However, economics also play a vital role. Building barracks, wizard towers and temples to make your cities stronger and capable of pumping out better units is just as important as battlefield tactics.
Gameplay for most turn-based games is slow and thoughtful and in that respect AoW: SM remains loyal to its forefathers. Minor, if not earth-shattering improvements have been made though. There are now six spheres of magic to learn, and there are three new races: Nomads, Shadow Demons and the mysterious Syrons.
Needless to say these races boast their own new heroes and units. All 12 existing races have undergone changes. Each species has a new city upgrade, which comes with a new unit. Elves, for example, can grow a secret forest, which not only acts as a cloaking device for their town, it also produces the powerful Ent-like Treemen.
Overall gameplay feels more balanced than in AoWII, as each race is as good as the next. It's certainly value for money with 16 campaign scenarios as well as a further 19 for skirmish and multiplayer plus a level editor , yet overall it's nowhere near as groundbreaking as Etherlords. That said I will be playing this for a good while yet, the trouble is it is just so bloody addictive -and that from someone who's usually a bit wary of goblins.
But hey, it's the gameplay that counts, and AoW:SM is exceedingly playable. Version: v 1. Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic Is a continuation of the famous series of strategy and role-playing games, with the ability to create your own custom environment with a map generator.
Triumph Studios' significant experience in making turn-based strategy games is evident in Shadow Magic, as the game offers polished, well-balanced gameplay and an interesting storyline. The saga of the wizards Merlin, Julia and Meander continues in the new game, and it helps introduce three new playable factions and new playable units in the original 12 races. In Shadow Magic, you'll start off with one of the fantastic races although you may end up recruiting followers from other races, depending on the situation , start at your home base, and then explore colorful land and underground locations.
On the way, you will meet armies of monsters led by powerful heroes, unless you conquer the entire map. The new game features a whole new set of magic spells and units that help speed up the siege process, including new siege weapons and new spells that can help attacking armies. Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic does a great job with the shortcomings of its predecessor and offers deeper and more balanced gameplay. The Syrons and the Shadow Demons are both denizens of the new "Shadow World," an alternate plane of reality that negatively affects every unit in the game except those that call the Shadow Realm home.
This "Shadow Sickness" makes it more difficult for units to move, attack and defend, but there are spells and items in the game that cancel its effect. Aside from the new races, each old race gets some sprucing up in the form of a new advanced unit and a new special building.
For example, the humans no longer have the witch unit but now may recruit the healing herbalist and magic-hating chaplain. Most of the new units fit in perfectly with the theme of the race with which they belong, such as the elven treeman, the undead necromancer, and the dark elf succubus. The only odd choice is the new dwarven gargoyle. It just doesn't seem very dwarf-like. This was a balance issue as the dwarfs desperately needed a flying unit, but it was a surprise that it wasn't some kind of flying machine.
The advanced structures also fit each race like a finely tailored glove. The elves can build a special glade that hides a city from enemy units and the undead can construct the Hall of Doomed, which provides the undead army a fresh zombie each time a humanoid dies during a siege. These additions may seem small at first glance, but when you consider that there are 15 races, it adds much more variety and simply makes the game feel more complete.
In addition to the special race structures, the new Item Forge -- an advanced structure available to all races -- gives you the ability to create magic items from scratch. The forge gives you complete control over your new item.
You can name it and pick its abilities as well as its type ring, weapon, armor, etc. The magic system is different from Age of Wonders 2 and actually reverts back to the system used in the original Age of Wonders, which was in turn borrowed from the classic Master of Magic. This change is definitely for the better as it allows you to pick and choose your schools of magic rather than be forced to go down one specific path.
For instance, you can choose to dabble in Life and Water magic or Fire and Death, or any combination of the six schools that you desire.
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