''The Nations'' (german: Die Völker 2: Aufstieg zum Königreich) is a
real-time strategy
Real-time strategy (RTS) is a Video game genre, subgenre of strategy video games that do not progress incrementally in turn-based game, turns, but allow all players to play simultaneously, in "real time". By contrast, in Turn-based strategy, turn ...
video game developed and published by Austrian company
JoWooD Productions
JoWooD Entertainment AG (formerly JoWooD Productions Software AG, commonly referred to as JoWooD) was an Austrian video game publisher that was founded in 1995. JoWooD went into administration in 2011 and all assets were purchased by Nordic Games ...
for
Microsoft Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
in 2001. It is a sequel to the 1999 game ''
Alien Nations
''Alien Nations'' (german: Die Völker) is a real-time strategy video game developed by Neo Software and published by JoWooD Productions for Microsoft Windows in 1999. It was re-released on GOG.com in 2009. A sequel, '' The Nations'', was publis ...
'' (german: Die Völker).
Story
Consistent with ''
Alien Nations
''Alien Nations'' (german: Die Völker) is a real-time strategy video game developed by Neo Software and published by JoWooD Productions for Microsoft Windows in 1999. It was re-released on GOG.com in 2009. A sequel, '' The Nations'', was publis ...
'', ''The Nations'' features on three alien factions, the alien-like Pimmons, the human-like Amazones, and the bug-like Sajikis on the planet Lukkat. The story of ''The Nations'' follows the rebellion of a Pimmon named Korn who creates unrest when making a prophecy that a divine prophet will arrive to revolutionise life on Lukkat. Life turns to chaos as each faction competes in being seen as the most important race of beings on the planet.
Gameplay
Similar to ''
Alien Nations
''Alien Nations'' (german: Die Völker) is a real-time strategy video game developed by Neo Software and published by JoWooD Productions for Microsoft Windows in 1999. It was re-released on GOG.com in 2009. A sequel, '' The Nations'', was publis ...
'', ''The Nations'' is a
real-time strategy
Real-time strategy (RTS) is a Video game genre, subgenre of strategy video games that do not progress incrementally in turn-based game, turns, but allow all players to play simultaneously, in "real time". By contrast, in Turn-based strategy, turn ...
with an emphasis on resource management and building a tribe from one of three competing races. The player is required to manage the needs of the units in the tribe through a series of resource and production chains that differ depending on the tribe selected. The game also allows the player to pursue victory through multiple approaches, including military conquest, or uniting tribes and nations through diplomacy.
''The Nations'' features a number of differences from ''
Alien Nations
''Alien Nations'' (german: Die Völker) is a real-time strategy video game developed by Neo Software and published by JoWooD Productions for Microsoft Windows in 1999. It was re-released on GOG.com in 2009. A sequel, '' The Nations'', was publis ...
''. The key innovation of the game is that units exist independently, with their own names and personalities. These units can now move independently and make decisions on their own, although the player may indirectly steer the units to certain priorities.
[ Other innovations in the game include merchants, trade of various goods, production chains, and new options for military conquest and diplomacy.
]
Release
''The Nations'' was released internationally in June 2001 by JoWooD Productions
JoWooD Entertainment AG (formerly JoWooD Productions Software AG, commonly referred to as JoWooD) was an Austrian video game publisher that was founded in 1995. JoWooD went into administration in 2011 and all assets were purchased by Nordic Games ...
in Germany, the United States and United Kingdom. Localisation for a Russian version of ''The Nations'' was released by Snowball Interactive on October 2001.
The Nations: Bonus Pack
On 23 November 2001, developers released for download a ''Bonus Pack'' for ''The Nations''. The ''Bonus Pack'' contained several additional features to the game, including 22 new missions, a new story, more music and video sequences, a new research system, bandits, and tweaks to game mechanics involving trade, production chains and unit strength, to make the game more balanced.
The Nations: Gold Edition
A revised retail version of the game titled ''The Nations: Gold Edition'' was released on February 15 2002. This version contained the improvements contained in the ''Bonus Pack'', as well as a mission editor and other tools.
Reception
English reviews for ''The Nations'' were lukewarm, with praise for the theme and presentation. Reviewers for ''PC PowerPlay
''PC PowerPlay'' (''PCPP'') is Australia's only dedicated PC games magazine. ''PC PowerPlay'' focuses on news and reviews for upcoming and newly released games on the Microsoft Windows platform. The magazine also reviews computer hardware for us ...
'' noted "the overall design ethic of the game is wonderful", and "smooth animation, bright colours and amusing design combine to make a visually splendid game".[ Mark Asher of '']Computer Gaming World
''Computer Gaming World'' (CGW) was an American computer game magazine published between 1981 and 2006. One of the few magazines of the era to survive the video game crash of 1983, it was sold to Ziff Davis in 1993. It expanded greatly through ...
'' similarly observed "the well-drawn graphics engage with the whimsy of storybook art, so there's plenty of pleasure to be had in just observing."[
Reception of the mechanics of unit personalities was mixed. Keith Pullin of '']PC Zone
''PC Zone'', founded in 1993, was the first magazine dedicated to games for IBM-compatible personal computers to be published in the United Kingdom. Earlier PC magazines such as ''PC Leisure'', ''PC Format'' and ''PC Plus'' had covered games but ...
'' stated "it's surprising how much you genuinely care about what happens to this utterly bizarre collection of creatures."[ Bruce Geryk of '']GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
'' found the mechanics shallow, noting "it really amounts to absolutely no personality at all...all the units do basically the same things (and) they look and sound the same as well. This completely undermines the illusion of individuality of the citizens."[
Overall, many reviewers found the game mechanics did not cohesively work well. Mark Asher of '']Computer Gaming World
''Computer Gaming World'' (CGW) was an American computer game magazine published between 1981 and 2006. One of the few magazines of the era to survive the video game crash of 1983, it was sold to Ziff Davis in 1993. It expanded greatly through ...
'' stated "at times you may feel a bit besieged by how much you need to manage".[ Daniel Wilks of '']PC Powerplay
''PC PowerPlay'' (''PCPP'') is Australia's only dedicated PC games magazine. ''PC PowerPlay'' focuses on news and reviews for upcoming and newly released games on the Microsoft Windows platform. The magazine also reviews computer hardware for us ...
'' critiqued the gameplay as "repetitive and leaves a lot to be desired", with the tutorial "(proving) to be one of the most singularly uninformative pieces of training in recent memory" and the pace being "seriously, detrimentally slow".[
]
References
External links
*
* {{MobyGames, id=/nations-gold-edition, name=''The Nations: Gold Edition''
2001 video games
Real-time strategy video games
Video games about extraterrestrial life
Video games developed in Austria
Video games scored by Jesper Kyd
Video games set on fictional planets
Windows-only games
JoWooD Entertainment games