At the same time, the team feels that it’s “exciting if you find a good synergy once, but don’t want a situation where players are always obliged to take specific picks.”Īge of Wonders 4 uses the Tomes system. In Age of Wonders 4, there are a wealth of options where variety exists, as compared to min-maxing, which is primarily seen in multiplayer. I had asked the developers what their thoughts were on balancing as it relates to min-maxing synergies compared to those who just want to role play, and I received an interesting reply. Some are there if you want more lore-friendly fluff for role playing, while others can unlock ridiculous setups. Yes, right off the bat, you’re already going to think of numerous combinations. And, further onward, you select more traits, along with cosmetic designs for your leader and their peoples. There are also beings of the Dark, which provide extra knowledge/research, giving you buildings with bonuses to this resource, as well as a nudge toward the Evil alignment. The Industrious culture, meanwhile, grants additional production, and units are affected by Bolstering, making them tougher as they tank more hits in battle. For example, the Feudal option lets some heroes become Feudal Lords, and you’d have structures with extra food gains. You’ll then pick bonuses like increased HP, critical hits when flanking, movement reduction depending on the terrain, improved resistances, and more.įrom there, you decide on the different cultures, which also happen to have an affinity for each resource. You’ve got everything from the usual tropes, such as humans, orcs, dwarves, elves, and halflings, as well as some surprises, including man-sized rats reminiscent of Skaven, large toads, and cat people (hurray for cats!).

From the get-go, you’d customize your chosen leader and their race. This is evident in the next iteration of the series, which goes back to its fantasy roots after Planetfall delved a bit into sci-fi territory. If Civilization is all about maximizing the potential of your civ/faction, and Humankind has you create a combination of cultures, Age of Wonders looks at both the micro and macro aspects: your chosen hero, race bonuses/traits, and how you’d improve your faction from there. One of the key reasons that makes the Age of Wonder franchise stand out among its contemporaries in the genre is its focus on heroes.

Age of wonders 4 release time