The Black Bahr

Hello,

Since the early days of 2025, I have been working on my game called "The Black Bahr"

My goal is to create a dynamic sandbox colony simulation game set in an oceanic open world filled with various kingdoms, clans, and factions. This universe aims to function autonomously, featuring unpredictable diplomatic movements among power centers, constantly evolving trade routes and products, and independent pirates, raiders, and other groups adapting to these changes.

The player starts in this intricate world without any favoritism or guidance, placed in the middle of the ocean with absolute freedom to choose their path. Initially controlling a small boat, players will progress and upgrade their vessels based on their playstyle and decisions. This is where the colony simulation aspect comes into play: the crew serves as your colony, whose needs and desires must be managed. Resources must be strategically used, and following production trees will yield profits or powerful equipment.

The core action revolves around naval battles and coastal raids, taking place primarily in the seas and oceans. The game is neither an FPS nor a TPS and does not offer direct action controls for individual characters. Instead, battles and boarding mechanics follow an RTS approach, with the player commanding the entire ship and crew as a captain and commander.

Below, I've outlined some key elements of the game to give you an idea of its content and scope. The game isn't limited to these aspects and remains open to changes based on player feedback. Therefore, your thoughts and requests are highly valuable to me.

Real-Time and Living World:

-Various races and factions dynamically interact with each other and the player.

-Diplomatic alliances, wars, and trade agreements evolve based on ongoing events.

-Exploration of enticing, risky areas offering diverse and rare loot, with randomness elements enhancing replayability.

-A vast map with neutral territories untouched by any kingdom, ripe for discovery and adventure.

-Details regarding kingdoms and locations are intentionally vague to prevent spoilers, enhancing the exploration experience.

Diplomacy and Kingdom System:

-Each race has unique characteristics, personalities, and opinions about others. Politics are more than just war and peace declarations.

-You can join existing kingdoms or establish your own if certain conditions are met.

-Your reputation is shaped by your actions and decisions, influencing how special characters perceive you.

-Activating the bounty system within kingdom borders attracts bounty hunters pursuing you.

Crew Management and Racial Diversity:

-Your crew can include diverse races, each bringing unique advantages to the overall team performance.

-Players select their crew composition, but mixing incompatible races can cause conflicts, fights, and lowered morale.

-Crew members can be recruited by rescuing prisoners in naval battles, capturing and converting enemies, or from land settlements.

-The crew has salary and food consumption needs.

-Slaves can handle shipboard tasks at lower costs but pose risks if their number surpasses regular crew members.

-Over time, crew experience grows, improving overall ship performance (e.g., combat efficiency, repair speed).

Trade and Economy:

-Dynamic prices, illegal or high-profit goods, and slave trading are crucial aspects of trade. Slave labor and trading may be prohibited in some factions yet profitable in others, similarly to opium and alcohol.

Piracy and Raids:

-Pirates regularly target trade ships at sea, requiring merchants to balance cargo capacity and armament carefully.

-Pirates manage many lucrative dark-market deals, potentially involving the player.

Ships, Sizes, and Naval Warfare:

-Initially, there are seven ship sizes/levels, with the skeletal structure determining each. Ship size influences crew capacity, speed, cannon quantity, and docking costs.

-Damaged ships require resources like wood and tools for repairs. Strategic combat tactics include turning off lights for stealth boarding at night or engaging openly with cannon fire.

-Entering combat readiness (e.g., opening cannon hatches) alerts nearby vessels, raising their alertness.

-Excess cargo can be discarded to increase ship speed in emergencies.

-Certain kingdom vessels call for reinforcements with flare-like signals when attacked, giving attackers limited time to act.

-Different cannon and ammunition types will be available, categorized as quality levels (third, second, first). Ammunition types include explosive or incendiary shells, purchasable or producible depending on the player's economy and production capabilities.

-Ships sustain damage to specific areas during combat (e.g., mast or cannon sections), affecting mobility and firepower.

-Testing and decision-making regarding naval battles and boarding mechanics are ongoing.

In short, The Black Bahr aims to provide a strategic maritime experience where every decision bears tangible outcomes. Players can craft their legend through piracy, trade, diplomacy, and beyond, in a constantly evolving and surprising open world.

If you're interested, I'd be glad if you checked out my game's Steam page!

Who am I?

I'm someone who has previously worked in the software field outside the gaming industry, and for the past year, I've also had a few experiences here and there in the gaming sector. Besides that, I occasionally dabble in modeling and graphic design as a hobby or to meet daily needs.

But above all and most importantly (despite my advancing age) I am an incorrigible gaming addict.

-I've played the same save file until I was sick of it, just to conquer the entire map and convert the world to a particular religion in a strategy game.

-I've spent hours calculating to make sure everything in my city was perfectly symmetrical.

-I've picked flowers in an open world for hours just to obtain a rare item.

-I've died hundreds of times because I stubbornly tried to defeat a high-level enemy without leveling up.

-I've smuggled opium because it was fun.

-I've defended a castle with 100 soldiers against an army of 500.

-I've spent all my resources trying to please a colonist just to keep my colony from collapsing.

And many more... In short, I've spent countless hours in various types and scales of games, and I've been where we’ve all been.

But beyond all that, while playing games, I've often thought:

-"I wish I could take a more aggressive stance in this dialogue."

-"I wish I had the chance to recruit this character to my team."

-"Side quests would be so much better with more meaningful rewards."

-"There should be a way to automate this repetitive mechanic."

-"I want to carve my own path."

-"Diplomacy shouldn't just be about declaring war or making peace."

And many more...

Now, I'm striving to combine these feelings, the joy and frustrations I've experienced in games, with the skills and knowledge I've acquired to create the game I envision, with hope that one day, when I look back, I can proudly say: "I made this."