fantasy strategy hybrids

HI, was wondering what the following fantasy strategy games are like:

1. Dragonshard

2. Disciples

3. Etherlords

4. Spellforce

5. Total Annihilation: kingdoms

cheers
Nutman

I played spellforce a lot and I quite enjoyed it. The RPG aspect isn't all that strong, and neither is the RTS part, but together they make a nice package. There is just something way cool in charging into battle with a batallion of battle-hardened dwarves behind you…

Etherlords is the best game on that list. Like Spellforce the RPG aspect is weak, but if you enjoy card games like Magic the Gathering then this one is right up your alley.

There is nothing better than building a deck to crush your opponents with.

I would recommend Dragonshard only if you're a hardcore D&D fan, it was just so-so as an RTS game.

Total Annihilation: Kingdoms had some interesting units, but the AI was terrible, even for back then.

Age of Wonders and Heroes of Might and Magic are both excellent series. They're turn based, but definetly RPG/RTS hybrids. Also, Warcraft 3, LotR: War of the Ring and Battle Realms sort of fall into that category.

Nothing really compares to Spellforce 2 though, with such a heavy focus on the RPG aspect. I personally prefer that nowadays.

Originally Posted by GhanBuriGhan
I played spellforce a lot and I quite enjoyed it. The RPG aspect isn't all that strong, and neither is the RTS part, but together they make a nice package. There is just something way cool in charging into battle with a batallion of battle-hardened dwarves behind you…

Originally Posted by JDR13
I would recommend Dragonshard only if you're a hardcore D&D fan, it was just so-so as an RTS game.

Agree with both of these - if you can only choose one, definitely go the Spellforce route. GoodOldGames has it cheap as well. Spellforce 2 is quite wonderful as well.

I'd add the Settlers 5. At one point I didn't find that many differences to Spellforce 1 anymore.

Originally Posted by Nutman
HI, was wondering what the following fantasy strategy games are like:

2. Disciples
Disciples is a simple strategy game. Art direction is very good, but gameplay is not that good.

3. Etherlords
I loved these games (1 and 2). Highly recommended. If I remember correctly, it's sort of a card game in which you start a battle with weak units and gather strength to summon the heavy hitters, plus you have spells and what not. I'll probably replay them soon.

4. Spellforce
It started ok as a mix of RPG and RTS, but since I suck at RTS, about halfway through, the RTS part got too tough for me and I couldn't finish it.

Not on your list… but Kings Bounty and Kings Bounty : AP is the best thing to happen to the genre since… HoMM3

I agree with GG; those two games are an example of hybrid tb strat that is at the top of the genre.

I'd rate Disciples above Etherlords, but it's closer to a pure tb fantasy strategy. (Long battles, aggressive AI with superior numbers and resources, hero and unit leveling, etc.) It had some interesting takes on magic; only usable on the world map not in the battle screen, each race has only certain spells with limited options to purchase those of other races, as well as some nice differentiation between the abilities of the different factions. Etherlords had a card game base to combat that was interesting, but not exactly balanced as I recall. But as hybrids go, Etherlords is far less in the pure tbs tradition. Spellforce is an excellent game as well, well worth playing, even for someone like me with very poor RTS skills.

Originally Posted by magerette
I'd rate Disciples above Etherlords,

Blasphemy! Etherlords is the best game since ……CHESS

Just teasing. Etherlords is a great card game, but you have to like card games to enjoy Etherlords. I wouldn't even call it a rpg/strategy hybrid. It has more in common with the old Magic the Gathering pc game that came out a long time ago than any of those others on that list.

I really have to try Disciples again. Do I recall correctly and that was the game with the battles which had a maximum of 6 different units on each side? There were 3 in the front row and 3 in the back row? I really tried to like that game because of the demonic units (I like me some evil), but did not like that you couldn't move the units around. It felt too simple. Maybe I gave up on it too fast.

Originally Posted by skavenhorde
Blasphemy! Etherlords is the best game since ……CHESS

Just teasing. Etherlords is a great card game, but you have to like card games to enjoy Etherlords. I wouldn't even call it a rpg/strategy hybrid. It has more in common with the old Magic the Gathering pc game that came out a long time ago than any of those others on that list.

I really have to try Disciples again. Do I recall correctly and that was the game with the battles which had a maximum of 6 different units on each side? There were 3 in the front row and 3 in the back row? I really tried to like that game because of the demonic units (I like me some evil), but did not like that you couldn't move the units around. It felt too simple. Maybe I gave up on it too fast.

I can't remember what turned me off to Etherlords--I know I enjoyed it at first but then something came up that screwed it up for me. I thought the card game battles were fun, though.

Yes, Disciples is that game. Combat is really static for a lot of people and it always surprises me when people say it's too easy, too boring or too simple, but I know many feel that's the weakness in the game. If you didn't like that combat style, there's not much point in playing the game because it's all about the combat. To me it was very chess-like, but there certainly were ways to game the system --like playing as a thief and having the ability to swap all the enemy ranged units from back to front. I liked it a lot, and thought it had a reasonable amount of depth for that style game, but not everyone has the same tastes.

Ok that's it, I'm sold. The next time I have some free time I'm loading this sucker up and trying it again. I do recall it had some neat little additions with the units, but I got to a certain point and just stopped playing. I think I was getting my butt kicked and maybe needed to think that the battles were just too different.

I would like 'Fantasy Strategy hybrid' defined a little bit more. But if I'm understanding what you are looking for… Etherlords, Disciples and Age of Wonders are among my favorites. Again, if I'm understanding the question correctly, I would also add Battle Mages and Lords of the Realms. I enjoyed both. I would also mention Warhammer: Shadow of the Horned Rat and Mark of Chaos. 100 Swords also comes to mind.

Once I get home and look at my shelves I'm sure I'll come up with a couple of other titles.

Oh! I almost forgot Conquered Kingdoms!

My two cents:
The Spellforce games are very entertaining RTS/ARPG hybrids. IIRC the first one and its expansions were more focused on RTS and resource management whereas the second one and its expansion in particular had a more developed skill/ARPG system.
The Disciples games are decent hero-based TBS games with lovely artwork and an interesting dark fantasy world. Etherlords series are CCG:s with stats, maps and quite flimsy plots, not that there's anything wrong with that.
My personal favorite was always Master of Magic, a wonderful old Microprose civ-style strategy game in a fantasy setting with emphasis on heroes, magic and a well-differentiated race/tech system. There's even an unofficial multiplayer shell. Still, it's getting long in the tooth and hard to find.
As mentioned elsewhere, Stardock is making a "spiritual sequel" to MoM with Elemental: War of Magic. Here's hoping.
There's also a good alternative in the huge Civ 4 mod "Fall from Heaven" which to my mind is even closer to MoM than the Age of Wonders games, and is free to boot (assuming that you have Civ 4, that is).

I figured that given our love here for Kings Bounty that their inclusion was implied!

I'm guessing he might have an older system from that list, which could be the reason why he didn't ask about KB.

Spellforce is the only game I have replayed more than ten times…

A few other titles I found on my selves…

Kohan
Rival Realms
Warlords
Lords of Magic (what I meant when I said "Lords of the Realms")
Magic and Mayhem
Blood and Magic

And wasn't there a Fantasy General? But that might be pushing the topic of this thread.

HI, thanks for all the comments, great stuff - more games to play!! I asked about those games in particular because I didn't know too much about them - are well aware of Kings Bounty and HOMM.

cheers