Field of Glory

A convergence of game genres is always nice; a convergence of top publishers and designers is great. Field of Glory brings together well-known publisher Osprey, creative developer Slitherine and a leader in server-based, Hexwar.com. Osprey provides the popular miniature rule set while Slitherine uses its talent in computer programming and design. Hexwar lend its experience in accessible turn-based game servers for fine multiplayer experience.

Fig Glory

The top-down unit graphics for this game are as varied as they are beautiful. Over 180 figures represent sixteen nation and group types, including three different eras of Roman troops. Chariots, leaders, archers, pikemen, elephants, barbarians, legionaries and slaves are depicted accurately and lavishly as one would expect of a game using a table-top format. Icons distinguish missile troops and leaders clearly. Letters mark the state of units engaged while floating numbers show casualties during combat. The info bar has unit characteristics and a mini-map gives a bird’s-eye view of the zoomable field. Terrain features are a bit bland with high ground surrounding flat fields or hills breaking up a plain. Rivers are shown but forests appear sparse. New units such as artillery, fortifications and cities may be added in the future as the public demands.

Sound effects add some nice touches to the game. Armor clanks, horses neigh and stamp with arrows whizzing and thunking into armor. Leaders emit curdling screams as they die. Especially noteworthy are the groans of routing units and the bass horn blast when units are rallied.

Learning the game is easy as it was designed to be accessible, but a short tutorial would not have been amiss. The hot-linked, indexed on-screen help feature works if one knows exactly what is needed. Beginners may have to click around before they find their answers; they’ll find them soon enough.

Simple Authenticity

The game’s key claim is a combination of authenticity and accessibility. Many other products have tried this parlay but failed, largely because of overemphasis of one of the factors. Field of Glory escapes this trap through putting the details “under the hood.” Mechanics are simplicity itself. Left-click a battle group – numbering between 100 and 1500 men - and reachable hexes are highlighted along with five attributes such as experience, training, weapons and strength. Possible melee targets show a sword while units than can be attacked by missiles display a bull’s eye. Units can attack and move once a turn. A right click brings up an arrow indicating facing. Infantry units can change facing at the beginning or end of a move; cavalry can change facing only at the beginning. Some movement is automatic: light infantry always evade melee attacks while units in anarchy may charge impetuously – or do nothing at all. Successful meleeing units will pursue their quarry; not-so-fortunate attackers will be locked in battle next turn. Routing units just head for the rear. Terrain affects combat/ movement and cohesion. An “undo” button averts unintentional errors.

Combat odds are shown in icons over targets with modifiers displayed at the bottom of the screen as pluses and minuses. However, a look at the tables in the help screen illustrates what goes into those odds and modifiers. For example, melee combat includes fourteen variables such as weapons versus defending unit types as well as effects on front and rear attacks. Scythe chariots create havoc on average foot units. Missile combat is similar but with less variables. Combat results always include casualties and, with enough losses, units will deteriorates to disrupted, fragmented and routed. Each of these states decreases units’ effectiveness. When units take twenty-five percent casualties - indicated by a skull for each increment, the probability of a unit attaining a negative state increases. Thus, hitting a unit twice increases the chance of a rout that may take other battle groups along. Units in defense can receive help once from adjacent units in support.

Leaders can save bad situations. A button shows a leader’s command range. If a unit is within range, a chance that a negative state is improved increases. Out-of-control-range units are marked by white hand icons. The death of a leader is a blow than can turn a game around. Three types of leaders exist: troop, field and inspired.

All these features are put together in the twenty-one single player scenarios, ranging from low to high complexity and from twelve to twenty turns. These clashes cover the era 255 BC to 18 AD, covering the beginning of Rome’s lurch for empire to its heights. Players can choose between historical and free deployment. Either side can be boosted two steps above normal, giving them an advantage in break points.  Those points are critical as each army has a number of break points allocated by size. When fragmented or routed units accumulate enough break points, that side loses. The AI isn’t idiotic but tends to be too aggressive, giving players cheap routing points.

The scenario editor allows players a full field to create their own battles. Terrain is especially versatile with several types of elevation along with many kinds of ground. The many troop types are all there and open to editing. One problem with the editor is view control; the view seems to climb to the top of the screen at times.

Perhaps the crowning glory of this game is the multi-player system. A player logs on seamlessly to a server and issues and accepts challenges from twenty different scenarios, either historical or free deployment. Players make their turns, send them to the server and log back in for a response. A way to pick an opponent and a tournament is being planned.