Dark Legions
Encyclopedia
Dark Legions is a 1994 action
strategy game
for DOS
. It was developed
by Silicon Knights
and published
by Strategic Simulations, Inc.
(SSI).
Many reviewers and players note it as an updated version of the classic computer game
Archon: The Light and the Dark.
. The player may play against the computer or another human on a strategic game board
.
In the beginning of the game, the player buys their forces with a predefined number of credits, and may purchase any of the 16 characters along with various kinds of traps and even rings of power to upgrade their creatures. One is chosen to be the "Orb Keeper". The Orb Keeper is like the King in chess: the game is over if he dies. Then players set up on a chosen map and start to move turn wise. When one player moves a piece into the same square as an opponent, the action is instantly transferred to another board map that represents the terrain upon which the two pieces occupy. Each player starts with their single piece on this "melee map" and must fight using their figures. The fight is simultaneously controlled in real time.
Each figure type has unique abilities and at least two attack types.
They can be roughly translated into categories however. This categories facing off against each other is the main focus of strategy. Simply put: Casters are hunted by Undead which are hunted by Fighters that fear the Casters spells. These categories are made up as a description and not an inherent part of the game. Hence some odd figures don't fit in any category.
Fodders- weak fighters meant to be expendable
Fighters- nothing else can compare in combat
Casters- comparatively weak in combat, but capable of powerful strategic effects that draw upon their own life force
Undead- specialists between fighting and casting with superior movement abilities
Specialists- those that do not fit into any other category
Dark Legions was released at almost the same time as the original Warcraft
and was in direct competition with this game from the much weaker publisher, SSI. While Dark Legions won acclaim and awards, it was the more frantic and continuous real time
combat with the ability of gamers to build mass armies as the game progressed coupled with Warcraft' s stronger retail presence that won the sales in the mid '90s
and no sequel was ever released.
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
strategy game
Strategy game
A strategy game or strategic game is a game in which the players' uncoerced, and often autonomous decision-making skills have a high significance in determining the outcome...
for DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
. It was developed
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
by Silicon Knights
Silicon Knights
Silicon Knights is a Canadian video game developer. Founded in 1992 by Denis Dyack, the company is headquartered in St. Catharines, Ontario, Dyack's hometown....
and published
Video game publisher
A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer....
by Strategic Simulations, Inc.
Strategic Simulations, Inc.
Strategic Simulations, Inc. was a video game developer and publisher with over 100 titles to its credit since its founding in 1979. It was especially noted for its numerous wargames, its official computer game adaptations of Dungeons & Dragons, and for the groundbreaking Panzer General...
(SSI).
Key features
Some key features of this game include:- Multi-player head to head (unusual for a DOS game in 1994)
- 16 unit types with unique characteristics and abilities
- A combination of strategic movement with real-time combatReal-time strategyReal-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
- Purchasing of units at game start allows each player to customize their forces
- Multiple game maps
Many reviewers and players note it as an updated version of the classic computer game
Personal computer game
A PC game, also known as a computer game, is a video game played on a personal computer, rather than on a video game console or arcade machine...
Archon: The Light and the Dark.
Description
Dark Legions is an action based strategy gameStrategy game
A strategy game or strategic game is a game in which the players' uncoerced, and often autonomous decision-making skills have a high significance in determining the outcome...
. The player may play against the computer or another human on a strategic game board
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
.
In the beginning of the game, the player buys their forces with a predefined number of credits, and may purchase any of the 16 characters along with various kinds of traps and even rings of power to upgrade their creatures. One is chosen to be the "Orb Keeper". The Orb Keeper is like the King in chess: the game is over if he dies. Then players set up on a chosen map and start to move turn wise. When one player moves a piece into the same square as an opponent, the action is instantly transferred to another board map that represents the terrain upon which the two pieces occupy. Each player starts with their single piece on this "melee map" and must fight using their figures. The fight is simultaneously controlled in real time.
Each figure type has unique abilities and at least two attack types.
They can be roughly translated into categories however. This categories facing off against each other is the main focus of strategy. Simply put: Casters are hunted by Undead which are hunted by Fighters that fear the Casters spells. These categories are made up as a description and not an inherent part of the game. Hence some odd figures don't fit in any category.
Fodders- weak fighters meant to be expendable
- Berserkers are the cheapest figures (20 Credits). Melee fighters strong enough to hurt casters and not much more.
- Orcs are cheap yet 50% more expensive than Berserkers (30 Credits). They make up for it by superior fighting prowess.
Fighters- nothing else can compare in combat
- Trolls are the toughest melee fighters around and quite cheap (40 Credits). They are the slowest Units by far and can transform into rocks for hiding and ambush.
- Demons are about as tough as Trolls yet way faster and way more expensive (80 Credits).
- Elementals (Fire/Water) have a ranged attack. They are fast and strong though weaker than Trolls and Demons. In addition, water elementals can stand in bodies of water as well as teleport between them with minimal effort; Fire Elementals can 'go novaNovaA nova is a cataclysmic nuclear explosion in a star caused by the accretion of hydrogen on to the surface of a white dwarf star, which ignites and starts nuclear fusion in a runaway manner...
' on the strategic map.
Casters- comparatively weak in combat, but capable of powerful strategic effects that draw upon their own life force
- Wizards with ranged attack to freeze enemy units on the strategic map and direct combat; though fragile, they are able combatants.
- Conjurors can summon Units. These conjurations are as good as the original but lose 10% health per round. Conjurors are the most expensive figures (100 Credits) for a good reason. They are best kept far from single combat, as their attacks are restricted to very short range, and they are extremely vulnerable.
- Illusionists can create illusionary Units. These are extremely weak and destroyed immediately if hit. Creating Illusions costs her little life points compared to the Conjuror's Conjurations. In combat, they possess a weak ranged attack and the ability to randomly teleport short distances. With patience and skill, they are capable of prevailing against stronger opponents.
- Templars are healers being best combined with other casters. They are comparable to Berserkers in combat prowess.
- Seers do nothing but spot invisible opponents and traps. They are the weakest of all units in combat, with only a feeble melee attack and the ability to scramble their enemies' movement, which may not even work against the AI.
Undead- specialists between fighting and casting with superior movement abilities
- Wraiths can teleport across the strategic map and have multiple (weak) life leeching attacks in melee. Overuse of their teleportation ability can cripple both their life force and their normal movement speed.
- Phantoms are invisible to one's opponent. They move and attack slowly. Fit to assassinate frail casters or to scout the area, though again, their potential increases with the skill of the player.
- Vampires are flying units with the ability to paralyze opponents and drain their hit points in combat. Killed (non-undead, non-elemental) opponents become zombies under the vampire's command, retaining their combat abilities from life but not their special overland abilities. Though their maximum vitality is the highest in the game, vampires grow weaker each turn and must continually find opponents to feed on.
Specialists- those that do not fit into any other category
- Thieves can disarm traps (including a mini game). They are the cheapest ranged fighters (35 Credits). Similar to in many other RPGs, thieves are fragile, but have surprisingly strong offensive potential and survive via evasion.
- Shape Shifters are able to transform into any other unit. This makes them the most versatile figures. Strategic options include luring opponents by copying the frail, transforming into fast units in order to give chase, or becoming invisible. Their statistics copy the form assumed in combat enabling them to counter any opponent with the appropriate form.
Dark Legions was released at almost the same time as the original Warcraft
Warcraft (series)
Warcraft is a franchise of video games, novels, and other media originally created by Blizzard Entertainment. The series is made up of Four core games: Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, and World of Warcraft...
and was in direct competition with this game from the much weaker publisher, SSI. While Dark Legions won acclaim and awards, it was the more frantic and continuous real time
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
combat with the ability of gamers to build mass armies as the game progressed coupled with Warcraft
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
and no sequel was ever released.