Warlords

Game: Warlords
Developer: Steve Fawkner
Platform: PC
Release Year: 1989
Stephen's Rating: 8/10

The faction selection screen before the game starts.

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.

The game involves taking as many cities as you can, and eventually dominating the world of Etheria. Each city can build units which take a certain number of turns. Powerful units take longer to build. Cities by the ocean are ports and can build boats.

 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.

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 earlier this year.

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.

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.