Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Five stars. The plot is enthralling, the writing is excellent, the characters are deep, blahblahblah. Read any other five star rating and you'll find similar comments. I just want to highlight the part I love the most: the wars (and conflicts).
I've played some other rpgms before and the conflicts there are severely handwaved. "Bad boss with bad empire. Kill bad boss. Bad empire becomes good. The end." But TLS' wars is far more complex. I'd give an example from the Third Arclent War:
-Iris launches the magical equivalent of a protonuke at every single allied country, destabilizing them and slowing their mobilization. The IKD begins attack on Aram.
-Yhilin sends reinforcements to Aram. A task force is sent to stir discontent among the IKD's people and sabotage a teleportation beacon near the IK's castle. Stineford is barely saved after an initial attack.
-An attack is launched against Ardoheim. A skirmish for the control of key bridges occured. Aram and its allies make camp.
-Stineford is besieged and badly outnumbered. A divine wall temporarily negated this disadvantage and the allies counterattacked. The IK arrived with reinforcements. The DK arrived, thwarting the IK.
-Aram's counterattack fails. Yhilini forces rush to save what is left. A rebellion triggers in Yhilin. The teleportation beacon is sabotaged. A minor attack on Feroholm is repelled.
-The Ivalan Churched unleashed the magical equivalent of the Great Wall of China. The IK sent the Unsuccubi who are able to pierce said divine wall at the cost of severely weakening the morale of his troops. The IK's orcs are persuaded via diplomacy to defect.
-The Unsuccubi are routed. A massive invasion hit Aram, but was beaten back by holy magic and the combined armies of Yhilin, Aram, and the Church.
-The IK is killed. Foreign forces exploit the opportunity by raiding Zirantia. Aram does not wish for peace and a standoff between Aram and Yhilin is only barely averted due to the economic chokehold Yhilin had over Aram. Hardcore Church priestesses began turning on Yhilini allies via mercenaries, but were defeated.
See how complex the war is? It could legitimately be an entry on wikipedia. Another game I wouldn't name that I played had similar plot, and the solution to the antagonist isn't a wide war involving multiple nations, but a band of ragtag folks with a few artifacts killing the antagonist and that's it; happy end; never mind anything else.
So yeah, five stars.
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I've played some other rpgms before and the conflicts there are severely handwaved. "Bad boss with bad empire. Kill bad boss. Bad empire becomes good. The end." But TLS' wars is far more complex. I'd give an example from the Third Arclent War:
-Iris launches the magical equivalent of a protonuke at every single allied country, destabilizing them and slowing their mobilization. The IKD begins attack on Aram.
-Yhilin sends reinforcements to Aram. A task force is sent to stir discontent among the IKD's people and sabotage a teleportation beacon near the IK's castle. Stineford is barely saved after an initial attack.
-An attack is launched against Ardoheim. A skirmish for the control of key bridges occured. Aram and its allies make camp.
-Stineford is besieged and badly outnumbered. A divine wall temporarily negated this disadvantage and the allies counterattacked. The IK arrived with reinforcements. The DK arrived, thwarting the IK.
-Aram's counterattack fails. Yhilini forces rush to save what is left. A rebellion triggers in Yhilin. The teleportation beacon is sabotaged. A minor attack on Feroholm is repelled.
-The Ivalan Churched unleashed the magical equivalent of the Great Wall of China. The IK sent the Unsuccubi who are able to pierce said divine wall at the cost of severely weakening the morale of his troops. The IK's orcs are persuaded via diplomacy to defect.
-The Unsuccubi are routed. A massive invasion hit Aram, but was beaten back by holy magic and the combined armies of Yhilin, Aram, and the Church.
-The IK is killed. Foreign forces exploit the opportunity by raiding Zirantia. Aram does not wish for peace and a standoff between Aram and Yhilin is only barely averted due to the economic chokehold Yhilin had over Aram. Hardcore Church priestesses began turning on Yhilini allies via mercenaries, but were defeated.
See how complex the war is? It could legitimately be an entry on wikipedia. Another game I wouldn't name that I played had similar plot, and the solution to the antagonist isn't a wide war involving multiple nations, but a band of ragtag folks with a few artifacts killing the antagonist and that's it; happy end; never mind anything else.
So yeah, five stars.
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