Help me remember a PC game

[FantasiaWHT]

Ok there was this PC game I used to LOVE and played constantly years ago. Let me try to narrow it down and maybe somebody can remember it...

I was playing it after high school, first few years of college, so 1998-2000 or so, but it might not have been brand new then.

Turn based strategy game. Medieval fantasy setting.

Took place on a huge map and there were probably 2 dozen different countries and at maybe around 100 territories, so finishing one of these took forever.

There were lots of diplomatic options.

There were quite a few different races to choose from.

There were hero units, or maybe generals they were called, that could level up and gave huge bonuses to their troops in battle. They could also use magical items, weapons, and armor for advantages.

Perhaps most uniquely, there was an entire separate part of the game that was basically a first person dungeon crawl. Instead of fighting with your heroes/generals, you could make a party of them and take them into a dungeon in search of one REALLY powerful magical item. On the way there were traps, lots of enemies to kill, switch puzzles and plenty of other minor loot to get. I distinctly remember there being some sort of levitation boots that lasted for a short time and helped you get to hidden places.

Any ideas? Or any ideas where I could post this and get more help?

[poe]

I think you're talking about Fantasy Empires. Never played it, but the little bit I've seen of it sounds like what you're describing, except I don't think the dungeon crawl segment was first person in that one.

Another one I was thinking of, until you started talking about the dungeon crawl, is Master of Magic. Basically Civilization 2 meets Magic the Gathering. It adds in spell research, artifact crafting, and hero recruitment to what is almost identical in core gameplay to Civ. Worth a look if you haven't played it already.

EDIT: Underdogs has both of the above listed, and links to some related games. You can check those descriptions and screenshots and see if you recognize them before you try tracking down a copy.

[googlefest1]

could it also be heros of might and magic
i have never played the pc ones only the gameboy color versions but that series did have "heros" that would level up and give bonuses to party members


at first i was thinking master of magic but that didnt have any first person dungeon crawling

[s1lence]

could it also be heros of might and magic
i have never played the pc ones only the gameboy color versions but that series did have "heros" that would level up and give bonuses to party members


at first i was thinking master of magic but that didnt have any first person dungeon crawling

Heroes didn't have any dungeon crawling. You could level up your castles and the production values of the castles.

[thegreatescape]

Not likely to be Dungeon Keeper or Lord of the Realm is it?

Whatever it is, it sounds pretty frickin' sweet :-P

[FantasiaWHT]

It freaking rocked! Back in that part of my life I could work on a couple hours of sleep, and I would fall into the "just another turn" syndrome.

I'll check Fantasy Empires.

Not Master of Magic- I had that one too, at about the same time (it was an older game at that point I believe). The map wasn't territory based like this game is- it had fog of war and resources hidden around the map, which this game didn't have. Nor is it Lords of Magic.

The map was like the map in a Romance of the Three Kingdoms game- split up into territories.

I played LotR 3, but I don't think I ever played #1... that's purely historical though I think, no magic.

I played Dungeon Keeper 2, and I know it's not either of those.

Underdogs, I'll check that one out.

[FantasiaWHT]

Looked through Underdogs and nothing struck a chord, BUT I did remember...

I'm pretty sure it's also based on a licensed world of some sort. TSR or something like that.

[FantasiaWHT]

Got it!

Birthright: The Gorgon's Alliance!

Thanks Poe for suggesting underdogs.

Now I just need to find a copy :( And figure out how to get it to work on my machine hehe

[calthaer]

PCs have the best strategy games anywhere.

Anybody who has not yet done so and loves strategy games / space sims should check out Space Rangers 2.

And now back to your regularly scheduled thread.

[poe]

That game looks pretty sweet. I checked a bit on availability, eBay has some auctions for cd only around $5 shipped, and someone was selling a manual for about $5 shipped, so $10 total for a complete copy there, or $20 plus shipping for a NIB copy from cdaccess.com (as mentioned on your post on underdogs).

The game was made for Win98, so I doubt compatibility will be a problem, but Windows XP can be a harsh mistress...

And for Space Rangers, I've been interested in that since I saw a 5/5 review in CGM, but if I spend $40 on that, then no DQ8 fix for me :( Nice thing is most versions of Space Rangers 2 are on DVD and include the first game, also. GoGamer had them on their site last time I checked; the DVD version is just titled Space Rangers (no '2' attached).

[SoulBlazer]

How much is Space Rangers 2? I've been intrested in that one also.

[poe]

Most places about $40. GoGamer had a sale for it at $30 a couple weeks ago, but it sold out right away. I'm holding out for another sale, although I'll probably cave in and buy it at $40 after Christmas.

[calthaer]

How much is Space Rangers 2? I've been intrested in that one also.

I got it for $30 - I posted a thread on it that got buried over time by other ones. I was thinking in particular that you, Soul, would LOVE this game.

I can't keep from telling a story:

So I had accepted a mission to deliver a fancy timepiece to a princess on some planet, and I was happily cruising from star system to star system - and when I got to the target system and looked at the planet, to my dismay I saw that they were "hostile" to me - meaning that they would throw me in jail when I landed. Jail time meant I could miss the deadline for the mission, but I decided to chance it in case I got paroled in time. I will certainly check with the "google-like" info system the game has on the target planet before I accept a mission next time.

So while in prison, I started to work out a bit, and I tried (unsuccessfully) to smuggle a fork and spoon out of the cafeteria, I found a Rubic's Cube, I bet on some cockroach races, I told the warden I'd be an informant (but never actually gave him info), and I got a naked chick tattooed on my chest so that my cred with the other inmates would go up.

I got paroled in nine days and completed the mission.

Then I saw that the evil Dominator (think Antarens from MOO2) were attacking two systems over, and I went to fight them. The battle was glorious, and since my hull was small I stowed some booty in the (friendly) pirate base in orbit around the sun.

More Dominators attacking two systems over from THAT, and filled with bloodlust I went to fight there, too - almost impoverishing myself because my lowly ship had to be repaired so many times during the battle.

But then I saw that the Dominators were attacking the first system, and since they always target the orbital stations first, I had to rush back to save the booty from the pirate base before it was destroyed (which it was). Then, just about poor as I could be, I battled the Dominators there.

Then I sold all my booty from my glorious battles, and was filthy rich, so I got a better hull to hold MORE booty.

The game is amazing. Get it.

[SoulBlazer]

Sounds very good to me. Any used copies on Amazon or EBay right now? Can the game be bought and downloaded or is it CD only? And what's this I hear about the original being available as well? Where can I find info at? :)