Exiles of Might and Magic (endgame)

Haven't played Settlers of Kalguuur but I heard it's very similar to the end game I always wanted. Hopefully, that league was an experiment and preparation for the endgame revamp. Either way, I'll just lay out a rough concept here and I trust the devs will think of something better.



Core

1. Upgrade a base/the Ziggurat Refugee and build/upgrade supporting buildings (e.g. smithy, black market, lab, beast kennels etc).

2. Each NPC has certain aptitudes. Assign NPCs to various jobs (research, raising beasts, scavenging/missions, blacksmithing, training, etc). Find more npcs in the atlas.

3. Dedicated passives tree for the base.

For example:

- Current NPCs claim to be "researching" splinters. Why not put them in a lab, give them splinters to research, unlock league boss access, generate base passives, and when sufficiently upgraded choose a league item to produce over time (e.g. a certain omen or 3 certain catalysts per x turns or day).

- In the same manner, put NPCs to work in a smithy for a small stream of choice for runes/scraps/whetstones/etchers. NPCs with aptitude can have a chance for bonus production.

- The black market could be an interesting end-game gold sink that sells random items/currency for large amounts of gold. Buying from there could have map consequences.

- The cartographer's hall could enable the banish/favorite maps mechanic so that I never meet that bloody ape again, add more map attributes (+rarity etc), and make the Atlas more deterministic.

- The barracks could be a way to train NPCs for missions.

- The beast kennels could be a way to get a companion with desired mods, without constantly respawning at a waypoint. You could provide them with materials for these mods and have them raise the beast over time.


Note 1: Resources could be a possible requirement for buildings or research, and be a place on the Atlas which the player would have to capture themselves, or just get via NPC missions.

Note 2: "Time" could either be real time, or "turns" which end on a map completion, depending on the result. E.g. we might want to avoid too many real time income streams due to bots (although bots have far better ways to farm anyway).




Events and missions

Concept is pretty straightforward - find NPCs, train them, supply their gear, and send them on missions, as a long-term reward mechanism, minor randomly built storyline flavor (reports from their adventure and events that transpired), and as an event contributor for players.

Events should also breathe some life into the Atlas.

For example:

- Your soldiers have been captured by enemies - either save them (visit a small hideout-like map - makes them stronger), offer them as a sacrifice (anoint nearby maps with +1 level), or leave them to their fate (nearby maps have 12 packs of deserters).

- A dreadnaught (or another moving object/army e.g. a caravan or a pack of chimeras) appearing and marching through the Atlas, available only for a short period of time/turns.