itch.io

Building an AI that doesn't just cheat with bigger numbers

Most browser strategy games fake "difficulty" by giving the AI more resources. I wanted ORBIS VICTOR's AI to actually behave like a strategist: it evaluates frontlines, stages fleets before committing to an attack, prioritizes targets based on defensibility rather than just picking the weakest planet, and adjusts its whole approach based on difficulty profile rather than just padding stats.

The game itself: turn-based conquest across a galaxy of planets, tactical battles, a tech tree, multiple scenarios, a daily challenge, and a "Universe Conquest" meta-layer for a bigger strategic map if you want more than one match.

It's free, browser-only (no install), and you can play as a guest — no account wall before you get to try it.

Play here: https://orbisvictor.com

Aany feedback — bugs, balance complaints, "this AI move felt cheap" reports — genuinely shapes what we fix next.

ORBIS VICTOR Update: Universe Conquest, Better Scoring, Cleaner Leaderboards

The April and May updates were some of the biggest so far. This update adds major groundwork for Universe Conquest, improves classic scoring, cleans up scenarios, fixes leaderboard presentation, and makes the overall player experience smoother.

Universe Conquest

Universe Conquest is a new strategic layer being built around the existing battle game. Instead of replacing classic battles, it adds a larger campaign map where sectors can be captured, defended, fortified, and contested over time.

Recent Universe work includes:

• Strategic sector map foundation
• Sector ownership and capture flow
• Auto-resolve battle support
• Manual battle entry from the Universe map
• Universe progression tracking
• Pirate sector and conquest-chain progress
• Shared/server-authoritative multiplayer groundwork
• Live database migration support for Universe data
• Documentation for future balancing, seasons, and multiplayer rules

The goal is to let players fight individual battles while also building toward a larger conquest across the galaxy.

Classic Scoring Upgrade

Classic scoring has been improved so strong victories can now score beyond the old practical cap. The new scoring model rewards:

• Fleet efficiency
• Clean wins
• Battle performance
• Harder difficulties
• More AI opponents
• Active hazards and modifiers

Server-side leaderboard validation was also updated so the stored score matches the game-over score more reliably.

Leaderboards And Hall Of Fame

Leaderboards received several quality fixes:

• Table rows and columns now align correctly
• Current-player highlighting no longer shifts cells
• Score submission includes more game context
• Hall of Fame assumptions were updated for the new scoring model
• Classic, Scenario, Universe, and Multiplayer scoring are being kept separate for fair comparisons

Scenario Cleanup

Scenario data was audited and cleaned up:

• Public scenarios were validated
• Broken draft/test scenarios are hidden from the public browser
• Official scenarios were normalized to supported formats
• Scenario launching by ID is more reliable
• Scenario documentation now tracks what to keep, fix, archive, or review

Player Experience Improvements

This update also improves the overall flow:

• Post-game feedback prompt with emoji + text ratings
• Registered commander panel now uses real player data
• Login now refreshes game state automatically
• Footer version number now opens version history
• Cleaner recommendations for returning players

What’s Next

Universe Conquest will continue to grow in phases, with focus on:

• Better sector balance
• Season scoring and rewards
• Stronger server-authoritative multiplayer
• Replay/debug tools for shared battles
• More polished strategic-map UI

Thanks for playing ORBIS VICTOR and helping shape the game as it grows.

Play the game: Orbis Victor!

ORBIS VICTOR Update: Universe Conquest, Better Scoring, Cleaner Leaderboards

The April and May updates were some of the biggest so far. This update adds major groundwork for Universe Conquest, improves classic scoring, cleans up scenarios, fixes leaderboard presentation, and makes the overall player experience smoother.

Universe Conquest

Universe Conquest is a new strategic layer being built around the existing battle game. Instead of replacing classic battles, it adds a larger campaign map where sectors can be captured, defended, fortified, and contested over time.

Recent Universe work includes:

• Strategic sector map foundation
• Sector ownership and capture flow
• Auto-resolve battle support
• Manual battle entry from the Universe map
• Universe progression tracking
• Pirate sector and conquest-chain progress
• Shared/server-authoritative multiplayer groundwork
• Live database migration support for Universe data
• Documentation for future balancing, seasons, and multiplayer rules

The goal is to let players fight individual battles while also building toward a larger conquest across the galaxy.

Classic Scoring Upgrade

Classic scoring has been improved so strong victories can now score beyond the old practical cap. The new scoring model rewards:

• Fleet efficiency
• Clean wins
• Battle performance
• Harder difficulties
• More AI opponents
• Active hazards and modifiers

Server-side leaderboard validation was also updated so the stored score matches the game-over score more reliably.

Leaderboards And Hall Of Fame

Leaderboards received several quality fixes:

• Table rows and columns now align correctly
• Current-player highlighting no longer shifts cells
• Score submission includes more game context
• Hall of Fame assumptions were updated for the new scoring model
• Classic, Scenario, Universe, and Multiplayer scoring are being kept separate for fair comparisons

Scenario Cleanup

Scenario data was audited and cleaned up:

• Public scenarios were validated
• Broken draft/test scenarios are hidden from the public browser
• Official scenarios were normalized to supported formats
• Scenario launching by ID is more reliable
• Scenario documentation now tracks what to keep, fix, archive, or review

Player Experience Improvements

This update also improves the overall flow:

• Post-game feedback prompt with emoji + text ratings
• Registered commander panel now uses real player data
• Login now refreshes game state automatically
• Footer version number now opens version history
• Cleaner recommendations for returning players

What’s Next

Universe Conquest will continue to grow in phases, with focus on:

• Better sector balance
• Season scoring and rewards
• Stronger server-authoritative multiplayer
• Replay/debug tools for shared battles
• More polished strategic-map UI

Thanks for playing ORBIS VICTOR and helping shape the game as it grows.

Play the game: Orbis Victor!

sure thing!! I am testing games every day!!!! Discord username is lordmonk11111  https://discord.com/invite/Q7KBb4ySFH

anyone? :)

Hey everyone,

I've been building a browser-based space strategy game called  Orbis Victor (Play Orbis Victor Here)  and I'm looking for players to try it out and tell me what they think.

The idea is simple: you start with one planet, conquer others, build fleets, research tech, and try to dominate the galaxy. It's turn-based (or you can set it to auto-turn if you want things to move faster).

Here's what makes it different from most browser strategy games:

The AI actually plays back. - It has 4 personalities — a rusher that's in your face from turn 1, an economist that quietly builds an unstoppable economy, a guerrilla that raids 3 of your planets every turn and never commits, and a turtle that walls up and bleeds you dry. You won't know which one you're facing until you're already in trouble.

It also watches how you play. If you turtle, it out-techs you. If you rush, it defends and counter-attacks. If you try to exploit it by attacking 5 planets at once, it triages — saves the important ones, sacrifices the rest, and counter-strikes your exposed base.

There's a real tech tree with 20+ technologies that actually affect gameplay. Fleet speed, combat bonuses, production multipliers, orbital defenses. Research matters — a smaller fleet with better tech can beat a bigger one.

 Multiple ways to play: 

- Single player against AI (easy/medium/hard)

- Multiplayer (real-time turn-based)

- Campaign mode with branching missions

- Daily challenges

- Custom games where you set the galaxy size, difficulty, everything

 No download, no install. It runs in your browser. Works on mobile too.

I'm mainly looking for feedback on:

- Is the AI challenging enough on Hard? (It should beat you more often than not)

- Does the game feel fair when you lose?

- Are there strategies that feel broken or exploitable?

- General feel — is it fun? Would you play again?

If you run into bugs or have suggestions, there's a built-in bug report button, or just drop a comment.

Thanks for checking it out. Play the game - Here

The AI That Learns How You Play — Then Destroys You

## Orbis Victor's AI isn't scripted. It watches, adapts, and fights back.

---

Most strategy games ship with AI that follows a script. Rush early. Turtle late. Repeat. You learn the pattern in 3 games and never lose again.

We spent 8 development sessions building an AI that refuses to be predictable.

---

### It has 7 mental states

The AI doesn't think in binary "winning or losing." It operates across a spectrum:

- **DOMINATING** — When it's crushing you, it won't let up. It targets every one of your planets simultaneously. No mercy, no breathing room.

- **WINNING** — Presses the advantage. Expands aggressively while keeping pressure on your borders.

- **ATTACKING** — Even footing? It goes on the offensive. Proactive strikes, parallel expansion.

- **BALANCED** — Normal play. Expanding, building, watching.

- **UNDER PRESSURE** — Behind but not broken. Turtles up, rebuilds economy, upgrades defenses. Only strikes when it calculates 80%+ win chance.

- **SURVIVAL** — Down to 1-2 planets. Maxes defense, invests in tech, waits for the one opening you'll give it.

- **LAST STAND** — One planet. Hopeless odds. Dumps everything into a single all-in coordinated strike at your weakest point. If it hits, the game flips. If it misses, it goes down swinging.

---

### It knows what kind of player you are

Every 5 turns the AI classifies your playstyle:

- **Rusher?** It shores up defenses and waits for you to overextend, then counter-attacks.

- **Expander?** It races you for territory and denies your growth.

- **Turtler?** It out-techs you. Quality beats quantity.

- **Tech-focused?** It rushes you before your investment pays off.

You can't use the same strategy twice. It adjusts.

---

### 4 personalities — every game feels different

Each game, the AI rolls a personality:

**The Rusher** — In your face from turn 1. Grabs 5-6 planets before you've upgraded your second. Pure aggression.

**The Economist** — Quiet. Efficient. Maxes production to level 8 on every planet before it even looks at you. When it finally attacks, it has twice your output.

**The Guerrilla** — Raids 3 of your planets every turn. Never commits more than 30% of its fleet. You can't pin it down. You can't predict where it'll hit next. Infuriating by design.

**The Turtle** — Builds a fortress. Waits. You throw your fleet against its walls and bleed ships. Then it counter-attacks with everything it saved.

On Hard, you get 50% Rusher, 30% Guerrilla, 10% Economist, 10% Turtle. Good luck.

---

### It comes back from the dead

When the AI is losing for 3+ turns straight, it doesn't panic. It picks a comeback strategy and commits:

**Tech Gambit** — Stops fighting. Pours everything into technology. When it comes back, its level 8 ships tear through your level 3 fleet like paper.

**Fortress Defense** — Pulls back to its strongest 2-3 planets. Maxes defense. Makes every attack you launch cost more than it's worth. Bleeds you dry.

**Surgical Strike** — Analyzes your weakest important planet. Coordinates every ship it has for one perfect strike. Doesn't waste a single fleet on anything else.

**Decoy Bait** — The dirty one. Leaves its weakest planet undefended on purpose. You take the bait. While your fleet is busy conquering a worthless rock, it hits your exposed core. You traded a garbage planet for your best one.

---

### You can't exploit it

Tried attacking 5 planets at once to overwhelm it? It runs threat triage:

1. Scores every threatened planet by value (home planet, production level, defense level, survival odds)

2. Classifies each as MUST-SAVE, TRY-SAVE, or SACRIFICE

3. If it can't save them all, it deliberately drops the weak ones, concentrates on its best 2, and counter-strikes your now-undefended territory

It tracks a global defense budget so it never accidentally drains reinforcements from Planet B while saving Planet A. Every ship is allocated intentionally.

---

### It sends decoys

25% of turns when the AI is winning, it runs a feint:

- Sends 22% of a fleet toward your strongest planet

- You panic and reinforce

- The real 60% fleet hits your weakest planet from the other side

By the time you realize what happened, you've lost a planet.

---

### It plans multiple turns ahead

The AI doesn't just react. It picks a target planet, calculates how many ships it needs, spends 3-5 turns building up, then executes a coordinated multi-planet strike in a single turn. If you disrupt the plan, it recalculates. If the opportunity disappears, it picks a new target.

---

### It's not perfect — on purpose

5% of the time, the AI deliberately picks a slightly suboptimal move. Not a mistake — an interesting choice. A risky gamble. An unexpected raid. An over-commitment that could backfire.

Because perfect play feels robotic. 95% optimal feels human.

---

### The numbers

- **7** strategic states (DOMINATING through LAST STAND)

- **4** distinct personalities per game

- **4** comeback strategies when losing

- **8** emergency defense responses per turn

- **5-turn** player behavior classification cycle

- **3-source** multi-planet reinforcement coordination

- **Global** defense budgeting across simultaneous threats

- **9,000+** lines of AI decision-making code

---

### What players say

*"I thought I had it won. Down to 2 planets. Then the AI teched up for 15 turns and steamrolled me with ships I couldn't scratch."*

*"It kept raiding 3 of my planets every single turn. I couldn't defend everything. By the time I caught on, I'd lost the production war."*

*"I attacked 5 planets at once thinking I'd overwhelm it. It sacrificed 3, saved 2, and counter-attacked my home base while my fleets were scattered. I lost."*

---

**Orbis Victor. The AI that makes you earn every victory.**

Play the game: Orbis Victor!

Now game is playable on mobile phones -- try it and let me know your feedback! orbisvictor.com

Devlog –  Update  

This week was about making the game feel better to play: stronger strategy choices, cleaner UI, and a more premium look in-match.

Balance & Strategy

• Attack upgrades now give 15% per point (previously 5%), matching defense.

• Planet dedication is now one dedication per planet (production or attack or defense).

• AI dedication logic was updated to make smarter role decisions based on map position and game state.

UI / UX

• Fixed zoom behavior so in-game UI stays visible and stable.

• Improved the first-time experience: setup flow consistency + guided onboarding + a cleaner HUD.

Visuals

• Added a real in-game background: each match picks a random space image and renders it subtly inside the canvas (~20% visibility) so it looks good without reducing clarity.

• Removed extra canvas starfield drawing (background images already include stars).

• Backgrounds auto-update: add images to images/game/ and they’ll get picked automatically.

If you played this week: tell me what felt best/worst (balance, UI clarity, AI behavior).

Multiplayer is finally here 👀

Same rules. Same systems. But now… humans make the bad decisions.

https://orbisvictor.com

Who’s brave enough to host the first lobby?

Classic vibes on Hard Level 8 – Planets. The AI puts up a fight, but it’s totally beatable. Check it out at http://www.orbisvictor.com

Hey everyone! 

Just pushed a big update to my free browser strategy game - **real-time multiplayer is now live!**

Play here:** https://orbisvictor.com/multiplayer-colyseus.html

What is Planet Conquest?

A turn-based space strategy game inspired by Galcon. Conquer planets, build fleets, research tech, and crush your enemies!

New Multiplayer Features:

Private rooms with room codes (share with friends!)

 Real-time synchronized gameplay

Turn-based PvP (30 sec per turn)

 Win by conquering all planets

Disconnect protection (2-turn grace period)

Looking for

• Players to test it out!

• Feedback on balance and UX

• Bug reports

It's completely free, no ads, no login required. Just enter a name and start playing!

Let me know what you think! 

#strategy #multiplayer #browsergame #pvp #free

ok we implement the ship ownership do not have nothing with change of ownership of the planets... maybe will be good if these ships become rouge and then everything can happen :)

Another question - what is better - when the player (or AI) conquer the planets fleets inflight to become ownership for the winning side or to stay from original side?

Haha, maybe you can check the game and give some suggestions :)

I have issues with the PvP - multiplayer- the game is simple but i am  stuggling - any help is welcome: 

Current flow is as following:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐

│                    MULTIPLAYER SEQUENCE                     │

│                     PLANET CONQUEST                         │

└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

LEGEND:

P  = Player Client

H  = Host Client

C  = Other Client(s)

S  = Server

──────────────────────── Phase 1: Connection ────────────────────────

P  ── PLAYER_CONNECT ───────────────────────────────►  S

P  ◄─ PLAYER_CONNECTED ──────────────────────────────  S

────────────────────────── Phase 2: Lobby ───────────────────────────

H  ── CREATE_ROOM ───────────────────────────────────►  S

H  ◄─ ROOM_CREATED (roomId) ──────────────────────────  S

C  ── JOIN_ROOM (roomId) ─────────────────────────────►  S

H  ◄─ PLAYER_JOINED (playerInfo) ─────────────────────  S

C  ◄─ PLAYER_JOINED (playerInfo) ─────────────────────  S

H  ── PLAYER_READY ───────────────────────────────────►  S

C  ── PLAYER_READY ───────────────────────────────────►  S

H  ◄─ LOBBY_UPDATED (readyStates) ─────────────────────  S

C  ◄─ LOBBY_UPDATED (readyStates) ─────────────────────  S

──────────────────────── Phase 3: Game Start ────────────────────────

H  ── START_GAME ─────────────────────────────────────►  S

S  ── Generate galaxy + seed state ───────────────────►  S

H  ◄─ GAME_INIT (seed, galaxyData) ────────────────────  S

C  ◄─ GAME_INIT (seed, galaxyData) ────────────────────  S

H  ── INITIALIZATION_COMPLETE ────────────────────────►  S

C  ── INITIALIZATION_COMPLETE ────────────────────────►  S

S  ── All ready? ─────────────────────────────────────►  S

H  ◄─ TURN_START (turn=1, timeLimit) ──────────────────  S

C  ◄─ TURN_START (turn=1, timeLimit) ──────────────────  S

──────────────────── Phase 4: Turn Cycle (Repeats) ──────────────────

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐

│ TURN_START (turnNumber, timeLimit)                           │

└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

H  ── SUBMIT_TURN_ACTIONS (MOVE / UPGRADE / RESEARCH) ─►  S

C  ── SUBMIT_TURN_ACTIONS (MOVE / UPGRADE / RESEARCH) ─►  S

H  ◄─ REQUEST_ACTIONS (final chance) ──────────────────  S

C  ◄─ REQUEST_ACTIONS (final chance) ──────────────────  S

S  ── Execute turn (movement, battles, production) ───►  S

H  ◄─ TURN_EXECUTED (results) ─────────────────────────  S

C  ◄─ TURN_EXECUTED (results) ─────────────────────────  S

H  ── CLIENT_STATE_HASH ───────────────────────────────►  S

C  ── CLIENT_STATE_HASH ───────────────────────────────►  S

S  ── Verify sync / resolve mismatch ──────────────────►  S

H  ◄─ TURN_START (nextTurn, timeLimit) ─────────────────  S

C  ◄─ TURN_START (nextTurn, timeLimit) ─────────────────  S

(Repeat until victory condition is met)

────────────────────────── Phase 5: Game End ─────────────────────────

S  ── Victory condition reached ───────────────────────►  S

H  ◄─ GAME_ENDED (winner, stats) ──────────────────────  S

C  ◄─ GAME_ENDED (winner, stats) ──────────────────────  S

────────────────────────── Design Notes ─────────────────────────────

but there are many problems with synchronization - any suggestion is appreciated

Hey everyone!

I'm excited to announce that ORBIS VICTOR - Planet Conquest is now ready for open beta testing! 🎮We still keep the old game on planetconquest.com but we have improved and advanced version on Orbis Victor aka Planet conquest!

What is ORBIS VICTOR? A browser-based real-time space strategy game where you conquer the galaxy through tactical fleet management, tech research, and outsmarting AI opponents with unique personalities.

Current Features (ALL WORKING): 

✅ Single-player conquest mode with 3 difficulty levels

 ✅ 8 scenario missions including the challenging "Dead Star Siege" 

✅ 20+ technologies to research 

✅ 5 distinct AI personalities (from aggressive Emperor McLaserface to adaptive Strategist Echo) 

✅ Global leaderboards & achievement system 

✅ Spy networks & orbital defense systems 

✅ Beautiful sci-fi UI with parallax effects

Coming This Month: 🔄 Campaign mode (connected story missions) 🔄 Multiplayer battles (real-time PvP)

I would appreciate if you can test the game and provide us with an feedback!

Planet Conquest – Update Highlights

AI Smarter : Improved strategy, adaptive aggression, and better upgrades make for tougher, more dynamic opponents.

Balanced Game Modes: All modes fine-tuned for fair and engaging play.

Fleet Visibility Overhaul: Spotting enemy fleets now depends on difficulty, tech level, and planet upgrades, adding depth and surprise.

Refined Upgrade System: Upgrades are more meaningful, letting you shape your own strategy.

Experience deeper strategy and challenge with these latest improvements!

Your feedback is important to us!!!

Hello!

I’ve just created a new browser-based strategy game called Planet Conquest. I’d love for you to check it out and share your feedback! It’s free to play right in browser at http://orbisvictor.com or old version on planetconquest.space.

If you have any thoughts, suggestions, or would like to feature it, I’d really appreciate your input!

Thanks so much for your time!

Best,