Etherlords II E3 2003 Preshow Report

Strategy First will have Etherlords II, an upcoming turn-based strategy game, on display at E3 2003. Etherlords II is the sequel to the original Etherlords, a game frequently compared to the collectible-card game Magic: The Gathering. Battle mechanics from Magic, including concepts such as mana, tapping, blocking, trampling, first strike, and so on are all part of Etherlords and its sequel. In the game's combat mode, you select available spells from your deck and then cast them against your opponent. Using "cards" from the deck starts a new round and makes a new set of spells available. Experience gained from combat enhances your abilities in later battles. During the adventure phase of the game, you'll collect new cards and skills for your hero to use in battle.

Etherlords II improves on its predecessor in a number of ways, one of which is the inclusion of five different nonlinear campaigns. Four of the campaigns are played from the point of view of a hero from each of the game's four races. In the fifth campaign, you'll assume the role of a mighty character with the ability to use spells from all four of the game's races. Other new features include new creatures and spells that can be used by any of the four races and new areas to explore in the ether world such as contaminated zones. New abilities like sailing, tunneling, and teleporting will be included in Etherlords II, as well as an artifact editor that lets you create your own custom spells. Multiplayer fans will be able to take advantage of a new tournament system for online players that calculates player statistics and ratings. You'll even be able to record and replay matches.

Etherlords II is currently slated for release on the PC in fall 2003. We'll have more information on the game as it becomes available.