So, who here has played Heroes of Might and Magic?
HoMM-style games are a fearsomely complex bunch. They’re part RPG, part Civ-alike and all fantasy. That’s not just a reflection on their theme, either; the chances are that if you can think of a single element from a fantasy game, book or film the chances are it’s made its way into a HoMM game in some form. The idea is that you start out as the lord/high wizard/immortal undead lich king of a single castle, with only a small amount of starting cash and the resources of the castle’s province to call upon. You use those resources to build buildings, train units and hire heroes, you use the heroes to form parties and armies, and you use the armies to go out on adventures and subjugate the surrounding provinces, adding them to your kingdom. The goal of the game is to kill all the other wizards who are trying to do the same thing.