I picked up EoM today and played through the tutorial and a bit of the game itself. Let me say right off that this is not a grand strategy game. It’s character-driven, and much more like Disciples than AoW. It also reminds me of Rage of Mages with the number of characters (and sometimes odd text), so maybe a cross between RoM & Disciples.
Game Options:
The game lets you play either the main plot or multiplayer. You can play the multiplayer scenarios as either a spectator or one of the two sides (there seem to only be two scenarios, both with only two sides), and you can play the MP scenarios SP vs the AI. The main plot branches in that you will sometimes be given choices on how to proceed, but you’re still on a rail. You’ll always need to complete objectives based on those choices (so far as I’ve seen). The paths you choose will also determine, to a degree, which Hero characters will be in play. There isn’t a random map generator, or any way to play outside of the main plot beyond the two scenarios I mentioned.
Units:
There are both “Hero” units and “Grunt” units (my terms). There can only be one “Hero” unit in a stack, and each stack can hold three units (Hero or Grunt). Combat is initiated by moving your unit/stack onto an enemy unit/stack (the AI will also move and initiate). Only one stack can engage in a given combat, so the maximum units you’ll have per battle is 6. The game is turn-based, as is combat, and each unit has a specific number of Action Points (AP’s). This can vary by unit, so slower units can slow up a stack, or be out of AP’s for a fight.
All units have a number of different statistics: Hit Points, Action Points (AP’s), Mana, Morale, Sight Range, Attack, Counterattack, and Defense. AP’s are universal, meaning if you use AP’s to move a stack into combat, units won’t have those AP’s to fight. Combat ends when either the attacker retreats (the defender cannot), both sides run out of AP’s, or one side is destroyed. In combat, units move around on a (very small) combat map, and each unit can take one action per round provided it has the AP’s. Spellcasters can choose & cast spells, or melee characters can choose an enemy to approach and fight. After you choose your actions, you’ll end that combat turn and both your actions and you opponent’s will be played out.
Spells:
Spellcasting units will have spells available depending on their profession (Druid, Mage, Psionic, whatever) and level. Spells can have two effects: Global and Combat. Global spells tend to affect an entire stack, while Combat spells only affect one unit. A Healing spell cast globally will heal a stack, while the same spell cast in combat will only heal one unit. Hostile spells work the same way, and more complex spells will require more AP’s to cast. There are quite a few different spells, but it’s hard to count them the way the manual is set up. Global and Combat spells are listed seperately, even though they may be the same spell.
There are also some special abilities (War Cry), which can have similar effects to spells.
Towns:
Units can be recruited in friendly towns for a price, and the units available will vary from town to town. Units can also be trained in towns (again for a price), and that training can either be temporary (+6 AP for 6 turns) or permanent (+2 attack). It seems units can also learn new spells in some towns, but I haven’t seen this yet. Gold for training/recruiting can be gained by completing quests (different than scenario objectives). You can’t improve or alter towns, only visit or capture them.
Friendly towns can be garissoned with your own units, but I have no idea if the enemy ever attacks or how strong their attacks are. Sometimes enemies are scripted to generate based on events, so you could have a bunch of enemies suddenly appear pretty much anywhere.
Experience:
Each unit gains experience based on both combat and quests/objectives. A unit needs to damage an enemy to get any experience from combat, but it looks like completing objectives/quests gives experience to every unit on your side.
Overview:
I’m not sure what to think of this game yet, to be honest. The screen shows too little of the map compared to the graphical size of the units, which bugs me. I find myself wanting to zoom out a lot. The text also can be overly verbose, like a bad Japanese translation: “The controls are in no way complicated.” Huh? Just tell me what the controls are and I’ll decide how complicated they are.
The manual is 58 pages, with 16 pages devoted to brief descriptions of the characters (both the Heroes and Grunts), 6 pages for different types of training or items, 12 for spells, and the rest for art or gameplay/controls.
I’ll play around with it some more, and might post clarifications or anything else I find that’s significant.
