Seven Kingdoms (Chinese: 七王國; pinyin: Qī Wáng Guó) is a real-time strategy (RTS) video game developed by Trevor Chan of Enlight Software. The game enables players to compete against up to six other kingdoms allowing players to conquer opponents by defeating them in war (with troops or machines), capturing their buildings with spies, or offering opponents money for their kingdom. The Seven Kingdoms series went on to include a sequel, Seven Kingdoms II: The Fryhtan Wars. In 2007, Enlight released a further title in the Seven Kingdoms series, Seven Kingdoms: Conquest [it].
Seven Kingdoms made departures from the traditional real-time strategy model of "gather resources, build a base and army, and attack" set by other RTS games. The economic model bears more resemblance to a turn-basedstrategy game than to the traditional "build-workers, and harvest-resources" system in games such as Command & Conquer, StarCraft, and Age of Empires.
The game features an espionage system that allows players to train and control spies individually, who each have a spying skill that increases over time. The player is responsible for catching potential spies in their own kingdom. Inns built within the game allow players to hire mercenaries of various occupations, skill levels, and races.[1] Skilled spies of enemy races are essential to a well-conducted espionage program, and players can bolster their forces by grabbing a skilled fighter or give one's own factories, mines, and towers of science a boost by hiring a highly skilled professional. For instance, having a skilled Persian general can make capturing and keeping a Persian village much easier.
The diplomacy system is akin to a turn-based game, allowing players to offer proposals to another party which they are able to either accept or reject. Each kingdom has a reputation and suffers a penalty for declaring war on a kingdom with a high reputation - making a player's people more likely to rebel and more susceptible to bribery. Diplomatic actions include making war, proposing an alliance or friendship treaty, buying food, exchanging technologies, offering tribute/aid, and forging trade agreements. A ranking system allows all players to gauge the relative military and economic strengths of their allies and enemies, making alliances against the stronger players a natural option.
The original game allows players to choose from seven different cultures to command: Japanese, Chinese, Mayans, Persians, Vikings, Greeks, and Normans. Each culture has its own weapons and fighting styles, and can summon its own "greater being", each with different powers.[1]
Fryhtans are fictional beasts that hoard treasure and hold "scrolls of power", objects that enable players to summon greater beings. They are quite powerful and may attack human kingdoms.
Interactive Magic later released a free patch that added three new cultures - the Egyptians, the Mughals and the Zulus - and a new war machine, called the Unicorn. The game was re-released on June 8, 1998, under the name Seven Kingdoms: Ancient Adversaries with this patch included.[2]
Reception
Sales
Commercially, Seven Kingdoms was overshadowed at launch by competing real-time strategy titles such as Age of Empires, Total Annihilation and Dark Reign.[3][4] Writing for CNET Gamecenter, Allen Rausch reported that the game was "buried" by the large number of releases in its genre at the time.[5] The game was particularly dwarfed by Age of Empires, according to T. Liam McDonald of PC Gamer US, who placed part of the blame for Seven Kingdoms' sales on its "indifferent ad campaign and weak graphics."[3] However, both Rausch and McDonald noted that Seven Kingdoms had attracted a dedicated fan following by 1999,[5][3] at which point Rausch wrote that it had sold "fairly well".[5] In the United States, the game sold roughly 35,000 units by November 1999, according to PC Data.[4] Global sales of Seven Kingdoms, its expansion pack and its sequel surpassed 200,000 units by 2000.[6]
The game received "favorable" reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings (though almost all of them belong to its sequel rather than the original).[7]
Seven Kingdoms was the finalist for GameSpot's 1997 "Best Strategy Game" award, which ultimately went to Total Annihilation. The editors wrote, "Even in light of fierce competition from this year's other top-notch strategy releases, Seven Kingdoms stands tall as an inventive, enjoyable product destined to be remembered." However, it won the publication's "Best Game No One Played" award.[14]
In a 1999 retrospective, Computer Games Strategy Plus named Seven Kingdoms as a runner-up for its "10 Essential Real-time Strategy Games" list. The magazine's Steve Bauman wrote, "Its combat is nothing to write home about, but few RTS games have a better build-up phase, with a slick visual representation of trade and economy."[15]
^"Seven Kingdoms: Ancient Adversaries for Windows (1998)". MobyGames. from the original on August 25, 2009. Retrieved March 25, 2010.
^ abcMcDonald, T. Liam (December 1999). "Reviews; Seven Kingdoms II". PC Gamer US. 6 (12): 159, 160.
^ abSaltzman, Marc (November 16, 1999). . IGN. Archived from the original on August 8, 2002. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
^ abcRausch, Allen (January 26, 1999). . CNET Gamecenter. Archived from the original on November 27, 1999.
^Saltzman, Marc (May 18, 2000). Game Design: Secrets of the Sages, Second Edition. Brady Games. p. 396. ISBN1566869870.
^ ab"Seven Kingdoms for PC". GameRankings. from the original on December 9, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
^Chin, Elliott (March 1998). "Fit for a King (Seven Kingdoms Review)" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 164. pp. 193–94, 196. from the original on August 16, 2000. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
^Gies, Daniel (April 1998). "Seven Kingdoms Review". Game Revolution. from the original on February 14, 2004. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
^McDonald, Tim (December 12, 1997). "Seven Kingdoms Review". GameSpot. from the original on June 9, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
^Dawson, Ed (February 1998). "Seven Kingdoms". PC PowerPlay (21): 66–68.
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Seven Kingdoms Chinese 七王國 pinyin Qi Wang Guo is a real time strategy RTS video game developed by Trevor Chan of Enlight Software The game enables players to compete against up to six other kingdoms allowing players to conquer opponents by defeating them in war with troops or machines capturing their buildings with spies or offering opponents money for their kingdom The Seven Kingdoms series went on to include a sequel Seven Kingdoms II The Fryhtan Wars In 2007 Enlight released a further title in the Seven Kingdoms series Seven Kingdoms Conquest it Seven KingdomsDeveloper s EnlightPublisher s Interactive MagicDesigner s Trevor ChanPlatform s Windows LinuxReleaseWW November 30 1997Ancient AdversariesEU June 8 1998NA 1998WW January 19 2012 Linux Genre s Real time strategyMode s Single player multiplayer Contents 1 Gameplay 2 Reception 2 1 Sales 2 2 Seven Kingdoms 2 3 Ancient Adversaries 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksGameplay EditSeven Kingdoms made departures from the traditional real time strategy model of gather resources build a base and army and attack set by other RTS games The economic model bears more resemblance to a turn based strategy game than to the traditional build workers and harvest resources system in games such as Command amp Conquer StarCraft and Age of Empires The game features an espionage system that allows players to train and control spies individually who each have a spying skill that increases over time The player is responsible for catching potential spies in their own kingdom Inns built within the game allow players to hire mercenaries of various occupations skill levels and races 1 Skilled spies of enemy races are essential to a well conducted espionage program and players can bolster their forces by grabbing a skilled fighter or give one s own factories mines and towers of science a boost by hiring a highly skilled professional For instance having a skilled Persian general can make capturing and keeping a Persian village much easier The diplomacy system is akin to a turn based game allowing players to offer proposals to another party which they are able to either accept or reject Each kingdom has a reputation and suffers a penalty for declaring war on a kingdom with a high reputation making a player s people more likely to rebel and more susceptible to bribery Diplomatic actions include making war proposing an alliance or friendship treaty buying food exchanging technologies offering tribute aid and forging trade agreements A ranking system allows all players to gauge the relative military and economic strengths of their allies and enemies making alliances against the stronger players a natural option The original game allows players to choose from seven different cultures to command Japanese Chinese Mayans Persians Vikings Greeks and Normans Each culture has its own weapons and fighting styles and can summon its own greater being each with different powers 1 Fryhtans are fictional beasts that hoard treasure and hold scrolls of power objects that enable players to summon greater beings They are quite powerful and may attack human kingdoms Interactive Magic later released a free patch that added three new cultures the Egyptians the Mughals and the Zulus and a new war machine called the Unicorn The game was re released on June 8 1998 under the name Seven Kingdoms Ancient Adversaries with this patch included 2 Reception EditSales Edit Commercially Seven Kingdoms was overshadowed at launch by competing real time strategy titles such as Age of Empires Total Annihilation and Dark Reign 3 4 Writing for CNET Gamecenter Allen Rausch reported that the game was buried by the large number of releases in its genre at the time 5 The game was particularly dwarfed by Age of Empires according to T Liam McDonald of PC Gamer US who placed part of the blame for Seven Kingdoms sales on its indifferent ad campaign and weak graphics 3 However both Rausch and McDonald noted that Seven Kingdoms had attracted a dedicated fan following by 1999 5 3 at which point Rausch wrote that it had sold fairly well 5 In the United States the game sold roughly 35 000 units by November 1999 according to PC Data 4 Global sales of Seven Kingdoms its expansion pack and its sequel surpassed 200 000 units by 2000 6 Seven Kingdoms Edit Seven KingdomsAggregate scoreAggregatorScoreGameRankings85 7 Review scoresPublicationScoreComputer Gaming World 8 GameRevolutionC 9 GameSpot9 10 10 PC Gamer US 90 12 PC PowerPlay89 11 PC Zone68 13 The game received favorable reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings though almost all of them belong to its sequel rather than the original 7 Seven Kingdoms was the finalist for GameSpot s 1997 Best Strategy Game award which ultimately went to Total Annihilation The editors wrote Even in light of fierce competition from this year s other top notch strategy releases Seven Kingdoms stands tall as an inventive enjoyable product destined to be remembered However it won the publication s Best Game No One Played award 14 In a 1999 retrospective Computer Games Strategy Plus named Seven Kingdoms as a runner up for its 10 Essential Real time Strategy Games list The magazine s Steve Bauman wrote Its combat is nothing to write home about but few RTS games have a better build up phase with a slick visual representation of trade and economy 15 Ancient Adversaries Edit Seven Kingdoms Ancient AdversariesAggregate scoreAggregatorScoreGameRankings75 16 Review scoresPublicationScoreAllGame 17 PC Zone75 18 The Ancient Adversaries expansion pack received favorable reviews according to GameRankings 16 See also EditList of strategy video gamesReferences Edit a b NG Alphas Seven Kingdoms Next Generation No 35 Imagine Media November 1997 pp 143 4 Seven Kingdoms Ancient Adversaries for Windows 1998 MobyGames Archived from the original on August 25 2009 Retrieved March 25 2010 a b c McDonald T Liam December 1999 Reviews Seven Kingdoms II PC Gamer US 6 12 159 160 a b Saltzman Marc November 16 1999 Seven Kingdoms II The Fryhtan Wars IGN Archived from the original on August 8 2002 Retrieved May 30 2021 a b c Rausch Allen January 26 1999 Sneak Peeks Seven Kingdoms The Fryhtan Wars CNET Gamecenter Archived from the original on November 27 1999 Saltzman Marc May 18 2000 Game Design Secrets of the Sages Second Edition Brady Games p 396 ISBN 1566869870 a b Seven Kingdoms for PC GameRankings Archived from the original on December 9 2019 Retrieved July 27 2017 Chin Elliott March 1998 Fit for a King Seven Kingdoms Review PDF Computer Gaming World No 164 pp 193 94 196 Archived from the original on August 16 2000 Retrieved July 27 2017 Gies Daniel April 1998 Seven Kingdoms Review Game Revolution Archived from the original on February 14 2004 Retrieved July 27 2017 McDonald Tim December 12 1997 Seven Kingdoms Review GameSpot Archived from the original on June 9 2019 Retrieved July 27 2017 Dawson Ed February 1998 Seven Kingdoms PC PowerPlay 21 66 68 Seven Kingdoms PC Gamer 1998 PC Review Seven Kingdoms PC Zone 1998 Staff Best amp Worst Awards 1997 GameSpot Archived from the original on February 8 2001 Bauman Steve November 15 1999 10 Essential Real time Strategy Games Computer Games Strategy Plus Archived from the original on March 1 2005 a b Seven Kingdoms Ancient Adversaries for PC GameRankings Archived from the original on December 4 2018 Retrieved July 27 2017 Smith Nick Seven Kingdoms Ancient Adversaries Review AllGame Archived from the original on November 16 2014 Retrieved July 27 2017 PC Review Seven Kingdoms Ancient Adversaries PC Zone 1998 Seven Kingdoms II Strategy Guide M Knight Prima Games ISBN 0 7615 2208 5External links EditOfficial Website archive 2009 Enlight Software archive 2008 Seven Kingdoms at MobyGames Seven Kingdoms Ancient Adversaries at MobyGames Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Seven Kingdoms video game amp oldid 1153173599, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
