Disciples II Expansions Preview

By Brett Todd, GameSpotPosted May 27, 2003 1:52 pm PT

Strategy First has two expansion packs for Disciples II that provide new campaigns for the dark and light factions and let you turn up the graphics resolution.

Despite the critical acclaim it's received, the Disciples series hasn't exactly taken the best-seller lists by storm. The turn-based strategy series, which consists of 1999's Disciples: Sacred Lands and 2002's Disciples II: Dark Prophecy, has developed a cult following among those who have come to enjoy the series' easy-to-learn gameplay, its strategic depth, and the romantic fantasy setting of Nevendaar. And now, Strategy First is working on two stand-alone expansion packs for Disciples II. Guardians of the Light is currently nearing completion and is set for release early this summer, while Servants of the Dark is expected to arrive not long afterward, possibly before fall.

An undead dark elf is a key character in Servants of the Dark, the second of two upcoming Disciples II expansions.

Both expansion packs are slightly different from most commercial expansion packs, since they'll both have content from the original game, as well as new campaigns, characters, and units. Guardians of the Light, for instance, bundles the scenarios featuring the Empire and Mountain Clans from Disciples II with new high-level scenarios written to expand the saga of these good-aligned races. Not surprisingly, Servants of the Dark does the same thing for the evil Legion of the Damned and Undead Hordes, since most of the series' fans seem to prefer either the good or the evil races.

"The goal of the expansions was to try to appeal to a new, broader audience by allowing people to purchase a thematic pack based on the way in which they like to play these types of games (good or evil)," explained Ariel Gauthier, the expansion packs' producer. "We received a lot of feedback from the original Disciples II that indicated people were often playing only one race, and we decided we could offer a specialized version of the product at a discounted price. Of course, we want to reach as many new players as possible to build the Disciples fan base, get more people involved in multiplayer, and keep Nevendaar fresh in the minds of the public for future endeavors."

Gauthier and the rest of the development team also hope to accentuate rivalries between the good and evil player factions. However, followers of both good and evil should expect to play fairly similar scenarios. Even with the narrower focus, both Guardians of the Light and Servants of the Dark will continue the saga that began in Disciples. They will collectively form a single coherent plot, the main difference being varied perspectives on the overall story. While each campaign will be unique and will feature its own characters, mission objectives, and maps, the types of tasks you'll undertake will vary depending on which race you've chosen.

Guardians of the Light features the return of the Mountain Clans.

For example, when playing as the Undead Hordes, your objectives may simply consist of slaughtering innocents, followed by slaughtering more innocents. As you might expect, you won't have the same goals if you decide to play as the sanctimonious servants of the Empire. At the same time, the story won't be so convoluted that players will have to buy both expansion packs to figure out who's who. Strategy First certainly wants Disciples II fans to pick up both games, but it wants to encourage that with great gameplay, not plot contrivances.

"The overall plot was planned out before we decided to split the expansions, but it is told in such a way that you do not need to play one campaign to understand the others," said designer Ethan Petty. "Each campaign is a story in itself, but playing other races will enhance the story you have seen. Much like their predecessor, the campaigns in the expansion share a lot of characters and events, but no one campaign tells the full story."

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jakeboudville
Posted Sep 13, 2006 3:50 am PT

sounds cool
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