Lords of the Realm II

Release Date: October 31, 1996

Strategy, RTS, turn-based, the middle ages, isometric view, multiplayer, singleplayer, LAN

96%

Steam

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Lords of the Realm II is a sequel to the Impressions Games strategy game published in 1994. The action was again set in the Middle Ages, and the player plays the role of a feudal magnate, who after the king's death becomes a rival for the crown. Gameplay is a combination of turn-based strategy and real time (RTS).

Two years after the release of Lords of the Realm, Impressions Games has prepared the second installment of the series. The creators remained faithful to both strategy genre and medieval realities, enriching their work with a number of new solutions, including real-time battles.

Lords of the Realm II is set in medieval Europe. The ruler of one of the kingdoms unexpectedly died, and the battle for the throne began after him with the magnates. The player plays the role of one of the candidates for the crown. Its task is to expand the economic and military possessions, as well as to conquer the remaining lands.

Most of the time the game takes place in turn-based system, with the unit of time here being the seasons. The player observes the action from the level of the map on which individual counties are marked. Each province has production centres (usually two of them: smithy, sawmill, quarry or ore mine). The management of subordinate estates consists primarily in making decisions on the cultivation and breeding of animals, extraction of raw materials, setting the amount of taxes, or construction of castles. One of the key development factors is the population, which is influenced by, among others, food rations, hard work, recruitment, taxes, but also the availability of beverages.

Business facilities enable the production of weapons (swords, spades, macelets, arches, crossbows and armor) and the creation of an army. The different types of units differ not only in appearance, but also in their properties on the battlefield. The size of the army depends on the amount of weapons available and the population living in the county.

A novelty introduced in Lords of the Realm II are real-time battles involving up to 1500 units. The player can defend their own lands or try to conquer opponents' domains. Both defenders and besieged castles can use medieval war machines and fortifications.

Compared to the first part of the cycle, the importance of diplomacy for the course of the game has increased significantly. Rivals to the throne can become allies of the player even if they are driven by artificial intelligence. Their loyalty and behavior on the battlefield depends on character traits - for example, Baron uses well thought-out tactics and usually remains loyal to his allies, while Countess prefers small but strong armies and will not retreat from betrayal in pursuit of his own goals.

The audio-visual setting of Lords of the Realm II at the time set benchmarks for other games of the genre, which can be seen especially after short but refined film interludes. 2D graphics are based on isometric projection, in which both a general map and battlefields are presented. The atmosphere of events on the screen is also well reflected in the soundtrack - at times calm and idyllic, and at other times dynamic.

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Last updated on August 14, 2015

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