Fans of Real-Time Strategy games from 20 years ago might be familiar with 'Knights & Merchants.' If not, I'll explain briefly. 'Knights & Merchants' is a game set in the medieval era. The goal was not so much about commanding armies but rather building a prosperous economy, with army building being secondary. Except for some unusual choices (like buildings catching fire after being struck by a soldier's sword), it is a realistic game that emphasizes the art of balancing growth with sufficient food supplies.

The game had a special quality for me and many others. So much so that it still evokes positive feelings today, and I still enjoy playing it. Unfortunately, the creators of the game, Joymania Entertainment, have not done anything with the game for about 25 years.

As a sort of tribute, I decided about 10 years ago to breathe new life into this game. Not as a 'Knights & Merchants 2' (or 3, if you consider the expansion 'The Peasants Rebellion' as 'Knights & Merchants 2'), but as a text-based real-time strategy game.

Text-based real-time strategy games are played within a browser. Every X number of minutes, players receive resources needed to take actions. This can be energy, gold, or mana, depending on the type of game. With these resources, you can perform actions that help you grow, usually in the sense of generating more resources.

In the case of 'Knights & Merchants,' it would involve many different resources. Initially stone and wood, but over time nearly every type of item important in the medieval era, such as food, iron, grain, and weapons.

Players logging into a world for the first time land in a location roughly similar to their real-life location. Thus, players will mainly interact with others who actually live nearby and never with people on the other side of the world, just as it was in the medieval era. By exploring their surroundings, they can find other players in the area. They can negotiate, make deals, cooperate, or attack (and, if desired, in that order) to become stronger and defend against threats.

The biggest threat is a poor economy. If too many weapons are made and soldiers are built, it can lead to insufficient food unless the soldiers attack and loot nearby lands.

The game incorporates many elements from 'Knights & Merchants,' along with some 'realistic' additions, making it a mix of the game and the medieval era.

The game will be free to play, but players can purchase certain elements. 'Knights & Merchants' had an expansion with several added buildings. Players in the text-based game can upgrade their account to include the extra buildings from the original game's expansion.

There is also an idea to add a game mode where players can win real money if the game gains enough popularity. Each month, players can choose to participate in this game mode for a certain fee. They then have a month to become the strongest. If they win, they get a percentage of the total amount.

Unfortunately, the development of this idea has been stalled for many years for one reason: to create it, I need permission from the publishers. Until I can reach them and obtain permission, the project will remain on hold until the copyrights expire, which will take several more decades.