Overview of Domestic SLG Mobile Game Development and Sand‑Table Interaction Design

The article begins with a historical overview of SLG (Simulation Strategy) games, tracing their roots from the 1990s "Civilization" series to the rise of mobile SLG titles such as "Clash of Kings" (COK) and NetEase's "Rate of the Shore" (Rate of the Beach), highlighting how these games shifted player focus from single‑player content to player‑to‑player interaction.

It then classifies sand‑table maps into two fundamental interaction logics: coordinate‑type sand‑tables, where each map element is an independent point accessed via coordinates (e.g., COK, Rise of Kingdoms), and path‑type sand‑tables, which require connected nodes to traverse, adding strategic depth but also increasing player burden.

The design of map elements is examined, noting that "Rate of the Shore" uses historically accurate cities, landmarks, terrain, and resource nodes, each paired with semantically consistent visual cues to reduce cognitive load; the game also offers both 2D and 3D visual modes.

Interaction design details include tooltip‑style detail panels that appear on tile clicks, gray‑out indicators for unavailable actions, and textual explanations for why actions cannot be performed, thereby lowering the learning curve for new players.

March markers are described as directional arrows linking start and end tiles, accompanied by an army icon, countdown timer, and unit composition, which together convey enemy‑friend status, force size, and timing, offering richer tactical information than the visual line alone.

The article outlines the evolution of strategic maps introduced in August 2022, which expand the visible area by twenty times, abstracting detailed tile data into high‑level information such as land ownership, march routes, garrison presence, key structures, and weather effects, thus easing information overload while supporting alliance‑level strategic decisions.

Finally, it concludes that while SLG sand‑table interaction remains a core challenge, ongoing innovations in visual feedback, UI controls, and strategic‑map scaling aim to balance depth for hardcore players with accessibility for casual users, and future developments are expected to further refine this equilibrium.