Sneak Peek: Warlords II
by Karen Kaye

NOTE: Screen shots and information presented in this article are based on a pre-release version of Warlords II and are subject to change before final release. This article is not a review.

When one considers the most successful strategy wargames of all time, one that most likely will come up near the top of the list is Strategic Studies Group’s (SSG) Warlords. It set the standards for its time, and it was both critically and commercially a hit (more than 50,000 copies were sold). To this day it carries a unique personal distinction: it is the only game which I have purchased in both a Mac and DOS format! Warlords remains every bit as fun to play as it was when it was first released, but in terms of graphics, sound and features it has begun to show its age. Fortunately, there is little cause for despair. The graying elder statesman of medieval/fantasy strategy wargaming is about to receive a major face lift. 

SSG is well aware of the continuing interest in this genre, so based on the popularity of the original, it should not surprise anyone that Warlords II is about to come to the Mac (the DOS version has been available for some time now). This is not really a sequel, since Warlords II will cover the same subject area, albeit in a radically improved way.

Overview. The basic premise of the original remains unchanged in Warlords II. Players command medieval/fantasy city-states on a road toward expansion and during the inevitable wars which will result from the contact with other developing kingdoms. There is not only a need to raise armies, buy the services of heroes, and send out the conquering legions, but players also engage in a delicate diplomatic struggle as well. Ultimately, the game develops into a struggle between two or three major powers, as only the toughest and most able survive.  

Heroes take on additional responsibilities. Not only do they explore ruins for treasure, gather magical allies and accumulate fearsome weapons of great power, they can now also accept quests at temples. Heroes also gain in experience, and they can become formidable in time. Just as in the previous game, once the treasury of the players’ kingdom accumulates a certain amount of gold coins (typically around a thousand), new heroes will appear to offer their services. 

Gameplay. The game comes with seven preset scenarios, including a small introductory campaign in the land of Tutoria. Replay value is significantly increased by being able to construct random maps. These are generated by the computer, but the players can define the overall terrain type (grasslands, mud or ice), the percentages of water and hills, the number of cities, and even the possibility of being able to produce armies of magical allies. And still, this is just a tantalizing taste of the level of customization offered.

Before a scenario begins, players get to set other preferences which will have a significant impact on the pace and difficulty of the campaign. The ferocity of the major AI-controlled kingdoms can be defined, and even the level of activity of the neutral cities is adjustable. The hidden map option is a good choice for an even more challenging game: players will need to be explorers before they can become conquerors! “Random turns” also adds a level of complexity. Since, sadly, there is no simultaneous movement in Warlords II, shuffling the order in which the kingdoms take their turns introduces at least some semblance of variance. The Military Advisor is a feature which will be much appreciated by novices: it can be consulted prior to the start of a battle to determine the approximate outcome. And last, but not least, my favorite option: Quick Start. With this option, players will immediately start out as the leaders of a kingdom of several cities with significantly larger armies garrisoning each town. The players are dropped into a situation which is ripe for war. 

The primary focus  of the game is to field armies and conquer enemy cities. In Warlords II the countryside holds no real value, the sources of income are the towns under player control. The taxes collected pay for new units and the upkeep of existing ones as well. Cities can also pay to develop the ability to field a new type of unit. This works well, since the game features many new “exotic” units, such as war elephants and giant bats. All of this activity has but one purpose: get the armies into the field where they can do combat.

When armies collide, it is a battle to the death. This is one aspect of the game which I wish would have changed from Warlords. The opportunity or the need to retreat during combat would have been much appreciated by avid wargamers. SSG believes that an “all or none” situation is cleaner, more meaningful and much easier to code! Therefore Warlords II retains this feature from its predecessor. The battle itself is handled quite abstractly, with the players having little control of the action: only the order in which the units in an army are committed to the battle can be controlled by the player. It is unfortunate that SSG passed up on the possibility of offering a “miniatures” type combat resolution option for the battles. The current system does have one saving grace: speed. Even the largest battles will come to conclusion within a minute. This is especially useful during siege operations, where up to four full strength armies can reside in a city. 

If the players are victorious in a battle for an enemy town, they can either occupy, sack, pillage, or raze it. Each option must be carefully weighed, but typically players will simply occupy the town. After occupation, the town name can be changed and the army unit production can be defined. Since the more powerful units take several turns to produce, a garrison for the newly conquered city needs to be left behind. Cities are not the only points of interest on the map.

Ruins and Temples play an important role. Ruins can be explored by heroes. They will likely be occupied by a magical monster, which can be guarding treasure or a powerful artifact. Occasionally, the monster will join the hero and become an ally. Heroes may also come across Sages, who can tell them about the location of money, artifacts or allies. Temples can be visited to gain a special blessing which will improve the fighting skills of the army in combat. Heroes can receive quests at Temples, that will send them on errands for the gods, for which in turn they will be handsomely rewarded.

The Interface. Warlords II features an exceptionally well designed interface, which ensures that with a few mouse clicks players can control all the action. A new movement interface makes troop movement and control flexible and easy. One bane of the original Warlords is finally exorcised, and an undo command is implemented for the movement of units. The screen presentation of Warlords II is also customizable.

The game will typically display both a strategic and a tactical map, a control palette, and a player status information bar. The two maps permit rapid and accurate navigation to any point on the map, and provide sufficient information about the activities of the other warlords. The maps can also be used to access information about enemy or neutral cities, ruins, and temples. Best of all, various monitor sizes including 12”, PowerBooks, and multiple monitors are supported. 

Graphics. Warlords II was designed in 256-color graphics. The result, especially on a large monitor, is quite impressive. Nonetheless, even on my 520c I get good results. The presentation is clear, the map is easy to read, the icons are descriptive. Frankly, that’s all anyone should ask.

Sound. SSG has developed a truly superb soundtrack to the game which utilizes QuickTime™ technology. The music, sound effects, and the digitized voice of the “Warlord” all combine for a great effect. I think this is the first game for which I did not turn the music off after a few minutes. What shows even greater attention to detail on SSG’s part, is that they offer separate controls for each sound event in the game. This is very useful, since the “Warlord” tends to be a little soft spoken and occasionally gets drowned out by the background music.

Intangibles. SSG has also added a new AI system to Warlords II, which is designed to challenge even the most experienced gamers. I found that at the basic level, the game allowed me to make many mistakes and recover from them quite nicely. The AI was not as opportunistic as it could have been. Admittedly, at the highest AI setting things are probably a little bit different.

SSG also plans to include a play by e-mail feature, using Apple’s new PowerTalk system. What is even more exciting, is that player will be able to go cross-platform in e-mail games. The ability to play against an opponent on a DOS machine opens up the horizon in the players quest for opponents to master.

Finally, for those with PowerMacs there is good news. Warlords II will be accelerated for the new machines. With speed being quite satisfactory on a 68030 system, it is safe to say that with a 601 chip, this game will run like greased lightning.
 
A Final Look. Warlords II requires a color Mac with 4 Mb of RAM, (5 Mb recommended), a hard disk, 256-color graphics, running System 7 or greater. Expect a suggested retail price of $69.95, with a mail order price of around $49.95. This is considered a separate product, so SSG is not planning an upgrade offer for original Warlords owners at this time.

What can you expect from Warlords II? Solid entertainment, addictive game play, and good fun! It is not a revolutionary development of the original, more like a logical evolutionary step in light of improved processors and a demand for better graphics. Those who loved the original, will crave the improved version. Those new to the game, will find a product with an easy learning curve, yet they will rapidly fall under its insidious charm and suffer the fate of addiction. Warlords II will make a nice stocking-stuffer for a budding tyrant in the family! Be sure to play the DEMO below!

All that remains is to part with a few words of wisdom from Conan, the greatest warlord of all:
 
 “Crush your enemies, see them flee before you, and hear the lamentation of the women. That is best in life!”

For additional info or to order, please contact:

Strategic Studies Group 
P.O. Box #30085

Pensacola FL, 32503-1085

Ph:  (904) 469-8880
Fax: (904) 469-8885
USA
CompuServe: 72662,3471