Actually having to stay on edge makes this one of my favorite strategy games. Sitting the battles out just isn't an option, because turteling (often an all powerfull solution in other games) doesn't cut it: You might fend of one attacker but if you don't take the initiative the next one will get you. You have to get what you can as fast as possible, every little bit helps. And this makes logistics almost more important than the actual battles.

We all had that problem, but I suspect the idea was playing fast. You build your strength, and attack the other players as soon as you can. Nowadays that mentality is more common, due to boardgames and fast multiplayer games, but back then, comming from normal strategy games everybody expected hoarding to be the best strategy.

What has always bothered me about this whole series is how the concept inherently disadvantages careful playing. By the nature of the rewards, the treasures, the mills/mines etc., every success you make early on will potentise. So you need to stay just on the edge, in permanent danger of losing your whole army all the time, because taking the time to build up the ranks will cost you all-important treasure and experience. Of course, this also means you better not leave any creatures behind just to protect your cities, because unused potential is dead potential. It's incredibly frustrating in this way.

Here they hit jackpot. But I have the feeling that it was mostly luck, and the next games would change little of it.

The second game added a bit more of complexity, which actually helped the game making combats more interesting, and brought things such as improving units or a super powerful artifact hidden in the map.

The third improved the hero advancement system, adding skills and a more advanced inventory. But sadly the graphics are very ugly.

Currently there are six installments of the series, but I haven't even tried the newer ones, so I don't know how they are.

Yes, well, it sounds much easier than it actually is to get this right. Balancing different elements, making them work together is a very delicate task. Just look at Star General to see how wrong this switch between a global and a local strategic level can go.

Quite an interesting point, never thought of that. But I guess that what makes the series such a perfect blend of RPG and strategy: The single parts aren't that overly complex, yet they influence each other in a subtle way, that is the actually difficult part to master.

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