Paradox Interactive and developers from C Prompt Games announced the Millennia strategy in 2023, faced with an ambiguous reaction of the audience. It seems to be the basis of its familiar "civilization" with hexes. But there is something original in the novelty, distinguishing it from a popular strategy. True, all this looks painfully budget … But after all, Paradox publishes the game, which means that the picture here is far from paramount importance.
We managed to evaluate the test version of Millennia and study its main mechanics. Now we tell you what is a strategy! Only we note that the demo is limited by 60 moves, which means one batch could be easily completed at least half an hour (although the first took more than an hour). During this time, the player will master the local military affairs, the foundations of the economy and culture, and also reach the third era of development. But let's go about everything in order.
Millennia begins with the opportunity to configure the future batch. Four types of maps and four sizes of the world are offered to choose from the player. In one campaign, there may be from two applicants for world domination. Moreover, on the smallest map, this number is limited from above by six, and on three more https://sister-site.org/slots-dreamer/ – eight countries.
Follow the complexity of AI and determine all the nations. In total, 18 countries are given to choose from. Initially, each of them is assigned a certain bonus: someone receives an additional culture, the other-food, the third-production or something else. But if you wish, you can immediately choose the features of each country, changing the basic style of the game of AI. So the Brazilians can easily become the main destroyers of the barbarians, and conditional Germans – decent and peaceful farmers.
By the way, in Millennia there are no usual “civilizations” and Humankind leaders. So when you show aggression addressed to your neighbor, you will not see the fierce face of George Washington or Peter the Great. A lot is simplified in the new product.
Next – click on the "Start" button and after a small load (alas, you will not see a small description of our civilization and its features on this screen) on this screen).
The action of Millennia begins in 1000 BC. But one move here is equivalent to more years than in the same "civilizations".
We begin a party with an already built city (yes, the starting position for you is chosen by the game) and two fighters. Usually these are two warriors (although as a nation bonus one of the units can be chosen as an archer or scout on a horse). If desired, both detachments can be combined into a single army, but at the initial stages of the game, each individual unit is important. And the scout in this regard is best suited: he sees where the others are farther and has a greater speed of movement. In addition, only scouts are able to “open” attractions – special mountains, forests, deserts and so on.
But how annoying that scouts cannot explore the area automatically! There is simply no such button in the game. And if you instructed some unit to get at a distant point of appointment, you will have to confirm every move: yes, Unit can and should continue the way along this route. All this spends a lot of time, so sometimes I just want to take and disband even useful detachments.
By the way! There are no workers in Millennia as individual units. Roads in strategy at the initial stages are laid automatically between the nearest settlements. And you can create farms, mines, sawmills and so on for special "improvements glasses". We accumulated 6 – you can build a camp of hunters, got 12 points – it will be possible to create and immediately place fishing ships in the right place and start fish production. Similarly and with everything else you need to extract or process resources.
Yes, a good economic system is built in the strategy, which delays at the beginning of the game. Resources here can be transformed into something more complex. For example, wheat or rice can be turned into flour (and provide an additional influx of food). And a simple tree – in processed wood, giving bonuses to production. And so on. So already in the second and subsequent parties you begin to carefully study the surroundings of the city and it is better to plan a further expansion of the state.
On the right you can see the town. These are needed to add borders in the required direction, laying roads, etc. p.
But back a little back – to the study of the mysterious world around us. The entire space is divided into hexes, on each of which there is either water at first, or land: plains and sands, forests and jungle, hills and mountains … Each fighter or scout has indicators of strength and speed. Moreover, some types of terrain will reduce the distance of movement. And the jungle, for example, will be completely inaccessible without studying a specific technology.
Millennia will have to get used to moving around the world. For example, there are no fines when crossing rivers or movement near the enemies. But the desert slows down units just like forests or hills.
In addition to natural landmarks and units of other nations, our detachments can come across barbarians (very aggressive throughout the beginning of the game) and their fortified settlements. To capture and destroy them with one fighter in a few moves will not work. First you need to destroy the walls surrounding the camp, and then defeat the defenders. Which will attack you every time their essay.
By the way, the battle screen looks like this. On the left of your detachments, on the right – enemy. The fighters themselves go in turn and usually attack an accidental enemy. Unless, of course, as in the case below, you do not have an obvious enemy. Battles in Millennia are realized very, very budget. The strategies are far from like Humankind with its tactical level, but also to the initially simple "civilization". Like this is a mobile game of a ten -year ago.
There are in the world around us and peaceful villages that always offer at least two options (perhaps it happens more, but I don’t remember for sure). The player can get additional unit, knowledge or culture points, as well as public administration points, research or military affairs. All this is useful in many situations.
It is clear that knowledge points are needed to study new technologies. And they are needed to obtain new units, capabilities, buildings and so on. Each era offers several technologies. You will open any 3 of the proposed – you will get the opportunity to go to the next era. However, you can not rush to go to modern times, but first open something from the "old era".
Sometimes, instead of a standard new era, you can choose an alternative: “Age of Blood” or “Age of Heroes”. Opportunities become affordable if you achieve some goals. For example, kill several enemy soldiers or open from three landmarks. A special era will offer unique mechanics: for example, the “age of heroes” gives rise, in general, these very heroes who are waiting for meetings with dangerous monsters and various exploits. Which you need to make to get new additional points!
Millennia culture is needed to perform actions like creating a new town (not to be confused with a full -fledged city) – to expand borders in the desired direction and the emergence of new roads. In addition, culture will allow us to call the army, receive bonuses for science, improve production efficiency in the city and not only. Moreover, the growth of culture does not mean the expansion of the boundaries – for this another indicator, influence.
It is also important in the strategy to monitor the development of three other parameters:
- public administration glasses;
- research glasses;
- War glasses.
For them you can purchase new units. For example, the Government indicator allows you to create settlers – yes, they are not built in cities, but they are bought for accumulated glasses. Also, for public administration points, you can integrate the recently built settlement. To start the construction and creation of new units there.
Plus, for Government, you can reform your state: first receive more bonuses from tribal society, and then transform it, for example, to the kingdom. Because there are more and more people, dissatisfaction is growing, and the authorities should also change.
And the glasses of research and military affairs are useful when reaching new eras. The player can choose the "national spirit". In fact, this is the direction in which we will focus in the near future. Will we invest in the study of the world around us? And if so, how exactly? Will we be warriors? And if so, what? The same applies to the focus on engineering skill and diplomacy.
Each such direction opens access to a number of potential improvements, units, resources and so on. But to open these capabilities requires research glasses, military affairs, etc. p. In this regard, it is easiest to fight and, earning this experience, immediately invest it in the strengthening of troops and further expansion. However, skillful leaders will be able to competently invest in the growth of food or production.
And this is what the city interface looks like. One tab allows you to see where and what the residents are doing. And the second demonstrates constructed and potential buildings and units accessible for hiring. Some buildings, as you can see, improve during the game, giving more bonuses.
Also in the center of the screen shows that the city produces and whether it has any problems. For example, residents need food or certain goods. It is also possible that people simply have nowhere to live, which means on a global map within the boundaries of the city you need to build a residential area.
We note several other details. Earlier we said that units in Millennia can be united in the army. Their size at the beginning of the game is three fighters (these can be three warriors, two warriors and archer, two cavalry and archer, and so on). When the army enters the battle, units are located automatically on the field, but it seems to be according to the adequate logic of the game.
The strategy also has a function of diplomacy, but at first it is as primitive as possible. It's funny, the game prohibits suddenly declare war. First you need to diplomatically declare your aggressive intentions – to get the opportunity to fight with the enemy in neutral territory. Then wait a few moves. And only then can it be possible to start a full offensive. After the appropriate diplomatic action.
Also in the upper right corner you can see two indicators: a blue bulb and red fire. The first demonstrates innovations, that is, the chance that you will receive additional gold or some pleasant bonuses. And the second reflects the chances of an armed uprising and chaos, from which, however, you can pay off. Unless, of course, there is enough money resources.
Barbarians come, and our troops were completely not where necessary!
So for now, Millennia appears. The toy is delaying and in some way seeming deep: because of the economic system, and because of eras with its own characteristics, and because of various national tricks … but how many small problems are in the strategy. Not bugs or errors, but decisions of developers who can confuse the veteran and push the newcomer. By the way, it will be interesting to know your opinion if you decide to familiarize yourself with the game.
Millennia declared for PC for 2024. And the demo version of the strategy has already appeared on Steam, where you can appreciate the same as the author of the article. The probe is limited by 60 moves or 3 eras and contains only a translation into English. The final version of the strategy will contain the text in Russian.