Splendid new fantasy title underways!

[Dagobahn Eagle]

The world has an eight wonder.

 

"...there's no strategy game more epic, varied, and vivid, and it serves as a reminder that truly great games don't require big publishers and big budgets. They simply require imaginative developers with focused ideas and the confidence and intelligence to translate them into games like this."

 

Computer Games Magazine (on Dominions II)

 

Dominions 3 is the third (n'ah?) installment in a series of turn-based 4X fantasy games. The series is, though very opaque (the third installment promises to fix this), quite frankly the best turn-based strategy game series I've ever played. It's deep, it's got an incredible atmosphere, and there are so many diverse items, spells, units, and whatnot that it's incredible. Don't show it to Jack Thompson, though, as some of the blood magic spells and rituals in the game are pretty macabre;).

 

There's a demo out for the great Dominions II, and I suggest you download it and the accompanying walktroughs and tutorials and give it a try (it's big content-wise for a demo). Dominions 3 didn't "üb3r-pwn" Shrapnel Games' pre-order records for nothing - though it's definelty not going to be for those who think good graphics are everything and game-play comes second:p.

 

Critics on the prequel.

[Dagobahn Eagle]

[Notes silence]

It's official - you're all morons:p.

[RoxStar]

Not enough pretty screenshots and too much text makes for a vacant forum post

 

But it does seem really cool!

 

blood hunt yum

[toms]

screenshots to help out:

not that pretty... but i dunno, it has a certain charm that appeals to me.. reminds me of warhammer.

Sometimes i actually prefer games with simple graphics as yur imagination can fill in the rest.

 

In a similar vein, but more RTS people should try out the Kohan series. Kohan 2 was excellent (2d) and kohan 3 (3d) looked really cool too but i haven't gotten around to playing it yet.

It was one of the only RTS games that i ever played that emphasised Strategy over cheapness and repetition. Not as polished as warcraft 3, but much more depth.

[TiE23]

Looks like Shogun: Total War with magic.

[Dagobahn Eagle]

It's far deeper. You can forge really diverse and creative magic items and give them to your commanders, cast spells in and outside of battles, search for magic sites, etc.

 

What I love the most about it is that it doesn't use the stupid cliché races that 99% of RPG/Fantasy titles resort to (read: Elves, Orcs, etc.). They instead dare resort to mythology, which is more diverse and deep, but less well-known. Kudos for that.

 

And the graphics are far better than those of Dominions II. Not that it takes much:D.

[Datheus]

Magic: The Gathering?

[Dagobahn Eagle]

Part Total War series, part Heroes of Might and Magic, part new content.

 

Another interesting touch is the automatic battles. You group your armies into Squads, which form Block formations. You position these block formations on the map and give it orders ("fire at closest enemy", "cast this spell, then that spell, then this spell, then fire at closest enemy", etc.), and then when the battle begins, your army just fights it out.

 

Allows for more players, and is actually a lot more challenging and deep than it sounds (you can really mess up a battle or campaign by lining up your forces in a bad way, or give them poor orders).

[Dagobahn Eagle]

Another update with more screen shots.