I thought this would be better than getting SH2, apparently I was wrong. The AI is out of control and why can you not
This game isn't bad as far as graphics go, pretty standard. Interface is simple, and very similar to previous SH's. Same with the sound, not great, but okay.
But the worst part of this game is that it isn't fun. I have tried to force myself to play it long enough to get into it, but after a few weeks, I have come to a few conclusions:
1. The AI builds things too quickly. It is near impossible to have the same amount of buildings as them at any given point, let alone units. You have to build and build and build units, and hope that they all don't get destroyed by a few of his.
2. ESTATES!!! I hate them. WHY can't you build on an estate you control! Arrrgh. That drives me nuts. Say for instance you have no stone in your province, so you take over the one next to you and now start producing stone to be delivered to you. That part is fine, but you can't build any walls, towers, or even a siege camp to help defend it. Meanwhile the AI is transporting people there and you're left to send mass amounts of troops to defend a poorly defensible area. What a waste of time! Changing this one thing would improve the game so greatly that I might actually be able to condone playing it.
3. Special Units. Playing this game is like playing chess on acid. None of the abilities seem to match up. If the evil side sends dragons or bats, you're screwed. Merlin sits there with his lighting and must attack the dragon 18 strikes before it dies, while the dragon Burninates your entire village. There are dragon harpoons, but as I said before, you can't build them in another province other than your main one. Flying giant bats suicide bomb everything, werewolves and burning demons devour everything else. You have a few knights with special abilities. It would be nice have one whose special ability helps takes out dragons, one who kills bats, a unit that can quench demons burning. Whenever abilites are cancelled out (equal in force) it makes a game so much more fun and logical.
In conclusion I think the game is okay, there are just a few things that make it soooo not worth playing. I wish i would have bought SH2 instead. Heck I might just go back to the original stronghold, those missions were way more fun.