Serf City: Life is Feudal

The Good
The graphics are luscious, with an amazing amount of attention to detail as each of the professionals go about their business. I especially loved the animations of the fisherman and the miners.

The depth of the economic system in which every resource has its uses and must be correctly allocated, is staggering. The raw materials are chopped down, grown, mined or cut up, then transformed and assigned. When you run out of something, it's always your fault, and can be overcome thanks to the emergency program.

Constructing the road system takes practice, but allows for a myriad of routes ensuring no clogs.

Positioning your initial castle, and the guard huts and watchtowers to expand, is always a compromise, and, as ever, a small decision can have huge effects later. Make sure to get yourself as much mine land as possible, plus some smooth ground, and ideally waters for the fishing, as this is the easiest way to produce the food.

Another thing I love is the combat, both on attack and defence. The cutesy look conceals great depth and strategy, with the chance to target a specific hut so as to cut off or burn down a crucial part of their production chain - of course, they can do this to you as well.

The Bad
It's a little too easy to make costly mistakes early on whose full repercussions are unpredictable, and don't unleash themselves for several hours' play, which is frustrating.

The Bottom Line
The introduction sequence sets the scene perfectly - making it clear that this is no dry functional strategy game. The basic concept of controlling a society by allocating resources to produce food, tools and weapons, via farming, mining, forestry and milling amongst others, and attacking the enemies to conquer the whole area. It's been done many times, before and since, but this series stands alone for many reasons

The Good
Serf City is one of the games I used to play for hours and hours on the 386 (and later on the 486). Surpassed only by Civilization, this game had no real competition in the God department: an incredible combination of great music, good control, pleasent graphics and amazingly addictive gameplay. Though I like the Amiga version better (despite its lack of memory handicap) I have to admit the PC conversion is very true to the original and presents the user with an incredibly satisfying simulation of controlling ridiculous feudal territories.

The Bad
It's repetitive, but otherwise damn near perfect.

The Bottom Line
A genius game. If you liked Civilization you will certainly like this one.

The Good
Settlers is a game in which I can admire the construction of an efficient state that grew above the competition - and then make the act of extermination on a much weaker opponent.

When you select a game mode, shows the land on which you are free to look around. Now, target player seems pretty trivial-must find a good site on the state. However, you should try to get access to resources - trees, rocks, and lakes for fisherman. It should also be near the mountains to locate the mine. Now you can go to the development of the state. And here comes the eternal and the biggest advantage of Settlers - developed economy. In other real-time strategies typically peasant mowing the tree, and it offered up to the main castle, also the same man was coming raw materials and build buildings. Here these activities is already a skilled workforce. For example, the woodsman cuts the trees, and the trunks of the trees are processed into boards in a sawmill. Both the logger and sawmill worker need tools to them and the need for raw materials - coal and iron. The miners, however, without food just will not work. To create structures are needed builders and individuals who are equal area. Food supply, for example, a fisherman, but he needs a rod. To top it all needs - personally set - road transport, operated by another "specialist", porters - for demarcation too long path may be a shortage of goods .... And so all the time, playing to its complexity today, astonished, still not getting old.

The Bad
After create the state, of course, there comes a moment that you meet with your neighbor - or neighbors, the game may be up to 3 enemies at once - and the output is only one. Unfortunately, tactical side is simplified - just have watchtowers / castles on the border, mark by a opponent's watchtower, and give order to attack. Here ends the role of the player, the soldiers are fighting automatically, in honorable combat 1 on 1, until the "blood" end. In fact, the fight is only the crowning of the player who can create a better infrastructure.

Settlers has a poor image in low resolution - 320x240 or "slightly better" SVGA 640x480. Despite this, elite players will enjoy different flavors minor details to the game by its creator - even animations workers are exceptional refined, of course, as for 1993. The music is simple and not very high quality - I think it's MIDI, but I'm not sure - nice play in the background, creating an appropriate atmosphere.

The Bottom Line
I personally wholeheartedly recommend Settlers - if you're a player who values great gameplay, not graphics, you should be thrilled. Settlers can calm down and delight like no other game. Were it not for the fact that it is a RTS, you could talk about the syndrome "one more turn". However, this is not a game for everyone - not just any player, especially a spoiled by current production, slightly longer sees beauty covered with dust .... Settlers are great.