Empire of Magic

Empire of Magic got a publishing deal 2 or 3 weeks ago and I had never heard of it. All of the sudden today there are previews at Gamespot and RPGDot. The previews are based on a press demo many gaming outlets have received. Anyone here know anything?

It’s fantasy themed, Turn-based Strategy with an RPG chaser. HoMM/Disciples comparisons will abound, but the look is fairly fresh. This is my favorite genre and the titles are few and far between. Another crazy foreign company (Mayhem Studios - Slovakian) which is inspired enough and/or looney enough to take a stab at this rarely seen corner of the market gets me all hot and bothered. :)

Thanks for the heads up. I like this genre a lot myself. I’m currently looking forward to the always-about-to-be-coming-up-to-the-beginnings-of-getting-ready-to-be-released Warlords IV. But the more of these games the better, IMO.

That’s another one going into my column of “I’ll believe it when I see it on the shelves”. :)

Obviously there are maybe 3 of us who are interested in this, but lookee:

A lot of tactical possibilities, whereby you can use the siege of the castles and 3D segmentation of the terrain. Your units can hide behind the hills or prepare an ambush from the behind.

Really innovative approach to artificial intelligence. The computer is not cheating or using waypoints, but it is really thinking.

Your units can gain levels. According to the experiences gained they will level up and their overall characteristics will improve. In the cities you can buy a stay at the healer, mage or a martial arts teacher. Your units can be grouped allowing them to set up camps and fortify them.

Many impressive spells, strategically and graphically different. Their overall number is 122.

The game world consists of different types of terrain. It takes you into the snow-covered mountains, fiery deserts, rainy hills and idyllic meadows.

Variety of units. The game offers 80 basic units and other unique units - heroes.

I’m interested in it. In fact, anything with Magic in the title makes me happy…

I haven’t had a lot of time to put into it yet but I’ve played the press preview demo for about an hour and it’s pretty cool. To say the first mission in the demo is busy is a major understatement, but I won’t say anything to spoil it in case they decide to release this thing to the public…

Basically you have an overland map, your units, neutral units, friendly units and not-so-friendly units. The ones that you can talk to give you quests. Combat takes place in a 3D combat screen like HoMM, AoW or Disciples… The demo shows units attacking each other at a distance using spells and ranged attacks on the overland map but I haven’t figured out how to do that yet. Finally, players can purchase upgrades in towns like additional spells, combat & defense etc. I’m not sure if you can hire additional units in town or not, but like I said I haven’t put a lot of time into it yet.

So far I really like this game. There’s a heavy emphasis on the main characters in the game – if they die it’s game over… Oh and some of the overland spell effects are awesome. I’ll try to get some specifics for you later if you’re interested, but I don’t think I’ve even scratched the surface :lol:

Thanks Khalil. From what I have seen and read it seems closest to the Disciples series. Yippee!

I was interested until I discovered it was scenario-based; not enough replayability in those for me.

I was interested until I discovered it was scenario-based; not enough replayability in those for me.[/quote]

Age of Wonders 2 is scenario-based. Would you skip a fine game like that just because there were no random maps?

the only thing i’m worried about is no multiplayer. It’s not mentioned in the features list and I don’t see anything in the preview demo of the game. Time to grill the developers. :wink:

Yeah, what Mark said, unless he edits it to something about being smelly and gay after I write this, in which case I agree with whatever the perfumed heterosexuals in the thread are saying.

I played Age of Wonders II for something like five hours today on just one scenario that was relatively early on in the game (Water 1 - fourth level out of I believe 20 or 21). I -still- haven’t beaten it. I figure the whole game will probably take me a Baldur’s Gate 2 length of time to complete, and that is without considering the numerous scenarios already released on the internet and all of the multiplayer scenarios included with the game (Hey, Lutes! Send your damn Epic Epochs turn already!).

I was interested until I discovered it was scenario-based; not enough replayability in those for me.[/quote]

Age of Wonders 2 is scenario-based. Would you skip a fine game like that just because there were no random maps?[/quote]

I did indeed skip Age of Wonders 2.

I was interested until I discovered it was scenario-based; not enough replayability in those for me.[/quote]

Age of Wonders 2 is scenario-based. Would you skip a fine game like that just because there were no random maps?[/quote]

I did indeed skip Age of Wonders 2.[/quote]

I did too, initially. Now that the price has dropped, you should pick it up. Improved features from the first and many cool added ones. As Crypt says, it will take forever to finish, so, for me, replayability is not a factor. Seriously, unless you are averse to turn-based strategy titles as a whole, it is a great game.

Multiplayer should be in there – up to four players over the Internet, so I’ve been told.

I’ve spent a little over an hour with the game thus far, and have been pleasantly surprised. The graphics are a little hurting in places, but I think most fans of the genre will be able to look past them.

Rather than exploring the equivalent of an entire “continent” when moving around a map (e.g. HoMM, Disciples, and AoW), the adventuring portion of EoM takes place in cozier, top-down, RTS-style environments. Good stuff so far. Fun quests and whatnot. Cool spells. Lots of beasties.

My only real gripe, and I think this is something Kahlil was touching on when he said that the first level was “busy,” is that there can be LOADS of AI-controlled stacks on the screen at any one time – as many as in some RTS games. It can take a while for the computer to move them all each turn. Gets a little frustrating when you’re simply trying to move from point “A” to point “B” as quickly as possible.

-Vede

Good to hear about multiplayer :)
Yeah the AI controlled neutral and “good” are moving around like busy little ants on the first map. The good thing about them is that they do take care of the enemy units nicely - If I was getting hammered by multiple stacks I’d just move my guys away and let the AI move in a wear them down a bit. It’s interesting to watch. The first map seems a little too busy though - just my opinion. Of course this is a beta and there’s a lot that needs to be tweaked and fixed . Overall I think anyone that likes TBS fantasy games will enjoy this one.

Whooppeee!! After the excrement which was shat from the collective ass that is the 3DO/NWC braintrust in the form of HoMM IV $30.00 map add-ons, I, for one and possibly only one, am a tad bit excited.

Did any of you who previewed EoM get or are you getting a gold copy? If it sucks, just lie to me or fire a bullet directly into the roof of my mouth. Your choice.

Summitsoft’s Empire of Magic Goes Gold

Mayhem Studios’ Strategic Role Playing Masterpiece is Complete

OMAHA, NE–(BUSINESS WIRE)—April 17, 2003—Summitsoft Corporation announced today that the long awaited and highly anticipated epic, Empire of Magic™, has completed development and will ship to retail stores before the end of April.

Rated Teen by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board, the game contains an amazing 50-120 hour single player campaign loaded with extensive side quests and extra tasks that will keep gameplay fresh and, more importantly, an incredible artificial intelligence system that promises an engaging and ever-changing gaming experience.

“Summitsoft is proud to add Empire of Magic to the growing list of solid computer strategy games,” says Bruce Lowry, president and CEO of Summitsoft. “Also, with Empire of Magic’s intense roleplaying elements, it is just as much a stand alone RPG as much as it is an elaborate strategy game. The game is so massive that we needed two CDs to contain it!”

The final days of a once mighty empire have come at last. The rotting dead rise from their earthbound sanctuary and, like a plague upon humanity, spread death and destruction across the lands. Armed only with powerful magic, players must take on the role of the young mage Artemian on a quest for truth and a ruthless battle for survival.

• Wield powerful magic. Wipe out entire armies or a single foe with 124 potent spells. Acquire new spells and skills by gaining experience in battles.

• Quest for truth and knowledge. Discover the malevolent forces behind the evil uprising before civilization crumbles. An exhausting number of side-quests and extra tasks enrich gameplay and influence your journey.

• Align yourself with influential heroes. Every action and outcome can change a character’s or a town’s loyalties. Over 100 unique heroes, basic units and creatures and NPC’s will help you on your way or cause you a world of hurt.

• Survive countless deadly confrontations. Evil forces are constantly at work to make the journey long and dangerous. Adjustable difficulty settings allow ease of gameplay or greater bonuses and rewards.

I remember investigating this game a couple of months ago when I first got wind of it and getting a good laugh from the developers’ website. They’ve got a game called “Neverend.” Here’s a quote from their blurb for it:

This story is dosed and offered to the player in small fragments and their composition do not allow player to capture the entire complexity and sense of the whole until the game is nearing its final stages.

Apparently Neverend does, at some point, end. :)

I know, I know. I am desperate. GalCiv has reminded me a few decent turn based games there are and how much I enjoy them. AoM and Warlords BattlleCry II stemmed my longing for a while, but GalCiv reminded me what it was like to think and strategize. The constant clicking is still fun, but there is not much time to stuff dinner in your mouth when playing an RTS.

“Also, with Empire of Magic’s intense roleplaying elements, it is just as much a stand alone RPG as much as it is an elaborate strategy game. The game is so massive that we needed two CDs to contain it!”

I hope this is a Russian with a shakey grasp of the English languagemaking these claims. If it is an American, he is one carsalesmany PR guy that is relatively clueless.

This looks so awesome. I’d buy it in a heartbeat.

Still set for a 5/01/03 release.