Post by Keith Heitmann on Jun 14, 2002 12:46:33 GMT -5
Ok, so I'm taking a short break from beta testing and couldn't resist the urge to load up Legion and give it a try without taking the time to read the relatively small manual.
Legion is a turned based strategy game. in each of the campaigns included you are given command of various groups of Roman cities to govern. Usually three to four cities to start you out with. Each with a minimal city already established with which to begin raising your army.
You must build farms, mines, and other more advanced buildings that will increase your population rate and allow you to build larger better armed armies with which to fight.
One the same map will be perhaps a dozen areas controled by local tribes of various strengths each with a set of cities.
Your object here is build your army and conquer the surrounding tribes and bring them under Roman control to add them to your strength.
As time passes and each of your cities gathers more population you will have the opportunity to either raise a cohort from the population or put them to work in one of the industries that will improve your city and fighting ability later on.
All the while the enemy tribes are doing the same. One or two of them will begin attacking other tribes themselves. Your game will usually start with you at war with one of the or more of the local tribes as well.
You have limited diplomatic option to wage war, make peace, form an alliance or offer tribute, which the local tribes may accept or reject.
As you create cohorts in sufficient quantity you can start combining them into various large armies or legions. The troop types you have to pick from are peasant warriors, basically barbarians with spears and little else, velites which are light javelin thowing sword and shield bearing troops, Auxila which are your light infantry with swords and shields, Cavlary, which are your better armed horse mounted troops, Archers, and finally your heavily armed Legionaire.
Enemy troops will have basically the same types of compliments, barbarian fanatics, javelin, cavalry, archers, light and heavy infantry.
Once in a battle you are presented with a screen upon which you can arrange your forces in any patter that you wish. You have specific commands that you can give and formations that you can use.
Once you are satisfied you click a button and the battle unfolds on a new 3d terrain map. Your forces will march into battle using the formations and orders that you have given each cohort.
Battles are a relatively short event. Most are over in less than a minute of real time. You have no control over the actual battle once it starts. So like a true general of the period you will have not way to control events as they unfold on the battlefield.
Troops fight, lose morale and run, die, or push on through as the battle results dictate. Many troops will route and run depending on the battle. If the battle goes against you and you lose, you lose those troops. If you win the army is reduced in strength and may need to be reinforces with new cohorts or disbanded.
Troops in cities serving as garrisons can be upgraded when you have enough of the right type of resources to do so. This improves the morale, weapons and fighting ability.
As you add more buildings to your city such as barracks, training grounds, stables, fletcher (archers), and Quartermasters building your troops will increase in number and fighting ability.
Enemy troops will also be benefiting from the same types of improvements. Some of their armies, even small ones, can be shockingly large.
The game is a quick play. Going to each city you control from the city screen and setting up new forces, buildings, etc. gets a little tedious each turn but it is necessary.
Conquering the tribes is proving somewhat troublesome and not an easy thing I've lost two of cities to them, one I had conquered and one I had started with. I'm building my forces to to take back one of my cities. I've already lost one complete army trying to do so.
The game is easy to play once you get the hang of how things work. The interface is pretty simple and easy to use.
Once your city has all the improvements it can have all you need do is crank out new fighting units, and move the battle ready ones from their home city on the 2D map to their new locations to combine with other units or for combat.
There are some problems I haven't notice myself that have been pointed out on the official Legion forum that a patch will undoubtedly be in the works for soon.
If you are looking for a great time killer and like the Roman era of combat I think you will like this game. It is challenging yet, doesn't bog you down in the minutia of raising a fighting army with too much detail.
Legion is a turned based strategy game. in each of the campaigns included you are given command of various groups of Roman cities to govern. Usually three to four cities to start you out with. Each with a minimal city already established with which to begin raising your army.
You must build farms, mines, and other more advanced buildings that will increase your population rate and allow you to build larger better armed armies with which to fight.
One the same map will be perhaps a dozen areas controled by local tribes of various strengths each with a set of cities.
Your object here is build your army and conquer the surrounding tribes and bring them under Roman control to add them to your strength.
As time passes and each of your cities gathers more population you will have the opportunity to either raise a cohort from the population or put them to work in one of the industries that will improve your city and fighting ability later on.
All the while the enemy tribes are doing the same. One or two of them will begin attacking other tribes themselves. Your game will usually start with you at war with one of the or more of the local tribes as well.
You have limited diplomatic option to wage war, make peace, form an alliance or offer tribute, which the local tribes may accept or reject.
As you create cohorts in sufficient quantity you can start combining them into various large armies or legions. The troop types you have to pick from are peasant warriors, basically barbarians with spears and little else, velites which are light javelin thowing sword and shield bearing troops, Auxila which are your light infantry with swords and shields, Cavlary, which are your better armed horse mounted troops, Archers, and finally your heavily armed Legionaire.
Enemy troops will have basically the same types of compliments, barbarian fanatics, javelin, cavalry, archers, light and heavy infantry.
Once in a battle you are presented with a screen upon which you can arrange your forces in any patter that you wish. You have specific commands that you can give and formations that you can use.
Once you are satisfied you click a button and the battle unfolds on a new 3d terrain map. Your forces will march into battle using the formations and orders that you have given each cohort.
Battles are a relatively short event. Most are over in less than a minute of real time. You have no control over the actual battle once it starts. So like a true general of the period you will have not way to control events as they unfold on the battlefield.
Troops fight, lose morale and run, die, or push on through as the battle results dictate. Many troops will route and run depending on the battle. If the battle goes against you and you lose, you lose those troops. If you win the army is reduced in strength and may need to be reinforces with new cohorts or disbanded.
Troops in cities serving as garrisons can be upgraded when you have enough of the right type of resources to do so. This improves the morale, weapons and fighting ability.
As you add more buildings to your city such as barracks, training grounds, stables, fletcher (archers), and Quartermasters building your troops will increase in number and fighting ability.
Enemy troops will also be benefiting from the same types of improvements. Some of their armies, even small ones, can be shockingly large.
The game is a quick play. Going to each city you control from the city screen and setting up new forces, buildings, etc. gets a little tedious each turn but it is necessary.
Conquering the tribes is proving somewhat troublesome and not an easy thing I've lost two of cities to them, one I had conquered and one I had started with. I'm building my forces to to take back one of my cities. I've already lost one complete army trying to do so.
The game is easy to play once you get the hang of how things work. The interface is pretty simple and easy to use.
Once your city has all the improvements it can have all you need do is crank out new fighting units, and move the battle ready ones from their home city on the 2D map to their new locations to combine with other units or for combat.
There are some problems I haven't notice myself that have been pointed out on the official Legion forum that a patch will undoubtedly be in the works for soon.
If you are looking for a great time killer and like the Roman era of combat I think you will like this game. It is challenging yet, doesn't bog you down in the minutia of raising a fighting army with too much detail.
