Fantasy Empires (Silicon Knights)
Encyclopedia
Fantasy Empires is a fantasy wargame
for DOS
made by Silicon Knights
and published by SSI
in 1993. It uses the Dungeons & Dragons
license, and is set in the world of Mystara
.
Apart from humans, the game also has provinces where orcs
, dwarves
, elves
, halflings
, and shadow elves can all be built as units in the army.
The game comes with a full view or fog of war option. The full view allows the entire world to be seen, while the fog of war only allows knowledge of adjacent kingdoms.
A notable feature of the game is its AI, which used a neural net.
Some features of the game are making truces (the breaking of which could cause lawful or neutral characters to become chaotic), creating different types of heroes (fighter
, dwarven, elf, magic user
, cleric
), setting the battle scale (from 20:1 to 1:1) and casting magic spells based upon the points derived from heroes (magic user, clerical, and druidic).
Multiple battles with the same troops against 50 or more opponents could cause them to become veterans or even elites.
The game comes with a number of NPC opponents, some of whom go all the way through the 36th level and are quite formidable.
While the game is somewhat dated and was originally programmed to run using MS-DOS 5.0 (1993 floppy disk version) or MS-DOS 6.0 (1994 CD-ROM version) it can run on newer operating systems as well using for example DOSBOX.
#207 by Sandy Petersen
in the "Eye of the Monitor" column. Petersen gave the game 3 out of 5 stars.
Review in the German computergaming magazine POWERPLAY 12/1993 rated 61% (of 100%) for the original 1993 floppy disk version.
Fantasy wargame
A fantasy wargame is a wargame that involves a fantastical setting, and employs rules for elements such as magic and non-human intelligent creatures.- History :...
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...
made 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 by SSI
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...
in 1993. It uses the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
license, and is set in the world of Mystara
Mystara
Mystara is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role playing game. Although it has officially been dropped from production by its creators, many fans continue to develop and evolve this fantasy setting jointly, continuing its original theme of group development.-Development:It...
.
Gameplay
As the player, you create a character along iconic Dungeons & Dragons roles. This persona serves as the leader of the army during battles, but does not fight. The main portion of the game is played on the 'strategic map'. In this portion of the game, the main tasks include expanding territory by invading and conquering provinces either neutral or enemy owned, constructing building improvements on provinces already owned, and hiring troops. Troops can only be hired if the appropriate buildings are constructed.Apart from humans, the game also has provinces where orcs
Orc (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, orcs are a primitive race of savage, bestial, barbaric humanoid.-Publication history:The orc was one of the earliest creatures introduced in the D&D game. The D&D orc is largely based upon the orcs appearing in the works of J.R.R...
, dwarves
Dwarf (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, dwarves are a humanoid race, one of the primary races available for play as player characters...
, elves
Elf (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, elves are a fictional humanoid race that is one of the primary races available for play as player characters. Elves are renowned for their grace and mastery of magic and weapons such as the sword and bow...
, halflings
Halfling (Dungeons & Dragons)
The halfling is a fictional race found in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Halflings are similar to humans except about half the size...
, and shadow elves can all be built as units in the army.
The game comes with a full view or fog of war option. The full view allows the entire world to be seen, while the fog of war only allows knowledge of adjacent kingdoms.
A notable feature of the game is its AI, which used a neural net.
Some features of the game are making truces (the breaking of which could cause lawful or neutral characters to become chaotic), creating different types of heroes (fighter
Fighter (Dungeons & Dragons)
The fighter is one of the standard playable character classes in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A fighter is a versatile, weapons-oriented warrior who fights using skill, strategy and tactics....
, dwarven, elf, magic user
Wizard (Dungeons & Dragons)
The wizard is one of the standard character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A wizard uses arcane magic, and is considered less effective in melee combat than other classes.-Creative origins:...
, cleric
Cleric (Dungeons & Dragons)
The cleric is one of the standard playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. In the game, clerics are versatile figures, both capable in combat and skilled in the use of divine magic. Clerics are powerful healers due to the large number of healing and curative...
), setting the battle scale (from 20:1 to 1:1) and casting magic spells based upon the points derived from heroes (magic user, clerical, and druidic).
Multiple battles with the same troops against 50 or more opponents could cause them to become veterans or even elites.
The game comes with a number of NPC opponents, some of whom go all the way through the 36th level and are quite formidable.
While the game is somewhat dated and was originally programmed to run using MS-DOS 5.0 (1993 floppy disk version) or MS-DOS 6.0 (1994 CD-ROM version) it can run on newer operating systems as well using for example DOSBOX.
Reception
The game was reviewed in 1994 in DragonDragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#207 by Sandy Petersen
Sandy Petersen
Carl Sanford Joslyn Petersen is a game designer.Petersen was born in St. Louis, Missouri and attended University of California, Berkeley, majoring in zoology....
in the "Eye of the Monitor" column. Petersen gave the game 3 out of 5 stars.
Review in the German computergaming magazine POWERPLAY 12/1993 rated 61% (of 100%) for the original 1993 floppy disk version.
External links
- http://www.dosbox.com/comp_list.php?showID=785&letter=F
- http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/564693-fantasy-empires
- Intro Movie and samples of spell effects
- Silicon Knights - the website of the producers of Fantasy Empires
- http://www.squakenet.com/computer_games/1058/Fantasy-Empires/download.html