Well, I was really hoping to finish the big website update before the end of October, but unfortunately, I'm not quite there yet. Sorry about that! I wanted to share a little update on what's happened over the last few days, because although things haven't gone exactly according to plan, I've actually made some pretty exciting progress.

The historical army lists for the age of Alexander the Great are now almost complete. We're approaching 70 armies, and I've finished the detailed review of roughly 60 of them. For the remaining ten, most of the work is already done, but I still want to spend some time on their historical characters. I've been going back through the lives and achievements of important figures from the period, trying to make their special rules reflect what made them interesting, whether that's their battlefield leadership, strategic abilities, political influence, or other aspects of their careers.

I could probably rush through those last characters and call it finished, but after putting so much effort into the rest of the armies, I'd rather give them the attention they deserve. And considering how much work has gone into this update already, I think we're close enough that taking a little more time is reasonable.

A Small Bug That Turned Into a Much Bigger Investigation

The main reason for the delay is something I discovered while checking the army lists.

A few unusual unit profiles were producing strange points values. Nothing that appeared in ordinary situations, which explains why these problems had managed to escape detection for so long. But with almost 70 historical armies to review, I eventually ran into some particularly unusual combinations of characteristics, equipment, and battlefield roles.

I initially thought I was dealing with a minor issue that would take a little time to correct. Instead, I found two errors in the calculation logic, along with several smaller problems that became apparent once I started digging through the code.

That led me to question whether the problem was actually more fundamental. Was the entire points calculation system flawed? Had I built too many assumptions into it over the years? And if so, would I have to rethink a major part of the game just before releasing the update?

I spent quite a lot of time investigating that possibility, including experimenting with a different calculation approach that ultimately didn't produce satisfactory results. Fortunately, after going back through the logic and comparing the results, the evidence so far suggests that the overall system was sound. The main problems were specific calculations and interactions, rather than the general approach to balancing units.

That was a relief, although it cost me several days of work!

So I Built a Battle Simulator...

At some point, while trying to test all these different situations, I realized that manually checking individual calculations wasn't going to be enough. I needed a way to see how units actually performed against one another, using the game's combat mechanics.

So I ended up developing a battle simulator.

The idea is fairly simple: select two units, configure their equipment and abilities, and let the simulator resolve their engagement. Instead of relying only on theoretical values, I can observe the actual results of repeated battles, compare different configurations, and investigate whether a particular combination is stronger or weaker than expected.

And I have to admit something: this thing is ridiculously addictive.

I originally built it as a debugging tool, but I've spent far too much time experimenting with different units, equipment combinations, and battlefield situations. It's incredibly satisfying to test something that I've been designing on paper for years and see how it behaves in practice and at scale.

One of the most interesting discoveries has been just how much unit organization can change the outcome of a battle. I'm also enjoying how specialized the armies feel. A unit that's excellent against one type of opponent can struggle terribly against another, while a more versatile formation may be able to handle several threats without being the best at any of them. It's a little like rock-paper-scissors, except with considerably more variables, and it really encourages players to think about what their troops are supposed to accomplish.

I love that aspect of wargaming. Building an army shouldn't simply be about choosing the units with the best statistics. It should be about understanding their roles, anticipating the enemy's strengths, and trying to create an army where the different elements support one another.

Of course, I need to be careful not to draw too many conclusions too early. The simulator is still very experimental, and several special rules and interactions haven't been implemented yet. Some of the automated decisions are also rather questionable. Occasionally, a unit will insist on using its bows when it would probably be much more useful helping its friends in melee!

Still, even in its current state, the simulator has already become a very useful development tool.

Could This Become a Game of Its Own?

This is where I have to be careful, because I can already feel myself getting carried away with ideas.

Right now, the simulator is primarily designed to test engagements between two units. But imagine being able to select several different units, build small forces, and simulate entire battles. It could become a way to experiment with army compositions, study tactical combinations, and test new units before ever putting miniatures on the table.

I find that possibility really exciting, especially because the simulator could eventually use the same profiles, equipment, and special rules as the army builder itself.

However, that's very much a longer-term ambition. There's still a huge amount to improve before I'd consider making the simulator publicly available. The combat logic needs more work, many special rules still need to be integrated, and the automated tactical decisions have plenty of room for improvement.

I wouldn't expect a public version before 2027, and even that will depend on how development progresses. For now, it's an internal testing tool, and I really need to stop playing with it long enough to finish the website update!

What's Next for the Armies?

My immediate priority is still to finish the remaining historical characters, complete the final checks, and publish the updated website and army lists.

Once that's done, I'd like to turn some attention back to Damocles Wars. The Bug Army is currently the most complete and playable faction, and I'd really like to have at least one more fully usable army available alongside it. Testing Bug Army against Bug Army can be fun, but having genuinely different opponents would open up a lot more possibilities.

That doesn't necessarily mean waiting until every miniature has been sculpted. I'd be happy to make additional army lists playable using proxies where necessary, then gradually expand the corresponding miniature ranges as the models become available.

I'm also thinking more carefully about how I approach future army projects. The Bug Army grew into something much larger than I originally imagined, with an enormous collection of printable miniatures, equipment options, vehicles, and creatures. I'm extremely happy with the result, but the project took around a year, and I learned quite a lot about the importance of planning the full scope before starting production.

For future releases, I'd like to prepare the army structure, equipment options, modular components, and production workflow much more thoroughly in advance. That should help me spend more time on the creative work and less time reorganizing things halfway through a project.

Back to the Workshop

There's also the practical side of all this.

During October, I deliberately reduced the time I spent on miniature production and other commercial work so I could concentrate on this major game update. I'm glad I made that decision, because it allowed me to accomplish an enormous amount of development in a relatively short period.

But Proxywars also needs to pay the bills, and I can't keep that reduced commercial workload going indefinitely. So throughout November and the following months, I'll be spending more time expanding the miniature catalogue, preparing products for sale, and taking care of the physical production side of the business.

That will inevitably slow down development of the games a little, but it doesn't mean I'm abandoning them. Quite the opposite: the work I've done this month has established a much stronger foundation for future updates, and I'd like to keep building on it at a more sustainable pace.

My hope is to return to more substantial original STL army releases in the coming months, with the possibility of new projects taking shape around the beginning of next year. I'll share more when I have a clearer plan, rather than announcing dates I'm not certain I can meet.

Thank You for Following the Project

So, yes, I'm a little behind schedule, and I'm sorry I couldn't get the update finished by the end of October. But I'm also genuinely happy with what I've accomplished. The historical armies are almost ready, the rules engine has become much more flexible, several difficult calculation problems have been corrected, and I now have a new tool that should make future balancing and testing much easier.

Above all, I've really enjoyed seeing how the different parts of the game interact. After spending so many years developing these rules, there's something wonderful about being able to experiment with hundreds of different combinations and watch the battles unfold.

And once again, thank you to everyone who has sent me kind messages and encouragement. I know I've said this before, but those messages genuinely help, especially during the more frustrating parts of development. It's wonderful to know that other people are interested in the game and looking forward to seeing where it goes.

I'll keep you updated, and hopefully I'll have the completed army lists ready to share very soon.

All the Best,
William