🔸 Cantata Newsletter #4: Terrains and Action Points
#4: Terrains and Action Points (AP)
Welcome to the fourth-est edition of the newsletter! Things have been really exciting around here since that Rock, Paper, Shotgun piece and we're excited to keep the momentum going and give all you new subscribers new things to check on every few weeks.
We've started putting out a blog post every week on the main site that goes over some aspect of the game. Whether it be about a simple mechanic, a longer form deep dive on an aspect of development, or just telling you about what inspires the game, we're excited to start filling you in on all aspects of the game. Every two weeks we'll then aggregate those posts and send you this newsletter as a recap and to make sure you don't miss anything.
We'll also surface any sort of news around the game here because, outside of Twitter, (which, lets be honest, moves a little too fast) we don't normally post news on the main website.
So with that out of the way, let's talk about the last two blogs!
Action Points (AP)
We’ve already covered some of the basic ideas of the Supply system, and how they apply to Cantata’s gameplay and vision, so now it’s time to look at an equally important system – Action Points, or AP. At its core, the AP system is simple – every turn, the player receives a fixed number of Action Points, which they can then spend on everything from moving units, to attacking, performing CO actions, building structures, etc. If you’re working toward a goal in Cantata, in all likelihood, you’re using Action Points.
Terrains
Sun Tzu, Hannibal, Saladin, Clausewitz: the list of major military leaders, thinkers and writers throughout history could stretch on indefinitely. While their resources, successes and legacies varied, they all shared at least one important quality – an appreciation of the relationship between terrain and strategy. With foresight, terrain can be both weapon and shield; with poor judgment, it’s a tool for self-destruction. Terrain has played a pivotal role in strategy and tactics games for centuries and Cantata is no exception.
Cantata at PAX West?
I'm thinking about going to PAX West this year! Are you going to be there? I'd love to meet up with any of you and talk Cantata, strategy games, and more! Let me know!
Lastly, let me know what you think of this new strategy! Want to see more of a certain type of blog? Interested in a specific aspect of the game? Let me know! We're also happy to write what people want to hear about.
And with that, so ends another edition of the Cantata newsletter! Thanks to everyone for subscribing to this list, it means a lot to me and the team that you're interested in the game!
As a reminder, Cantata is a small game by a small team, so any sharing or word of mouth helps the game out. Get your friends to get on the newsletter, show people the steam page, follow us on Twitter, etc. Everything is appreciated!