Disciples II-Dark Prophecy

Demo Walkthrough

Version 1.0

Once you have selected your race, the Lord Selection screen appears.

This menu allows you to:

· Choose your Lord type (warrior, mage, guildmaster)

· Select your Lord’s portrait (click on portrait to change)

· Select the difficulty level (crown size)

· Name your Lord

Each Lord type offers certain advantages, which are detailed in the bottom window, when selected.

When done, click the continue checkmark to see the briefing.

The quest opens with the Beginning of Turn Report. It shows your incoming resources (gold and mana). Resource totals can be viewed by clicking the Map/Resource toggle in the upper right corner of the screen. This will also show the percentage of the map you control.

Read any messages that may appear, as they may give you some insight into the peculiarities of the map, or change your objectives to complete the quest.

Your First Party

You begin with a leader. Use the Select Next Leader button, and left-click the portrait. This will bring up the army screen.

Prepare a party for your leader by clicking and dragging units from the garrison to the leader’s party. Right click on any portrait to see that units vital statistics. Units (and leaders) who reach adjacent units should be placed in the front row. Those who reach any units (or have low hit points) should be placed in the back row.

Note: The Guardian cannot be included in any party, and never leaves your capital.

Remember leaders have different leadership abilities. This will determine how many units may be included in their parties.

You may also click and drag items from the garrison to the party’s inventory (right click for a description).

Click on the Paperdoll button to equip your leader with items that may be useful during battle.

Once you are satisfied with your party, click the Exit Leader button to exit the city.

Moving

The Landview is where you navigate your parties around the map. Clicking on the Landview will designate a path for the selected party. A second click will send your party along that path.

Paths are mapped with coloured flags.

· Blue flags indicate a clear path, and sufficient movement points

· Red flags indicate an enemy stack between the party and its objective

· White flags indicate a path that can’t be reached this turn

Note: A path around enemy parties can be mapped by Ctrl-clicking on the landview.

Right clicking on any neutral or friendly party will show the units in that party (you must infiltrate a spy to see enemy parties). Some parties may be hidden behind trees or buildings. Toggle the Banner button to activate banners for all parties (all parties are also indicated on the mini-map).

Right clicking will also show information on various map features, such as ruins, merchant shops, or mercenary and training camps. Visit any of the establishments by double clicking on it.

Remember that you cannot see the party inhabiting a ruin unless a thief has visited it earlier.

Your First Battle

Once you have found a party you wish to attack (and hopefully vanquish), double click on it. If your party has enough movement points, the battle will be joined.

Initiative will determine the order that units get to perform an action (attack, heal, use item, etc). Valid targets are highlighted. You may also choose to let the computer carry out the battle by clicking the Auto Battle button.

Once the battle is over, experience points are distributed, and any units that can, will gain a level, or be upgraded.

Levels and Upgrading

A unit will upgrade (gain a level) once it reaches a certain amount of experience, but only if the appropriate structure is built in the capital.

If the structure is not built, the unit will remain at 1 experience point from the next level. A green cross will appear on that unit’s portrait.

Note: Leaders do not need a structure to gain levels.

Click the Capital Screen button to access the capital. You will see a view of your capital. Click the Build Structure button to access your units’ upgrade trees. There are trees for fighter, mage, range attack, and support units.

Right click any building to see the upgrade path a unit will take. Double click the building to build it. It will appear on the capital view.

Once a unit reaches the end of its path it will continue to gain levels as the final type of upgrade.

Other buildings are the Temple, the Guild, and the Magic Tower.

· Temple allows units to be revived, and healed in a city

· Guild allows you to hire a Thief (already present with Guildmaster Lord)

· Magic Tower allows for the researching of spells (already present with Mage Lord)

Resources and Territory

Resources are collected from terrain under your control. These take the form of gold mines, and mana outcroppings of different types. Each race has a mana type that is particular to them, and is useful for low-level spells. It may be necessary to control different types of mana for high-level spells.

Terrain is gained by planting rods (it also spreads out from cities you control). Each race has a leader type that is capable of planting rods (for a price). They are also able to remove rods placed by other rod planters.

Some quests require you to control a certain percentage of the map. You can see how much of the map you control by clicking the Map/Resource toggle.

Researching and Casting Spells

Spells must be researched before they can be cast. First a Magic tower must be built in your capital. Once this is done, access your spellbook by clicking the Research Spell button in the capital screen.

Highlight a spell to see its description, cost to research (in mana), and cost to cast (in mana). Click the Research Spell button if you wish to research the spell.

Spells may only be cast in the Landview screen. Click the Cast Spell button and click on the party, or area on the map where you wish to cast the spell.

Hiring Leaders and Units

Enter any city that does not house a leader. The army screen lets you hire new leaders.

Click the party box to select the type of leader you wish to hire. You may also click in any of the empty garrison slots to hire a 1^st level unit, and complete your party.

Special Leaders

Besides rod-bearers, each race has access to a Thief, once a Guild has been built in the capital.

The Thief is capable of visiting ruins, infiltrating enemy armies, poisoning troops, stealing from merchants, and many other special ‘abilities’ (if the Guildmaster Lord is chosen).

The Thief cannot lead a party.