Great news for all people who have played/liked/loved age of wonders 1,2 or shadow magic,or turn based strategy fans.
[video=youtube;BHdojrcu61E]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BHdojrcu61E[/video]
Key Features
Explore, expand and exploit a living fantasy world. Discover wondrous locations and gather legendary heroes.
Develop your domain, with many classes having the ability to change terrain and climates to suit your needs.
All new 3D graphics that provide a crisper and more detailed overview of the world and battle maps.
New styles of play are possible with the introduction of RPG style leader classes like warlord, theocrat, rogue and sorcerer, along with a wide selection of specializations.
Command a variety of races. Pick your starting race and shape your people’s destiny using your leader’s unique skills.
A brand-new tactical battle system renders each battlefield and siege in great detail; new rules include flanking and a massive set of special unit abilities.
An epic story campaign with two playable factions; Choose the mighty Commonwealth Empire or join the Court of the High Elves, founded after the reunion of the Dark Elves and Wood Elves.
Compete online in extensive multiplayer modes and scenarios.
High replay value through random maps, difficulty modes and tools allowing user created content.
Dev Journals
http://www.ageofwonders.com/category/news/
Community Q&A
QUESTION (from EirikHH @twitter): Does a party still contain max 8 units and do you use the aow or aow2 wall-mechanic?
TRIUMPH: A party now contains 6 units, but we allow 42 units in a single battle from adjacent hexes. AoW3 will have the AoW3 wall-mechanic
QUESTION (from RandallBlandin @twitter): Will there be signposts in a map editor that players can use to name features on custom maps? Like Skullbreaker Canyon?
TRIUMPH: We’ll release the tools to the game and we can confirm they include the options to edit signposts.
QUESTION (from Tyler Dallmann @Facebook) Do you think that AoW 3 will surpass the cult popularity of the original? What popular aspects of the previous games will we see return to the stage?
TRIUMPH: Age of Wonders 3 is a sequel staying true to the genre’s roots with many improvements to gameplay, presentation and interface. Although we hope to reach new people, we haven’t dumbed the game down – on the contrary!
QUESTION (from Rudolf Walker @Facebook): Will you be able to pre-order? And when? Is there gonna be a physical copy or downloads only?
TRIUMPH: The game should be available for pre-order, details will follow closer to release. The game has a digital release in multiple international digital stores, as well as physical copies in certain territories where there’s still a healthy demand for PC games on disc.
QUESTION (from GeorgBrombeere @twitter): Will there be plenty of time to explore, research & build an empire or will you have to hurry before enemies get too strong?
TRIUMPH: This really depends on the scenario type. Some might be more focused on battle where you quickly need to get to action. Other maps focus on adventure or empire building giving you more time. The totally rewritten random map generator allows you to generate scenarios according to your wishes at the click of a button.
GNL: Triumph Studios, as we have just heard nothing more! What happened in the meantime and what is now the studio for?
Lennart Sas: It's certainly been quiet for a while! The game industry has changed dramatically in a few years time, you see the role of established parties as traditional publishers are smaller, while new methods have been added to play, distribute and finance games. We have the helm after Overlord 2 to have to throw a lot to be at the mercy of publishers and stalling console market. Less dependent We are ready for the future. Age of Wonders 3 is our first game that we make as much as possible in-house and spend. Similarly, we can have much more direct contact with the gamers.
Age of Wonders is a series that enjoys much popularity among PC gamers and our readers. Why is that do you think?And why the time is just ripe for a sequel? Now
I think Age of Wonders is made possible by the unique formulation of strategy and RPG features, merged into a fantasy world with atmosphere successful. The latter often lacking in strategy games. Then there are the endless possibilities for replayability through multiplayer, user content and procedurally generated levels. Why a third? Years of fans who kept asking for a sequel, the market for PC games is back and the digital re-releases of old Age of Wonders games do better than expected. After six years Overlord we have again a fresh perspective and new ideas for the series.
For the laity: what players can expect in terms of gameplay exactly Age of Wonders
Age of Wonders is a strategy game where you are the leader of an imaginative. You explore extensive worlds with different climates, including the underworld. You build an empire collects armies with all sorts of fantastic creatures and you enter battles and sieges to disable as your rivals or alliances to force. Age of Wonders is a bit between Civilization and a fantasy RPG.
The gameplay seems to be the use of RPG elements. To a new level How does this work exactly?
For AoW3 we introduce a class-based system. Extrapolating RPG classes to powerful leaders fantasyrealms to get. As varied gameplay A Spartan Warlord builds a society with brutal warriors. The theocrat inspires his followers with faith and holy wars can cry over his enemies. A Rogue reigns as a Gadaffi, has its own population in check and skills to destabliseren. Countries of opponents Each class has its own skills, with empire upgrade, spells, army upgrades.Besides the main classes players also choose specializations for example different Schools of Magic to make you rich and your leader to build.
Graphically the time course not stood still since the last Age of Wonders game. How trying to lift? Series to the current time you
Age of Wonders is now fully 3D and runs on the third generation of our Creator Engine (Overlord). A big advantage of 3D is that we can now reflect. The choices of the better players in the world Examples include Hero customization and the landscape that you can terraform. Here you have as a player advantage of the wide variety of the Race + Class combo. For example, a Goblin theocrat also produce really small goblin-angels. It is also easier to present information at different zoom levels. See cinematic battles there and use the increased CPU power and car-combat replays now full tactical battle engine.
What can we expect from the single player? You have two factions announced, what is the difference between them and how that affected the playing experience?
You can play through the single player story campaign, stand-alone scenarios or random scenarios. The story campaign is playable by both parties in a major conflict. On the one hand you have the Human Commonwealth, which the world tries to pull ahead with technology and commerce. The other side is formed by the mystical High Elves, that are made by the reunion of the Dark Elves and Wood Elves, who many centuries of conflict have resolved to send those annoying people once and for all back to their caves and so the way of life of the ancient peoples secure.What will the multiplayer players offer exactly?
The game features multiplayer session-based and uses the real-time system turns. We are also the classic hotseat and play by email remember. You can pre-made standalone scenarios play or use the random maps so you need no prior knowledge of map layout.The ability to create in the game is emphasized in the press release itself. Content Can you tell us a bit more?
user-created content has always been an important part of the series. Even ten years after the release of the last game, there are still people levels and mods to make. AoW3 also has the tools so gamers can add their own content.
What is the status of the game? He should be released on PC, end of 2013 how far are you guys already? Can you anyway tell you more about the origin of this third part and the process so far has come?
We are already two years AoW busy and almost all the gameplay systems run in pre-alpha mode, now we are working hard with content. At the GDC in San Francisco, we present a playable demo to the press and we hope to organize. A betaIt feels fantastic to be able to announce after ten years an Age of Wonders game and we are looking forward to the feedback from the fans. ources:-
