The Settlers II (10th Anniversary)

2006 city building and real time strategy video game

The Settlers II (10th Anniversary) (Die Siedler II: Die nächste Generation) is a city building game with real time strategy elements, developed by Blue Byte and published by Ubisoft. Released for Microsoft Windows in September 2006, it is a remake of The Settlers II (1996). In March 2007, Blue Byte released a German language expansion, Die Siedler II: Die nächste Generation Wikinger (The Settlers II: The Next Generation Vikings), featuring new single player campaign missions, new maps for both single player and multiplayer modes, a random map generator, and minor gameplay tweaks. In September 2008, they released Die Siedler: Aufbruch der Kulturen (The Settlers: Awakening of Cultures), a spiritual successor to Die nächste Generation. In 2013, the original 10th Anniversary game was released on GOG. com. In the game's single player campaign, the player controls a group of Romans who are shipwrecked on an uncharted island after fleeing Rome in the wake of a series of natural disasters and the mysterious disappearance of every Roman woman. Stranded and without hope of rescue, they must use a series of magical portals to try to find their way back to the Empire. During their travels, they come into conflict with Nubians and Chinese, learning that both races have also experienced the loss of their female population. Wikinger takes place centuries later, when the portals are commonly used by various races to facilitate trade with one another. However, when the Vikings' portal is sabotaged by a group of pirates led by a man known as "The Wolf", all other portals throughout the world cease to function. Initially operating independently of one another, but ultimately joining forces, the Romans, Nubians, Chinese and Vikings set out to learn why the portal was destroyed and defeat The Wolf. Although featuring updated 3D graphics and sound effects, and a new storyline, the gameplay and game mechanics remain relatively unchanged from the original Settlers II. The overriding design principal for 10th Anniversary was to renovate the original rather than reinvent it, and as a result, the designers elected to make only minor changes to the core template. For example, the different races now have aesthetically differentiated buildings; military buildings can now be upgraded, and soldiers evacuated from each building at any time; when the player demolishes a building, they now get back half the construction costs; and a day/night cycle has been added. The game also features an online multiplayer mode, and a map editor, which allows players to both create new maps and import maps from the original. The Settlers II (10th Anniversary) received relatively little attention in the gaming press outside Germany, with mixed reviews. Whilst the graphics and sound effects were generally praised, and the designers were lauded for retaining so much of the original game's mechanics, some critics felt it was too reverential to the original, and, as a result, seemed dated. Other criticisms included a lack of mission variety and repetitive gameplay, with several critics opining that it should have been a budget title rather than a full price release.

The Settlers II (10th Anniversary) is a city building game, with real time strategy elements, and the primary goal on each map is to build a settlement with a functioning economy, producing sufficient military units so as to conquer rival territories, ultimately gaining control of either the entire map, or a certain predetermined section of it. To achieve this end, the player must engage in economic micromanagement, construct buildings, and generate resources.

The game can be played in one of two modes; single player or multiplayer. In single player mode, the player can play either campaign missions or individual non campaign games ("Freeplay"). In Campaign mode, the player must complete a series of missions, the goal of each of which is to defeat the computer controlled opponent or opponents by gaining possession of the territory in which the mission objective is located. In the original release of the game, there were ten missions, with the player limited to controlling the Romans. The Wikinger expansion added a new campaign of twelve missions, with the player able to control the three races from the original game (Romans, Nubians, and Chinese), plus the newly added Vikings. In Freeplay and multiplayer modes, which can be played via a LAN or online, the player chooses a map on which to play, and then refines the game in various ways, such as selecting the number of players (from two to six) and the difficulty level of computer controlled races, choosing which race to control, selecting the victory conditions, refining the amount of raw materials available to each player at the start of the game, selecting whether to turn fog of war on or off, and choosing whether each player begins from a predetermined position on the map or is instead placed randomly.

Whether playing in single player or multiplayer mode, each game begins the same way; the player has one building, a warehouse/headquarters, in which are a set amount of raw materials and tools. The basic gameplay revolves around serfs (the titular "settlers") who transport materials, tools and produce, and who populate and perform the requisite task of each building. As the player constructs buildings and thus requires settlers to occupy them, the settlers automatically emerge from the warehouse as needed. As the settlement continues to grow in size, the warehouse's quota of settlers will eventually be reached, and the player will need to build an additional warehouse to generate more settlers. At no point does the player directly control any individual settler instead, general orders are issued (such as ordering the construction of a building), with the AI handling the delegation of orders to specific settlers. An important game mechanic is the construction of a road network so as to allow for an efficient transportation system, as any settlers transporting goods must use roads. To build a road, the player must place a flag, select the "build road" option, and then select where they wish the road to end. The computer will then automatically find the best route between the two and build the road, although the player is also free to build the road manually.

The economy is under the player's control throughout the game, and is adjustable in multiple ways. For example, the player can control the distribution of goods by selecting how much of a given resource is transported to a given building, under six separate headings; food, grain, iron, coal, planks and water. Tool production is important insofar as all buildings require raw materials and a worker with the right tool. For example, if the player has built a bakery, and the building is still empty despite idle settlers in the headquarters, a rolling pin must be manufactured in the toolsmith. The game also uses a notification system that alerts the player if a building cannot be occupied either due to a lack of the right tool or the absence of available settlers.

The player's territory can only be expanded by building a military complex near the territory border. Each complex must have at least one soldier garrisoned for the territory to expand. Soldiers are automatically created from the pool of existing settlers in the headquarters, with each individual soldier requiring a sword, shield, and one unit of beer. The player also has control over the structure of their military, and is free to change the rank of first line defence soldiers, how many soldiers from each building can be used offensively, how many soldiers counter the enemy if nearby buildings are attacked, and how many soldiers take up positions in buildings in the settlement's centre, further out, and on the borders. Interpreting this to mean they must establish a new homeland on foreign soil, the Romans prepare an expedition. However, several days into the voyage, they are caught in a storm, and although they survive, their ships are lost, leaving them stranded on an uncharted island. Several months later, they encounter a mysterious portal engraved with Coptic writing. Unwilling to return to Rome with nothing to show for their efforts, they enter the portal. Emerging in a hot and arid land, they eventually encounter Nubians. Learning there is another portal beyond the Nubian settlement, the Romans ask for access to it, but the Nubians refuse. Shortly thereafter, an armed conflict breaks out. The Romans overwhelm the Nubians, the survivors of whom flee into the portal, with the Romans giving chase. On the other side of the portal, they reach a Nubian settlement, where they learn the Nubians have met the same fate as themselves; their women have disappeared without explanation. They also learn the Nubians are in conflict with a much stronger group of Chinese, who have cut them off from their Pharaoh, Tanotamun. Empathising with their situation, the Romans offer their assistance. Fighting their way through a Chinese blockade, they lift the siege on Tanotamun's castle, and reunite him with his people. Emerging through another portal, they learn the Chinese women have also disappeared. Climbing to a portal on top of a mountain, the Romans then find themselves in a massive cavern. Having defeated a Chinese settlement, they are surprised to learn the portal in the cavern leads back to the island on which they were originally marooned. Building a ship with supplies gathered on their journey, they return to Rome, finding the women have returned, albeit without any explanation for their disappearance. Pondering the meaning of recent events, the Romans conclude, "the path was the goal of our journey".

Wikinger takes place many centuries after the main game, when portals are used by all races for exploration and trade. During a feast in the Viking capital, their portal explodes, and a group of Vikings are sucked into the resulting vortex, emerging on a beach. Electing Eirigg as their leader, they head towards a nearby village where they see some of the people with whom they had been feasting, a group who they thought were Chinese diplomats were actually pirates. The Vikings raid the village, finding it full of flags embroidered with a wolf. They then head towards a nearby portal. Passing through a Nubian village, they learn the portal ceased functioning a few days prior, and as a result, they decide to explore the region. Meanwhile, in Nubia, upon the destruction of the portal, pirates with sails bearing the sign of the wolf advance into the region ruled over by Kvame. Although he is able to push them back, unbeknownst to him, the leader escapes. In the ruins of the pirate camp, they find fragmented portal stones covered with Vikings symbols; remnants of the destroyed portal, and Kvame realises the pirates are led by a man known as The Wolf, an infamous pirate. Heading to the nearest Viking settlement, they find it under attack, and fight alongside the Vikings. Kvame subsequently discovers The Wolf is using portal stones to transport the men of conquered peoples vast distances, and forcing them to fight for him. The Nubians then learn The Wolf aims to conquer the Chinese Empire, and from there, the entire world. With this in mind, Kvame vows to return the stones to the Vikings, and help defend the Empire. Several months have now passed since the Vikings were sucked into the portal. Arriving at a Viking colony, they see it is under attack by the pirates. Pushing them back, Eirigg learns The Wolf has already begun the assault on the Empire's capital, and sets sail to help defend it. Meanwhile, with the destruction of the Vikings' portal, the portal in Rome also ceased to function. Several months later, a Chinese envoy arrives, explaining the Imperial Court is under attack. The Senate devise a plan to gain possession of the portal stones and use them to rule the world, and to this end, they send a force under the command of Caius Publius to aid the Chinese. Heading first to a Nubian island, Caius is able to negotiate with the Nubian general to turn over possession of his portal stone. At the same time, in an isolated region of the Empire, The Wolf orders his Nubian allies to occupy an island fortress, planning to use it for his global campaign. However, a small tribe of Chinese determine to win it back. The Wolf is able to escape, but he leaves behind documents detailing his plan to capture the capital. Upon learning this, the Chinese set sail for the city. The Vikings, Nubians, Romans, and loyalist Chinese arrive at the capital at roughly the same time, and although the city has already fallen to The Wolf, the Emperor has escaped, and is hiding in a small village. After agreeing to work together, the Vikings, Nubians, and Romans are scattered by a storm, with the Vikings landing on an uninhabited island off the coast. As Eirigg prepares his forces, Kvame and Caius send him their portal stones. Shortly thereafter, the pirates take control of the village in which the Emperor is hiding. He is able to escape, travelling to the safety of the Vikings' island. Meanwhile, Eirigg attacks, finding the last portal stone among the ruins. He is eventually able to defeat the pirates and retake the city. The Wolf escapes in a small boat, but is caught in a storm, and drowns. The Vikings reassemble the portal, help the Chinese make repairs to the city, and then return home.

The game was released in Germany in a limited edition with a Roman figurine, a Windows XP optimised version of the original Settlers II, a making of booklet, and two Freeplay maps not included with the standard edition. In 2013, the game was released on GOG. com.

Die Siedler: Aufbruch der Kulturen, a German language spiritual successor to Die nächste Generation, was released in September 2008, with localised versions released in Poland in 2009 and Russia in 2010. Developed primarily by Funatics Studio, a company founded by ex Blue Byte personnel, Aufbruch der Kulturen features eleven missions in which the player controls Egyptians, Bavarians and Scots. The game uses the same engine as nächste Generation and features very similar gameplay. Speaking prior to the game's release, Ronald Kaulbach, Ubisoft's International brand manager, stated:

In an interview with Eurogamer. de, the game's writer and co designer, Kathleen Kunze, said of the decision to split the franchise: "That was the decision of the fans. There are those who say, "We want to continue with the old Settlers concept". They have great fun playing the original Settlers II. And then we have the people who always want innovation. The fanbase has, more or less, developed this way. Because of this, however, there was a lot of disunity in the community, so we decided to label things as "Traditional" and "Evolutionary"". Although part of the Traditional strand, Aufbruch der Kulturen does feature some new game mechanics. For example, the different races are no longer merely aesthetically differentiated, but now have different economic models, different buildings and different soldiers. The Egyptians' economy is very basic, with no complex daisy chain economic processes, and it can produce large numbers of soldiers very quickly, although these soldiers are comparatively weak. In contrast, the Scots' economy is more complex, with more multi stage processes, and takes longer to recruit an army. Scottish soldiers, however, are very strong. The Bavarian's economy and soldier recruitment falls in the middle. The game also features magic, whereby each race can call upon their respective deity for economic and/or military assistance. Certain economic process have also been expanded. For example, in The Settlers II and 10th Anniversary, a baker needs flour and water to make bread. In Aufbruch der Kulturen, however, a Bavarian baker needs flour and salt, which must be mined. Single player games also feature an adjustable difficulty level.