Total Annihilation: Kingdoms
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Total Annihilation: Kingdoms is a medieval fantasy real time strategy game created by Clayton Kauzlaric and released by Cavedog Entertainment in 1999.
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Modifications and Motivations
Total Annihilation: Kingdoms was the much anticipated second installment of the Total Annihilation franchise. Although Cavedog never styled the game as a prequel or a sequel to the original Total Annihilation, comparisons were invevitable. Total Annihilation, although a cult hit, was a modest success at best, especially when compared to the genre-dominating titles from Westwood Studios and Blizzard Entertainment. Total Annihilation: Kingdoms would seem to be an attempt by Cavedog to reach a more general audience. Gone are the futuristic weapons and armaments of the first game. These were replaced by fantasy counterparts such as giants, catapults, wizards, sword-wielding heroes and wooden sailing ships.
Story
Due to its fantasy setting, a more detailed story and world were required for TA: Kingdoms. The majority of the missions are "story based". They also added an intricate tapestry of "behind the game" background information that would compare in quantity to the amount found in Star Wars publications.
Complexity
But where the content and storyline were more complex than in Total Annihilation, the game itself was simplified in many respects. The overall number of units was reduced by three fifths despite the increasing the number of sides to four. Cavedog reduced the number of resource types to one: mana or magical energy.
Units and Sides
Where Total Annihilation had largely parallel technology trees between two similar sides, TA: Kingdoms tried a more diversified approach. This was done by adding magic spells, and special abilities. The sides were also made to vary to such an extent that one side is completely devoid of sea units, another is devoid of structures and another has more ships than the rest put together while having far less effective land units.
Campaign Trails
Cavedog also scrapped the idea of a campaign sequence for each side in favor of a single linear path that alternates between the four sides: Aramon, Tarros, Veruna and Zhon. This alternation gives one the unusual experience of having to maliciously destroy what one created in the level before, and it allowed the developers to put all of their effort into a single narrative and its associated artwork. While this alienated some players who may have wished to identify with a single side, it did create an epic story.
The Release
Kingdoms was released in 1999 with huge fanfare and great expectations reaching the top of the weekly game sales chart at its release, something Total Annihilation never achieved. Kingdoms' success unfortunately was short lived as it alienated fans of the original game due to its deviation from its predecessor, and it did not contain enough changes to win over those who did not like the original. It disappeared from the public eye soon after. Despite the 2000 release of an expansion pack "The Iron Plague" it never attained real cult status.
Kingdoms was the last title from Cavedog. Although it never attracted the fan base of its predecessor, it did add a fair number of technical improvements to the TA engine, and a number of interesting gameplay and UI elements. Unfortunately, the slower pace of the game and the change of theme did not appease devotees of Total Annihilation.
The Lesson that is Kingdoms
Kingdoms is however still a playable game and indeed it is still played. However it stands above all as a lesson that keeping one's dedicated followers satisfied can be more important than seeking mainstream success.
Platforms
- Microsoft Windows
- Partially runs on WINE
See also
External links
- Official Web Site (http://www.cavedog.com/ta-kingdoms/)fr:Total Annihilation Kingdoms
Third party Communities
Like Total Annihilation, Kingdoms still has a great fanbase. Over the years, many creative fans have built their own races and units. The best known races are Azurian, Delean, Tyrak and Brakada. Units come in various sorts; some of them perfectly fit into the game, some are just decent and some are just fun. There are even some Total Conversions made for TA:K; including the Lord of the Rings: Conflict of Arda TC (based upon Lord of the Rings) and an Age of Wonders TC (based upon the game; Age of Wonders). Add-ons are still made. The TA:K 3rd party community stands in the shadow of the TA community, but is still popular. The newest project in TAK: The Beginning, made by a small group of veteran and new unitbuilders as some kind of alternative prequel to the TAK storyline.