Dominions 3: The Awakening
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| Dominions 3: The Awakening | |
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| Developer(s) | Illwinter |
| Publisher(s) | Shrapnel Games |
| Release date(s) | September 29, 2006 |
| Genre(s) | Turn-based, Strategy, Fantasy |
| Mode(s) | Single player, Multiplayer |
| Platform(s) | Windows Mac OS X Linux |
| Media | 1 CD-ROM |
| Input | Mouse,Keyboard |
Dominions 3: The Awakening is a turn-based fantasy strategy game created by Illwinter and published in 2006 by Shrapnel Games. It is the third game in the Dominions series, preceded by Dominions: priests, prophets and pretenders and Dominions 2: The Ascension Wars.
The game combines a simple presentation with an extremely wide array of strategic options, including over 1500 units, 600 spells and 300 magic items.[1] Turns are resolved simultaneously, with players planning battles rather than directly controlling them.
The game includes scenarios and randomized play, but does not include a campaign. Dominions 3 is mainly designed for multiplayer, including PBEM, hotseat and TCP/IP. AI opponents are available for single player.
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[edit] Overview
The game allows the player to design a pretender god with the potential to ultimately become the God of a fantasy world by defeating all other pretenders. The interface consists of a hand-drawn or randomly-generated world map and several menus. The maps are divided into provinces which can be conquered in tactical battles. Provinces provide gold and resources, needed to recruit units. Compared to other games in the genre, Dominions 3 only has a small amount of economic management, focusing almost entirely on creating and deploying armies.[2]
At the start of the game, each player begins with a predetermined number of provinces, typically one. This starting province is the nation's capital, with a fortress, temple, and magic laboratory. From here, the player can recruit soldiers, commanders, mages and priests to wage war upon their enemies. Mages cast spells, summon magical units, conduct research and search for magical sites. Priests can preach against enemy dominions in addition to using holy spells.
Provinces that believe in the player's god are considered part of that god's dominion and give several advantages: the player's troops fight better, enemy forces are penalised, and the global scales (things like temperature, magic resistance, luck, and supplies) are slowly changed to the controlling god's liking. Friendly dominion is indicated with white candles, whilst enemy dominion is shown with black candles. Should a player lose all provinces or all dominion, they will lose the game.
[edit] Combat
The combat system is very detailed; each unit has several values like morale, hit-points, strength, and precision. Most units will rout if their squad takes too many casualties, rather than fighting to the death. Supply and logistics play a large role as well, with starving troops very likely to rout.
There are many different units to recuit within the game, including archers, infantry, cavalry and mages. Troops can be recruited in all provinces, often influenced by the terrain. For example, woodsmen and druids can be found in forest provinces. In order to recruit nation-specific troops, the player has to construct a fortress. Mages require a laboratory to recruit, whilst priests need a temple.
The battle results are calculated by the computer and can be viewed by the players at the beginning of the next turn like a film. The battles cannot be influenced once the computer calculates the new turn, but players can set simple orders for their troops before the battle is calculated, allowing for basic tactics.[3] This unique combat system allows for fast multiplayer games.
[edit] Magic
There are eight paths of magic in the game; fire, water, air, earth, astral, death, nature and blood. Mages in Dominions 3 have one or more paths, with nations having distinct mages and therefore a different magical emphasis.
All mages can cast spells on the battlefield, but to cast powerful spells or summon strong creatures, magic gems are required. Magic gems are mostly found in magical sites hidden around the world. Every nation starts with a basic magic gem income, but to get more, provinces need to be searched by a mage. There are seven types of magical gems, corresponding with the paths of magic. Blood magic does not use gems, requiring the sacrifice of captured slaves instead.
Magic research is conducted in the eight schools of magic, distinct from the paths. These are conjuration, alteration, evocation, construction, enchantment and thaumaturgy. Again, blood magic is distinct, being its own school as well as its own path.
[edit] Nations
The nations in the game are based upon world history and mythology, rather than standard high fantasy races such as elves and orcs. Amongst others, the mythologies of ancient Greece, Scandinavia, and India are represented. Other nations are based on the work of recent writers, particularly H.P. Lovecraft.
[edit] References
- ^ "Dominions 3: The Awakening", Gamespot, Dec 19, 2006.
- ^ "Dominions 3: The Awakening", Yahoo! Games, Feb 12, 2007.
- ^ "Dominions 3: The Awakening", Gaming Nexus, Jan 17, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Shrapnel Games page for Dominions 3
- Shrapnelgames discussion board for Dominions 3
- Illwinter, developer of Dominions 3
- dom3minions fansite
