In addition to that, heroes are the only units in the game which can learn the Spell Casting special ability, allowing them to cast spells. This point system is similar to that used in many role-playing video games. Upon reaching the next level, they get a number of skill points, which a player can then spend to improve their parameters and teach them special abilities. Heroes earn experience points just like all other units do however, instead of getting medals for it, they gain levels to a maximum of level 30. Units with medals also get slight increases to their basic parameters, or otherwise improve their combat performance.Ī special type of unit, a hero, can only be hired when they appear at random at one of the player's cities. Higher level units require more experience to earn medals.
Upon earning a certain amount of experience, the unit gets a silver medal, and later on a gold one. The amount of experience earned depends on the number of enemy units killed as well as their level - the level of the enemy killed is the amount of experience gained. Units earn experience for killing other units. Summoned units use mana for upkeep instead of gold. Units under player control require a certain amount of gold every turn as an upkeep, the size of which depends upon the level of the unit. Units may have different strength, reflected by their level, which can vary from 1 to 4. Also, wandering independent (not belonging to any player) groups of units can be hired, if they are well-disposed towards the player. Units can be built in cities, which can be further upgraded to produce more advanced units. Mana is used to cast and research spells and use altars.
AGE OF WONDERS UPGRADE
Gold is used to build units, buy heroes, cities and spells (in Wizard Towers), upgrade cities. There are also several spells which have a global effect on race relations. Diplomacy can also affect this and even an alliance with one race might affect the relation of another race. Race relations can be improved by acts of goodwill towards other races, such as upgrading their cities, or hampered by razing, looting, or migrating cities belonging to that race. Units of hostile races forced to fight alongside each other in a single group will have lower morale, and are more likely to desert. This can manifest itself in different ways for example, an orc city is not likely to surrender to the elves, and if conquered, may revolt unless there is a strong military presence in it to oppress the population. According to their alignment and certain other factors, cities and independent units of one race can be friendly or hostile towards another race. Races, as well as units not belonging to any specific race, such as dragons and giants, have a certain alignment, which can be good, neutral, or evil. List of races includes traditional fantasy Elves, Lizardmen, Humans, Goblins, Dark Elves, Undead, Orcs, Dwarves and Halflings, as well as several unique ones such as Frostlings, Azracs, and Highmen. There are 12 races available in the game, though not all of them may be present on every map, and of those which are, not all may be playable. Simultaneous turns are only available in single player and live multiplayer games PBEM and hotseat games, and all combat, use the sequential turn system.Įach player leads a certain race. Up to 12 players can participate in a single game, depending on the map. The game has a single-player campaign, playable from two sides (more campaigns have been made by the community since release), and many maps, both included and user-created that can be played in Hotseat mode, over a LAN, on the Internet, or by email ( PBEM). In practice, actions in the latter system are added and executed via a queue. Two turn systems are used - sequential (or "classic"), where players take their turns in order, or simultaneous, where all players can move units at once. Units within the game have a limited number of movement points, which are replenished at the beginning of each turn. Cities occupy between one and four tiles, and other structures generally occupy a single tile.
Units are arranged into groups (also known as parties or stacks) of up to eight units a single such group occupies one tile. Age of Wonders is a turn-based strategy game that takes place from an isometric perspective, which consists of hexagonal tiles.