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.
