He particularly praised the economic system on which the game is built, calling it "so sound that everything you do makes perfect sense." [9][39], One of the most important early decisions Blue Byte made was to leave the original's gameplay relatively unaltered. For example, if you allow direct control of the military or give more detailed control about what is transported from where or asking an individual woodcutter to chop down a tree because it's in the way because you want to build a farm, it completely changes the game. [45] However, they are able to fight their way through, finally returning to the Empire. Released in Germany for MS-DOS in April 1996, and in the United Kingdom and North America in August, it is the second game in The Settlers series, following The Settlers (1993). "[9] To achieve the modernisation of the 1996 graphics, a specifically designed game engine was used. [47] However, Volker Wertich, who had designed and programmed the original, was not involved with the second game, because, as he describes it, "after two years programming The Settlers, I didn't really want to see those little men for a while. Although he acknowledged the simple mission objectives echoed those of the original, he lamented the designers' "unwillingness to restructure." The game begins in the fourth year of the reign of Emperor Travianus Augustus Caesar, as Octavius, a captain in the Roman navy, is sailing his ship, the Tortius, through the dangerous "Sea of Storms" to the "Latonic Provinces". The game also features an online multiplayer mode, and a map editor, which allows players to both create new maps and import maps from the original. Although he is able to push them back, unbeknownst to him, the leader escapes. Electing Eirigg as their leader, they head towards a nearby village where they see some of the people with whom they had been feasting; a group who they thought were Chinese diplomats were actually pirates. For example, the player can control the distribution of goods by selecting how much of a given resource is transported to a given building, under six separate headings; food, grain, iron, coal, planks and water. He asks for access to it, but the Nubians refuse, and Octavius determines to take it by force. To ensure continuity with the original, the development team included several people who had worked on the 1996 title; Häuser was lead designer and lead programmer, producer and co-designer Thomas Friedmann was a design consultant, and co-designer and art director Thorsten Kneisel was an assistant producer. [34][35] The player can also build lookout towers, which can see for great distances, but don't grant new territory. However, he praised the implantation of road networks, writing, "the charm of the old road construction system has barely lost anything in a decade as it forces you, in a beautifully managed way, to meticulously set up an efficient settlement. Her main criticisms concerned the notification system, which she felt wasn't entirely reliable when reporting on attacks, the "imposed arbitrariness" of where woodcutters work, and the absence of online multiplayer mode. [12] The Wikinger expansion added a new campaign of twelve missions, with the player able to control the three races from the original game (Romans, Nubians, and Chinese), plus the newly added Vikings. Gameplay improvements include a more strategic battle system, which allows players to send out scouts, and utilise a stationary offensive weapon in the catapult. Ten years after being shipwrecked, they locate the final portal, but are shocked to learn it is guarded by hostile Romans. Big fans of the original will find more than enough new stuff to keep them occupied, while the simplicity of the game's controls enable newcomers to easily get to grips with it. In addition, there is a true multiplayer mode. Unwilling to return to Rome with nothing to show for their efforts, they enter the portal. [47] As well as enhancing the graphics and sound effects, and increasing the complexity of the supply and demand-based gameplay, there were also certain aspects of the original with which Blue Byte had been unhappy, and which they hoped to address in the sequel. [62] Certain economic process have also been expanded. Amongst the graphical enhancements in The Settlers II are more on-screen movements and more animations for the settlers themselves, with four aesthetically distinct races. The player had to work really hard to get into the game, and there's lots of details in the game you have to learn the hard way. The original game received positive reviews, with critics especially praising the supply and demand gameplay, the complex economic system and the graphics. [38] Defense of the player's military buildings is automatic; as enemies attack, any soldiers stationed in the building defend.[39]. [75] In 1997, PC Gamer (UK) ranked it at #27 on their "PC Gamer Top 100" list, calling it "an outstanding cerebral challenge. [34], The player also has control over the structure of their military, and is free to change the number of settlers who become soldiers, the rank of first-line defence soldiers, how many soldiers from each building can be used offensively, how many soldiers counter the enemy if nearby buildings are attacked, and how many soldiers take up positions in buildings in the settlement's centre, further out, and on the borders. [7] To maximize distribution, the player must set as many flags as possible on each road. [18] Players can also build shipyards, which allow for the manufacture of rafts (can transport goods over small stretches of water), and ships (can transport goods across oceans). He criticised the touchscreen as unresponsive, the overly small icons, and the jerky map and menu scrolling. Learning there is another portal beyond the Nubian settlement, the Romans ask for access to it, but the Nubians refuse. [30] Climbing to a portal on top of a mountain, the Romans then find themselves in a massive cavern. [19] To build a road, the player must place a flag, select the "build road" option, and then select where they wish the road to end. "[38] The game's developers, Blue Byte, who had developed all five titles in the series thus far, had chosen to remake The Settlers II because doing so was the most frequent request they received from fans. Without the fatal bugs it'd be a disappointing but passable conversion, but you can't play a game not knowing when, or if, the game will actually work the way it's supposed to. [25] Of this decision, Wirsing stated, "the self-contained style of gameplay and the indirect control, in which the settlement and not the individual settlers are controlled, have not lost their charm even ten years after the game was first published. [43], Entering the portal, they are transported to another island, and after several months, find evidence of Nubian inhabitants. "[6], Gameswelt's André Linken also scored it 82%, citing "lack of variety" as the biggest problem, particularly in relation to mission objectives. Additionally, there is a story-driven single-player campaign, replacing the narratively-unconnected missions from the first game, which simply got harder as the player progressed, without any kind of connective plot. He concluded, "games like these usually get classified as "only for the hardcore fan," but that's an insult to fans of The Settlers. However, she praised the graphics and gameplay, concluding, "this game will inspire you - regardless of whether you are among The Settlers veterans, or are usually rather sceptical about playing this particular genre. Building a ship with supplies gathered on their journey, they return to Rome, finding the women have returned, albeit without any explanation for their disappearance. In the single-player campaign included with the Mission CD, the player controls Octavius's great-grandson as he attempts to conquer the entire world. [72] In the German market alone, by November 1996, it had sold 150,000 units. "[67], Computer Gaming World's Tim Carter scored it 4 out of 5, praising the game's character and the complexity of the economic system, especially lauding the focus on economics over combat; "winning or losing is rooted in economics, and it will be hard to compensate for economic weakness with superior military tactics." The Egyptians' economy is very basic, with no complex daisy-chain economic processes, and it can produce large numbers of soldiers very quickly. [22] The game also uses a notification system that alerts the player if a building cannot be occupied either due to a lack of the right tool or the absence of available settlers. The fanbase has, more or less, developed this way. We decided not to change any of these game mechanics at all.[4]. [16][17] The basic gameplay revolves around serfs (the titular "settlers") who transport materials, tools and produce, and who populate and perform the requisite task of each building.