your attention to the west. About halfway between here and the coast, you will see the Trademeet. There, on the island in the moat! It is in that small fort that the Dwarves would meet the caravans making their way westward and where any goods returning the other way would set off on their journey back east. The Trademeet isn't just a place of business but also of great revelry, for the Dwarves would prepare grand feasts and ale a plenty to celebrate the arrival of each caravan at the end of its long and treacherous journey.

Suggested Gameplay Effect: At the start of the game there will be a gold resource in each corner of the Trademeet. This gold represents the gold constantly changing hands at the fort and should be renewed at the start of every round if they have been mined, making the Trademeet a profitable territory to hold.

Farewell Traveller!

Alas, it is time for us to part ways, traveller. It has been an honour escorting you on this tour throughout the land of Arcandale. Now, you must plop down those eager lords and return civilisation to this ancient country. I wish your intrepid little settlers the best of luck... they're gonna need it...

Gameplay - Start Positions

Across the map you will see many areas of plain dirt surrounded by resources. Any of these places are suitable start positions for a kingdom, and due to the way the map is designed they will be the places that the kingdoms expand to and build new settlements in (mostly anyway). I designed it this way because I wanted the kingdoms to fight over the valuable spots on the map and have distance between their settlements instead of just "blobbing out" like they normally do.

Here are some role-playing ideas for starting each race:

Dwarves: Start a kingdom in their southern trading colony (it's a strong starting position and they can expand to other spots rapidly) and role-play them sending expeditions to the north when their capital population reaches milestones of 10, 20, 30 etc. Start a new Dwarven kingdom in the north each time. Dwarves are the weakest race in Worldbox, which is why I give them a head start.

Humans: Perhaps start a kingdom in the Golden Road after the Dwarven trading colony is up and running so they can trade like in ancient times. Maybe start a kingdom somewhere in Felmarch, will they be able to reclaim their old kingdom?

Elves: When the Elves hear that Humans and Dwarves are back in the area, they are bound to return to Faewood, right?

Orcs: If you are placing their wolven scouts, why not keep an eye on them and see when they first encounter a Human, Dwarf or Elf... then bring in the Orcs!

Gameplay - Events

This stuff is all just suggestions, if you don't like one (or all) of them, just skip it. If you have any other ideas, you can post them in the comments for others to see. I think of this stuff as I'm making the map, so it is partially built around these ideas!

I will refer to rounds and d6, this is what I mean by those terms:

A round: how often the events take place. Choose your own length (I chose every 10 years).

A d6: a dice with 6 faces used to determine random outcomes, you can just use an online random number generator if you don't have one.

AdamantineI made the most powerful resource very rare, only in two locations. In my mind, it needs extremely hot conditions to form, like a meteor strike or volcanic activity.

At the Wolfpass, the arctic area at the very top left of the map, it forms in two volcanic vents, refill them at the start of each round if they have been mined.

It also forms in the Great Forge, drop 3 Adamantine there at the start of each round. (Maybe stop if it gets to 10 or something).

Bandit CampfiresAt the start of each round, spawn four bandits at each of the three campfires. If a campfire falls within a settlement's territory, don't spawn any bandits at that campfire. If the old watchtower falls inside a settlement's territory, spawn no bandits at all.

Personally, I remove the bomberman trait so they don't destroy the map. To make the bandits more interesting and formidable you can give them other traits. For example, here is what I did in my game based on what weapon they spawned with:

Bow - Eagle Eye

Spear - Strong & Tough

Sword - Attractive & Lucky or Fast & AgileDon't forget to heal them with blood rain after editing them (anything you add traits to manually gets a max health boost).

Demon SummoningRoll the d6 at the start of each round:

If Hel's Cauldron falls within the borders of a human settlement, double the number rolled and throw that many people from the settlement into Hel's Cauldron. Don't worry if they don't land in the lava, they'll starve to death eventually... the demons will be happy either way.

If Hel's Cauldron does not fall within the borders of a human settlement (or the number required for sacrifice is higher than the population of the town), on a 1 or 2 spawn one demon on the Altar of Fire, on a 3 or 4 spawn two demons and on a 5 or 6 spawn three demons. Note: Personally I remove the Demons Burning Feet traits to stop them destroying the map.

Digging DeeperAcross the map you will see mines dug into the mountains. They normally have basic Ore Deposits in them, but the ones in the "Wyrmhold" in the very top right of the map have Gold Deposits in them (there is also a gold vault in the Wyrmhold, but this rule only applies to the mines).

Dwarves are exceptional miners, so at the start of each round if these mines fall inside Dwarven territory and have already been mined, refill them.

The DruidstonesAt the start of each round, if the Druid Stones fall inside neutral or Elven territory spawn a Druid.

Fae CirclesAt the start of each round, if a Fae Circle falls inside neutral or Elven territory drop a silver resource in the centre of the ring (assuming it is empty) and spawn a fairy at the silver. You could spawn fairies at circles occupied by enchanted trees too! The mushroom ring will cease to function if any of the mushrooms are stolen! There are LOADS of these circles, how many can you spot?

FelburgAt the start of each round roll the d6 and depending on the result:

1 spawn a Necromancer

2, 3, 4 or 5 spawn a pack of rats and a rat king

6 spawn a Plague Doctor and a few black cats (put them on the cursed squares to make them black).If the town is reclaimed by humans (they can settle the ruined buildings) spawn a Plague Doctor on a roll of an even number and do nothing on the roll of an odd. You could also do this for any human settlement in Felmarch if you like (it will help stop the entire map dying to zombies/mushrooms/plague).

The Great RunesThe Great Runes found throughout Runehold bestow beneficial effects upon Dwarves. If they fall within Dwarven territory at the start of each round:

Rune of Destiny: use Gamma/Omega/Delta rain to bless everyone in the settlement with the Ambitious and Wise traits.

Rune of Prosperity: use Gamma/Omega/Delta rain to bless everyone in the settlement with the Greedy and Miner traits.

Rune of Mariners: use Gamma/Omega/Delta rain to bless everyone in the settlement with the Honest and Gold Tooth traits (or for a funny pirate theme One Eyed and Gold Tooth traits).

Rune of Fortitude: use Gamma/Omega/Delta rain to bless everyone in the settlement with the Strong and Tough traits.

The North WallAt the northeast edge of the map you will find the North Wall. At the start of each round roll the d6 and on:

1-5 add five more Cold Ones to the army beyond the wall (I didn't add any Cold Ones here when making the map because I forgot but you can add five to start if you wish).

6 spawn an Ice Tower and break the wall!

Raise the DeadAt the Deadmarsh in Felmarch, at the start of each round roll the d6 and raise double the resulting throw of skeletons across the marsh. If a battle has taken place in the marsh since the start of the previous round, raise zombies instead.

Trade GoldAt the start of the game there will be a Gold Deposit in each corner of the Trademeet. This gold represents the gold constantly changing hands at the fort and should be renewed at the start of every round if they have been mined, making the Trademeet a profitable territory to hold.

Another suggestion: Add an additional Gold Deposit in the middle of the Trademeet for each settlement in the Golden Road realm.

White Wolf MigrationThe white wolves of the north act as scouts for the Orcs. In the Wolfpass at the top left of the map spawn a pack of wolves at the start of each round. (They won't fight with Orcs).

A Small Map Fix

I noticed a few mistakes in the map (a missing pixel here and there that nobody will ever notice), but there is one larger mistake I made that does affect the flow of the map. Unfortunately the Steam Workshop for Worldbox doesn't allow you to update a file you already uploaded. Don't worry if you can't fix it (or can't be bothered), it is no big deal, but I'll detail how to do it anyway.

The cliff-top settlement with the old watchtower on it is supposed to be reachable only by the windy mountain roads going up to it, but I accidentally made the cliff passable by not drawing it properly making the winding roads pointless.

Below I show the cliff as it is currently, and how you can fix it simply by filling in the corners to stop units passing diagonally through the cliff).

Final Words

OMG, it's finished! It's finally finished! I honestly thought this was going to take about half an hour to write... that was two weeks ago, ROFL. Anyway, I hope at least someone bothers to read it all, and if that someone is you, I hope you enjoy it!

Source: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3316338669

A Guide to Arcandale