Resource collection has been simplified in Rise of Legends. Resource sites provide unlimited resources, so there is no need to constantly move your production centers. You can capture or build a collection structure near a resource site and the size of the site will determine the maximum number of gatherers that you can create at the site. You can queue up your gatherers and then move on as they will instantly go to work when created and will happily harvest resources until the mission ends or they are killed.

The Vinci heartland.

Each side in the game has a number of hero units available that can be purchased with a nice chunk of your resource stockpile. These heroes each have their own unique special abilities and you can spend hero points earned during battle to upgrade these abilities further.

Speaking of special abilities, you can gain access to additional powers by leading the game in one of several defined categories. These categories are called “dominances” and include areas such as territory, resource, and military. Lead the game in one of these dominances and you gain access to that dominance’s special ability. The dominances are constantly up for grabs and if you’re not careful you can find that that special ability you were counting on using has been snatched from your grasp.

Although the pre-build demo was only a small taste of what to expect from Rise of Legends, it was a pretty sweet taste. In a genre plagued with copycat games, it is good to see something a little different that looks like it will have the magic to capture the imagination of strategy gamers. Look for Rise of Legends to be released in Spring 2006.

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