Battle Realms
| Battle Realms | |
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| Developer(s) | Liquid Entertainment |
| Publisher(s) | Ubisoft |
| Distributor(s) | Ubisoft |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release date(s) | November 7, 2001 (US) |
| Genre(s) | Real-time strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, Multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | |
| Media/distribution | CD-ROM |
| System requirements
Windows 98/ME/2000/XP |
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Battle Realms, released by Ubisoft in 2001, is a Japanese themed real-time strategy computer game and is the first game created by Liquid Entertainment. Ubisoft released the expansion pack Battle Realms: Winter of the Wolf in 2002.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
Battle Realms follows the basic formula for many real-time strategy games. All of its factions have similar buildings with similar uses and workers. However, unlike in most real-time strategy games, the peasant worker unit is not just used for resource gathering and construction, but also for training into military units. Thus, military buildings in Battle Realms are not used for making units, but for transforming and upgrading them. Peasants gather the two resources in the game: rice and water. They also round up horses, which can be used to enhance military units in the game and can be outfitted as pack horses for peasants. Only one type of builder unit is required.
Peasants are the only units the player can produce outright. Most of the buildings available are training structures where peasants are trained into numerous other units. All the factions start off with 3 basic central training structures, which produce units along different paths of warfare, such as melee or ranged combat. In most cases, units can be trained at up to 3 structures to produce higher tiers of infantry.
Another difference in unit generation is that peasants are produced automatically, at no cost. However, the rate at which new peasants are produced is inversely proportional to the current population of the player's army.
Certain buildings can teach special techniques, or Battle Gears (commonly abbreviated to BGs), to units to improve their combat ability for a certain resource cost. This can allow units to defeat higher tier units they would normally struggle with or be defeated by. BGs also allow the player to further define the role a unit will play in a combat situation, such as damage absorption, building destruction, or reconnaissance.
One of the key elements of Battle Realms is the Yin/Yang system. Each army obtains points of Yin or Yang when in combat, depending on their moral alliance to the forces of light or darkness. The Battle Realms hero units, or Zen Masters, require Yin/Yang to be summoned and to improve their damage. Yin and Yang are also used at structures in the faction's base for military upgrades. The rate of Yin/Yang growth depends on the military strength and flair of the army and how far they are from the main base.
There are four available clans in Battle Realms, and each have a different philosophy towards life and combat. The Dragon clan favours honourable and valourous combat, while its offshoot, the Serpent clan, uses stealth, trickery and brutality to further its goals. The Lotus clan is an ancient group of sorcerers that delves deeply into the corrupting aspects of magic. The Wolf clan is a race of formerly enslaved miners. Their clan members live basic, healthy lives.
[edit] Game details
Unlike in most strategy games, all units in Battle Realms have a melee attack. However, missile units typically have drastically weaker melee attacks. Units are very detailed and have distinct fighting animations. Units can dodge projectiles if they run fast enough, and projectiles have different speeds and fire at certain angles.
A unit's attack has a property - either cutting, piercing, blunt, explosive, magic, or fire, as well as a bonus damage against buildings. The property of a unit's missile attack may also differ from its melee attack. Most units have resistances to particular properties, and weaknesses to others. For example, the Dragon Samurai has excellent resistance against cutting attacks, but a poor resistance to explosive and magic damage.
[edit] Story
In singleplayer, the plot mainly revolves around Kenji, last heir to the Serpent's Throne. When he returns from exile, Kenji comes across bandits raiding a peasant village. He can choose to either kill the bandits and save the peasants, or, he can side with the bandits and kill the peasants. If he chooses to save the peasants, he will follow the path of the Dragon clan. If he aids the bandits, he will follow the path of the Serpent clan.
In Kenji's Journey, the player may choose which territories he or she wishes to attack first. Kenji returns from Malcomson. He must decide whether to rebirth the Dragon Clan and save the peasants honor with righteousness or take up reigns in his brother and his father, Lord Oja's footsteps and lead the Serpent Clan. Taking specific territories might give benefits, and other Zen Masters may join Kenji. Later on, the player can summon these Zen Masters from the Keep. The Story focuses on an artifact Called Tarrant's Orb/Orb of the Serpent which Kenji and the NPC Clans, The Wolf and Lotus Clans are seeking out. Kenji must get it before them.
[edit] The Four Clans
[edit] Dragon Clan: The Path of Righteousness
The ancient Dragon Clan prizes honor above everything else. They are Yang followers with honor as their symbol. Their warriors seek to become one with their weapons. Due to their devotion to honor, the Dragon deity assists them during times of great peril.
[edit] Serpent Clan: The Way of the Wicked
A derivative of the Dragon Clan, the Serpent Clan have forgotten their honorable ways and have resorted to thievery and deceit. Serpent clansmen are Yin followers. Unlike their Dragon ancestors, they do not scorn the use of firearms; instead they have learned to employ its use in many of their fighting arts. Even though the Dragon Clan knew how to use gunpowder, it was the Serpent Clan which uncovered its secrets. Stealthy, flexible, and cunning, the Serpent Clan uses a plethora of battlegears to disable their opponents and produce an advantage.
[edit] Wolf Clan: The Spirit of Might
The wild Wolf Clan prizes freedom above all else. They are Yang followers with freedom as their symbol. Unlike the other clans, they have no cavalry, nor do they have healers. They feed the horses to their wolves, which accompany them and partake in their battles. Their wounds knit surprisingly fast, even more so with the use of herbs. They know some magic, and much of what they do know is tied to nature. Wolf Clansmen are down to earth, hardworking people, and take a delight in nature. They are also known for their use of shale as their armor.
[edit] Lotus Clan: The Essence of Darkness
The Lotus Clan is the remnant of a Yang Clan of old, but it is now a Yin Clan. Lotus clansmen are Yin followers with corruption as their symbol. They follow the Forbidden Path, which focuses on death and decay. Their religion centralizes around three ancient brothers, now long gone, who tended the Tree of Corruption. The Lotus Clan's strategy is based on their immense understanding of magic, which translates to unit abilities and Battle Gear.
[edit] Zen Masters
Zen Masters take the role of heroes in this game. Zen Masters are the leaders of the clans, who make certain each clan's survival. They are summoned at a cost of Yin/Yang, as well as rice and water. Zen Masters have a key role in the game. They can easily help overturn an outcome of a battle and thus they are an avid part of one's army. These are the Zen masters of the four Clans.
Exile (Blue)
Kenji: Lord Oja's Second son and Last Heir to the Serpent Throne. Accused of murdering his father, the Prince went in exile. 7 years after the fall of the Serpent Empire, he returns. Will he be the Dragon and live a path of Righteousness or the Serpent and live a Path of Trickery, Cunning and Hate?
Dragon Clan (Orange)
1. Otomo: A warrior loyal to Kenji and calling him Lord Oja
2. Garrin: A Proud Horseman who joins Kenji if the player goes to Riverside
3. Tao: Half-Monk, Half-ninja, a master of both Yin and Yang [Unlockable for Serpent Campaign in Kenji's Journey]
4. Kazan: A fat Drunkard monk who joins Kenji
5. Arah: A great archer who joins Kenji
Serpent Clan (Red)
1.Shinja: Captain of the Serpent Royal Guard. The cunning Ronin looks forward to reviving the Serpent Clan. He uses poisoned Twin Katanas to destroy his enemies.
2.Vetkin: This womanizer can run as fast as a cheetah, no stamina is consumed.
3.Utara : The Leader of the Serpent witches.
4. Taro (Only available in Battle Realms: Winter of the Wolf): Kenji's Brother. His magical sword makes him a dastardly foe.
5. The Necromancer: This practitioner of Death Magics is rumored to be as old as the Dragon Deity and Lady Gaihla of the Wolf Clan.
6. Budo: This hungry Slavemaster works for only money and geisha. His whip quickens Peasants' work and makes him a powerful enemy.
Wolf Clan(Green)
1. Grayback: Leader and Chieftain of the Wolf Clan
2. Longtooth: Second in Command of the Wolf Clan. This wolf is extremelly loyal to Grayback and keeps on calling him "Lord" which he dislikes.
3. Gaihla: Master of the Wolf Druidess order. If no one does not know about the history of the early Wolf clan, she would definitely know it.[Unlockable for Dragon Campaign in Kenji's Journey]
4. Wildeye(Only available in Battle Realms: Winter of the Wolf):Wolf Beastmaster who wants to take revenge on Mistress Yvaine to avenge his family.
5. The Shale Lord: A failed experiment of Soban. Once a wolf slave. His body is made up of Shale armor, which makes him a difficult foe.
Lotus Clan(Purple)
1.Zymeth:Lord of the Lotus Clan. His lightning powers makes him a difficult enemy to defeat.
2.Soban: Second in Command of the Lotus. This mad scientist is always doing weird experiments for Zymeth.[Unlockable in Dragon Campaign in Kenji's Journey]
3.Koril: Master of Space. He can teleport from anywhere.[Unlockable in Serpent Campaign in Kenji's Journey]
4.Issyl: Master of Time. He is aging backwards because of his knowledge of Time.
5.The Brothers{Lythis,Sekh,Tausil }: The three brothers who tended the Tree of Corruption.
6.Mistress Yvaine(Only available in Battle Realms: Winter of the Wolf)Mistress of Lord Zymeth. She despises Grayback and his fellow Wolf Clansmen by calling them "Slaves" Despite being free. She is killed by the power of the White Wolf Skull, a prized artifact of the Wolf Clan when she corrupted the skull.
