So, after years of hearing it praised to high heaven, I broke down and bought it. For the iPhone, no less.

What can I expect?

It's really, really cool, but I guess you want something more specific.

Basically, it's two things in one. Most of the time you're fiddling with the mechanics of running your clan: delegating people to the Clan Ring (your advisors), controlling what types of crops should be grown on how much land, building shrines, conducting trade, diplomacy, warfare, etc.. Some of this is a bit "number-ish", where you have to move sliders to set work distribution ratios and the like, or make an educated guess on whether you'll have enough livestock to keep ALL your shrines supplied with sacrifices, but IMO it never gets too spreadsheet-like. Also, you have to keep in mind that you can only make changes in two areas every season - for instance, you can launch a trade mission to another clan AND you can change how many people should work as farmers and craftsmen, but then you can't ALSO construct new buildings or launch a raid that season. This forces you to constantly prioritise.

The other part is a great variety of Choose-your-adventure style dialogue and decision trees about unexpected events (diplomatic and trade discussions also follow this format). Some of these pop up at random, others are tied to certain events like sending an explorer to the right part of the game map.

What's really unique about these decision trees (and in fact pretty much all of the game) is that modern-day common sensibilities will NOT carry you far: you'll have to adopt the mindset of a bronze-age tribal leader and understand how your people - and the thoroughly magical world around you - might react to your decisions. 21st century notions of fairness, justice and honour might easily lead you astray.

EDIT: Also, read the manual (or find a pdf of it if you didn't get one for your phone), as IIRC it gives you some useful tips on how certain things are perceived in the gameworld. For instance, burning the enemy's homesteads during a read will infuriate them a LOT more than plundering.

It's really one of the best computer games out there. + what Premier wrote.

1. an incredible "emergent narrative" engine

2. the best introduction to Glorantha ever

3. the best introduction to the way pre-modern period peoples think, behave and believe.


Reading this guide is very important.

One of the best computer games ever made.

I would buy it...but alls I've got is a Droid.  

QuoteWhat's really unique about.. pretty much all of the game.. is that modern-day common sensibilities will NOT carry you far: you'll have to adopt the mindset of a bronze-age tribal leader and understand how your people - and the thoroughly magical world around you - might react to your decisions. 21st century notions of fairness, justice and honour might easily lead you astray.

This.

But by only reading about it its impossible to understand. Only after some playtime you understand how ingenius this feature is.

Its that time of the year when I get an itch to play the game.

I was thinking in starting a game in a totally new and different way. I think I never starte a game having Elmal as my main diety... hmmm..

Resurrecting this thread, because The King of Dragon Pass has been recently re-released via GOG.COM. For only $6, you get one of the best computer strategy games ever made - a game which plays well and has aged tremendously well.

If you don't own it yet, pick up a copy ASAP.

Holy crap. The amount of raving on this thread is amazing.

That really makes me want to check it out now.

I've given GOG way too much of my money.  I need to stop.

But not today.  Today's a bad day for stopping.

Quote from: Benoist;577724Holy crap. The amount of raving on this thread is amazing.

That really makes me want to check it out now.

Do check it out.  I got it for my iPad and I have been very happy with it.  Really neat gameplay and a totally different perspective than almost any other game out there.  I typically do not like video games and I loved this one.


-TGA

hmm maybe it's time to bust out my old XP machine and try this one out.

Quote from: Melan;577667Resurrecting this thread, because The King of Dragon Pass has been recently re-released via GOG.COM. For only $6, you get one of the best computer strategy games ever made - a game which plays well and has aged tremendously well.

If you don't own it yet, pick up a copy ASAP.

AWESOME news!

Ipad/Iphone Universal version is out.