At long last, my new project Myriarch is available. This is the real-time combat simulator for pre-gunpowder tactical warfare that I started working on after Hexkit. Don’t get too excited – it’s a rather simple application with abstract graphics, still missing lots of desirable features. There’s just one built-in demo scenario, based on the Battle of Leuctra (Sparta vs Thebes, 371 BC), and there’s no user input besides rewinding the simulation recording.
Why so little and so late? Well, partly because a real-time physics engine for tens of thousands of soldiers turned out to be rather challenging… and partly because the whole thing is currently based on .NET and WPF. Microsoft’s evident desire to ditch all client-side .NET APIs was not exactly motivational during the last year of development!
As of now I don’t plan to release any major new versions of my .NET-based open source stuff, and that includes Myriarch. I intend to move on to Java (or Scala) and possibly port my existing projects to that platform. Expect more on that subject in the future.
Meanwhile, Myriarch is a complete working application, if somewhat short on features, so go ahead and give it a try if you always wanted to see a hoplite-level simulation of the Battle of Leuctra! Don’t hesitate to report any issues you encounter, either – I’m certainly not averse to a few more bugfix releases on .NET.
2012-09-29: Posted some implementation notes.