As I had off of work today, I decided to marathon the game. I started Tarth on a small map with 3 opponents. The last time I played this was about 3 months ago, though I had been following the Penny Arcade thread consistently. I was interested, but I wouldn't say excited. I got burned with SotS II, and when I played beta 3 the game was decent, I think I even posted here. But I digress...

First thing I noticed when I got into the game, it was graphically optimized. I'm running a i5 AMD laptop, and most newer games are usually an issue. This game? Beautiful. Then I got to the meat of the game. I wouldn't call myself good at 4x games, and generally I don't min-max, because I do try to roleplay. I read the Tarth backstory, and I figured that I could be a little more aggressive early game. So with my sovereign and my first champion, I make 2 armies, and I start exploring, while trying to tech up my first city to pump out pioneers. 

I notice something strangely awesome, that the characters (Lady Tarth, Anilse) are identifiable. I've already made backstories for them in my head. I care about them, and their victories and defeats. As I'm teching up, getting pioneers to create outposts/cities, the game feels more alive. I have monsters attacking and razing my enemy cities, while I'm poised in stealth, waiting to strike. The game is out to get me. It's going to be unforgiving. I have 3 empires in my game, they all do not like me. Resoln, Kraxis (who I decided I could take early, and misplayed a battle, which sent me running), and Mangar's empire. I'm in a bad place.

I finally get my research production to give me some decent enchanted weapons and good armor, and I decide to commit to the war I have with Kraxis. Through a bit of luck and some strategy, I make him submit. With the added resources from the cities I've captured, and my faction prestige in the mid 20s, I am solidly in first. I decide to make 1 big army of 2 champions, 2 units of horsebacked mages, 2 defensive units as meat shields, 1 customized archer unit, and a summoned earth elemental. I go exploring. I find the tomb of curgen, and I am super excited to see whats in there. 

As I enter, I am attacked by a Fire lord. As my mages are cold based, I think I'm in the clear. He 1 shots 1 mage unit. Distressed, I get into a 40 turn battle. I win, but I'm down to my champions, and 1 mage unit nearly dead. As I retreat, I decide to end the game with the spell of making.

I will never know what goes on in Curgen's Tomb, but best believe I will get there soon.