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Rob Zacny

Three Moves Ahead 479: Age of Wonders: Planetfall

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Three Moves Ahead 479:

Three Moves Ahead 479


Age of Wonders: Planetfall
Rob, TJ, Ian Boudreau, and US Gamer editor Mike Williams discuss the very pleasant surprise that is Age of Wonders: Planetfall. From initial skepticism over the fantasy series' pivot to science fiction, the gang are slowly won over by Planetfall's novel solutions to expansion and city management, diplomacy with minor factions, and glorious tactical combat.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall

 

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Here's Michael Valentine referred to as Dr. Disrespect.

 

I remember at one point Rob was very dismissive about Age of Wonders 3, saying that Endless Legend was the only good 4X (apart from Civ series probably) and saying AoW3 is not close. And it's objectively wrong! AoW3 is one of the best 4X games ever, and I'd argue the only one (before AoWPF at least) that realized the player dream of tactical combat inside of an empire-building game. Even Total War series is not as good with balancing it (maybe 3K is close). AoW3 was perfectly playable in auto-resolve multiplayer mode but opened up a whole new layer with tactical combat.

 

Another thing that podcast made me think about is how many of the later 4X games dismiss progress. In Civilization, Beyond Earth, Galactic Civilizations, fantasy Stardock 4X Fallen Enchantress, even Stellaris - and you observe grand changes. You're not just a bigger empire with bigger ships but is not recognizable. In Beyond Earth or Stellaris you all transform to robots and maybe live in ringworlds, in Fallen Enchantress the very fabric of earth bends under your command and your troops are now wearing magical full plate. But in Endless series or Age of Wonders it's just numerical increments, you don't change the world. Even if Legend/Space tech description talks about some grand change - you play recognizably the same guys as you had on turn 1. Cultural or biological identity of all of those people is far more important than any technological advancement. It's not Star Trek but rather Star Wars or Dune space medieval stasis. Not sure if this says anything about the state of our current culture or its just a trend that today players value difference in starting factions more than potential variety of development.

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I am a big fan of Age of Wonders franchise but not so much of AOW3 which has great graphics and contemporary conveniences compared to older games, but is significantly dumbed down in my opinion. However your review of Planetfall makes me want to buy it and try it.

 

 A  game similar to Planetfall or other TBS games you review is Eador Imperium. I played the earlier Eador -Master of the Broken World  along time ago, but did not finish it and never quite got it. Eador Imperium makes some improvements, but mainly I just understand the economy and game systems better and I am enjoying the heck of it. Eador strips down the TBS formula of HMM or CIV to its essential elements, but within its more narrow focus there  is a TON of content! The game is very hard at any difficulty so you must learn new tactics and strategies for each map and hero.

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Don't know about essentials, I think Eador does the opposite - throws a lot of stuff on top on HoMM or Civ or AoW system. Like every damn character has level ups and complex stats, and you can have a couple of dozens characters in an army, and there are several armies you lead, and then there are garrisons, and the combat is more complex than in HoMM (roughly on the same level of complexity as AoW). And the province management is on CK2/EU4 level of complexity, plus your capital has up to a hundred buildings, I think. This game is also unstable and buggy, but its biggest sin is pacing. You didn't finish it and neither did anyone else cause it has a very long campaign, and all of it consists from random free for all fights.

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