From: andrewh (Andrew Hung)
Subject: Re: Kingmaker for PC

	Here's my impression after a couple of plays of Kingmaker.  The 
game is an overseas development, somewhere in England.  It was further 
developed and playtested by AH's new computer product division.

	The game is definitely solitaire with you playing against up to 5 
other factions.  Just like the boardgame, there is a pool of 36 cards 
which form your initial force.  They have apparently guaranteed that you 
start with at least 1 titled noble and maybe a couple of non-titled 
nobles.  Also in the initial draw are the offices, titles, mercenary
(okay, who has the French goobs), and Ships.

	You start by forming your faction and allocate your cards 
accordingly.  Everything is done using the mouse...very good!!  You have 
the option before game start to allocate after computer players 
and therefore know their intentions or allocate blindly (I like this best).

	Each faction then raises their standards and start the game...let 
slip the dogs of war!!  The faction is named after the senior noble.  
Each computer controlled noble is rated for Aggression, Mercy and Ambition.

	Aggression = chance of seeking battle
	Mercy      = chance of showing mercy to prisoners
	Ambition   = chance of using Coronation and Parliament to accomplish
			his goal

	There's also built-in rivalry between factions!!  Their goal is 
the same as you, grab the sole heir, eliminate all other contenders and 
crown the sole heir.

	The game starts with random events at the beginning of each faction's 
round.  Depending on whether you use Advanced Plague (spread along roads and 
ports but only 25% death) or Advanced Weather (Bad weather delays travel 
and possible Gale at Sea), the event is resolved with various peasants 
revolts, Embassy, etc.

	Then the player moves all his forces and conducts combat.  Combat uses 
basic combat for quick resolution or you can control the miniature battle 
with allocation of noble to form a battle line (like Advanced Combat) and 
issue orders to fight it out.  Siege is also conducted if you wish but be 
careful since basic combat siege can be be deadly if the noble killed turns
out to be your main noble (ack!!).  You can then either execute, release or 
try to ransom the noble.

	Parliament can be called by the King and Writs of Attendance 
played on another faction's noble to start the darn thing.  Depending on 
attendance, chancery is allocated.

	The Coronation phase follows and if you have either 2 bishops or 1 
Archbishop in attendance in a church location, you can crown the senior
heir.

	The Reinforcement phase follows with either additional nobles, 
mercenaries, ships, titles, offices, writs of attendance or fresh horses (to 
represent additional moves) to be gained and then allocated later.

	Movement is all done by mouse and the map is zoomed in to show 
the area where your nobles are.  Nobles can move via stacks or singly.
Towns have holding capacity and the road allows continuous movement if unblocked.
You must start with a ship to use sea movement.

	There's fairly extensive on-line help and also you can try to 
locate enemy nobles and royal heirs.  You can also execute heirs if you 
think a big force is about to pounce you.

	The AI plays fairly aggressively. They love to pounce on 
smaller forces if available.  I think dead nobles will recycle, but the 
offices and titles all end up in the Chancery.  The game is fairly 
challenging so far, but then I'm a sucker for KM.  The only annoying thing 
is the security device which uses pictures of various towns in England to 
check at various times, but not at the beginning.  The game is well 
documented and even a historical booklet is included.  I think the 
programmers must have played this game very extensively to so faithfully 
reproduce it.  Overall, I like it a lot even for the steep price of 
$65 ($48 on sale).

	I don't know what AH has planned for conversion to computer 
format, but Advanced Civilization is next.  I hope Conquistador and 
Source of the Nile can make it on the list but I don't have any clue how 
the games are selected.  The only title released so far is Operation 
Crusader, 3R, KM and Advanced Civ (where is it??).  A couple more titles I 
would like to see are Britannia, 1830, Kremlin, Circus Maximus, RoR, HoW, 
Blackbeard.

	Well, that all for now.  If I get a laptop then I'll definitely 
load this in there.  I better sign up for Origin now before I forget.

           --andrew

From: jberry@pafosu1 (James Berry)
Subject: Computer Kingmaker:  A review

   The Avalon Hill (AH) computer version of Kingmaker is a faithful adaptation 
of the original, "War of the Roses" board game.  The game may be played by
only one human player and is best enjoyed with a VGA monitor and at least an
8-bit sound card.  Depending on the amount of computer players you select
and your skill and luck, the game will take about an hour to play (YMMV).
   My favorite part of this game is the voices.  The Shakesperean voice in
the beginning will make you think you are listening to the Bard, himself.
The battle cries will quicken your pulse as you battle "for England and
St. George!"  The call to bring out your dead will indeed disgust you!
   Another attractive feature of the game is the graphics.  The map is
beautifully detailed, and the multi-media clips feature smooth and crisp
events.
   The last of the "good stuff" is the interface.  The game handles every
phase of the rules, effortlessly.  It's easy to move, allocate and arrange
your board pieces and faction cards.  You can even have secret support!
For scrolling, merely point and click either map (local or regional.)
   Alas, as with most games of skill, the computer's strategic savoir-faire
leaves much to be desired.  It's biggest strategic weakness is a lack of
killer instinct -- if you're losing (a strong possibility with the many
bad luck possibilities here) it won't put you or the game away.  The game
just refuses to coordinate an overall plan.  Tactically, it might be better
than you are, but as the saying goes, "you can win the battle, but lose the
war."
   The other, major weakpoint rests (and you'll be resting, too) with the
time the computer takes for each of its "players'" thinking.  I don't know
WHAT it's thinking -- certainly not a game plan.  The more computer 
opponents you choose, obviously, the longer you wait.  Personally, I cannot 
stand to have more than three in the game with me.

   A few other points to consider: 

   This is a violently depicted game.  True, this WAS a violent period in time,
but do I need to see a person's head chopped off and blood spilling out?
Actually, this is the only hideous scene, but it is enough.  I, personally,
don't care, I'm just letting you know.  For some, this might be enough to
BUY the game!  :-)
  
   If you haven't played the board game, this game will be very confusing to
you.   Phases that are very clear during board play (drawing cards, etc...)
will run together in a "what just happened" blink.  Also, this game is
rather unique in some of its concepts.  The instruction manual is adequate,
but not extremely helpful.

   Overall, I'd give this game a 5.  As a die-hard gamer, I can't give it
any more.  It is fun, though, as a "simulation" and to hack a few nobles.
Enjoy the graphics and sound.  Cut your enemy off at the pass...
But any game that titles me "peasant" after I just won the game (and already
the title of Duke) needs an attitude adjustment!  :-D

--
JDB