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cities and the player's units; unexplored areas are blanked out until they have been explored by the player's units. By using the keyboard and mouse, the player moves a cursor to select units and cities, and issue orders via keystrokes. Cities under the player's control provide monthly income, which is supplemented by tributes from vassals and loot from battles. Income from a city is improved by expending funds to develop the city's economic sectors, such as agriculture and mining, or by increasing taxation. Tax rates, however, affect the loyalty of citizens; high taxes in a city lead to a decreasing population.
202:
the son of the Duke of Aladda, ruler of a city that used to be glorious under the old empire. The duke died during a raid by orcs and tasked his son through his will to fulfill his dream of reunifying the land. To achieve this goal, the young duke builds up his cities and expands his army, conquering or allying with other cities and races. Furthermore, he recovers three artifacts required to claim the throne, slays a dragon, and destroys the strongholds of monsters that plague the land. Eventually, he deposes the ruthless
Emperor of the Tetradan Empire, Lucinian IV, and assumes the Aragonian throne.
359:(Issue 13), Dave Morris found that the programming did not allow the enemy to play intelligently, pointing out that "even on Expert level your opponents will be just as dumb — there'll just be more of them." He was also disappointed by the game's graphics. Morris concluded by giving the gameplay a poor rating of 5 out of 10 and the graphics an even poorer 4 out of 10, saying, "Fighting a succession of poor opponents became repetitious, and its almost impossible to lose a battle even if the odds are stacked against you."
246:, missiles, and magic. The player has the option of letting the computer take control of his or her army to fight the battle. The game switches back to the World Map after a battle has concluded. Units that survive a battle gain experience points, improving their combat abilities on attaining certain numbers of experience points. They, with the exception of commanders, can also train in cities to improve their experience. Video games designer
350:(Issue 153), Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser believed that while the game was exciting, it suffered several design flaws that made the game too difficult for them. They found that the computer-controlled enemies constantly outpaced their economy and military might, and the game gave them no immediate opportunity to retreat their army when ambushed by superior forces, forcing them to suffer heavy losses.
448:
further frustrated him when it failed to acknowledge the correct key. The provided hints were incorrect, a situation also experienced by the
Lessers. The inaccuracies were not restricted to the copy protection. Starkweather pointed out discrepancies in the documentation—several features of the game were either not explained or wrongly documented.
487:
is a very hard game, and a lot of reviewers griped about it for that reason. But it's also full of surprises. Gutsy military victories and a generous, princely spirit are both absolutely essential to winning, but along the way you can find three powerful artifacts that will make claiming the throne a
237:
map of the encounter. The battle maps differ from the World Map in that each spot has a limit on its number of occupants—a stacking limit. The player and computer take turns to deploy and move their forces. Units move at their standard pace or at a forced march to cover greater distances per
224:
The player begins a game by choosing a character class for the protagonist. The choices are warrior, knight, mage, priest, and ranger. Each class has an affinity to a certain class of soldier—warriors are more apt in leading infantry, and knights, cavalry. During battles, mages, rangers, and
340:
complied with part of this trend; its huge complicated set of rules would have made it an unplayable board game, but by hiding its mechanics from the player, the digital version could be played by anyone. However, as Minson further explained, the scope of the game was too large for casual gamers to
225:
priests can also cast spells that damage foes, alter terrain, and heal friendly forces. The player can hire commanders of these classes to accompany the protagonist in his quest. After winning a number of battles, the player's character might receive offers of service from such commanders as well.
228:
The game is principally split between city management and tactical combat. Gameplay is turn-based, alternating between player and computer, and much of the game is played on the World Map, a representation of the land of Aragon. Each turn on this map represents a month in the game. The map shows
326:
was released when fantasy-themed wargames were gaining popularity and computer wargames were starting to flourish as the rules of the board games grew in complexity. The digital versions were simpler in terms of their gameplay, as parts of the complex mechanics were handled by computers instead.
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Armies are recruited in the cities, and their maintenance contributes to the monthly expenditure. Troops consist of infantry, cavalry, and bowmen. The game enters the tactical battle phase when enemies attack one of the player's cities that is garrisoned with troops, and when the player's forces
201:
is a "strategic fantasy role-playing adventure" video game published in 1989. The game's setting is the fictional country Aragon. A powerful human empire once held sway over the land, but infighting and raids by monsters such as orcs, goblins, and titans have broken it apart. The protagonist is
447:
s Phil King found the game "primitive", though "adequate". More troubling to several reviewers was the game's copy protection system. Ekholm was not pleased that he had to unfold a flimsy poster to identify the requested city. His copy was falling apart after several identifications. The game
169:
genre. Set in the fictional country Aragon, the games casts its protagonist as the duke of a city named Aladda. After assuming rule over the city and avenging his father's death, the protagonist embarks on a quest to unify the land through conquest. Accomplishing this goal entails developing
296:
system that uses the game manual. On starting the game, the icon of an
Aragonian city is displayed, along with a cue for a word in the manual's description of that city; a separate poster identifies the cities with their icons. The game proceeds only after the correct answer has been entered.
455:
for its flawed copy protection and perceived lack of strategy. Hiersekorn was more condemning; rating the game poorly for its graphics and sound, and confused by its presented lists of military and economic data, he called the game a "cheap clone". Regardless, such issues did not deter other
456:
reviewers from praising the game. Pleased with the large number of options to manage their cities and to order their armies in combat, they felt the game was deep and offered many exciting moments; Kritzen judged the system "challenging and ultimately rewarding." According to
32:
488:
lot easier. You also get to slay a dragon, demolish the titan stronghold, and depose the cruel
Emperor of the Tetradan Empire, and eventually assume the Aragonian throne. It's a long, painful road, but an enormously satisfying one."
280:. Their products typically "copied the board game formula without adding revolutionary new elements." Most strategy games at this time featured hexagon-based maps and a sequence of turns among players.
284:
plainly exhibits the influence of traditional board games in its design. Its maps are laid out in hexes, and the concept of stacking limits plays a strong part in the game's strategies. Written in
1177:
377:
s Werner
Hiersekorn felt the game ran slow on their computers, while Starkweather reflected that battles could take up to one and a half hours to complete. In 1990 and 1993
370:
s Adam
Starkweather found it too easy in later stages of the game, as his character's well-developed armies "steamroll" their way through the opposition. The Lessers and
233:
move onto a hostile city. Encounters might also take place as the player's forces move on the World Map. On such occasions, the game switches the display to a large-
238:
turn in battles. Certain terrain gives defensive bonuses to their occupants, reducing the damage they suffer when coming under attack. Offensives take the form of
327:
Freed of dice rolling, complex calculations, and coordination of the sequence of play, casual gamers were more amenable to playing these games. According to
341:
handle, overwhelming them with "the number of factors under their control", and hardcore gamers are more likely to appreciate the game's complexity.
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and cited problems with its documentation. There were also opinions that the game was more of a niche product, catering to hardcore strategists.
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Critics had minor criticisms with the game's quality when comparing to its contemporaries. Minson called its interface "old-fashioned", and
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addictive and was willing to overlook issues with the game, finding pleasure in formulating strategies and tactics to overcome the enemy.
1187:
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is considered by many to be the best fantasy wargame ever." Starkweather was equally pronounced in his opinion. He called
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failed to inspire players to identify themselves with the characters, giving a "coldly mechanical experience" instead.
273:
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s maps comprise hexagonal arrangement of squares. Several units, up to a limit, can be stacked together in one hex.
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1137:
907:
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tended to be more positive than negative; reviewers called it an exciting game, but criticized its method of
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cities, recruiting armies, and directing the troops on the fields of battle to victory. First published for
1142:
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said it was "clunky" and "marginal", a description it also gave the game's graphics. Graphically, Orr and
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479:
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44:
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51:
39:
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Retro Gamer staff (2007-09-13). "Developer
Lookback—Strategic Simulations Inc (Part 1 of 2)".
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978:
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61:
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s Hans Ekholm thought otherwise, saying the gameplay did not require any strategy, and considered
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659:. No. 65. California, United States: Golden Empire Publications. pp. 44–45, 53.
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Lesser, Hartley; Lesser, Patricia; Lesser, Kirk (January 1990). "The Role of
Computers".
31:
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gave the game three-plus stars out of five, stating that it had "high playability".
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759:. No. 122. California, United States: Golden Empire Publications. p. 18.
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gameplay typical of the "eXplore, eXpand, eXploit and eXterminate" nature of the
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953:(December 1989). "Gameplay: Role-Playing Tedium Transcends the Computer Age".
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and stacking limits (as seen in this picture of a tabletop wargaming session).
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Egenfeldt-Nielsen, Simon; Smith, Jonas Heide; Tosca, Susana
Pajares (2008).
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411:
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s
Lucinda Orr considered it more of a strategy than a role-playing game.
363:
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Hiersekorn, Werner (September 1990). "Review — Sword of Aragon".
733:(116). North Carolina, United States: Compute! Publications: 109, 114.
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78:
276:, a video game company that dominated the 1980s market for digital
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957:(115). North Carolina, United States: Small System Services: 92.
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Minson, John (October 1989). "Adventures—Sword of Aragon".
588:
876:(in Swedish) (13). Sweden: Bröderna Lindströms Förlags AB: 70.
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Ekholm, Hans (September 1990). "Nöje" [Entertainment].
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Starkweather, Adam (January 1990). "Review: Sword of Aragon".
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King, Phil (August 1990). "Adventures—Sword of Aragon".
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s mechanics followed closely those of tabletop wargames—
829:
The Art of Wargaming: A Guide for Professionals and Hobbyists
390:
as a role-playing game. Science fiction and fantasy novelist
611:
Orr, Lucinda (August 1990). "Games—Sword of Aragon".
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Several video game observers doubted the classification of
258:
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123:
431:"a fantasy role-playing/adventure game and nothing else".
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was of like mind, and further elaborated that unlike the
539:. Vol. 14, no. 153. Wisconsin, United States:
916:. Studies on the Nature of War. Vol. 3. New York:
785:
Understanding Video Games: The Essential Introduction
653:
Kritzen, Biff (November 1989). "A Strong Right Arm".
1043:"An Annotated Listing of Pre-20th Century Wargames"
136:
117:
88:
72:
60:
50:
38:
24:
1016:"Computer Strategy and Wargames: Pre-20th Century"
1000:(in German). Grasbrunn, Germany: Joker Verlag: 54.
976:Morris, Dave (February–March 1990). "Saga Pack".
755:(September 1994). "Your MOM Wears Magic Boots!".
1009:
1007:
900:"Playing at War: The Modern Hobby of Wargaming"
8:
1098:"Vintage Bits: Sword of Aragon – Black Gate"
1074:. No. 42. Bournemouth, United Kingdom:
691:. No. 64. Shropshire, United Kingdom:
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1178:Video games developed in the United States
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587:. No. 25. London, United Kingdom:
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353:In the February–March 1990 edition of
165:. It is also considered to be of the
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161:developed and published in 1989 by
14:
1014:Brooks, M. Evan (October 1990).
1173:Turn-based strategy video games
584:Advanced Computer Entertainment
344:In the January 1990 edition of
330:Advanced Computer Entertainment
272:was developed and published by
1:
1041:Brooks, M. Evan (June 1993).
834:United States Naval Institute
182:machines. Reception towards
1168:Strategic Simulations games
274:Strategic Simulations, Inc.
1204:
982:. No. 13. p. 49.
920:. pp. 197, 203, 212.
1188:Single-player video games
824:"Wargaming after the War"
412:Dungeon and Dragon series
29:
1163:Role-playing video games
1183:Orcs in popular culture
693:Newsfield Publications
320:
221:
1047:Computer Gaming World
1020:Computer Gaming World
822:Perla, Peter (1990).
757:Computer Gaming World
656:Computer Gaming World
621:(3). United Kingdom:
436:Computer Gaming World
380:Computer Gaming World
308:
288:and other languages,
213:
163:Strategic Simulations
56:Strategic Simulations
45:Strategic Simulations
483:, John ONeill said "
286:Microsoft QuickBASIC
979:Games International
356:Games International
155:turn-based strategy
127:turn-based strategy
1076:Imagine Publishing
695:. pp. 22–23.
543:. pp. 78–79.
321:
222:
1153:Computer wargames
951:Card, Orson Scott
799:978-0-415-97721-0
451:Ekholm dismissed
159:role-playing game
146:
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131:role-playing game
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1138:1989 video games
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1100:. 24 April 2013.
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623:Europress Impact
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502:#1 (Jan., 1990)
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485:Sword of Aragon
475:Sword of Aragon
473:In a review of
468:Sword of Aragon
464:Sword of Aragon
453:Sword of Aragon
444:
429:Sword of Aragon
424:
416:Sword of Aragon
406:John Minson of
400:
397:Amiga Computing
388:Sword of Aragon
374:
367:
338:Sword of Aragon
336:s John Minson,
333:
324:Sword of Aragon
312:
310:Sword of Aragon
303:
294:copy protection
290:Sword of Aragon
282:Sword of Aragon
270:Sword of Aragon
267:
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252:Sword of Aragon
217:
215:Sword of Aragon
208:
199:Sword of Aragon
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188:copy protection
184:Sword of Aragon
174:, the game was
150:Sword of Aragon
113:
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95:
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25:Sword of Aragon
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19:1989 video game
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16:1989 video game
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1109:External links
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1078:. p. 38.
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1022:. p. 11
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931:. Retrieved
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904:Cornell, Tim
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874:Datormagazin
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847:. Retrieved
832:. Maryland:
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803:. Retrieved
788:. New York:
784:
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753:Emrich, Alan
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110:1990 (Amiga)
52:Publisher(s)
40:Developer(s)
1148:Amiga games
1071:Retro Gamer
1026:16 November
998:Amiga Joker
462:magazine, "
459:Retro Gamer
372:Amiga Joker
292:features a
265:Development
250:considered
248:Alan Emrich
74:Platform(s)
62:Designer(s)
1132:Categories
933:2009-10-10
849:2009-11-27
805:2009-10-10
507:References
480:Black Gate
194:Background
153:is both a
101:1989 (DOS)
66:Kurt Myers
1158:DOS games
1121:MobyGames
1084:1742-3155
963:0194-357X
882:1650-1306
790:Routledge
780:"History"
765:0744-6667
739:0194-357X
701:0954-867X
665:0744-6667
631:0959-9630
625:: 42–43.
549:0279-6848
301:Reception
157:game and
955:Compute!
910:(eds.).
898:(2002).
726:Compute!
364:Compute!
317:hex maps
278:wargames
206:Gameplay
119:Genre(s)
688:Zzap!64
441:Zzap!64
261:genre.
244:charges
137:Mode(s)
89:Release
1082:
1053:7 July
961:
924:
880:
840:
796:
763:
737:
699:
663:
629:
547:
536:Dragon
499:Shadis
347:Dragon
255:'s
176:ported
172:MS-DOS
79:MS-DOS
902:. In
445:'
425:'
401:'
375:'
368:'
334:'
313:'
240:melee
235:scale
218:'
180:Amiga
83:Amiga
1080:ISSN
1055:2014
1028:2013
959:ISSN
922:ISBN
878:ISSN
838:ISBN
794:ISBN
761:ISSN
735:ISSN
697:ISSN
661:ISSN
627:ISSN
589:EMAP
545:ISSN
394:and
129:and
1119:at
541:TSR
477:in
408:ACE
178:to
1134::
1045:.
1018:.
1006:^
988:^
942:^
906:;
858:^
826:.
814:^
782:.
731:12
729:.
709:^
673:^
639:^
617:.
597:^
557:^
515:^
259:4X
242:,
167:4X
124:4X
106:NA
97:NA
81:,
1086:.
1057:.
1030:.
965:.
936:.
884:.
852:.
808:.
767:.
741:.
703:.
667:.
633:.
619:3
551:.
108::
99::
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