Central to any RTS is a command-type person, usually played by you, who makes all the decisions. In the past, command was given via some omnipresent general who apparently gave commands from the safety of a bunker miles away from the action. The recent trend has been to include 'hero'-type characters into the fold that give the game a more personal feel. The usual trend is to have this figure be a pre-made character.
Warlords Battlecry III takes this idea in a completely different direction by allowing you to completely customize your command presence on the battlefield. Before entering the game, you can choose to combine various races and job-types to help fit your particular play-style. You can also set attributes to your general that will progress and develop over the course of the game. I loved this aspect so much that I restarted the game several times just to try out different combinations.
Your character is central to everything that goes on in the game. Unlike other RTS games that require you to construct legions of peons and facilities to collect resources, Warlords III only requires that your hero capture and convert resources. Another interesting aspect of resource collection is that certain factions require more of a certain type than another does. This is really nothing new in the genre, but in Warlords III it actually feels like the differences matter. I had a harder time adapting the same mindset to one faction that I did to another. Again, nothing revolutionary, but it's effective and lends depth to the game.
Faction focused resources also lends an interesting dynamic to gameplay as you are always going out in search of resources. Instead of having everything within reach (as in other RTS's), you are encouraged to explore your surroundings, capture resources and defend them. You can also capture resources that are vital to your opponent's war effort and handicap their strategy. Of course, there's always the option to destroy mines. If your race has little need for a particular resource and you come across something that you know your opponent needs, you can take it out and essentially screw them over. Of course, this could come back and bite you in the ass if a particular high-level unit ends up requiring that resource.
Gameplay rolls out in a familiar fashion and is solid all around. You begin with your hero, some money and an objective. You start with a small settlement and slowly build it up by harnessing the resources around you. As you tap the land for resource, you can use them to fund the construction of fortifications that yield troops, equipment upgrades and other nifty things to help in your war plans. While armies are being raised, you can take your hero through missions that will earn both more money and magical items you can equip.
Multiplayer options are also offered, including both LAN and Internet play and a ton of game modes to choose from.
