Latest Gaming News

Battles of Prince of Persia Info - DS

18th November 2005, 8:37pm
click to view full image
view full
 Get ready for Battles of Prince of Persia, the tactical card-collecting game! A mighty General, a massive army and a deck of cards are at your disposal, ready to vanquish your enemies. With every victory, you'll collect new cards to bolster your deck!

In campaign mode, uncover the fates of Persia, India and Aresura between the events of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Prince of Persia Warrior Within. Play through 24 different scenarios uncovering each General's strengths at the head of the Persian, Indian or Daevan army.

Each faction (Daevan, Persian, Indian) has 3 different Generals (total of 9). Each of the factions not only have their own characteristics and gameplay but also different leaders. The Daevans are the most aggressive of the 3 factions, given that they are especially strong in close-combat. The Persians are the most mobile as they possess the most cavalry units. The Indians are versatile but have a larger number of weaker units. Depending on how you like to play your game, you can choose the one who fits the best.

Each faction possesses 7 different unit, or troop, types. From archers to cavalry, soldiers to catapults, the options on the field open up. Having many types of units is great, but don't forget the faction's strength, which play an important role in your field strategy.

It is important to note that while different unit types create preferences for certain tactics, the card selection a player chooses to put into a deck greatly affects a given army's strategy. Faction specific cards are heavily influenced by the faction's background, i.e. the Daevans have cards that do damage directly to other units, while the Persians have cards that affect combat results, and finally the Indians prefer to augment their larger number of weaker units. So not only you have some specific faction properties, you also have this unique card system, where you can change the pace of the round by editing your own deck. This was something crucial for us, and we thought that cards where very interesting for customization.

Some cards have an effect that can boost or reduce a unit's combat or movement (or both) effectiveness. The kinds of unit upgrades available depends entirely on the cards that a player chooses to include in his or her deck. As you can see, with over 200 cards, no strategy is alike. This is very visible in multiplayer, where players go against each others, using their decks they built. Also, upgrading a unit's movement for example is great for a specific situation but not as great in already close range, where boosting attack power or evasion would be wiser.

Cards have varying levels of effect on units. Some cards are one time effects such as Perfect Assault (inflicts the most damage possible given the attacking unit's situation) to cards that have a more permanent effect such as Zeal which gives all surrounding units improved attack, defense and morale as long as the targeted unit is in the game. Choosing between such spells is totally up to the player, and/or the situation on the field. You can learn from other armies (computer controlled or human), and be detecting their strategies or way of playing, you can go for a shorter term boost or permanent but weaker effect.

They are very powerful. When you play against another player, they are what you are. They share their story with their armies, but they have their own personality, powers, looks etc. The General has special abilities that set it apart from regular units. A General has a command range that gives friendly units a bonus whenever they are in combat (whether attacking or attacked). Some cards can only be played with specific Generals in the battle. However, when a player loses a General his or hand size goes down and cards can no longer be played for their effects. Units around a General, when the General leaves the game, have reduced morale and combat effectiveness.

Sounds intriguing, but in a good way.
by Nick Schaedel » Author's Blog