I rate my dog, a Border Collie, a perfect 10. She’s sweet, smart, loyal, friendly, fun, cuddly, and she rarely barks. The fact that she has thrown up on the carpet a couple of times or that she once fished some stale bread out of the trash might mean to some that she isn’t “perfect.” However, she is still a perfect dog.
This is my logic when I give Fallen Enchantress a 10. To me, it’s a perfect game. It is fun, addictive, flexible, and I love it. I get done playing one game, and I can’t wait to start another in order try another faction, map, and/or strategy. It combines every genre I enjoy: strategy, fantasy, 4x, role playing, and it does them all well.
Now some will object. No game is perfect, they insist; they would never give any game a 10. That’s their choice, but all it means is that they are effectively dealing with a 9-point instead of a 10-point scale. Others say there could be a better game sometime in the future. I agree with this. For example, at the time it was out, I gave Master of Orion (the original) a 10. I played that game so much that my index finger got numb from all the mouse clicks. (To this day, I use a trackball now instead of a mouse because of MOO.) Today, I would not give MOO a 10 because gaming has advanced, and there are indeed better games. However, back then, it fully deserved a 10. I hope in a few years (or sooner!) there will be a game I like better than FE. But today, it’s my clear favorite.
When I am not playing the game, I enjoy reading about it on these forums. It’s interesting how one person thinks death magic is so much better than life magic, and then someone else gives a good case for just the opposite. Some think the free heroes trait is overpowered; others, again, have a contrary opinion. I’ve heard people say magic is underpowered; my fire mage and I disagree. Others say you don’t need trained troops. I’m sure they can “prove” their position, but I wonder what game they are playing! I love how you can design your own units. I love how you stockpile things like iron, crystal, and horses. I love that if you don’t have access to one or the other, there are alternate strategies.
I like the combat system. It has a nice balance between magic, melee units, and ranged units. I like how mana works in the game. You have some powerful spells, but you can’t use them indiscriminately because mana is so precious.
I could go on. However, I think you get my point. I think FE is a great game worthy of a 10. My thanks to Derek and his team, and to Stardock for putting out such a great game.
