Eomer
03-03-2003, 06:21 PM
So yeah, I bought this on release and never played it up until this weekend. After playing it for about 15 hours straight yesterday, I conclude it is a very good game, and similar in a lot of ways to Civ.
There are two main modes to the game. The first is the strategic view, where it looks and plays a lot like Risk (I think that's the name of the game). You move your armies, emissaries, royalty, ships and whatever else around from place to place, and it is turn based. No moves are final until the end turn button is clicked. The map covers Europe, Northern Africa, a little of the middle east, and part of Russia. Overall it's pretty damn big, there is probably about 100-200 total provinces. I think there is around a dozen different civilizations you play against. Each province can build buildings, and train troops (with the right buildings). In that respect it's pretty similar to Civ, you build the proper pre-req's and you can train new units. Units are combined into armies that you move around the map, and are lead by generals. These generals can be given the titles from each province as their leader, and depending on the general's stats, they will increase income, loyalty, or whatever else in that province. Titles sometimes also grant the generals various benefits.
So the strategic part of the game is very indepth. Not only do you have to worry about your provinces and what not, you also have to worry about your royal family. You can send your daughter off to marry into other factions, and can request that other princesses marry into yours. Your ruler will eventually grow old and die, or die leading an army, so it's very important that you have several heirs at all times, otherwise it's game over. You also have to keep an eye on generals, as if there is enough that are disloyal and prominent enough, they can rebel and split your faction up. You can sometimes do this on purpose, if your leader is getting old or just plain sucks, and you want some new blood in there. So yeah, lots of strategy.
The other main part of the game is the tactical fights. When your army engages another army, or castle/fort/keep (lots of variations), you personally lead all your troops. If you have 1200 troops in your army, there are 1200 troops on the battle field. The terrain is extremely varied, and you can siege castles of course. Weather also has an effect. So far I suck ass at the tactical fights. Unless I outnumber the other side by a ton, I get whupped.
The nice thing also, is that you can just let the computer resolve battles automatically if you want, it's your choice. If you are competent though, you can achieve better results. But if you just want to play it like Civ, you are free to do so.
Best part is that multiplayer is built in and working. I have no idea how good it works, or if the game would work well in multiplayer (it would take weeks to resolve even a short campaign I would think), but it's nice anyway.
So yeah, someone go buy it and come kick my assmar.
There are two main modes to the game. The first is the strategic view, where it looks and plays a lot like Risk (I think that's the name of the game). You move your armies, emissaries, royalty, ships and whatever else around from place to place, and it is turn based. No moves are final until the end turn button is clicked. The map covers Europe, Northern Africa, a little of the middle east, and part of Russia. Overall it's pretty damn big, there is probably about 100-200 total provinces. I think there is around a dozen different civilizations you play against. Each province can build buildings, and train troops (with the right buildings). In that respect it's pretty similar to Civ, you build the proper pre-req's and you can train new units. Units are combined into armies that you move around the map, and are lead by generals. These generals can be given the titles from each province as their leader, and depending on the general's stats, they will increase income, loyalty, or whatever else in that province. Titles sometimes also grant the generals various benefits.
So the strategic part of the game is very indepth. Not only do you have to worry about your provinces and what not, you also have to worry about your royal family. You can send your daughter off to marry into other factions, and can request that other princesses marry into yours. Your ruler will eventually grow old and die, or die leading an army, so it's very important that you have several heirs at all times, otherwise it's game over. You also have to keep an eye on generals, as if there is enough that are disloyal and prominent enough, they can rebel and split your faction up. You can sometimes do this on purpose, if your leader is getting old or just plain sucks, and you want some new blood in there. So yeah, lots of strategy.
The other main part of the game is the tactical fights. When your army engages another army, or castle/fort/keep (lots of variations), you personally lead all your troops. If you have 1200 troops in your army, there are 1200 troops on the battle field. The terrain is extremely varied, and you can siege castles of course. Weather also has an effect. So far I suck ass at the tactical fights. Unless I outnumber the other side by a ton, I get whupped.
The nice thing also, is that you can just let the computer resolve battles automatically if you want, it's your choice. If you are competent though, you can achieve better results. But if you just want to play it like Civ, you are free to do so.
Best part is that multiplayer is built in and working. I have no idea how good it works, or if the game would work well in multiplayer (it would take weeks to resolve even a short campaign I would think), but it's nice anyway.
So yeah, someone go buy it and come kick my assmar.