Battle Realms

Battle Realms, released by Ubisoft in 2001, is an Asian themed real-time strategy computer game and is the first game created by relatively new Liquid Entertainment. Ubisoft released the stand alone expansion pack Battle Realms: Winter of the Wolf in 2002.

Overview

Battle Realms follows the basic formula for many real-time strategy (RTS) games. All of its factions have similar buildings with similar uses and workers. However, unlike in usual RTS games, the peasant worker unit is not just used for resource gathering and construction, but also for training into military units at training buildings. Thus, military buildings in Battle Realms are not used for making units, but for transforming and upgrading them.

The most important units in Battle Realms: peasants; farming, building, and training into military units.

Peasants gather the two resources in the game: rice and water. They also round up horses, which can be used to enhance military units in the game and can be outfitted as pack horses for peasants. Only one type of builder unit is required. Peasants are the only units the player can produce outright. Most of the buildings available are training structures where peasants are trained into a variety of other units. All the factions start off with 3 basic central training structures, which produce units along different paths of warfare, such as melee, ranged, magical or explosive combat. In most cases, units can be trained at 2 or more structures to produce higher tiers of infantry. Another difference in unit generation is that peasants are produced automatically, at no cost. However, the rate at which new peasants are produced is inversely proportional to the current population of the player's army and proportional to the number of housing, or Peasant Huts, the player has built. Certain buildings can teach special techniques, or Battle Gears (commonly abbreviated to BG's), to units to improve their combat ability for a certain resource cost. This can allow units to defeat higher tier units they would normally struggle with or be defeated by. BG's also allow the player to further define the role a unit will play in a combat situation, such as damage absorption, building destruction or reconnaissance. One of the key elements of Battle Realms is the Yin-Yang system. Each army obtains points of Yin or Yang when in combat, depending on their moral alliance to the forces of light or darkness. The Battle Realms hero units, or Zen Masters, require Yin/Yang to be summoned and to improve their damage. They are also used at structures in the faction's base for military or economic upgrades. The rate of Yin/Yang gain depends on the military strength and flair of the army and how far they are from the main base. There are four available races in Battle Realms, which each have a different philosophy towards life and combat. The Dragon clan favour honourable and valourous combat, while their descendants the Serpent clan use stealth, trickery and brutality to further their goals. The Lotus clan are an ancient group of sorcerers who delve deeply into the corrupting aspects of magic, while the Wolf clan are a race of freed miners who live a basic, frugal existence.

Play Details

Unlike in most Strategy games, all units in Battle Realms have a melee attack. However, missile units have drastically weaker melee attacks, usually making them weak at melee. But, some units are adept at both missile and melee attacks. Units are very detailed and have different and interesting martial art fighting animations. Units can dodge projectiles if they run fast enough and projectiles have different speed and fire at different angles. A unit's attack has a property - either cutting, piercing, blunt, explosive, magic, or fire. The property of a unit's missile attack may also differ from their melee attack. Each unit has resistances to particular properties and weaknesses to others. For example, the Dragon Samurai has excellent resistance against cutting, but a poor resistance to explosive.

Criticism

The initial unpatched release of Battle Realms was met with slight criticism for its extremely impressive AI that was almost impossible to beat on certain levels. [1] However, skilled players would be able to win.

The Four Clans

Dragon Clan: The Path of Righteousness

The Dragon Clan tech tree for Battle Gears

The ancient Dragon Clan prize honor above all rest, they are Yang followers with honor as symbol. They scorn the use of firearms, preferring to fight honorably. Their warriors seek to become one with their weapons. In spite of the lack of the firearms, only four units do not have a ranged attack; the Spearman, the Geisha, the Guardian, and Peasant. Although they may seem to be the beginner's clan, they do have their own advanced strategies that make them dangerous, such as the dragon's spirit ability called from the dragon monument, if one places four samurai and has 3 yang points, one can summon a fiery inferno upon any place on the map. Some examples of their warriors abilities are Sacrifice, Flame Sword, Stun Strike, Dragon Skin. Courage and bravery burns like eternal flame, the Dragon Clan is indeed offsprings of heaven Fire. The Dragon's season is summer.

              -----Special Traits-----

1 extra hero in the Keep, Tao *therefore it's possible to have 6 monks instead of 4*

Dragon Monument that allows players to use Dragon Spirit, a powerful 'nuke'.

Battle gears accquired through 2 buildings

Collect horses to mount soldiers

Wolf Clan: The Spirit of Might

The wild Wolf Clan prize freedom above all else. They are Yang followers with freedom as their symbol. Unlike the other clans, they have no cavalry, nor do they have healers. They feed the horses to their wolves, which accompany them and partake in their battles. Their wounds knit amazingly fast, faster, even, with the use of herbs. They prefer melee combat, but their ranged fighters pack a punch. They know a little magic, and much of what they do know is tied to nature. A berserker, if blessed by a druidess, could transform himself into a ferocious werewolf. The Wolf Clan is perfect for new players to the game, though they have enough secrets for experts as well. Some examples of the warriors' abilities are Tunneling(an ability for diggers which is useful for scouting), Lycanthropy,Zen Counter-punch, Enchanting Totem, Nature Blessings. Down to earth and in strong bonds with nature, the Wolf Clan members are carved from the Earth. This is true both physically and mentally. The Wolf's season is spring, the season of growth.

              -----Special Traits-----

BGs are accquired through Blessings by Druidnesses. If a Wolf unit loses its battle gear, the druidess can give it back, even during a fight. Therefore, the make exellent, mobile battlegear-givers. Cairins are needed to obtain these blessings.

Wolf units can get Shale armors

No healers aside from Gaihla. All wolf units can heal to 100% health when idle.

4th tier unit- Werewolf

Horses are fed to cubs of wolves. 1 horse = 2 wolves *instead of riding on horses like Dragon and Serpent clans

Peasants send to Wolf Den will turn into Pack Master

The Wolf Clan can build wells right away, and thusly can have a better start than the other clans.

The Wolf Clan has no 'ultimate' building. However, they do not need one.

Lotus Clan : The Essence of Darkness

The Lotus Clan is the remnant of a Yang Clan of old, but now a Yin Clan. Yin followers with corruption as symbol. They follow the Forbidden Path, which centralizes around death and decay. Their religion centralizes around three ancient brothers, now long gone, who tend to the Yin side of the Tree of Life, the Tree of Corruption. The Lotus Clan’s strategy centralizes to their immense understanding of magic, which translates to unit abilities and Battle Gears. Only the Channelers have no BGs because they don't use black magic like the other Lotus so the Brothers can't bless them. They have some of the most powerful Battle Gears in the realm. Their Warlocks and Master Warlocks have three sets of Battle Gears, whereas the other clans have two. A side note, to become a Warlock you must conquer Death and Decay, the principles of the Forbidden Path, however, even as one conquers these pitfalls, warlocks are not the sturdiest in the melee. Only master warlocks however have eliminated their human form and rely on strong constructs of metal and bone, thence Master Warlocks are nearly immortal, save to the power of flame, their only weakness. Some of the Lotus warriors’ abilities are Servant of the Flesh, Tausil's Life Siphon, Inner Strength, Death Wail, Lythis's Soul Thresher. Wide knowledge and compelling wisdom, with a tad of evil and manipulation, makes the Lotus Clan symbol beautifully flies through the wind but one must not forget its deadliness. The Air power of Lotus Clan is unmatched because of Zymeth magic as well as all the Warlocks. Lotus's season is winter.

             -----Special Traits-----

3 Brothers of the Crypt give BattleGears to Lotus units. They leech stamina off the enemies when fighting and use that stamina to give others BattleGears.

Towers have built-in teleporting mechanism

Horses are turned into Shadow Steeds *instead of normal horses of Dragon/Serpent clans which Trample, Shadow Steeds use Fire Breath

4th tier unit - Master Warlock

Warlocks and Master Warlocks can get 3 battlegears each, giving them more to choose from.

Many of their units have 'after effects', which is something special that happens when a unit dies.

              --After Effects--

When the Diseased One dies, he leaves behind his diseased blood, which damages other units.

When the Unclean One dies, his blood blinds his foes.

When the Infested One dies, his maggots burst out and harm foes.

When the Warlocks and Master Warlocks die, their bodies disappear so they can't be mugged.

Zen Masters

Zen Masters take the role of heroes in this game. Zen Masters are the leaders of the clan; who make certain each clans' survival. They are summoned at a cost of Yin/Yang, as well as rice and water. Their Battle Gears are unique, and can turn the tide of a battle in an instant. To balance this out, unlike in Warcraft 3, these heroes can only be purchased at near end of the tech trees. Usually, these heroes are assuming the role of lords, mercenaries, wizards, demi-gods, even monsters. They are summoned from Keeps and various places for certain races. Monks are enlisted for the Dragon and Wolf clans, while Ninjas are hired for the Serpent and Lotus clans.

Lotus Master Warlocks paying tribute to their Zen Masters, the Lords and leaders of their clan.

Dragon Clan

• Otomo-This swordsman can, with a battle cry, inspire troops to hit harder and stronger, his innate ability allows him to regenerate the stamina of his allies when fighting. Otomo awaits the return of Kenji, last heir to the Serpent's Throne.
• Garrin-This horseman can summon a steed (even from an enemy stable, assuming there are no horses left in the user's stable, and no wild horses left) to aid him in battle. He is a specialist at the art of horseback riding, and like the spearman, is immune to height advantages.
• Arah-This female archer can use her arrows to 'see' far off terrain. Her shots rarely miss,and her arrows are filled with fiery flame. She represents the Fire aspect of Eastern Dragon.
• Kazan-A large traveling monk, and occasional circus performer, Kazan constantly drinks a toxic brew of his own design to set buildings aflame and burn his foes. With all other weapons out of reach, Kazan hits his foes with his drinking gourd, as it is the closest thing at hand. Kazan is very effective against buildings, and is considered the second best building destroyer of the Dragon Clan.
• Tao-The master monk/ninja of yin and yang, he uses the balance to his advantage,and reflects the strength of his foes back upon them. With him in play, players can summon 2 extra monks(2 ninjas in the campaign respectively).
  • Teppo (only available in the Battle Realms expansion "Winter Of The Wolf")-A genious from a far off land, he uses his dragon wheel invention to hurl several rockets a second at his enemies, which is effective against both unit, but more so, buildings. He is considered the best building destroyer for the Dragon Clan.

Serpent Clan

• Shinja-Ruthless and warmongering, this cunning Ronin can intimidate all around them, sapping them of attack strength, increasing the fears of all. To further his might, he uses poisonous blades, giving him the ability to do more damage. He is a realist and magical attacks do him no harm.
• Budo-Fat and none too handsome, this lumbering slavedriver uses his whip to speed up peasant movements. However, this drains the peasents health, and after a few whips, a wounded peasent can die. After so much eating, he has the highest endurance of all zen masters.
• Utara-This deadly geisha has a voice that can soothe the soul, or kill it. Her songs can sap her enemies strength and kill them. Her powers extend into the arcane as well,and she stuns all units when taking harm. Utara's fluided, poisoned, sonic screams make her the Water aspect of Western Serpent.
• Vetkin-A young handsome womanizer, this sai master saps the will of his enemies and can run faster than a horse can gallop.Tireless, he never seems to run out of sprinting energy. He can go to the whole map without spending stamina. He is considered the fastest of all units in terms of stamina, and is an ideal scout for the Serpent Clan. One of the main reasons he is so effective, aside from almost having infinite amount of sprinting energy, he also can drain his foes energy, and then run away, unharmed.
• The Necromancer is an undead sorcerer that has lived for ages, and is older than all, aside from, perhaps, lord Koril and the Dragon deity. He summons spirit warriors to do his bidding and summons the fallen corpses of his enemies to follow suit. As this undead monstrosity is considered a 'hero' unit, he can be killed by the Wolf Clan Brawler's Zen CounterPunch ability.
  • Taro (only available in the Battle Realms expansion "Winter Of The Wolf")-A cowardly prince and Kenji's older brother, he uses an arcane curse to make others vulnerable to his enchanted blade. Since Taro's attack is magic, and he can use his battle gear to weaken his foes' resistance to magic, he works quite well with a group of Ronin, assuming they have the Yin Blade battlegear. He also works well with Utara and her battlegear.

Wolf Clan

• Grayback-The noble Grayback is the heir to the Wolf Clan's 'throne'. In Winter of the Wolf, he is constantly called 'lord', a title that he dislikes. Grayback is a skilled fighter, and can often outlive his fellows. He can give a loud, vibrant howl, which increases the attack power of his allies.
• Longtooth-Back in the shale mines, Longtooth astonished his Lotus and Serpent masters with his extreme agility and athleticism. During the Revolt of the Wolf Clan, he donned durable armor and boomerangs to slaughter his foes. Longtooth has the longest ranged attack of any other Wolf units, and aside from that, he can climb slopes and mountains with ease. His boomerang is coated with a strange alloy that allows it to pierce through multipe foes or buildings.
• Shale Lord-This shale monstrosity was once an eloquent, young speaker of the Wolf Clan slaves turned into an experiment gone wrong by his lord Soban. He can flake off part of his shale flesh and give it to his fellow Wolf clansmen, at the cost of a small amount of health. When fighting, he regains stamina, and despite his large size, can run very quickly, and far.
• Gaihla-It is said that this nymph of the woods did not truly come to fight. She is gentle and kind-spirited, but if she is angered, she will wield a wreath of thorns against her foes. She has a number of useful innate abilities. One allows her to walk unimpeded through forest terrain, and the other allows rice paddies to grow quickly, even if it is not being water.
  • Wildeye (only available in the Battle Realms expansion "Winter Of The Wolf")-This Packmaster can beat out a tune for summoning sacred spirit wolves, or, use his drum and club for crushing his enemies heads. He can distribute his sacred wolves amongst his fellow clansmen, and has a swift, powerful blunt attack.

Lotus Clan

• Zymeth(High Warlock of the Lotus Clan)-Lord warlock and leader of clan Lotus, Zymeth's sphere of sorcery is weather, he blasts spheres of lightning onto his foes as a ranged attack, and can call heavy storms to his fields at the cost of much stamina. When raining, he calls lightning from the sky to sear his foes asunder. Yet destruction of his foes is not the only benefit his great squalls bring. The rice paddies regrow and regenerate, being the 'healing' part of Zymeth.
• Koril(Master of Space)-The eldest of all warlocks, this swordsman can warp space itself, and with a wave of his hand he can teleport anywhere. He also uses his powers for defensive effects,as any archers or ranged attackers will become furious at the way he shimmers and diverts nearly all ranged attacks. Even some of Arah's best, most well-aimed shots will most likely miss.
• Issyl(Master of Time)-Some may wonder why a young twelve year old boy sits at the Lotus high council, an evil grin playing across his mouth. None feel better when they learn that this is Issyl, master of time, who has aged backwards since an accident long ago. Swift, powerful, and unforgiving, he has the ability to increase the movement speed of his troops rapidly with his ability, called 'Haste'. He can also regenerate his flesh at an incredible rate.
• Soban(Master of Matter)-Onced dismissed as a mere tinkerer, this odd, quirky scientist has no equal in terms of brilliance. He creates animated golems, using them as workers and as self destruct bombs, convenient for crowd control and gathering.
• The Three Dread Brothers(Lythis, Tausil, Sekh)-The three brothers are dead, yet their spirits somehow live on. It was they that once tended the Lotus' Tree of Life, the Tree of Corruption. Lythis pruned the roots, Tausil guarded the trunk, and Sekh cut the leaves, they often return to give their allies their blessings (battlegears), and may also suck out the energy of an enemy, sustaining their stamina.
  • Yvaine (only available in the Battle Realms expansion "Winter Of The Wolf")-Zymeth's mistress and lord of the shale mines, this old ice hag can freeze enemies with a gale of freezing air. Her own presence slows down enemies and friends alike. Despite the fact that she looks frail, she can fend for herself, and has ranged prowess to match Arah and Longtooth, thusly giving the Lotus clan an advantage against the others.

Community

Battle Realms endured a brief popularity, mainly due to its 'Living World' system. It was also noted for its strategies, and many players and Battle Realms community members had more fun talking about the newest strategies and tactics rather than playing the game itself. There are few players left, although there are still several smaller communites still in existence. One community website, BattleRealms.cc, is where most current players go for maps, ai packs, and more. Despite this, BattleRealms.cc hosted free and illegal downloads of the Battle Realms Expansion Pack, Winter of the Wolf. This was later stopped by Liquid Entertainment, but is still continued by some of the members. Battlerealms.cc's threads and posts mostly consist of spam or complaints.

Modding Tools

Although there are few modding tools for Battle Realms in existence, several were released on BattleRealms.cc. One, released by a modder called Tobias, was made for the community, and download links were given by the head administrator, Lord Zymeth. However, a previous modding tool was released by a modder called CLuis, yet was not received well with the community. Lord Zymeth claimed that a modder already had one for the community, and CLuis stopped the creation of the tool.

External links

• Battle Realms.cc - Battle Realms and Winter of the Wolf Community
• Liquid Entertainment
• Battle Realms~Realms of War
• Battle Realms at MobyGames