Cheap Dominions 2: The Ascension Wars (Software) (Windows Me, Windows XP, Windows 98) Price

Related Products

Customer Reviews of Dominions 2: The Ascension Wars

Excellent strategy game
There aren't many games now-a-days that can get me interested enough to play regularly, but Dominions 2 is one that definitely does. <
> <
>It's a multiplayer, multi-platform (Mac, Windows, Linux), turn-based strategy game. There is a tun of different strategies to go with, many nations, magic items, spells, different units. Excellent game for a hardcore strategy person. <
> <
>The only drawback is the interface. It's certainly not perfect and takes a bit to get used to. But there is lots of documentation online to help with that kind of stuff. <
> <
>I'd highly recommend this game to anyone who likes a good multiplayer turn-based strategy. It's the best I've ever played (and I've played quite a few)

---

A turn based strategy game in a fantasy setting with no limits
If you have always wanted a turn based strategy game in a fantasy setting with no limits then Dominions II is really the only option out there. Its not perferct but its darn good. <
> <
>The story, if you can really call it that, is that the world of Dominions once had one god. One day he just wasn't there all of a sudden and everybody and their brother decided to try and apply for his job. All of these "pretender gods" have to kill off all the other gods and put their religions out of commision in order to take over the world and become a true god. To start up a new game of Dominions II you need to choose from one of the 17 different empires and then pick your pretender god from dozens of different avatars. You can play as darn near anything you can imagine from the ordinary, like the arch-mage, to the outrageously exotic, like the fountain of blood. Every pretender god has strengths and weaknesses and some may be adept at only one or two paths of magic while others may learn many with ease. You also pick a castle and set up your own "dominion" which is the effect your god has on his followers as his religion spreads across the world. <
> <
>But that isn't all, you still haven't actually started a game yet. Next you have to create the game by picking from one of nearly a dozen huge maps and setting all of the game settings such as victory conditions and the difficulty of neutral provinces. And lets not forget, you also choose which of the 17 empires will be playing and if they will be human or AI players. <
> <
>The game itself is huge and has very few limits. Your empires unique units may be built in any province in which you have built a castle but every proince in the game also has its own units that may be built there to inculde many that none of the empires usually have access to. Plus units may be equiped with different armor and weapons and as such there may well be hundreds of unique units in the game with maybe even thousands of different equipment varaitions. Like the pretender gods, units come in a huge array from simple, like the light infantry, to the wild, like werewoles and vampires. Combine that with the fact that there are hundreds of spells in the game to research, hundreds of magic items to forge and find, and random events almost every turn, no two games will ever end the same way and the game has nearly unlimited replyability. <
> <
>Combat is a bit unsual. All units, in order to move around the map or attack, have to be assigned to a commander. Commanders are built in the same way you recruit normal units but they can only lead so many men. However, you can assign units under a commander to as many squads as you like and each squad as well as the commander himself can be issued a specific order such as casting spells, using ranged weapons or attacking certain foes on the battle field. The downside of all this is that you have to set up all of this before hand during your turn. Combat occours in between turns and you have no control over the battle. Its entirely up to your units to follow the plan you laid out for them.For better or worse this system is certainly original. <
> <
>But some things about the game really bother me. My biggest complaint with the game has to be the computer AI. Its not thats its too stupid or too smart. Its actually a bit like the terminator, it allways seems to know where you are and sends wave after wave of seemingly endless foes after you. It can't be reasoned with, it can't be bargined with and it won't stop until one of you is dead. With no diplomacy options and units like spys, assassins and scouts being extremely rare and expensive most games aginst the AI just deteroiate into massive rushing attacks with huge armies killing each other over and over with gods throwing spells at each other turn after turn. <
> <
>Another problem with the game is the manual which is huge but contains no information that isn't easily available in the game. Its the same problem Evil Genius had, the manual is awful and all the hints that should hae been in the manual are hidden in the games loading screens. I hope you can read fast. The grapics obviously aren't exactly on par with Half Life 2 or Doom 3 but they work, however I've got to take issue with the music and sound which is downright AWFUL. You better get used to hearing the same three music tracks over and over. <
> <
>Over all, Dominions II is by far the best turn based fantasy game I've ever played. Room for improvement is obviously here but this game should keep you occupied for a long time.

---

Not the best
I expected more from this game. It is not as interesting as one would have liked. For instance the game is too hands off, too high level. There is little control over the game. The terrain, and character you play determines a lot of what happens and there is not much need for skill, or ingenuity in the game play. Which kind of dumbs down the game play and makes the player a kind of slave to the game.