Turn-based strategy at its theoretically finest
What an awesome game this is. Or could be. And hopefully will be! When the game was released in April 2013, it had a distinctly unfinished and bug-ridden feel to it. Since then, the developers have religiously released updates and patches, and now, several months later, the game has shaped up remarkably, with further work being done.
Eador: MotBW is a fantasy-themed turn-based strategy game that takes its inspiration from classics such as HoMM, Age of Wonders and, of course, Master of Magic. There are some elements from Civilization, too, but it is much more tactical than the Civ games and, in my opinion, undoubtedly richer.
It is undoubtedly complex, and clearly deeper than what we are normally fed these days. To give you a broad and incomplete overview:
- Units are "individuals" (no stacking), have their own XP, and their own skills.
- Terrain matters, so place your ranged units on mountains (auto-resolve is offered too).
- Unit types have alignments that influence moral (think King's Bounty here).
- Heroes have a custom spellbook and you can choose what spells go into it.
- There are tactical and strategic spells (think Age of Wonders)
- You can construct and upgrade a huge variety of functional buildings.
- You can craft gear, and find rare and even legendary loot.
- Mercenaries are available, requiring upkeep, like most other units.
- Random events and quests pop up, giving you additional tasks.
- Each province (a hex on the strategic map) can be explored dozens of times and you will keep finding new lairs, caves and ruins,
- Units level up and gain extra traits (chosen by the player).
- Heroes have classes and can be fully equipped with items.
- Distance matter: the farther away from home you are, the stronger the enemies.
- Tutorial and a very long, increasingly more difficult campaign.
The game is hard (however not impossible or unfair), and the learning curve is steep, but the tutorial does help and the game is easier to get into than others that leave you confused as what to do next. There is a lengthy campaign, custom games (random maps) and the beginnings of multiplayer, as well as Steam achievements. You'll struggle even on the lowest difficulty setting, but as you learn you'll improve and the tough-as-nails AI will continuously challenge you and keep you engaged.
If the developers keep working on this game and continue to polish it, then this will be a milestone of the TBS genre. The game has everything that a genre classic is made of, and it's super inexpensive, as well. Give this a try, you won't be disappointed. (But do bring patient and the willingness to learn the game! There is hand-holding, but you still have to think on your own!)