08 August 2019 Opinion Opinion

Age of Wonders – Old series of step -by -step fantasy strategies Betmaster Casino. The first part was released back in 1999, but if the once more popular series, like Heroes of Might and Magic And Disciples already ordered to live long, then this franchise is still pleasing with new releases ( Age of Wonders 3 I went out in 2014). And now the developers from Triumph Studios We went to the most bold experiment in the history of the series and transferred their strategy from the world of magic to distant space.

Of course, acquaintance with the series will help in the development of a new part, but Planetfall More like it is more likely to Civilization, Xcom and global strategies Paradox , rather than the previous parts.

Colonization, diplomacy, war

Age of Wonders: Planetfall Almost not related to the past games of the series. The action takes place in its own futuristic universe, inspired, according to the developers, a book cycle "Hyperion" , Fallout And "Star Wars". Of course, it was not without parallels with old parts: already in the opening video the player is told about the beautiful “time of miracles”: in this case, the era of the Star Union. In the same way in the "magic" Age of Wonders, the plot was built around nostalgia at times when magicians ruled the world.

Otherwise, Planetfall is a classic step -by -step strategy similar to a slightly simplified Civilization: the player commands units, fights with monsters, finds other factions and NPC bases, accumulates resources and so on. But in Planetfall, unlike many brothers in the genre, the world is full of events, locations and interactive objects. In the process of research, you constantly stumble upon monsters, special types of landscape, rare resources, small NPC fractions. In some sections of the map, anomalies of the times of the war that destroyed the Union of War are located: for example, radioactive fields and acid rains. In other places, you can find the surviving buildings of the former era, such as automated factories or entertainment centers.

The plot begins with the history of people who have “overslept” the last two hundred years and are now trying to revive the Star alliance

Many of these finds often tell their own mini-stories, as in Endless Space, which allows you to imbue the atmosphere of the post -apocalypse (apparently, the developers borrowed this from Fallout). Although over time, individual incidents begin to be forgotten, merging into a single stream of dangers and problems, a variety of situations creates a vivid feeling of traveling along an unusual and slightly fabulous world. On this, in fact, the charm of previous franchise projects was held.

As a result, Planetfall is alternately played as a global strategy, then as RPG, moreover, both in the plot campaign and in separate scenarios. Of course, long -term strategic planning is important here, but often the player can collect an entire army or get a valuable resource only thanks to the timely found NPC fraction that is outstanding light and profitable tasks.

Because of this, predicting the course of even small missions, especially at first, it is not easy. The situation can change very quickly, and a neighbor, recently seemed the main problem, will fade into the background: what if you need to capture some important territory or reduce the population of monsters. But, oddly enough, this mess is not annoying, but, on the contrary, delays, as if you are a pioneer in unknown lands.

In addition to the usual peace treaties, with the help of diplomacy, you can make someone your vassal, or, conversely, to recognize the power of another faction

Another difference from the old Age of Wonders is diplomacy inspired by series Crusader Kings And Europa Universalis. In Planetfall, you cannot declare wars with a condach: first you need to find a reasonable occasion for bloodshed. In manipulation with geopolitics, influence is spent; It is spent on the capture of new territories, the purchase of units from neutral fractions, the Casus Belli fabrication and negotiations with neighboring states.

At the same time, the relations of the fractions not only affect the conspiracy of certain leaders, but also determine who you can fight with. Declared war on the nation with which you are friends for centuries? Units will receive fines: subjects do not want to fight with a neighbor who was an ally a couple of days ago to the coffin. But the conflict with the hated by all the faction, on the contrary, will enjoy the support of the population.

At the same time, a number of factors influence diplomacy, from the player’s activities and belonging to one race to alliances and wars with third forces. Such mechanics prevents the player from rushing at everyone in a row, as soon as a convenient opportunity comes up, and makes him really “play” in politics, tracking the state of affairs on the map. Naturally, AI enjoys diplomatic capabilities a little clumsy (as usual), but, in general, behaves quite clearly and predictably in a good way.

The power of progress

Nevertheless, in the end, Planetfall is a game about the war. Even the pacifist will have to fight the monsters sooner or later and perform tasks. Here, the project, at first glance, has remained faithful to the series, but the course of the battle itself has changed a lot: if the old Age of Wonders resembled Heroes of Might and Magic or step -by -step RPG, now the battles are causing a series of XCOM. Units are hidden behind the destroyed shelters, the use of abilities alternate; An important role is played by the flanks and the observation mechanics, which is almost discharged from Enemy Unknown, allowing Unit to “postpone” the action and attack the enemy in his move.

The resemblance to battles in the XCOM battles is given by starting opponents – predatory aliens of all stripes

There are many individual units in the game. Each of the six races near a dozen unique fighters, with their own models and characteristics. As technologies develop, they can be modified: change the type of damage, give additional abilities, such as teleportation, passive treatment or energy shields. Thanks to this, the army of different fractions of the same race can vary greatly, and the battles delight with variety and unpredictability – except that the interface pumped up. You will have to get used to the kaleidoscope of small icons.

In some sectors there are anomalies that affect the battlefield not only visually, but also gameplaino

Type of playable races are well known to all fans of science fiction. Cosmic elves, stereotypical people-colonists, evil cyborgs, carnivorous beetles … Triumph Studios did not try to invent “strange” peoples, as in Endless Space, but they did something else: as in the past parts of Age of Wonders, the player does not manage the people, and the specific leader with his tree of development. Special psionic forces, skill in the field of biotechnology, knowledge in the field of AI and the like. Each set of these secret technologies greatly changes the style of play, and in combination with the basic abilities of the races, as many as thirty -six options are created.

The combination of these factors, coupled with the Tree of Research, sets this or that fight tactics. And since on a large map, the vectors of the development of fractions are unlikely to be repeated, the game becomes incredibly diverse. Moreover, the practical benefits of most improvements are obvious: new inventions do not just give abstract bonuses to protection or damage, but open new units, abilities for old, new operations (local analogue of “spells”). Therefore, similarities and differences in technologies between the fractions are visible to the naked eye.

Technology is the most interesting feature of Planetfall. True, it is a pity that the secret leaders' secret technologies do not change the gameplay as radically as in Endless Legend or Total War: Warhammer II..

In addition, heroes have their own abilities that also affect the gameplay. As a result, the parties in the game differ very strongly, and the combinations of peoples and secret technologies will delight fantastic fans in that they allow “gathering” very different starry states. Fortunately, the player is allowed to create a faction on your own.

On the right you can see a race, secret technology and the features of this commander

Age of Wonders: Planetfall is not a “living classic”, but a very successful combination of elements from a number of other strategies, moreover, skillfully fitted to each other. Not a breakthrough, but, no matter how funny it may sound, playing fun in the game. And more developers probably did not want. Triumph Studios successfully transferred their franchise into space, preserving what worked and abandoning the remnants of time.