Table of Contents Categories
  Encyclosphere.org ENCYCLOREADER
  supported by EncyclosphereKSF

Disciples II

Topic: Software

 From HandWiki - Reading time: 10 min

Short description: 2002 video game
Disciples II: Dark Prophecy
Developer(s)Strategy First
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Danny Bélanger
Producer(s)Prokopios Sotos
Designer(s)Danny Bélanger
Programmer(s)Frédéric Ferland
Artist(s)Patrick Lambert
Composer(s)Philippe Charron
Platform(s)Windows
Release
Guardians of the Light
  • NA: June 14, 2003
Servants of the Dark
Rise of the Elves
Gallean's Return
  • NA: May 27, 2005
Genre(s)Turn-based strategy
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Disciples II: Dark Prophecy is a 2002 turn-based strategy game by Strategy First for Microsoft Windows. It is the sequel to the 1999 game Software:Disciples: Sacred Lands, and has become significantly more successful in terms of both sales and popularity than its predecessor. A collector's edition version of the game was released, which included a card game based upon the story and five extra quests.

Three expansion packs were released: Guardians of the Light, Servants of the Dark, and Rise of the Elves. Two compilation editions followed: Disciples 2: Gallean's Return contains the base game plus Guardians of the Light and Servants of the Dark, while Disciples II: Rise of the Elves combines the base game with Rise of the Elves and an additional campaign.

Developed by Linux Game Publishing, a port for Linux was in development between 2002 and 2003 before going unreleased.[6][7] A port of Disciples II for the Nintendo DS was in development, but not released.[8] A sequel named Software:Disciples III: Renaissance was released in 2009.

Gameplay

Disciples II is a fantasy strategy game, set in a fictional kingdom called Nevendaar (also referred to as 'The Sacred Lands'). The main focus of the story revolves around four dominant races in a state of almost constant war. These four factions are the human Empire, the dwarven Mountain Clans, the demonic Legions of the Damned, and the skeletal Undead Hordes. There are also several other 'neutral' races such as Merfolk, Greenskins and Elves (the Elves became a full-fledged playable race with the addition of the expansion pack 'Rise of the Elves').

The gameplay is divided into three main parts; building up the Capital City of your race so that you can research new Warriors and spells, and building up new armies (this involves careful resource management); using heroes (leading small squads) to explore the surroundings, procure resources and attack the enemy; and finally the battles themselves.

Each playable race's Capital City is protected by an extremely powerful guardian, who is nearly impossible to defeat except with a very strong hero. The Capital City is the only city capable of building structures. Other cities may only upgrade themselves to allow them to mount larger defense forces.

Battles consist of confrontations between a hero's squad (which can take up to five other Warriors, bearing in mind that some large creatures such as dragons take up the space of two units) and an enemy squad. High praise is given to the excellent graphics and animations in these battles. At the end of the battle, the winning side receives experience points. All surviving units receive the same amount of XP. If sufficient XP is accumulated by a unit, it may then upgrade to another, determined by the type of structures in the Capital. If no next-level structures have been built, the unit does not level up and does not receive any more experience until the structure is built. The only exception is if the unit is at the end of the "upgrade tree", in which case it will remain the same unit but gain small increases to health, attack damage, and accuracy stats.

At the beginning of a campaign, the player may select his or her class (warrior, mage, or guildmaster). Each class has advantages and disadvantages. For example, a mage player may cast the same spell twice in a single turn, while a guildmaster has the ability to carry out more types of spying/assassination assignments. Besides player classes, the game also features five types of heroes (or leaders): Warrior, Mage, Ranger, Rod Bearer, and Thief. The first three differ only slightly, as they are all combat leaders. The Rod Bearers are the only leaders capable of claiming resources on the map. Thieves may perform special actions on enemy armies and cities.

Spellcasting may only be done outside of battles and requires the use of mana to both research and cast a spell. There are four types of mana (life, runic, death, and infernal) with the fifth type (grove) added for the Rise of the Elves expansion. Each race's spells are mainly reliant on their corresponding mana type (e.g. Empire -> life mana), although other mana types are required for higher-level spells. Grove mana is only required for Elven spells. Only one spell may be researched per turn, and a spell may only be cast once per turn (twice if the player is a mage class). Also, a mage player researches spells at half the normal cost.

During the single-player campaigns, the player may transfer one leader and five artifacts (including potions and one-shot spells) to the next level. At the end of a campaign, an option is given to save the player's top leader in a file for use in custom or multiplayer games.

Plot

Development

Reception

Dark Prophecy

Disciples II: Dark Prophecy
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic84/100[9]
Review scores
PublicationScore
CGWStarStarStarStar[10]
GameSpot8.4/10[11]
GameSpy87%[12]
GameZone8.8/10[13]
IGN8.6/10[14]
PC Gamer (US)82%[15]
PC Zone75%[16]
X-PlayStarStarStarStar[17]

The game received "favorable" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[9] It was a nominee for GameSpot's annual "Best Graphics (Artistic) on PC" and "Best Game No One Played on PC" awards.[18]

Expansion packs

Guardians of the Light

Disciples II: Guardians of the Light
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic72/100[19]
Review scores
PublicationScore
CGWStarStarStarHalf star[20]
GameSpot7/10[21]
GameSpyStarStar[22]
GameZone8.4/10[23]
IGN7/10[24]
PC Gamer (US)78%[25]

The Guardians of the Light expansion pack received "average" reviews according to Metacritic.[19]

Servants of the Dark

Disciples II: Servants of the Dark
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic65/100[26]
Review scores
PublicationScore
CGWStarStarStarHalf star[20]
GameSpot7/10[27]
GameSpyStarStar[28]
GameZone7/10[29]
IGN7/10[4]

The Servants of the Dark expansion pack received more "mixed" reviews than the first two games according to Metacritic.[26]

Rise of the Elves

Disciples II: Rise of the Elves
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic80/100[30]
Review scores
PublicationScore
GameSpot7.6/10[31]
GameSpyStarStarStarStar[32]
GameZone8.8/10[33]
IGN7.9/10[34]
X-PlayStarStarStar[35]

The Rise of the Elves add-on received "favorable" reviews according to Metacritic.[30]

Gold Edition

Disciples II: Gold Edition
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings78%[36]
Review scores
PublicationScore
GameZone8.5/10[37]
PC Format61%[38]
PC Zone70%[39]

The Gold Edition received "favorable" reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[36]

Notes

  1. ↑ The Collector's Edition was released on January 22, 2002.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Disciples II". http://www.atari.com.au/product/?action=view&id=820. 
  2. ↑ "Dark Prophecy True". January 15, 2002. https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/01/16/dark-prophecy-true. 
  3. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (September 13, 2002). "What's New?". https://www.eurogamer.net/article-46657. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Adams, Dan (July 22, 2003). "Disciples II: Servants of the Dark". http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/07/23/disciples-ii-servants-of-the-dark. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  5. ↑ "Strategy First - Press". 2004-08-18. http://www.strategyfirst.com/press/DisplayArticle.asp?sLanguageCode=EN&iArticleID=2634. 
  6. ↑ "Linux Game Publishing and Strategy First announce Disciples 2: Dark Prophecy to be ported to Linux". January 10, 2003. https://www.linuxgamepublishing.com/press_releases/200301101.txt. 
  7. ↑ "Disciples 2: Dark Prophecy". https://www.linuxgamepublishing.com/info.php?id=12. 
  8. ↑ "Disciples 2: Dark Prophecy (Nintendo DS)". https://www.nintendo-x2.com/games/694/disciples-2-dark-prophecy/overview. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Disciples II: Dark Prophecy for PC Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/disciples-ii-dark-prophecy/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  10. ↑ Kapalka, Jason (May 2002). "Disciples II: Dark Prophecy". Computer Gaming World (214): 82–83. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_214.pdf. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  11. ↑ Kasavin, Greg (January 25, 2002). "Disciples II: Dark Prophecy Review". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/disciples-ii-dark-prophecy-review/1900-2842642/. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  12. ↑ Abner, William (January 30, 2002). "Disciples II: Dark Prophecy". GameSpy. Archived from the original on January 12, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050112004309/http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/january02/disciples2/. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  13. ↑ Lafferty, Michael (February 20, 2002). "Disciples II: Dark Prophecy - PC - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 2, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081002084751/http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r14700.htm. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  14. ↑ Adams, Dan (January 28, 2002). "Disciples II: Dark Prophecy". http://www.ign.com/articles/2002/01/29/disciples-ii-dark-prophecy. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  15. ↑ Brenesal, Barry (April 2002). "Disciples II: Dark Prophecy". PC Gamer: 70. Archived from the original on March 15, 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20060315134333/http://www.pcgamer.com/archives/2005/07/disciples_ii_da.html. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  16. ↑ Anderson, Chris (March 9, 2002). "PC Review: Disciples 2: Dark Prophecy". PC Zone. Archived from the original on September 12, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070912214750/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=26239. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  17. ↑ Jackson, Jonah (February 22, 2002). "'Disciples II: Dark Prophecy' (PC) Review". X-Play. Archived from the original on March 6, 2002. https://web.archive.org/web/20020306000545/http://www.techtv.com/extendedplay/reviews/story/0,24330,3371809,00.html. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  18. ↑ GameSpot Staff (December 30, 2002). "GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2002". GameSpot. Archived from the original on February 7, 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20030207155400/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/bestof2002/. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Disciples II: Guardians of the Light for PC Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/disciples-ii-guardians-of-the-light/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Jackson, Jonah (October 2003). "Disciples II: Guardians of the Light/Servants of the Dark". Computer Gaming World (231): 117. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_231.pdf. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  21. ↑ Kasavin, Greg (June 18, 2013). "Disciples II: Guardians of the Light Review". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/disciples-ii-guardians-of-the-light-review/1900-6030235/. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  22. ↑ Abner, William (July 10, 2003). "GameSpy: Disciples II: Guardians of the Light". GameSpy. http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/disciples-ii-guardians-of-the-light/5989p1.html. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  23. ↑ Lafferty, Michael (June 16, 2003). "Disciples II – Guardians of the Light Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 3, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081003003550/http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r21763.htm. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  24. ↑ Adams, Dan (June 23, 2003). "Disciples II: Guardians of the Light". http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/06/24/disciples-ii-guardians-of-the-light. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  25. ↑ Morris, Dan (September 2003). "Disciples II: Guardians of the Light". PC Gamer: 75. Archived from the original on March 15, 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20060315132204/http://www.pcgamer.com/archives/2005/07/disciples_ii_gu.html. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 "Disciples II: Servants of the Dark for PC Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/disciples-ii-servants-of-the-dark/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  27. ↑ Kasavin, Greg (July 16, 2003). "Disciples II: Servants of the Dark Review". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/disciples-ii-servants-of-the-dark-review/1900-6071772/. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  28. ↑ Abner, William (August 16, 2003). "GameSpy: Disciples II: Servants of the Dark". GameSpy. http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/disciples-ii-servants-of-the-dark/6083p1.html. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  29. ↑ Lafferty, Michael (July 25, 2003). "Disciples II – Servants of the Dark Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on February 19, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080219005737/http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r21764.htm. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 "Disciples II: Rise of the Elves for PC Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/disciples-ii-rise-of-the-elves/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  31. ↑ Kasavin, Greg (December 3, 2003). "Disciples II: Rise of the Elves Review". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/disciples-ii-rise-of-the-elves-review/1900-6085004/. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  32. ↑ Abner, William (December 23, 2003). "GameSpy: Disciples II: Rise of the Elves". GameSpy. http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/disciples-ii-rise-of-the-elves/498495p1.html. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  33. ↑ Tha Wiz (December 2, 2003). "Disciples II: The Rise of the Elves [sic - PC - Review"]. GameZone. Archived from the original on October 2, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081002060112/http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r22913.htm. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  34. ↑ Adams, Dan (December 5, 2003). "Disciples II: Rise of the Elves Review". http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/12/06/disciples-ii-rise-of-the-elves-review. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  35. ↑ Bemis, Greg (February 10, 2004). "'Disciples II: Rise of the Elves' (PC) Review". X-Play. Archived from the original on April 5, 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040405075332/http://www.techtv.com/xplay/reviews/story/0,24330,3603860,00.html. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 "Disciples II: Gold Edition for PC". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/926265-disciples-ii-gold-edition/index.html. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  37. ↑ Hollingshead, Anise (March 17, 2005). "Disciples II Gold [Edition - PC - Review"]. GameZone. Archived from the original on October 5, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081005193837/http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r25094.htm. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  38. ↑ "Disciples II: Gold Edition". PC Format (173). April 2005. 
  39. ↑ PC Zone staff (April 2005). "PC Review: Disciples II: Gold Edition". PC Zone. Archived from the original on January 26, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070126113034/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=115952. Retrieved July 22, 2017. 
  • Official website (archived)
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.

Template:Atari



Template:Disciples series

Warning: Default sort key "Disciples Ii: Dark Prophecy" overrides earlier default sort key "Mobygames".



Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:Disciples_II:_Dark_Prophecy&oldid=3951264"
Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 | Source: https://handwiki.org/wiki/Software:Disciples_II:_Dark_Prophecy
21 views |
↧ Download this article as ZWI file
Encyclosphere.org EncycloReader is supported by the EncyclosphereKSF