It's all well and good to create a historical real-time strategy game that is accurate, offers the boiler point features (diplomacy, trade, accurate depictions of armies and countries) and AI that mimics the personality traits of the leaders of the time, but sometimes developers forget one important factor - the game has to be fun. No matter what the subject matter is, if the gameplay and the interface by which it is delivered is constraining or overwhelming only the most hardcore players will give it the time of day. With that basic understanding in mind, Black Sea Studios (a company founded by the Lead Designer of TZAR: The Burden of the Crown, Vesselin Handjiev), is going to give historical RTS fans what they want while at the same time serving up a game that the rest of us might want to play.
The game in question (the first title for this company formed in 2001) is called
Knights of Honor
, and it is being billed as a real-time "empire conquering simulation." The game promises all the trappings of the genre - trade, economy, diplomacy, siege warfare, large scale battles, a historically accurate setting and much more. But at its heart the game will be something that all RTS fans will enjoy. Set in medieval Europe, Knights of Honor features the historical region divided up amongst some 70+ realms. On the economic end of things, players will be able gather three types of resources (basic, valuable and exotic) - two of these resources are to gain wealth (these are gained by conquering other realms and by owning a harbor), while one is detrimental to your kingdom's survival. 50 specific structures are available for each realm, a number of which are dedicated to increasing resource production and trade - a good way to make some extra coin on the side.
For those into diplomacy KoH offers an interface to deal with other realms through agreements, edicts and espionage. Some of these methods may cause your realm some trouble, but being kind and getting your hands dirty are both important ways of handling your neighbors and your enemies.
Players can also engage in large-scale battles against other nations. They can use a straightforward approach to dealing with other military forces, use formations, or simply ambush them at their discretion. The game will offer 30+ units with four levels of experience and the ability to use siege warfare is also something that will play a key role in the overall big picture of things.
There are many other important aspects to the game, but one of the most important features that Black Sea Studios hopes will shuffle Knights of Honor to the front of the line is the use of Knights. Knights are heroes that can be put to use in a variety of ways to help your realm. In an average game session the game map will feature approximately 150 of them. Some of these knights are good and honorable men, while others have their own agendas and ulterior motives. Knights also offer bonuses in other areas like diplomacy and in war - Knights can transfer abilities to troops and realms. Knights can do a whole lot more, but you get the basic premise.
Black Sea Studios' game sounds like it is on the right path, and soon we hope to give this game a serious hands-on test to see if it is as fun and as engaging as it sounds. For now all we can offer is optimism that it won't suck, the feature list found below and a handful of nifty new screenshots:
Features - at a Glance:
- Strategic world-view working cooperatively with a detailed close-view bringing you the biggest map ever seen in a strategy game
- Knights can transfer up to 15+ abilities such as leadership and dread to troops and realms
- Special abilities can be boosted with fame points gathered through honorable actions and experience
- More than 70 accurate realms and 50+ gameplay relevant structures to build
- Unique economic system for global resource management objectives
- Troop based combat concept with more than 30 different military units
- Special units for England, France and other important nations from medieval Europe
- Defend and conquer a great variety of customisable castles with different siege equipments such as trebouchet, oil cauldron or even tunnel diggers
- Extended diplomatic capabilities through easy to use proposal- interface including agreements, edicts and espionage
- 3 historical entry points with different single- and multiplayer modes
Knights of Honor is being developed by Black Sea Studios in cooperation with SUNFLOWERS and is scheduled for a second quarter 2004 release on PC. Check out the new screenshots below:
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