Elemental: Fallen Enchantress takes Stardock’s fantasy strategy game in a new direction

Published on January 11, 2011 By Island Dog In Elemental News

PLYMOUTH, MI - January 11, 2011 Stardock released the details of the next chapter in its Elemental fantasy strategy game world. Elemental: Fallen Enchantress includes an all-new battle system, more sophisticated spell casting, an updated economic system, new game mechanics, more creatures, quests and much more.

Elemental: Fallen Enchantress will be released as a stand-alone game but will be free to all players who purchased Elemental: War of Magic in 2010 and will be heavily discounted for anyone who purchases Elemental: War of Magic prior to Fallen Enchantress’s anticipated Summer 2011 release.

Elemental is a strategy game in which players build a kingdom from the ground up in a shattered fantasy world. Players build cities, raise armies, research technologies, learn magical spells, go on quests, recruit heroes, negotiate treaties, learn spells, build a family dynasty and more.

In Fallen Enchantress players will be able to explore the world of Elemental and discover a wide range of unique locations, including dangerous wild lands that can’t be settled until they are conquered. There are areas like the Bhinadmi Fissure, a massive chasm that spawns demons and earth elementals, until a player goes to the edge and challenges the elemental lord that dwells within.

These undiscovered lands contain new characters and creatures: from the tragic Butchermen who wander the lands around Red Springs trying to pass their curse off to another victim, to Morian the Ruin of Summer, who was once a powerful nature elemental who has been driven mad by the Cataclysm and the destruction of his forests.

Derek Paxton, lead designer for Fallen Enchantress, said, “In Fallen Enchantress we wanted to focus on exploring the world outside your kingdom’s borders. The world isn’t empty and waiting to be settled, it is dangerous and needs to be conquered. There are unique locations with their own history and guardians; monsters settled in their lairs and vast wild land areas that offer their own challenges and rewards. There will be areas the player would do well to avoid for most of the game until he builds an army that is able to conquer them.”

To face these new challenges, Fallen Enchantress adds a host of spells and magical equipment. Sacrifice a champion to summon a powerful demon in battle, envelop an entire enemy kingdom in the icy grip of winter or open a gateway to a shadow world that dark creatures can come through. Players can also recruit champions who specialize in different types of magic and outfit them with magical equipment they create, recover from monster lairs or earn through quests.

“Fallen Enchantress brings the world of Elemental alive. Don’t expect many of your scouts to return, but those that are daring, lucky or strong enough to survive will be rewarded for their journey,” concluded Paxton.

Stardock has brought in additional talent in recent weeks to aid in the development of Fallen Enchantress including Jon Shafer, lead designer of Civilization V and Sci-Fi/Fantasy author David Stern to aid in the in-game lore.

Elemental: Fallen Enchantress is expected to be released in the Summer of 2011. It will be free to those who purchased Elemental: War of Magic in 2010 and be available at a significant discount for those who purchase War of Magic.

About Stardock

Stardock is one of the world’s leading developers and publishers of PC games and desktop software. Its PC games include Sins of a Solar Empire as well as the Galactic Civilizations series. Its desktop software includes Object Desktop, WindowBlinds, and a host of other programs for customizing the Windows experience. Its software can be found on most new Dell PCs as well as HP and other PC makers. Learn more about Stardock by visiting www.stardock.com.

www.elementalgame.com

Comments (Page 4)

viperfdl

on Jan 12, 2011

That new expansion sounds great.

Cruxador

on Jan 12, 2011

For people sad about Dynasty: this expansion is about things outside your kingdom. I very much suspect that the next one will be about things inside your kingdom, making city design more compelling (hopefully making it matter where you put buildings relative to each other) making the dynasty system matter, and making champions more unique, with personalities and dialogue. As well as something else big and fancy that we wouldn't think about from our current perspective.

That's what I'm hoping for, anyway.

Alstein

on Jan 12, 2011

Also , this game isn't going to do everything. I mean, you don't get a pony just for playing Elemental.

Some things are going to have to be left out/abstracted- just to avoid an overbloated design.

If you're really into dynasties- Crusader Kings might hold you over for a bit. (Sequel to that comes out soon also)

Wintersong

on Jan 12, 2011

Alstein

reply 48

Also , this game isn't going to do everything. I mean, you don't get a pony just for playing Elemental.

Some things are going to have to be left out/abstracted- just to avoid an overbloated design.

If you're really into dynasties- Crusader Kings might hold you over for a bit. (Sequel to that comes out soon also)

With All Mighty Jon Shafer aboard and Uber Plans for Modding by Stardock, we may still have some hopes for a modded dynasty sytem (while waiting for the expansion pack? Or maybe while waiting for the second expansion pack?)

xStarfirex

on Jan 12, 2011

Elemental: Fallen Enchantress will be released as a stand-alone game

As in you don't need Elemental to play it? Seems like a smart move if this means you can get the game to be reviewed all over again. That is a smart move aslong as the game continues improveing at a rapid pace

Alstein

on Jan 12, 2011

Really smart move.

Diardiamond

on Jan 12, 2011

'Sacrifice' Posted Image Awesome

charon2112

on Jan 12, 2011

Sounds awesome! I have a question, will these new areas and elements like the Fissure and Red Springs and such be randomized in sandbox game maps, or are they only part of a campaign?

Wizaerd

on Jan 12, 2011

I'm a bit confused as to why this is going to be a stand alone expansion. So if I wanted to play a vanillla game of Elemental, I'll have to load up Elemental, but if I want to play the expansion, I have to start it up. SO in a sense I'll have two Elemental games, or will the expansion somehow register itself in Elemental so I only have to start up one to play both? Or will the Expansion feature all the same things from Vanilla, so in a sense makes it obsolete?

Mtn_Man

on Jan 12, 2011

xStarfirex

reply 50

"Elemental: Fallen Enchantress will be released as a stand-alone game"

That's one possibility, although expansion packs traditionally get their own review in the gaming press. I think it's more a matter of appealing to new customers who would likely find it more attractive to buy a standalone expansion rather than buying the original game plus the expansion. There's probably a practical reason behind it, too: if they're really making such sweeping changes then it may be easier from a development standpoint to approach the expansion as if it's a new game rather than trying to extend the current game without breaking things.

Mtn_Man

on Jan 12, 2011

Wizaerd

reply 54

Or will the Expansion feature all the same things from Vanilla, so in a sense makes it obsolete?

Yes.

Asta_Syneri

on Jan 12, 2011

If I hadn't been a believer, I'd be one. I bought Elemental despite having a totally underpowered PC. Alas, I couldn't play the game yet. But the investment was still worth it - the game is being improved all the time and now this. Yes, Stardock remains at the front of my PC gaming (The only thing I really want to play on a PC is turn-based strategy games).

DsRaider

on Jan 12, 2011

You can't play it on cloth map? You must have a really old PC.

aeligos

on Jan 12, 2011

Wizaerd

reply 54

Or will the Expansion feature all the same things from Vanilla, so in a sense makes it obsolete?

If the expansion features all of "Vanilla" then vanilla is not obsolete.

-.-

Lord Xia

on Jan 12, 2011

WTF! Kael and Toby, you've ruined Elemental! How the fuck could you think these are good changes!

Just kidding, looks great to me, can't wait. Just wanted to have a psychotic rant that included Toby.

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