Dragon Force

Dragon Force  is a real-time strategy and tactics video game from Segacreated for the Sega Saturn. It was created in Japan and translated for U.S. release byWorking Designs in 1996. A sequel, never translated, was released for the Saturn in Japan in 1998. The first title was re-released for the PlayStation 2 as part of the Sega Ages series.

Gameplay

The player assumes the role of one of the continent's eight rulers and sets out to, depending on the ruler, unite the continent, bring peace to the land, and put a stop to the great evil that wants to destroy the land. Each of the eight rulers move along predetermined paths between towns and castles, with castles being the primary objective of the game. When two armies meet, or an army approaches an enemy castle, the focus then switches to that battle.

Gameplay is generally divided into two categories; the strategic "world map" view, and the tactics-oriented battle. On the world map, the player organizes and moves his forces in real time, although the game pauses when the player enters a menu. Armies may only move along predetermined paths between towns and castles.

At the outset of the battle, each side chooses a general and corresponding company of troops to command. After the selection of generals, each side chooses a formation which determines the arrangement of troops. The battle is then fought in real-time, again pausing the action when the player goes into a menu to select commands or use the generals' special attacks or spells. Battles end when one general runs out of hitpoints or retreats; if both generals' armies are depleted, both generals have the option of dueling or retreating. Generals who run out of hitpoints are, depending on the general, captured, injured, or (rarely) killed in action. If the player's ruler is defeated in this manner, the player loses the game and must restart from the last save. Once the battle is finished, the process repeats until one army's generals have all been defeated.

Every in-game "week" (a fixed amount of time on the world map), the player attends to administrative duties. During this time, players may give awards to generals (increasing the number of troops they can command or items that increase their capabilities), persuade captive enemy generals to join the player's army, search for items or recruit generals in the ruler's territory, fortify castles, and save the game. Plot-advancing cut scenes frequently take place at the end of the week.

[edit]Kingdoms, Troop Types, and Generals

Within the game, eight different storylines exist - one for each monarch. The campaigns for Goldark and Reinhart can only be accessed after the game has been completed, as they contain spoilers from the outset. The table below shows the names of the eight kingdoms and their monarchs, in addition to the troop types associated with them.

Kingdom	Monarch	Predominant Troop Type
Highland	Wein	Soldier
Palemoon	Teiris	Archer
Tristan	Junon	Harpy
Topaz	Leon	Monk
Tradnor	Reinhart	Mage
Bozack	Gongos	Beastmen
Izumo	Mikhal	Samurai
Fandaria	Goldark	Cavalry

In addition to these eight troop types there are also Zombies and Dragons, which can be acquired using special items in the game. Troop types generally function under a rock-paper-scissors mechanic (i.e. Soldier > Monk > Cavalry > Soldier). However, troop types are classified into three levels of ability, which refer to their overall performance in battle and match-up capabilities:

High Ability: Dragon, Harpy, Zombie, Cavalry
Medium Ability: Soldier, Samurai
Low Ability: Monk, Beast, Mage, Archer

The are also varying types of generals, often sharing similar attributes, troop types, spells and abilities. The table below details some of these characteristics.

General	Predominant Troop Type	Common Spells	Notes
Fighter	Soldier	Sonic Boom, Sonic Wave	Fighters have relatively average attributes, and can handle themselves fairly well when fighting enemy troops, and during duels. Their loyalty is questionable, and they may abandon your monarch if their needs are not tended to.
Knight	Calvary	Sonic Boom, Hyper Storm	Knights are better than fighters in most regards. The often have a high command stat, and remain loyal to their monarch. Some Knights have a preference for magic, and may have Flame Cannon and/or Thunder Fall as spells.
Magician	Mage	Flame Cannon, Meteor Storm	Magicians have varying levels of attributes, but are physically weak. Unable to protect themselves in hand-to-hand combat or in a dueling situation, they rely on their devastating spellpower to relinquish their foes.
Spirit User	Mage	Dante's Inferno, Summon Wyvern	Spirit Users are similar to Magicians, but are generally even weaker in ability. Their spells are costly, but can create significant destruction if timed correctly.
Priest	Mage	Resurrect, Holy Protection	Priests rely on their magic abilities for protection and troop replenishment. They are statistically similar to Magicians, and often have high intelligence so they may search or fortify castles.
Monk	Monk	Aura Assault, Cross Rush	Monks are strength reliant fighters who focus on pummeling enemy generals with their abilities. They are mostly loyal, and fare well in hand-to-hand combat as well as in duels.
Beastman	Beastmen	Cross Flash, Sky Driver	Beastmen are very similar to monks, however they often boast more strength and weaker command. They are amongst the best physical combatants and duelists, but suffer from low intelligence.
Samurai	Samurai	Sonic Boom, Sonic Blast	Samurai are nearly identical to fighters, but appear to perform better in combat and dueling situations. They also tend to be more loyal to their monarchs.
Ninja	Samurai	Assassin's Star, Mirage Star	Ninjas have average attributes, are good hand-to-hand combatants, and really shine when opposing magic users. Their ability to drain magic power leaves most mage users helpless.
Thief	Soldier	Shiva's Dagger, Cross Flash	Thieves are nearly identical to Ninjas, but are worse in every way. They may be decent against magic users, but do not expect them to stick around - they have the worst loyalty amongst any general type.
Dragonman	Dragon	Flame Cannon, Stone Pedastal	Dragonmen have immense physical strength, but lack intelligence and command. They are excellent duelers, and have the best troop type in the game. However, there are few of them that will ally with monarchs.
Immortal Tribesmen	Zombie	Resurrect, Ensnare	Immortal Tribesmen are also uncommon allies, but generally boast the greatest stats, spells, and troop types. They are amongst the best allies, and are mostly loyal.

[edit]Reception

The game was released with 4 different disc art variants. Dragon Force won Electronic Gaming Monthly's Game of the Month award, as well as their Saturn Game of the Year award for 1996. EGM later ranked the game as #111 on their 'The Greatest 200 Videogames of Their Time'.^[1]

[edit]Voice acting for the Sega Ages release

• Wein: Eiji Takemoto
• Mikhal: Kentaro Ito
• Reinhart: Yuriko Fuchizaki
• Leon: Hiroki Takahashi