King of Dragon Pass

To be perfectly honest, I wasn't entirely sure what I'd be in for when I purchased the game. Mostly, I liked it's art and concept. After having played for a bit, I can say it lives up to this concept excellently. Do you try and make peace with the feuding Brown Boar clan? Can you really trust the emissary of the Kardavi? Will you make peace with the Elves or drive them away from your boarders? Do you take Thralls even though your ancestors would be angry? All that said, don't expect any action, or tactical game-play. The options are also very much lacking, to the point that volume control will actually effect ALL audio, including any background programs (though you can turn the game audio off entirely instead if you need to). Also, like Oregon Trail, which this game reminded me of in some ways, the random nature of some events and results of choices can be very disheartening. Ultimately it is a great game, mixing strategy, resource management, impactful choices, and well woven story telling. If you like fantasy simulations, if you ever wished you could be a King. If you want to learn about the rich history of Orlanth, and relive the trials of the Gods through heroquests. This game for you.

I bought this on a whim after reading the praises here, never heard about this game before yesterday. I was blown away, maybe because I was always interested in Mythology and a few months ago started to read Joseph Campbell. The writing is fantastic and the game is much more complex than it first seems. For example, if you are negotiating with a different tribe your acts and current status/strength will play a big role, but the various blessings and treasures are also a big factor. I did not feel like a player playing a game but really living and breathing with my clan, which is all a video game should do, immerse you in the story, gameplay and its world. If you like to read and are even remotely interested in Mythology or fantasy settings you need to get this. If you grew up playing the “choose your own adventure” type books and liked it, then you do not have any choice but to buy and play it any way! Enjoy, now I need to go to work and wait until tonight to found a new clan as my old one disbanded after I failed to guide them correctly.

I sat through the steep learning curve because I believed that beneath its unpredictability there was reason. But after playing for several hours I realized that belief was wrong. Cows die, you're screwed. It's that simple. The most basic things that happen can somehow result in dead or missing cows. And there is no going back; once an event happens, it likely won't repeat until you least suspect causing you to get it wrong again and lose more cows. Then you're screwed. Cows, randomness, and fairly well done music and art (for it's time). If you want to see what people mean by retro strategy games, this would be a good example.

I first heard about The King of Dragon Pass on a forum where several of us were comparing lists of RPGs we had played. It received a favorable mention but I didn't think much of it. Recently I read it in an article that compared it to the Banner Saga, which I've been anticipating since the Kickstarter. Around that point I dropped the other games I had been playing and devoted myself exclusively to King of Dragon Pass. The game play blends elements of role-playing with point-and-click adventures games (like Oregon Trail), plus overworld number management of Total War. You have the opportunity to compose a seven-person clan ring from a list of potential characters, assigning them various roles based on their abilities. The role playing element comes into play as you develop histories and legacies for your clan and its characters based on random, choice-driven events that have extraordinarily elaborate consequences on the game's narrative. The events themselves are patterned after point-and-click adventures like Oregon Trail. The strategy comes from acquiring the sources necessary to manage your civilization. It is a VERY engaging and entertaining game, with spectacular drawings.

If you like the sound of it, you probably will. Lead a clan to glory (or most likely ruin) and lead a people with their own culture, customs, religion and all!