Fantasy Empires

The Good
The incorporation of AD&D character rules into a strategy game makes a very rewarding experience. You create your character who is the leader of an army and gains experience and levels depending on how successful you are. The higher level you are, the better your heroes become. The sense of accomplishment by winning always brings you back for more.

The Bad
The game became very difficult very fast, once you reach the levels where the opposing commanders know all sorts of magic to make your armies fall apart. One false move at these levels and you will watch your army crumble to dust.

The Bottom Line
Those who have a passion for AD&D and strategy games need to check out this title. Although you don't need experience in either to enjoy it.

The Good
Unit types
Campaign capability
Stategy
1:20 mode (for those of you who have played the game)
Elves
Level N Elven heros (hehe)

The Bad
No orcish heros
Speed regulation on higher end pcs

The Bottom Line
I loved this game. You can either command vast armies of orcs, undead, dwarves, or any number of other incredible troops, or take you level N elf and destroy whole armies by speed alone. Siege castles, destroy thousands of soldiers, watch those swirls of red appear in front of that high level fighter or dwarf... Good luck with this game... May your plagues reap the bodies of you enemies, and may your halfling's stones penetrate even the toughest dwarf's brow.

The Good
Fantasy Empires has the right mix of long term strategy to satisfy those who like the complications of empire building, and pretty good "top down" real-time-strategy to fight battles. For those that don't like RTS at all, the option to automatically resolve combat means that empire builders can concentrate on that aspect alone. Multiplayer hot-seat or against computer players (any combination up to 5 players) means that diplomacy takes on an important aspect. For tactical battles, two players can share the keyboard and fight the battle to the death (or at least until its time to salvage what's left of your defeated army and run!)

The Bad
There were a couple of bugs in the game that caused the computer to "build" dozens of seige engines in newly captured provinces on the odd occasion. I suspect that this may be repairable via the glories of the internet (a luxury I didn't have in 1993 and sadly I no longer own the game now anyway). Apart from that - nothing about it at all that I didn't like.

The Bottom Line
Fantasy Empires combines strategy and real time strategy into a great game where up to 5 human and/or computer opponent scheme, backstab and conquer their way to total victory. Starting with a province, player's conquer neutral provinces using armies raised from the resources provided in each province (or provided by friends who trust you!). Development includes armouries, castles (that can be made bigger and bigger to withstand seiges) and others that I can no longer remember! Humans, dwarves, elves and orcs all bring unique talents. Battering rams and catapults are included in the siege engine mix. Heroes include both warriors and wizards, all in varying classes, who can be sent on quests to improve their level. These quests are resolved abstractly over several turns, but if they return they bring items of power and higher personal capabilities.

Combat can be resolved automatically by the computer. This is rather total however, with no retreat option for either side. Two players can share a keyboard to control their individual units or heroes, scrolling through the split screen to concentrate on that part of the battlefield that concerns them most. Castle seiges were great, with a mix of units making both attack and defence a tacticians dream. Good sound effects (for 1993) add to the atmosphere and the collapsing castle walls under the rocks of the catapults were great. Individual heroes, particularly wizards can greatly influence the battle outcomes, casting spells or striking down hordes of the enemy. And with the option to retreat to a neighboring province, battles aren't necessarily the be all and end all of typical RTS games.

The AI was quite good too as I recall.