Die Commander Introductions

Hi, I’m Rogue Photon – Solo Game Developer

Welcome to my devlog! I’m a self-taught developer/physicist/musician working on a number of projects. Recently I’m building [Die Commander] (“Die” as a singular of dice, working title), a physics-based RTS where dice aren’t just tools – they’re your units.

In this blog I will write updates about the game’s development, from prototype to (hopefully) release. Expect posts about:

Core features of most RTS games adjusted to my needs
Behind-the-scenes struggles
Requests for help in the decision making

The Core Mechanic: Dice as Units

At the heart of [Die Commander] lies a simple but deadly premise: your units are dice, and their combat relies entirely on physics-based rolls.

Behold – the first roll of the dice! Already with the settling and displaying result feature.

Here’s what makes this mechanic unique:

Physics-Driven Outcomes: No two rolls are identical. Terrain, force, and dice weight drastically change battles.
Strategic Randomness: You control how and where you command to move, but physics decides the combat results.
Combar System questions: Combat based on roll-result implies that the units will how to wait for other combatant dice to settle (to read the roll result). I don’t know yet how to handle it.

Why Dice?

“Dice are the perfect blend of strategy and chaos – just like war.”
– Me, after losing 10 prototype battles in a row

I’ve always loved games that use both: skill and randomness. RTS game genre relies on the skill, rolling the dice is imherently luck based. I believe that combining these components will create something unique and special.

What’s Next?

Next Week: Unit selection, movement and pathfinding.
Early June: Combat system.
Late June: Worker units, gathering resources.
Regular Updates: Every Friday/Saturday, expect progress reports and GIFs of catastrophic failures.

Follow this blog for weekly updates, and may your rolls ever be in your favor.

– [Rogue Photon]