The Geryk Rebuttal: Majesty

With that in mind, Majesty is my favorite strategy game. I get to make some straightforward decisions, create a bunch of little people, and then sit back while they go about their mighty magical business. High strung as he is, I'm sure the monocle pops out of Geryk's eye any time anyone - and that includes virtua anyones like an orc - does anything without his direct permission. I, on the other hand, couldn't be happier. You say you and the dwarf are gonna go raid a necropolis? I don't even know what a necropolis is, but it sounds like a good plan to me. I'll be the guy over here with a can of Blatz in each hand who's not even touching the mouse.

In Bruce's own words:

The difference between Majesty and an actual God game like Caesar III is that the latter is really a mathematical puzzle disguised as a game. Unfortunately, when you simplify a game to this extent, there have to be extra hooks to grab and maintain your interest, since the gameplay is so straightforward. In Majesty, it's watching all of your "characters" run around gaining levels, stopping for a drink, going to the bathroom, and what have you. You're supposed to cheer your little guys on, and delight in their triumphs. You're supposed to get attached to them, and feel a sense of loss when some lizard thing takes all of their "hit points."

I'm not sure if he maybe wrote this paragraph by accident, because it's a great summary of just exactly why I love Majesty. As Geryk helpfully points out, Majesty is a God game in which you don't have to solve arbitrary math problems. And if that isn't reason enough to recommend it, it also has clear goals, multiple paths to achieve these goals, and a population system that makes every one of your citizens interesting and important. It's like a more structured Black and White with twenty or thirty simultaneous creatures, better scenarios, cool combat, and a less glacially paced and less ambiguous sense of escalating might. If - like Geryk - you don't get a thrill from watching stat bars rise, then it might be time to start considering a new hobby altogether.

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