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Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
I have the possibility to making beta testing of Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades 1 week before the official release; I'll post during this week videos and screenshots of gameplay experience (with the authorization of Unicorn Studio).
I start with a introduction of what you will see after have started the game: the main menu is very similar to that of RW1242, with custom, online and lan battles. What change is the main campaign section where you are introduced in the strategic campaign of Teutonic order. This campaign has to be played before in the storyline mode for unlock finally the sandbox mode.
The first impact after the vocal introduction is with the magnificent strategic map: not only is enormous but has the detail of a tactical map, the rivers and the mountains are real obstacles to your army path, no zones of subdivision like in the strategic map of TW, you control cities,castles and villages for control the ground. NPG players move around all the map managed by the AI, robbers assault villages, merchants move from city to city, armed patrols search bandits, private and official armies move in search of battle and engagements. All of this managed by the AI on a splendid map which displayed Europe from east germany to the gates of Moscow and Kiev; the strategic map is in realtime like in Hegemony, but unlike Hegemony you can observe the time pass and the meteo offects: you can observe the sunset moving your army to east or enter in a fog zone; if you observe from high the map you can find your army covered by the clouds.
We go to the storyline of campaign: you're a young Brother of Teutonic order, just arrived from Outremer, your banner is composed only by 20 knights and 150 militiamen; you must present yourself to grand master of teutonic order, what territories are still very limited (the game start little time after Frederick II gave the permission to order to conquer the pagan lands in Prussia).
The grand master assign you as Komtur the castle of Thorn; at Thorn you will do the first experiences with the administration menu: going to locations as cities,villages or castles you can collect taxes, exchange to markets, manage location garrison, obtain informations, collect mercenaries,upgrade or reinforce your troops, and other things.
The exchanges in the markets are very importants because your troops, with the time consume foods, and need weapons armours and horses for the upgrades. YOu need also money and you can gain it collecting tax in your territory or selling captured to enemy goods.
Like all the games with RPG elements the experience is a important factor of game: you have three experience level in the game: PG experience (which permit to gain personal abilities), leadership and army experience (which permit to upgrade and increase your army).
THe storyline campaign is quests based, you receive missions from the grand master and you must follow them for proceed (time and mode at your decision); you can receive also secondary quests like help cities or villages in danger.
THe fist mission as Komtur is to defeat a prussian robber-noble which raids your territory; you will defeat him in a series of battles and at the end (perhaps) you will capture him; for save his life he will help the Teutonic order to conquest a prussian city, giving you access with a selected force to a secondary gate of city......
In the game is present also a diplomacy and economical panel: the economical panel give you info about economic resources, demands and offers of various locations; the diplomatic panel give you info about the world where you move: holy Roman Empire,Russians,Scandinavians,Lithuanian,Poland,Mo ngols and others move, managed by the AI, in this open world, they make alliance and declare wars each others, in the meantime you conduct your missions; in the storyline campaigns you have little diplomatic possibility because this is managed by the grandmaster but in sandbox mode this will have more importance.
We go to tactical part: the battle engine is the same of RW1242 with the introduction of sieges weapons; for who don't know the engine I can resume telling is similar but far more complex that of MTW2; the battle is managed at single soldier level (similar to cossacks concept of unit formation), with more than 80 factors in battles. Moral and ground are the decisive factors in battle. The sieges weapons have great range but little precision (and the rocks don't explodes :) , but roll ), so they are lethal only for campers players. The battle maps are randomly generated; no two identical maps exists in the strategic campaign.
The AI is very good both on the strategic map and the tactical map: on the strategic map I'm found myself persecuted by a prussian army which continue to try to battle with me. In the tactical map, the AI switch from offensive and defensive attitude following the situation, it try to take high ground and it has a good pathfinding.
Stay tuned, more news in the next days..,,,
The italian community of Real Warfare is here http://www.strategygamesitalia.eu/re...ades-f115.html ; you can find here my tactical guides and the modding tools.
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
Sounds interesting! I will admit. But I usually never buy anything brand new unless it is a Triple-A title (even then, it is the rare exception, for example, Skyrim)
So post videos, screenshots, etc and throw in an AAR or two. :2thumbsup:
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
yes it is truly interesting; and it is also: full moddable (and I mean "FULL", you can change AI,battle mechanics, interfaces, skins, maps (strategic and tactical), a part the hardware-software connection code the game can be changed completly, more than the old TW before they hardcoded all)
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
and I add: game server with ladder and a random map generator for multi and single (no more the same maps each time). Battlefield battle type.
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
I like storyline campaigns, I liked King Arthur and I liked Hegemony, I like this storyline campaign (i want see what will happen with Mongol invasion, I hope to survive to Leignitz). But I understand people like more free play campaign; usually you can play the sandbox only after have terminated the storyline, but in the game will be present a console command for activate immediatly the free mode and also cheats and other things (n th free mode you play as feudal lord with full liberty of diplomatic and political action).
The campaign can appear easy, but playing you start to find how hard can be without a accurate management of your money and force. The dimension of enemy forces grow and grow with the steps of campaign but your money not with the same rate, so you must find other sources of income a part the taxes. So between two main quests, you can raids villages, kill robbers, ro merchant, robbers same, peasants, etc, or do secondary quests. You must have always money and food for your troops, and more troops and more elite troops you have, more money you need, your army become a logistic hell. I taken too light a battle against the AI and my knights take too much losses (from 40 to 9 knights things much easier you can think), I found myself without the money for reinforce it. The campaign appears easy but is hard if taken in easy mode. So play carefully you tactical battle, you can win battle but you can have no more a army for defend yourself from the a brigand army (if you have sufficient money for pay them for leave you alone).
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
Other game info:
As i told the battle AI appears improved respect RW1242, the campaign battles don't appear to be scripted, a part some activation event, but only the starting position of AI troops is pre-determined. The AI in battle works not as a unique entity but for army list: this mean two separated troops groups of AI have own proper AI routines and act and react following the information and dangers which can be different from those of other groups. In addition being the AI source code written with a script language it can be improved by the modders.
Returning to strategic map, the siege weapons can be purchased in the bigger cities (example Warsaw), the food consume is different if your army is located in a cities (0), camped in the country or in movement. If you finished the food, you start to have more and more penalties.
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
PS: I deleted the videos because making it in realtime\compressing I fear the people can think the game has bad performance. I'm going to make new ones using the internal video capture of game which permit high res images.
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
Keep the info flowing, this one looks interesting.
I'd have to hear though from someone whose gaming opinion I trust before I'd buy from 1C, qualitatively those guys can be all over the map imho.
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
I think this is the first third party opinion (http://www.wargamer.com/forums/posts...4&get=590262):
"
I got this today for an upcoming review, and I have to say it's a lot better than I expected.
The unit detail is outstanding: it shows 15 variables that go into calculating a unit's attack, morale, and ranged attributes in real-time battles. Pretty neat.
The AI is no slouch. I've been flanked by the computer numerous times so far, using the terrain to its advantage.
The campaign is very, very similar to the one in Mount & Blade, where you guide your army around, trade with villages, raise armies, collect taxes, engage bandits, and take on small missions. It works well within the context of the game. I need to investigate trade and diplomacy options further, but it clearly indicates good items to sell or buy, and there is a map that shows where goods are needed and in surplus for easier trading.
Units and heroes can be upgraded with experience, increasing their attack or morale values or changing them into new, higher-level units.
The tactical battles can be quite large, and there are skirmish and multiplayer options for up to six players on randomly generated maps.
About the only downside I've seen so far is that the campaign is difficult: there aren't enough low-level enemies you can feast on early-on, and the higher-level foes will hunt you down. Hopefully, things will get easier as I delve into trade.
"
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
Some other info:
about the army upgrade: when you complete tasks and won battles you receive not only money but also army experience and leadership. YOu can use your army experience and leadership for upgrade your units. THe upgrades are of two types: you can change your unit in one of superior level or you can raise his abilities.
The levels of units are: irregular, militia, sergeant, knight. Depending from your Commander level point, the number of units for level is limited to a specific amount. Higher is the level of a unit higher will be costs for the reinforcements and the abilities upgrade.
The abilities upgrade are six:
strenght - number of men in the unit
primary weapon - ability with the primary weapon (ex. lance for Knights)
secondary weapon - if the unit have one (ex.sword for knights)
morale - morale level of unit
self-control - capacity of a unit to auto-react in danger or favorable situation
commander - only for the commander unit influence morale influence area and the regeneration of rally calls in battle
A irregular unit well upgraded can become efficient how a basic elite troop. Of course a upgraded unit reinforcements costs more than those of a not upgraded one.
For each unit in your army you can see a hint with the statiscs of his history (battles, losses,kills, etc).
For do a upgrade you must have some minimum requirements in terms of leadership,army experience, money or also warhorses. Of course the upgrade will consumes the requirements.
So it is important let increase rapidly your army before reach a campaign point where you must faces too strong enemies. It is alos important avoid too heavy losses in battles: some can be recovered because they are only wounded but every money t you use for reintregrate lost men cannot be used for upgrade.
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
Sorry, didn't bother to read back through thread to see if this was covered earlier, will there be a demo?
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
Sorry I don't know this, perhaps later because now the programmers are in full "improve\adjustment" modality, which is the more important things before the game release.
Anyway this is the second part of pre-review done on Wargame.com by the PC Game Reviews journalist
"
Played some more. Still like it. You can make a lot of money through trade, and the game lists (through the map) towns that produce and consume specific goods in a very straightforward manner, so you can set up easy trade routes to maintain your army (reinforce after battle).
You have to do the main quests to level up in experience, though, as doing your own thing (attacking bandits and towns) doesn't provide enough XP.
The battles aren't a mess if you keep your troops organized, which is easy to do thanks to several formation options the game gives you. It's all about engaging the enemy with some of your units and then using cavary and archers (or higher level units) to wipe them out.
I am continually impressed by the AI. Given equal number of troops, it is a formidable opponent. Routinely, the computer will throw a handful of units at you head on and you'll say "that's it?", but then it runs in hidden mounted units from the sides and routes your archers.
I've found the battles and strategy map (which plays just like Mount & Blade's) to be frankly just as, if not slightly more, interesting than Total War. Seriously. The unit detail makes the battles more interesting as you can see all of the variables that are used in calculating who routes first.
If you like this sort of game (tactical battles + a Mount & Blade style campaign map with trade and roaming units you can hunt and recruiting and improving units), then put Real Warfare 2 on your radar.
"
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
Oh I'd have to say this one is definitely now on my radar, what's the approximate release date, do you know?
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
18/11/2011 on steam, gamersgate, direct-to-drive.
Another thing I found: if you purchase horses to market these one raise your transport capacity of goods, very important when your army is big, because it consume very much in terms of food.
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
Real Warfare 2: Northern Crusades - Official Release Gameplay Trailer [HD]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMtx_df4ls8
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
See this M&B with fire and sword trailer ; has been done with the engine of RW
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5KfV2RHUa4
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
Another feature of game: your army on the strategic campaign can raise over the 20 units, when a battle start you can decide what units set in reserve and what one in first line.
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
Will you be able to add new factions to the game? and make a entirely new game? by modding it? or is it hardcoded?
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
is full moddable: AI,GUI,battle and strategic map mechanics, events and guests, factions, units statistics, etc. The editor in the game is the same used by the game developers.
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
For signal eventual bugs: send bug description (more detailed possible, with screenshots eventually), your game profiles files ( under "C:\Documents and Settings\xxxx\Documents\Real Warfare 2 - Teutonic order\" files: profile.cfg,hardware.info,resource.main.res,video.info), a save file of the point you had the bug, and your dxdiag file here: rw2box(at)hotmail.it ; is not a official mailbox, but Unicorn will read also from this the bugs signalations.
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
If you like the game please give your rating on steam http://store.steampowered.com/app/20...1_234_234__104 and metacritic http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/re...thern-crusades ; little time expended for you but will help greatly the game developers.
Unicorn verified there some errors in the description of system requirements on some website: the correct one are those on steam page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/34...1_234_234__104
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
Quote:
Originally Posted by
mitra
doesn't go anywhere the talks about the game that i can tell
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
The developers tell me they are working on the dlc (or patch or addon, still to decide how to release it) "Iron Kings", there will be bigger map with choice of the faction.
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
I'm now at the end of stoyline campaign and now I'm officially the Landmeister of Order in Prussia. Things become harder, because I must expend not only for my army but also for fortresses garrisons and diplomacy, with only a little addition of taxes.
Here the game manual, just given on 1C site: http://www.1cfiles.com/Real_Warfare_...des/Manual.pdf
In this italian review http://www.gamerscritic.it/2011/11/r...es-recensione/ the game take 8.8 \ 10.
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
Since you are so keenly interested in this game, thought you'd like to know they just opened up a steam forum for it:
http://forums.steampowered.com/forum...lay.php?f=1279
And it looks like it could use some posts!
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
Released patch 2.2.4; for not steam version you can find it on 1c site with the changelog
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
Unicorn asked to collect on the email rw2box(at)hotmail your ideas and suggestions for improve the game in single and multi; so send all the things you would like to see in the game (more the ideas are well explained better is). Please insert the tag "Idea" in the object of mail for separate it from the bug report.
Following the words of Unicorn told me, the gamers wishes are importants "because RW2NC it is a game without end for wishes"
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
Sorry I miss a pice in the email address; is rw2box(at)hotmail.it
Here another review http://wanderson75.net/archives/4083
Edit here another one:http://irbgamer.com/2011/11/real-war...rusade-review/
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
Patch 225 will be released no more late than next week
PS: beheading and blood are already included in the base game, not necessary take DLC for them :)
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
From 1C site
Real Warfare 2: Northern Crusades Retail Version Announced
Lace Mamba Global and 1C Company today announce the release of a retail version of the PC RTS game Real Warfare 2: Northern Crusades in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Iceland and Kuwait, starting in the UK and Ireland in 27.01.2012.
The retail version will additionally include a full version of the first Real Warfare game, Real Warfare: 1242.
Another review: http://digitalhippos.com/gaming-revi...thern-crusades
http://www.digitallydownloaded.net/2...-crusades.html
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
The patch 225 is ready and is in waiting to be uploaded on steam and download servers; here in preview the change log
Real Warfare 2: Northern Crusades
Version 2.2.5 (December 2011)
Fixed:
- Crashes during sieges
- Crashes while generating certain castle layouts
- A rare error when mission stayed incomplete when all of its tasks were completed
- A rare error when an army was considered to be located in another region, which led to inability to finish a quest
- Battle with Prussian foragers near Matowy will be generated correctly now
- Error when player info window stayed on screen while playing outro
- Exploit when player could escape from any battle
- Reserve troops are no longer taken into account while calculating army strength
- 'Return' option in some dialogs now works correctly instead of closing dialog window
- A castle will be auto-garrisoned after capturing it in all cases
- Wrong shadows rendering
Improvements
- Name generation. All units on strategic map now have correctly generated names. They consist of first names, 2nd name parts (for Mongols), last names or nicknames (for brigands and Prussians). All possible names are historically correct for a given nation.
- Tactical AI will react to being under fire more actively
- After completing the story campaign and starting the freeplay mode maps boundaries are expanded
- Handling of negotiations between weak player and enemy lords
- New mouse cursor shows inaccessible map areas
Gameplay changes
- Maximum AI army size increased to 30 regiments (was 20). If army contains more than 10 professional regiments ("Knights" or "Sergeants" level), it can contain twice the amount of militia troops.
- AI will try to hire roughly equal amount of Pikemen and ranged troops (Militia tier)
- Army spawn points corrected in quest tactical battles (engagement with Pippin brigands and battle with foragers near Chluhov)
- 50% more regiments will be auto-hired to garrison a castle after capturing it
- Chance of finding hireable siege equipment in medium and large towns and castles slighhtly increased
- Chance of having ranged troops in garrisons of towns and castles decreased
- Minimal ransom is now 20. Maximum ransom capped.
- AI armies strength hints are now visible near the player and not on the entire map. New 'Recon' skill that affects this distance will be added in a next patch.
Edit: another review http://justpressstart.net/?p=5346
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
Here my little mod https://rapidshare.com/files/3602242...tscampaign.rar, which permit to play campaign battle with not limit to units number. Readme in the rar. Please give me feedback of eventual problems. (for 225 version)
Elder Geek review: http://elder-geek.com/2011/12/real-w...-video-review/
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
Unicorn told me to advice than the best improvements to game which will be done by the modders (scripts, graphic, campaign gameplay, new units), will be adapted and integrated in the standard game (if the modder wants naturally)
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
Here to all my mitra-mod
https://rapidshare.com/files/3538311...ra-modv1.2.rar
here below all the changes (first + second version)
- Is not possible to do circle if more than the 25% of soldiers is in combat, for avoid too easy circle use for avoid encirclement
- retreat zones: if a not routed grup move on the map angle, it will retreat from the battle like a routed unit; for campaign battle at place of retreat button
- no more displayed the red bases on the enemy units
- now if a group is not visibile on the minimap will be invisible also on the battle map
- the fire on enemy units is stopped if they are in melee with friendly units; the only exception is in the case of short range fire (aimed shoot) if no friendly soldier is in the fire arc)
- implementation of wood zones density: effect on FOW range and visibility, effect on arrows precision, effects on movement velocity, effect on moral, surprise and self-control.
- indirect fire penalty: if between the shooter and the target a friend unit is present the shoot is considered indirect and has precision penalty, with the exception in the case target friendly an shooter are at different height level.
- change of arrows precision on the base or arc and target rank numbers: if the shot is parabolic a bigger number of ranks increase the hits number, a low number decrease it; if the shot arc is low it works at contrary.
here all the mod for play the campaign battle with more than 20 units: https://rapidshare.com/files/3602242...tscampaign.rar
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
Well many find it difficult, others less; i suppose it depends from personal POVs and abilities
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Re: Beta testing Real Warfare 2 Northern Crusades
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Gelatinous Cube
How's the difficulty level in this game? I'm utterly, utterly tired of strategy games that fail to provide a challenge.
hehe, you're in luck then, buy any piece of software on this page and not only will you be challenged, you'll never win a single game even if you spent your entire life trying:
http://www.chesscentral.com/chess_pl...tware_s/21.htm :rolleyes:
