Software:Etherlords

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Etherlords
Cover art for the first game
Developer(s)Nival Interactive
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)Windows, iOS, Android
ReleaseEtherlords I
  • RUS: November 9, 2001
  • NA: November 15, 2001[1]
Etherlords II
  • NA: October 1, 2003[2]
  • EU: March 19, 2004
Etherlords (mobile)
  • WW: September 3, 2014 (iOS)
  • WW: November 23, 2014 (Android)[3]
Genre(s)Card battle, turn-based strategy, turn-based tactics
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Etherlords (Russian: Демиурги) is a series of fantasy turn-based strategy and card-dueling video games for the PC, by Russian developer Nival Interactive. The first game was published November 15, 2001 by Ravensburger Interactive Media under their mature game label Fishtank Interactive. Prior to worldwide release it was released in Russia (November 9, 2001) as Demiurges (Russian: Демиурги). It was followed two years later by a sequel, Etherlords II, which was published in Europe by DreamCatcher Interactive and in North America by Strategy First. A third game for the iOS and Android was released in 2014 titled Etherlords. It's a free-to-play game with automated battles.

The game features a card-based dueling system that borrows heavily from Magic: The Gathering. While the game can be played in a pure dueling mode, the major appeal of Etherlords stems from the scenario mode which utilizes a strategy/adventure map, similar to the one used in Heroes of Might and Magic. Nival later became the developer of Heroes of Might and Magic V.

Story

The world is governed by a force known as ether and it is wielded by the representatives of chaos, kinetics, synthesis, and vitality. The leaders of the four factions vie for supremacy, with the ultimate goal of transcending into the fabled White Lord, the master of all ether.

In Etherlords I, the player may select between two campaigns: Kinet/Vital or Chaot/Synthet. Some of the maps are shared between the two campaigns, and the player simply assumes the role of whichever faction they selected. The final mission is one such mission. It also requires that you break with your allies and choose a single faction, and therefore a single avatar, to face the White Lord. The White Lord himself, being a master of all ether, uses spells from multiple schools. Notably he uses a deck that is heavy on Synthet spells, augmented by top picks from the other schools. Upon defeating the White Lord, the victor ascends and becomes the new White Lord.

In Etherlords II, Diamanda mysteriously returns from the mists of legend. She was mentioned in passing at the end of the Kinet/Vital campaign in Etherlords I. A Kinet hero who was captured by the Synthets for experimentation, she appears now as a hybrid Kinet/Synthet spreading the Pale Plague, a sinister disease which drains beings of their energy. You begin the game as either the Vitals or Chaots, and in a twist, each of these factions' campaigns leads to the campaigns of their enemies—so the campaigns are effectively a choice between Vitals/Synthets or Chaots/Kinets. After completing the main campaigns, you then play as Diamanda. Here you discover that the force behind the Pale Plague is actually the reigning White Lord, who wishes to remain in power for eternity and can only do so by inflicting the world with the Pale Plague. Diamanda was resurrected as a mindless slave for this purpose, but she eventually recovers her sense of self and makes the ultimate sacrifice to stop the White Lord's plans.

Comparison of Etherlords and Etherlords II

The dueling portion of each game is conceptually identical. The latter game introduces many modifications to existing cards in order to balance them or make them more interesting to play with, as well as a handful of new cards (mostly found as Pale spells).

A much more significant change can be found in the scenario mode. Whereas Etherlords I uses a strictly turn-based strategy map in the style of Heroes of Might and Magic, Etherlords II uses a more character-oriented adventure map in the style of Shandalar, the minigame that MicroProse created for its computer translation of Magic: The Gathering. As a result, the first game emphasizes strategic objectives like securing resources and territory, and using multiple heroes, while the second game eschews those elements in favor of making the player collect cards and manage their decks. The most notable effect of this change is that, aside from occasional time limits, the scenarios in Etherlords II do not feature active dangers—the player is free to explore as he wishes without threat of his infrastructure being destroyed. It is more about fighting through a linear path and taking on each monster in your way, and having to adjust your deck strategy against a series of different opponents.

Of particular interest to Magic: The Gathering players are the new multiplayer features in Etherlords II, including a variation of Limited, a popular sealed-pack competition format.

Races

There are four factions in Etherlords. The Kinets and Vitals can be considered the protagonists, while the Chaots and Synthets can be considered the antagonists, as represented in each faction's art style and the single-player campaigns. Four races dominate the lands of the Etherlords. Each race has its advantages, and each has its ambitions, but all want to dominate. From the Vitals attuned to natures and grace, to the vulgar Chaots, the races encompass all the colors of Ether.

Chaots

Race of Ether of Chaos

The Chaots are a tribal race of brutish warriors. Their connection to fire and lightning is represented by a multitude of spells that cause direct damage to creatures. Common Chaos creature types include kobolds, orcs, rats and bats. Some say the Chaots are the most powerful heroes of all. But those that speak thus would be wrong. For it is not that Chaots are more powerful than other races, but rather that their power is more vulgar. Chaots believe in the attack, and use their powerful spells and unholy minions to unleash a never-ending assault on their enemies.

Kinets

Race of Ether of Motion

The Kinets are regal, winged beings with an association to air and water. The Kinets possess an arsenal of spells that delay enemy actions, including discard effects. This is somewhat necessary because all of the Kinet's low-cost creatures have only 1 or 2 points of toughness. Common Kinetic creature types include aviaks (birdmen), spirits, and lamias (naga). Slender and fast, the Kinets prefer speed over brute force. They are an intelligent race and value knowledge over force, and their allies -from the aviaks to the Lamias- feel the same. A Kinet hero will parry his opponent's attacks, wearing him down with endless counterattacks until at last his opponent succumbs.

Synthets

Race of the Ether of Synthesis

The Synthets are cyborgs and as such they employ machines and technology. Their spells utilize biological attacks that steadily cause damage over time. Synthetic creatures are mechanical, and common types include worms, mechs, and even dinosaurs. The Synthets are a strange race, part machine, part human -a race of living beings that eschews the living in favor of the machine. As such they consider their allies the strange, pseudo-machines of the Etherlords universe. From quick Wurms to the powerful Cutters, the Synthets field an odd, but aggressive, army.

Vitals

Race of the Ether of Vitality

The Vitals are a druidic people who possess an affinity for plants and insects. Bursts of ether allow them to cast larger spells more quickly. They also have many spells to gain life. Common Vitality creatures include ticks, treants, and bees. The Vitals are nature's own, and are close to the currents that run through the green-leafed woods, and speaking streams. A looking-good people, the Vitals rely on nature's magic for their power, and claim the creatures of the woods -from the tick to the snake- as their allies. Their attacks are balanced, employing both a clever defense and relentless assault.

Reception

Etherlords I

Etherlords I
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic77/100[4]
Review scores
PublicationScore
4Players82%[5]
CGMStarStarStarHalf star[6]
CGWStarStarStar[7]
Eurogamer5/10[8]
GameSpot8.1/10[9]
GameSpy87%[10]
GameZone8.3/10[11]
IGN8.1/10[12]
Jeuxvideo.com14/20[13]
PC Gamer (US)78%[15]

Etherlords I received "generally favorable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[4]

Etherlords II

Etherlords II
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic78/100[16]
Review scores
PublicationScore
4Players83%[17]
CGMStarStarStarStarHalf star[18]
CGWStarStarStarHalf star[19]
GameSpot8/10[20]
GameSpyStarStarStar[21]
GameZone6.8/10[22]
IGN8/10[23]
Jeuxvideo.com15/20[24]
PC Gamer (US)74%[26]
Absolute Games65%[27]

Etherlords II received "generally favorable reviews", a bit more so than the original Etherlords, according to Metacritic.[16]

Etherlords (mobile)

Etherlords
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic78/100[28]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Pocket GamerStarStarStarStar[29]
TouchArcadeStarStarStarHalf star[30]

Etherlords received "generally favorable reviews" according to Metacritic.[28]

Reviews

References

  1. ↑ IGN staff (November 15, 2001). "Two Scoop[s from Fishtank"]. Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/11/16/two-scoop-from-fishtank. 
  2. ↑ McNamara, Tom (October 1, 2003). "Etherlords II Shipping". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/10/01/etherlords-ii-shipping. 
  3. ↑ "Etherlords (Arena)". Gry-Online S.A.. https://www.gamepressure.com/games/etherlords-arena/z3438d. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Etherlords for PC Reviews". Red Ventures. https://www.metacritic.com/game/etherlords/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. 
  5. ↑ Kleffmann, Marcel (November 13, 2001). "Test: Etherlords" (in de). 4Players GmbH. https://www.4players.de/4players.php/dispbericht/PC-CDROM/Test/1458/809/0/Etherlords.html. 
  6. ↑ Abner, William (March 20, 2002). "Etherlords". theGlobe.com. http://www.cgonline.com/reviews/etherlords-01-r1.html. 
  7. ↑ Kapalka, Jason (March 2002). "Etherlords". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (212): 93. https://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_212.pdf. Retrieved June 29, 2022. 
  8. ↑ Bye, John "Gestalt" (February 7, 2002). "Etherlords". Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/r-etherlords. 
  9. ↑ Chick, Tom (December 3, 2001). "Etherlords Review [date mislabeled as "May 17, 2006""]. Red Ventures. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/etherlords-review/1900-2829554/. 
  10. ↑ Walker, Mark H. (December 15, 2001). "Etherlords". GameSpy Industries. http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/december01/etherlords/. 
  11. ↑ The Badger (December 29, 2001). "Etherlords Review". http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r18512.htm. 
  12. ↑ Murphy, Mike (December 5, 2001). "Etherlords". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/12/06/etherlords. 
  13. ↑ Romendil (November 30, 2001). "Test: Etherlords" (in fr). Webedia. https://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0000/00001756_test.htm. 
  14. ↑ Kika (December 2001). "Etherlords" (in fr). Joystick (Hachette Filipacchi Médias) (132): 150–52. 
  15. ↑ Brenesal, Barry (February 2002). "Etherlords". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 9 (2): 79. http://www.pcgamer.com/archives/2005/07/etherlords.html. Retrieved June 29, 2022. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Etherlords II for PC Reviews". Red Ventures. https://www.metacritic.com/game/etherlords-ii/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. 
  17. ↑ Kleffmann, Marcel (March 13, 2004) (in de). Test: Etherlords II. 4Players GmbH. https://www.4players.de/4players.php/dispbericht/PC-CDROM/Test/2698/2632/0/Etherlords_II.html. Retrieved June 29, 2022. 
  18. ↑ "Review: Etherlords II". Computer Games Magazine (theGlobe.com) (158): 73. January 2004. 
  19. ↑ Jongewaard, Dana (December 2003). "Etherlords II". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (233): 130. https://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_233.pdf. Retrieved June 29, 2022. 
  20. ↑ Beers, Craig (October 3, 2003). "Etherlords II Review". Red Ventures. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/etherlords-ii-review/1900-6076385/. 
  21. ↑ Abner, William (October 14, 2003). "GameSpy: Etherlords II". IGN Entertainment. http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/etherlords-ii/6251p1.html. 
  22. ↑ Lafferty, Michael (September 22, 2003). "Etherlords - PC - Review". https://www.gamezone.com/reviews/etherlords_ii_pc_review/. 
  23. ↑ McNamara, Tom (September 30, 2003). "Etherlords II Review". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/09/30/etherlords-ii-review. 
  24. ↑ Romendil (January 23, 2004). "Test: Etherlords II" (in fr). Webedia. https://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0000/00003897_test.htm. 
  25. ↑ Atomic (February 2004). "Etherlords 2 [sic]" (in fr). Joystick (Future Publishing) (156): 62–64. 
  26. ↑ Peckham, Matthew (January 2004). "Etherlords II". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 11 (1): 94. http://www.pcgamer.com/archives/2005/07/etherlords_ii.html. Retrieved June 29, 2022. 
  27. ↑ Сонин, Игорь (18 September 2003). "Рецензия на Etherlords 2: The Second Age" (in Russian). http://www.ag.ru/reviews/etherlords_2_the_second_age. 
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 "Etherlords for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Red Ventures. https://www.metacritic.com/game/etherlords/critic-reviews/?platform=ios-iphoneipad. 
  29. ↑ Willington, Peter (12 September 2014). "Etherlords". Steel Media Ltd. https://www.pocketgamer.com/etherlords/etherlords/. 
  30. ↑ Dotson, Carter (10 September 2014). "'Etherlords' Review – Free to Play, and Play, and Play…". TouchArcade.com, LLC. https://toucharcade.com/2014/09/10/etherlords-review/. 

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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