Games Database
PC
Strategy: Trading
| Viewed: | 2D Isometric, Scrolling | Genre: | Strategy: Trading |
| Media: | CD | Arcade origin: | No |
| Developer: | Ascaron | Soft. Co.: | Ascaron |
| Publishers: | KOCH
(GB) |
Released: | 24 Oct 2003
(GB) |
| Ratings: | PEGI 3+ | ||
| No Accessories: | No Accessories | ||
Screens
Summary
The latest instalment in the historical strategy series, Patrician III returns us to the world of real-time trading and construction, set in the era of maritime trade in Northern Europe during the 1300’s. Players take on the role of a resident in a medieval town, with the goal being to rise from the status of a simple, insignificant trader to that of a Patrician and ultimately become the head of the Hanseatic League.
Now, to explain a little, the Hanseatic League was an economic and defensive confederation of free towns in Northern Europe, traditionally dated to a protective alliance formed in 1241 and reaching the height of its power in the 14th century. A Patrician, as well as generally referring to someone of refined upbringing or a member of the aristocracy, relates in this case to a person of high standing within the Hanseatic League. Okay, history lesson over!
Taking the form of your typical isometric RTS, Patrician III follows the usual rule of ‘start off small and work your way up’, whilst at the same time offering different routes to the overall goal. As such, players can raise their standing through town improvement or, alternatively, listen to the old ‘devil on the shoulder’ and go for the old piracy and smuggling method. Either way, the overall road to success involves establishing and building your own towns, and also discovering and destroying pirate villages, in order to prove yourself worthy of your career.
More of an update than a typical sequel, Patrician III basically retreads the path of its predecessor but with the inclusion of a host of new features. A new map editor enables players to create their own playing environments, which can be populated with new buildings, trees and animals. New land routes for trading are now possible between certain cities, especially the famous land trade route between Hamburg and Bremen – a feature that was specifically requested by fans of the game. Newly designed artificial intelligence adjusts itself according to the player's experience and ability, which makes for a tougher challenge with the computer controlled opponents. There’s also an assortment of new seasonal and enhanced weather effects, such as rain, snow, ice, and trees and bushes in bloom, which go to create a new sensation of time and also impact production and transportation.
All in all, Patrician III is a VERY serious strategy game, offering hours upon hours of extremely detailed and intricate gameplay. Not just a trading game, it blends elements from a number of different genres to make for a unique and involving experience. But it’s definitely not for the casual gamer.
Now, to explain a little, the Hanseatic League was an economic and defensive confederation of free towns in Northern Europe, traditionally dated to a protective alliance formed in 1241 and reaching the height of its power in the 14th century. A Patrician, as well as generally referring to someone of refined upbringing or a member of the aristocracy, relates in this case to a person of high standing within the Hanseatic League. Okay, history lesson over!
Taking the form of your typical isometric RTS, Patrician III follows the usual rule of ‘start off small and work your way up’, whilst at the same time offering different routes to the overall goal. As such, players can raise their standing through town improvement or, alternatively, listen to the old ‘devil on the shoulder’ and go for the old piracy and smuggling method. Either way, the overall road to success involves establishing and building your own towns, and also discovering and destroying pirate villages, in order to prove yourself worthy of your career.
More of an update than a typical sequel, Patrician III basically retreads the path of its predecessor but with the inclusion of a host of new features. A new map editor enables players to create their own playing environments, which can be populated with new buildings, trees and animals. New land routes for trading are now possible between certain cities, especially the famous land trade route between Hamburg and Bremen – a feature that was specifically requested by fans of the game. Newly designed artificial intelligence adjusts itself according to the player's experience and ability, which makes for a tougher challenge with the computer controlled opponents. There’s also an assortment of new seasonal and enhanced weather effects, such as rain, snow, ice, and trees and bushes in bloom, which go to create a new sensation of time and also impact production and transportation.
All in all, Patrician III is a VERY serious strategy game, offering hours upon hours of extremely detailed and intricate gameplay. Not just a trading game, it blends elements from a number of different genres to make for a unique and involving experience. But it’s definitely not for the casual gamer.
