Its A Fantasy Strategy Game! but where is the Strategy?
First let me start off by saying …I LOVE! War of Magic! This type of game has been long overdue …especially for us Old School AD&D Types! So again Thank You!
But now I must admit I really expect more Strategy out of this “Fantasy Strategy Game!” As it stands right now v1.11 is definitely a far cry from how this started out ..but truthfully …where is the Strategy? I am easily playing the Faction Levels at RIDICULOUS level and end up falling asleep as I play by the time my Sovereign has even made to 13th Level! Usually by then My Sovereign and just 1 Son have put together a solid enough Strike Force of First Teleport Responders (LOL! Im an Ex 1st Bn A-Team LdrUS ARMY RANGER …HooAhh!) to be able to basically decimate anything DUMB enough to show its UGLY Head in my Kingdom without even a thought of Strategy…Titans Included! …WHERES the STRATEGY??? Ok? True enough Im a little biased given Im a TOTAL WAR – Junkie (ie SHOGUN & ROME) but …wheres the STRATEGY????
I’m no Game Designer but this would be my WISH LIST???
A - SUBTERFUGE! SUBTERFUGE! And more SUBTERFUGE! It was cute at the beginning with Enemies hiding stacked under caravans but that got old real quick! Where are the Special Operations Units??? Beside my self built FAST Teams (Sovereign, 1Son, Cmdr Niinunes (Imbued), Cmdr Mapret (Imbued), x2Earth Elementals (Beefed Up&Spell Immune), x4Archer Squads, x2Lord Hammer Squads) where is the SUBTERFUGE? My Strike Team is like Teleporting In a BATALLION of RANGERS under the watchful eye of SPECTRE GUNSHIPS…HOOAHH!!! So I ask where are the Clandestine Counter Intelligence or Shadow Forces? (ASSASINS,THIEVES (ie CIA? Oopps my Fault..LOL) ,SPIES) This could probably be something to add to that excuse my FRENCH… BORING A@% … Diplomacy Tech Tree that never gets touched in my Games except for Caravans? HEY! It would be SUPER COOL to be able to outright STEAL RESOURCES (Gold, Food, Prestige, Knowledge, Metal, Materials,Population)from other FACTIONS with these Special Units!!!! Then of course we would have to invest Money and Tech Time in the Counter Security of Special Units to Protect our Resources? Heck with Legacy being such a huge part of the Game? How bout Assassinations and K&R? Kidnapping of Faction Heirs, Wives and or Champions???? WHAT!!!! OMG!!! NOW…That’s …EPIC STRATEGY!!!! Let alone paying the Ransoms to get them back??? LOL …As well where is my ability to threaten other Factions and or Extort them for Gold and or other Resources??? Hell…they always seem to be threatening and or extorting Me for Gold on RIDICULOUS Level…again why can I not do the same!!!! “Pay Me or Else!” … A Treaty time counter would be helpful on the Faction Relations screen…sure would like to know when the 99turns is about to be up so I can plan that Factions Demise at turn 70! LOL
B – Why do AI FACTIONS never work collectively together? Can it not do this? What is the use of Diplomatic Marriages (except children) when it brings no foreseeable Strategic advantage? I never even have to bother getting an allied Faction to declare war on another Faction? That seems to be a waste of time and money I usually never have on RIDICULOUS Level? As Well why am I even able to play this GAME on RIDICULOUS Level??? Im not that GOOD??? …and is not the very idea of that level being easily playable …RIDICULOUS??? LOL
C – SPELLS! Still …SUCK!!! The overall mana pool system is actually awesome! But the Spells in and of themselves on an Individual level SUCK! First of all most of the spells are uselessly boring and have no real effect on Winning or Losing Gameplay! And not because they are not Ineffectual but because the Benefit vs Cost equation is CRAZY OFF! I never use any of the Spells that increase City Traits (ie Prestige, Protector, Fertility or Bounty or whatever yall called them?) Why??? The Benefit they in turn Imbue was so Low with +1 Benefits that their Benefit was barely negligible at best? Unit Movements +1 or +2 as well as Unit Creators are so expensive Mana wise as to be unnecessary? Answer: Increase the Benefit and or Decrease the Expense please! Not to Mention the same thing with the Attack Spells? Why the Hell waste the Tech Time to get a Fireball that has no more or less Effect vs Cost as Power Blast or Arcane Arrow which in effect now is the end all answer to everything. Again the Mana I Expend vs Benefit equation is off on all the attack Spells plus yield no additional benefit depending on what I am fighting? I expect Fire Spells to work better against Water Elementals and Vice Versa! As well again the Damage Adds you receive for having more of a certain type of Crystal (Fire,Earth etc) should be increased they again are negligible at best …WooWoo? And Again where are the Subterfuge Spells??? Why would I BLINK Cmdr Mapret to just any random dang …TILE inBATTLE???? HELLO …Help Me out Here??? LOL …or spend a ridiculous amount of Mana to Freeze someone for one turn??? Or again Rock Slide one dang tile??? A One tile Impediment in a Sq/Ft Attack System is useless and doesn’t Impede anything or anyone on a Battle Map that only takes 3Turns at best before Engagement? Answer: Either increase the Battle Map Size(PREFERABLY! Would love more EXTENSIVE BATTLE with more UNITS involved …would really be cool to fight Lord of the Ring type Movie Battles like TOTAL WAR within this FANTASY setting WOW!!!) or Spell Effect too 2 or three Tiles? Again Spell Mana Cost vs Effect is unworthy of this POTENTIALLY EPIC GAME!!!!
Now that Im on the subject of battles what the hell is the use of siege weapons and or equipment at this point in the game???? I assume this is for some later versions because what the heck am I laying siege to in a person vs person turn based system on a battle map that takes 3turns to engage an enemy in close quarters battles? LOL…please help this whole portion of the game because right now the combat is rudimentary and boring with the potential to set the tone for all games to follow!
D – OVERSEAS! I expect that the Sea Navigation andShipBuildingand Sea Battles portion of this Game will be forthcoming? Because I have not bothered at all with this at all and have still beat the hell out of the other Factions!
