Age of Wonders 4, the 4X strategy from Triumph Studios, allows players to create complex fantasy Factions and set them loose in custom Realms. Realm creation is one of the most interesting aspects ofAge of Wonders 4, allowing players to go far beyond the traditional 4X choices.
Whilestrategy games likeCivilization 6allow players to choose islands or continents, hot worlds or cold worlds, Realms inAge of Wonders 4can be anything from constantly-reforming islands adrift in an astral sea to Mordor-esque volcanic plains dominated by angry dragons.
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Realm Traits
When it comes to creating anew Realm inAge of Wonders 4, the most impactful options are the Realm Traits, which decide everything from the shape of the land to the politics of its Free Cities. Realm Traits are divided into five categories: Geography Traits, Clime Traits, Inhabitants Traits, Presence Traits, and Misc Traits.
Geography and Clime Traits decide the shape of the land and its climate, respectively, and have a huge effect on the final Realm.Age of Wonders 4playerscan combine these Traits to create frozen Realms riven by lava fields, mountainous island archipelagos, or oases of thick jungle separated by vast uninhabitable deserts. They can then fill these Realms with Dragons, Demons, Astral Invaders, or Pretender Kings using the Inhabitants and Presence Traits.
Misc Traits are the largest section of Realm Traits inAge of Wonders 4’s Realm Creator, and players can choose up to four to further customize theirturn-based strategy map. Unlike the other Trait categories, Misc Traits are subdivided into four themes:
Standard Realm Settings
As well as these Realm Traits, players also have access to all the standard options that they’d expect to find when creating a map in a4X game likeCivilization 6orEndless Legend. These include how many players will spawn, the starting distance between them, AI Difficulty, and simultaneous or classic turns.
Players can also choose which Factions will spawn, filling the Realm with their own custom creations or leaving it up to chance by selecting random Rulers. Players seeking a real challenge, or trying to balancea multiplayerAge of Wonders 4gamebetween different skill levels, can also give a handicap or advantage to specific human players.
Finally, players can select options that affect the game flow both in and out of combat. The classic 4X victory conditions can be turned on or off, faster game speeds and a turn timer can result in quicker multiplayer games, and starting conditions and world threats can be changed to further tweak the difficulty.
In the combat options, players can fine-tuneAge of Wonders 4’stactical turn-based combator remove it entirely. Once these final options have been selected, players can name and create their Realm, then choose a Faction to conquer it.
Age Of Wonders 4is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
