Gaius Marius
2011-10-17, 10:19 AM
I downloaded (through steam) this game yesterday and have to admit it's fascinating. Oh, the gameplay is almost infantile in basic nature, but so masterly intricated in its application.
You play the god-protector of a primitive tribal and you have to shape the land around them to give them access to new tribe locations and new technologies/spells. But the way you have to achieve this is by moving earth and water, diverting water sources, using magma to out rock...
There is a bonus objective in all maps where you gain a Challenge map if you succeed at spreading the vegetation far and many. In order to do that, you have to terraform the map, and beware of accidental consequences.
My best moment of fun yet was both a great achievement for me and the mistake which almost ruined my entire map. In the first map you access Lava, there is a massive waterfall cutting the map in two. Usually, you have to use your newly acquired "split the sea a la Moses" to allow your triblesmen to pass, but I was up to a challenge. I built with rock a diverting flow alongside the volcano, and then diverted the stream there. With judicious use of water draining, I had an immense dried valley to vegetate, and tribal movement was no longer a problem.
I was ready to go to the next level when I got curious about lava movement. I blocked the volcano's lava path so it would flow in the river around it, rather than safely at sea. Oooh boy.. The lava overflowed the river, which diverted into the valley, flooding it. The excess lava kept going and set fire to the over-sea vegetation, creating a fire that destroyed almost all of my villages.
I just sighed and clicked "Next level". Who cares about them? That was fun!
I heard the game gets repetitive after a while. I sure hope they allow downloadable fan-made maps and challenges. Also, I think this game would gain a lot if the villagers could be.. More complex. Like if they developed hunting, etc...
You play the god-protector of a primitive tribal and you have to shape the land around them to give them access to new tribe locations and new technologies/spells. But the way you have to achieve this is by moving earth and water, diverting water sources, using magma to out rock...
There is a bonus objective in all maps where you gain a Challenge map if you succeed at spreading the vegetation far and many. In order to do that, you have to terraform the map, and beware of accidental consequences.
My best moment of fun yet was both a great achievement for me and the mistake which almost ruined my entire map. In the first map you access Lava, there is a massive waterfall cutting the map in two. Usually, you have to use your newly acquired "split the sea a la Moses" to allow your triblesmen to pass, but I was up to a challenge. I built with rock a diverting flow alongside the volcano, and then diverted the stream there. With judicious use of water draining, I had an immense dried valley to vegetate, and tribal movement was no longer a problem.
I was ready to go to the next level when I got curious about lava movement. I blocked the volcano's lava path so it would flow in the river around it, rather than safely at sea. Oooh boy.. The lava overflowed the river, which diverted into the valley, flooding it. The excess lava kept going and set fire to the over-sea vegetation, creating a fire that destroyed almost all of my villages.
I just sighed and clicked "Next level". Who cares about them? That was fun!
I heard the game gets repetitive after a while. I sure hope they allow downloadable fan-made maps and challenges. Also, I think this game would gain a lot if the villagers could be.. More complex. Like if they developed hunting, etc...