EPTFor anyone who has never played Warlords; this is an old game but please don't discount it! If you ever find yourself on vacation, and it's raining outside, and you're stuck somewhere with only a low spec computer... then Warlords is the perfect game for you. Even outside of that niche, if you can get past the old interface it is still a very enjoyable game.
Warlords
![[image loading]](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j4vTlWL-6GE/TtwORVlZKUI/AAAAAAAAApI/I1AwOC_hKCM/s320/Warlords_1.png)
The faction selection screen before the game starts.
The faction selection screen before the game starts.
Game: Warlords
Developer: Steve Fawkner
Platform: PC
Release Year: 1989
Basic Plot
There is no real story other than a battle between eight factions in the world of Illuria.
Gameplay
The game played out as a turn based strategy game somewhat akin to a simplified version of Civilization.
At the start of the game the player picks one of eight forces to control. Each force has a unique starting position and the cities around their capital often share similar units. For example; around the Orcs of Kor capital there are a group of cities who can build wolf riders.
You start with a capital city and one hero. The world is filled with several things;
- Neutral cities which are lightly guarded and can be taken.
- Ruins which heroes can explore.
- Temples for upgrading units.
![[image loading]](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nm-wyBc2w8M/TtwOcQxVI9I/AAAAAAAAApQ/UGatxMT6RxE/s320/warlords_4.png)
The game view; the minimap to the right, and the main action happens in the left window. This is Lord Bane's capital city.
You eventually run out of neutral cities and have to attack enemy players. Although every city can build units the combat often happens between hero units and their parties, who are usually more powerful than other armies and are used strategically. Additional heroes offer to join the player during the game at random but cost a fee, and can sometimes bring allies such as dragons, ghosts, or wizards (which cannot be built in a city, only found in ruins). The hero finds artifacts which increase his own abilities in combat along with the people in his party/army.
The game is won by controlling a dominating proportion of the cities in the map, but to be honest games are so long they don't often get to completion.
You can play multiplayer on the same computer because it is turn based.
I really like the gameplay balance, it reminds me of a well thought out board game. There are several aspects to the strategy:
- Controlling cities is important, as each city provides you with production, and more production means more army, which means you can defeat your opponents.
- Not all cities are equal; some produce very powerful units in a short period of time, others produce weak units over a long period of time. Sometimes one key city can be worth half a dozen other cities.
- Different units are useful for different purposes; for example Dwarven Legions are good at travelling over hills but are slow over forests, and Elven Archers have a bonus to speed (and attack I think) in the forest. This makes them situational, which is quite complex for a game like this.
- Cities are often located in clusters, making them easier to defend than an isolated city. Additionally, some cities or clusters of cities lie in an area which gives you some ability to push into a new area so the location of the cities you aim for is also important.
- Hero units and ruins/temples really throw the game another twist. A hero who is lucky enough not to die in ruins, obtaining powerful items and companions (Dragons, Demons, Devils, Undead, Wizards) can destroy any army it encounters. This allows players who have a relatively small empire to still exert a powerful presence in the game.
Positives
The simple game mechanics are satisfying and enjoyable to play. The game is very replayable, I played a game of this with my brother last year when we had a family holiday out in the country.
The balance of the mechanics just "works" in a way which feels satisfying. I can't describe necessarily how or why, but you get the sense that you are an empire growing - partly due to the minimap.
![[image loading]](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IWQrR4NSfDg/TtwOprgsHbI/AAAAAAAAApY/EpWgr7ZcXQE/s320/Warlords_7.png)
Lord Bane forces outside a city owned by Orcs of Kor.
Negatives
Honestly this game is extremely outdated and hard to use if you've never played an old game, but all of the sequels to the game never came close to capturing what this game had.
Memorable Moments
I had my favourite races. I liked Grey Dwarves and Orcs of Kor, I found their position and the units they could build in their starting area were the best. I liked getting Griffon Riders, Dragons, or Pegasii and flying to the small island. It doesn't produce a lot of useful units but it gives you those three extra cities which are very hard to attack.
Selentines had the worst colour scheme ever. Their cities blend into the ocean, and most of their starting cities are coastal. It is hard to see them on the minimap.
