Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic is a turn-based strategy game set in a fantasy world. It is the third installment in the Age of Wonders series, developed by Dutch video game company Triumph Studios and published by Gathering of Developers. In Shadow Magic, players take on the role of a leader of a fantasy empire, tasked with expanding their territory, managing resources, and engaging in warfare. The game offers both a single-player campaign mode and multiplayer options. One of the standout features of Shadow Magic is its variety of playable races, each with its own unique units and abilities. Players can choose to lead classic fantasy races such as humans, elves, dwarves, and orcs, or more exotic options like draconians, frostlings, and dark elves.
Players can choose to lead classic fantasy races such as humans, elves, dwarves, and orcs, or more exotic options like draconians, frostlings, and dark elves. Each race has its own strengths and weaknesses, allowing for diverse strategies and playstyles. The game also introduces the Shadow Realm, a new dimension that adds an extra layer of depth to gameplay.
Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic
This is a purely bragging thread, I apologise in advance.
I just completed the final mission of the campaign without checking any walkthroughs. When I had completed it I then looked at a walkthrough to find out how much of a meal I'd made of it, see what I was doing wrong.
It turns out the walkthrough suggested they spent 1,100 turns on the last mission. I was a bit flabbergasted and loaded up my near to the end save and saw that I'd completed it in 260 turns, and I'd been faffing about no end.
For those of you who've played it, what was your strategy for victory and how did you get a turn time quicker than 260?
Joined Nov 1, 2014 Messages 4,582Hastar
Unspeakable
RPGWatch Donor Joined Aug 28, 2010 Messages 2,776 Location Wolf Light WoodsIt's a great game but I just did random maps and the single maps. Did not finish campaign did some of the campaign maps but did not get to end.
"From knowledge springs Power, just as weakness stems from Ignorance." Joined Aug 28, 2010 Messages 2,776 Location Wolf Light WoodsAlrik Fassbauer
TL;DR
Original Sin Donor Original Sin 2 Donor Joined Nov 5, 2006 Messages 21,602 Location Old Europe I stopped the Campaign halfway, as I didn't like the story at all - less and less as it progressed."Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." (E.F.Schumacher, Economist, Source)
Joined Nov 5, 2006 Messages 21,602 Location Old EuropeMaylander
SasqWatch
Original Sin Donor Joined Oct 18, 2006 Messages 7,545 Location BergenNo idea, it's been ages. I do remember that I spent a lot of time on the initial missions of every campaign to build up my heroes (perfect crafted gear, completed all research etc), so the rest of the missions was generally a breeze. Cheesy, I know.
Joined Oct 18, 2006 Messages 7,545 Location Bergenlackblogger
SasqWatch
Joined Nov 1, 2014 Messages 4,582 I stopped the Campaign halfway, as I didn't like the story at all - less and less as it progressed.The story is indeed appallingly bad, it's no joke that a 10 year old could have come up with something more appropriate. It's lucky the story only forms 0.1% of your game time.
The opening narrative to one of the missions was to "kill Vorsair" or was it Phobius? Not entirely sure, but anyway, so… progressed the mission and got a very long way in, so far in that one of the AIs, the frost wizard, had almost achieved total domination. I didn't mind as I was at peace with them, all I wanted was Vorsair's head. Leaving all my castles virtually defenceless I launched an all out assault on Vorsair and killed him good an' proper. The mission did not end. Turns out I had to do an Allied Victory, not just kill Vorsair… well thanks for that 'story writers'… needless to say I started it again and did what I should have been told to do at the start, what with it being a 'strategy' game and all.
The half-way point in the game is marked by a really stupid mission, possibly where both you and Hastar stopped. The mission dialogue asks you to kill 6 enemy heroes for victory. Sounds ok. You start the map and you're in an impossible position. Without knowing exactly where the enemy heroes are you cannot win, you'll just get overrun in about 20/30 turns or less. I restarted the game about 10 times before going on-line to find out where the heroes were. As soon as I knew this info the mission only took a few turns to finish. It's a classic case of either (as close as it's possible to be) impossible or piss easy, the only determinant being map-knowledge.
It's mostly just enjoyable turn-based strategy combat of the very enjoyable variety which happens to base it's structure on traditional fantasy, to which the variety of units available is a joy to behold.
No idea, it's been ages. I do remember that I spent a lot of time on the initial missions of every campaign to build up my heroes (perfect crafted gear, completed all research etc), so the rest of the missions was generally a breeze. Cheesy, I know.
I think that's what you're supposed to do. Once I got the hang of what everything does that's exactly what I did. However, I suddenly got stuck on the second of the last set of three missions, I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. Then I remembered I'd forgotten to fully milk the previous level for artifacts, which is why my heroes kept dying so easily. I went back and spent 100/150 turns pressing end-turn while my artifacts got made and then had no real trouble in the next mission.
The last mission, however, is a standalone mission, there's no means to prepare for it like that, which is why it's more complicated than all the others. You have to find a way to defeat established huge armies of Tier 10 (or whatever the max tier is) monsters from a position of virtually nothing. I restarted it four or five times before I found something that worked. I was close to giving up, especially as the on-line walkthrough just kept bleating on about Gold Dragons, something I didn't even have, need or used.
For those of you who've played it, what was your strategy for victory and how did you get a turn time quicker than 260?
The Shadow Realm is a parallel dimension that can be accessed through special portals, and it is home to new resources, spells, and creatures. Players must learn to efficiently navigate between the real world and the Shadow Realm to gain an advantage over their enemies. In addition to the core gameplay mechanics, Shadow Magic features a wealth of content, including a fully customizable wizard character that can gain experience and learn powerful spells. The game also includes a map editor that allows players to create their own custom scenarios and share them with others. Released in 2003, Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic was praised for its deep gameplay mechanics, strategic depth, and immersive fantasy setting. It received positive reviews from critics and continues to be a beloved title in the turn-based strategy genre. Overall, Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic offers an engaging and challenging experience for fans of fantasy strategy games. With its vast array of playable races, innovative Shadow Realm mechanic, and robust customization options, it remains a timeless classic in the genre..
Reviews for "The Art of Diplomacy in Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic"
1. John - 1 out of 5 stars - Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic was a huge letdown for me. The gameplay felt repetitive and lacked any significant improvements from the previous installments. The graphics were outdated, and the AI was just downright frustrating. There was little to no challenge or strategic depth in the battles, making them feel like a chore rather than an exciting experience. Overall, I found the game to be a disappointment and would not recommend it to anyone looking for a captivating strategy game.
2. Sarah - 2 out of 5 stars - I was really excited to try Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic, but it fell short of my expectations. The interface was confusing and difficult to navigate, which made it hard to fully enjoy the game. The unit balance felt off, with some units being incredibly overpowered, while others were practically useless. The campaign lacked a compelling storyline and failed to keep me engaged. There are definitely better strategy games out there, so I would advise skipping this one.
3. Michael - 2 out of 5 stars - Despite being a fan of the franchise, Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic failed to captivate me. The game felt outdated, with clunky controls and uninspiring visuals. The AI was incredibly predictable, making the battles feel repetitive and lacking challenge. Furthermore, the lack of new features or innovations left me feeling unsatisfied. Overall, I found the game to be lackluster and would recommend exploring other strategy games with more engaging gameplay and modern graphics.