Disciples III: Resurrection has been reviewed at ComputerGames.ro, with a score of 60%. "More of the same" is the order of the day with some technical issues and brutal difficulty:

Nevertheless, the AI must be taken seriously and the difficulty level is high even on Normal. Right off the bad I loved the werewolves, units that sport a lovely ability: they are immune to almost any weapon; even if they don’t do huge damage, they are perfect to hold the enemy at bay and protect the more vulnerable archers. The AI actually uses the spells competently and seems to have infinite resources to send troops to steal your territories. The downside is that the fights are so many you get overwhelmed and in the end you want some flight mode to avoid the petty fight with 3 pitiful wolves and the 30 seconds it takes to kill them, loading screens included.

Hooked Gamers has a review of the standalone expansion to Disciples III, Resurrection. The score is a low 5.5/10 because of the campaign and balance issues:

Balance is also in issue in the ‘difficulty settings’ department. I initially played the game on normal difficulty but all my experience in Heroes of Might and Magic, King’s Bounty and Disciples proved to be not enough to succeed here. No matter how hard I tried, the AI would destroy me before seeing the end of the map. That is unless I would cheese it by damaging the opposition somewhat, escape, heal, and finish the job every single fight. This way, the game actually might take 70 hours to complete, if not more, but it would be 70 soul-destroying hard hours. In easy mode, however, the game feels way too easy.

There's a review of Disciples III: Resurrection at Strategy Informer, with a score of 6/10. The author feels this franchise lacks "traction" outside Europe for experienced strategy players, although that misses the fact that the series was originally developed in Canada. At any rate, it seems the problems from the last outing are still present in this one:

Disciples III needs patience and that isn’t just limited to the technical. Disciples III, on anything but Easy, is hard. In fact, it’s brutal. The opening scenario in the Campaign will punish you – the AI opponents are highly skilled and the mobs you come across destroy your weak starter army. Easy is far more enjoyable if you’re starting out, but if you suddenly find yourself wanting a challenge, the shift to Normal is huge. 

Except it doesn’t. Irritatingly, and this could just be our review copy, the game is riddled with technical issues. Over the course of the campaign, we had broken quests, crashing-to-desktop, looped animation that got stuck and required save reloads. There’s no explanation as to what’s gone wrong and bad quest signposting often leads you around in circles. You’re never sure whether you’re waiting to trigger a quest objective or the game’s got an issue.

Disciples III: Resurrection has been released in the UK and Europe, says this press release we received:

“Disciples III – Resurrection”

Released Across UK and European Territories

Bracknell, UK – 10^th October 2011 –  Kalypso Media UK and Akella are pleased to announce the latest chapter in the much-loved Disciples series of turn-based tactical RPGs – Disciples III: Resurrection launched on 7th October across the UK and European territories .  In Disciples III: Resurrection, players will be returned to the mythical land of Nevendaar, where they must lead the Undead Hordes, a menagerie of fallen beasts and heroes who are now walking dead and are exacting their revenge in the name of their dark Goddess of death, Mortis. The game will feature the trademark art style that makes Disciples III: Renaissance a hit with fans, and introduce dozens of new units, multiple heroes and a massive campaign.

Disciples III: Resurrection, the sequel to fantasy turn-based tactical RPG, Disciples III: Renaissance, returns players to the magical land of Nevendaar where the player is now challenged to lead an army of the walking dead. Fallen heroes and monsters will be under your control, as they exact revenge in the name of their dark Goddess – Mortis. Players will be challenged to defeat their enemies via dark magic, brute force and courage.  Disciples III: Resurrection will offer players more than 70 hours of tactical gameplay, new heroes, new units and new challenges in the form of a massive undead horde.

Features of Disciples III: Resurrection:

• A new race – The Undead Hordes - a fan favorite, these walking dead beasts (including Death Dragons, Vampires, werewolves and more) and heroes will ravage the land of Nevendaar and challenge players’ tactical skills to their utmost.
• Huge campaign – over 70 hours of gameplay to keep players immersed in the world of Disciples
• More units – more than 50 new units, plus two new storyline characters and four leaders for the Undead Hordes

Distinct game world and story – the world of Nevendaar features a powerful gothic theme, with detailed artwork and character models.

Hooked Gamers talked to the game's producer Alexey Ilin. The result was this interview about the standalone expansion pack. A quote about the story:

Hooked Gamers: Promising players over 70 hours of gameplay is no small statement. Some critics stated that the combat in Renaissance became boring after a while and that,even though there was a lot to do, it was not enough to keep the game interesting throughout the campaign. How will you keep the player interested enough to complete this massive campaign?

Alexey Ilin: We’ve made quite an interesting story line that can keep the player moving forward for a long time. We have also added more side quests on the maps. Some of them can even help the player finish the map easier and faster if he wants to.

According to Worthplaying, Disciples III: Resurrection has been picked up by Kalypso, who are looking to release it around January 2012.

Worthplaying has a blurb on the Death Knight from Disciples 3: Resurrection along with four screens.

Worthplaying has a handful of combat screens from Disiples III: Renaissance.

Hit up Worthplaying for a handful of new Disciples III: Resurrection screens.

Akella has announced a Disciples III sequel subtitled Resurrection:

This is a new landmark in the history of Nevendaar, when a new race ascends to power - the ruthless and merciless Undead Hordes. It is the story of selfless love and unfading glory. Heroes of the past, who had lost their lives, but not their sentience, are exacting their revenge in the name of Mortis, the Goddess of Death.

Key features:

• The most expected race - The Undead Hordes, which has been the mostly anticipated by gamers and fans of the Disciples series
• Over 70 hours of gameplay. This is even more than in the previous game in the series - Disciples 3: Renaissance!
• 2 storyline characters, 4 leaders of the Undead Hordes, 2 bosses and over 50 new units.
• Revised gameplay balance.
• Famous distinct gothic atmosphere. Unique style and design. Detailed and realistic world.
• The plot of the game was written by Ekaterina Stadnikova, the author of the most popular book based on the series.
• Dramatic and intriguing plot and quests.

Worthplaying has the three screens released.

Strategy site Armchair Empire has a review of Disciples III.  They praise the graphics and generally considers it an improvement in the series, altthough it doesn't stand up for long.  The score is 75% and here's a sample:

Learning the combat elements in Disciples III is a rather short affair. Yes, there are plenty of options, but after only a couple hours of gameplay, they start to get a bit redundant. The AI isn’t much of a challenge, either, no matter the difficulty setting. Spells and power up items come in a limiting amount, and mostly just do more damage or healing than their lower powered option. Enemy will make use of power nodes on the tactical map, but not always. It’s a good thing that the game designers made the combat maps and actions very nice to look at, but even that can’t negate the ho-hum feeling after a few hours.

Worthplaying has kicked up a late review of Disciples III but the extra time hasn't improved their view.  The score is 5.5/10 and here's a sample:

In a bit of a shift, the game — when it works as intended — is closer to the Heroes of Might & Magic series than it is to previous Disciples games, mostly because of the changes to combat. Unlike its predecessors, Disciples III features a full hex-based battlefield in which units can move around, and particular hexes grant bonuses to different types of attack damage. It's a nice dynamic, forcing you to consider movement ranges and positioning. If you have soldiers near a melee damage hex, there's a good chance that a fast-moving opponent could get onto it and cause serious damage. Likewise, moving a unit off a bonus hex — even if there are no enemies nearby — could cause trouble later.

This is the idea, anyway, but the AI prevents it from working as intended. The computer is ludicrously easy to exploit; the most you can say for it is that it will take advantage of the bonus hexes if the opportunity presents itself. Beyond that, it'll never notice if it needs to focus fire, or if it should keep a unit out of movement range of your troops, or, worst of all, what it needs to kill first. This is most obvious when enemies attack your Guardian Nodes, which are the defenses that sit on top of your resources. Most Guardian Nodes, after leveling a little, gain a combat ability that lets them endlessly summon reinforcements. The AI will always go for the reinforcements first, as they're normally the closest targets to them. If they can't kill your summons in one combat round, then you'll eventually win by sheer attrition. Harder difficulties don't appear to change up the combat AI, either, only serving to make the AI on the overworld map more aggressive. It's difficult to argue that the change to hex-based combat is a positive one.

Disciples III has been reviewed at IGN, with a middling score of 6/10:

Disciples III: Renaissance is a pretty, but relatively shallow experience. Exploring the world is fine, but the gameplay leaves a lot to be desired. The combat system can turn into a repetitive ordeal, though it is entertaining at first. It also seems like Renaissance is long for the sake of being long, not because there’s an interesting story to tell. If you really enjoy strategy RPGs, particularly the Disciples series, you might enjoy Disciples III. There’s a bunch of content here to play, but you should really try the demo first to see if it will keep your attention.

There's a review up for Disciples 3: Renaissence at Gamespot. The score is 5.5/10. Here's a snip about the combat.

 However, despite the variety of actions at your disposal, combat is fairly shallow. While you are still familiarizing yourself with your units and your potential enemies, battles can be tense and uncertain. But it's not long before you know both your units and your foes well enough to reliably predict the outcome.

Worthplaying has a welcome patch for Disciples 3, although the major balance issues don't appear to have been addressed at a glance.  Here's a snip, though there are hotseat fixes in addition:

v1.06.2 Changelog

• Fixed: "Original Disc not Found" error on startup with US retail discs
• Fixed issue with arena interface skill icons unintentionally disappearing
• "Extra Attack" skill no longer grants a second attack or action while covering
• The game is now saved into the user's folder My Documents/My Games/Disciples III, allowing for users without Administrator rights to more easily save their games. Current saves will automatically be moved to the new folder
• Dexterity boosting potions now work correctly
• Pressing the "Quick Combat" button again allows players to halt a current Quick Combat battle
• Unit information during auto-combat will no longer be displayed
• Removed the ability to use skills, defenses or engage in combat while currently moving on the battle arena
• Issue fixed: melee units that approach targets but did not attack
• Issue fixed: on the hero management screen, the hero properties button was blocked, but not grayed out
• Issue fixed: in the "Hire" interface, the unit skills were not displayed in the unit information window
• Button "Disband Unit" now works similarly to the "Heal" button – first the unit is selected, and then the Disband button can be pressed

Describing it as "disappointing", Games Nexus has reviewed Disciples III with a rating of 'D+':

What is unwelcome, however, is the changes made to the combat system. In the past, once a squad interacted with enemy units on the map, a simple combat screen would pop up and an elegant, uncomplicated battle would ensue. Rather than maintain that unique battle style, Disciples III instead copies just about every other recent turn-based fantasy game, and moves to a 3D battlefield. To make matters worse, Disciples III does the battle system quite poorly. The 3D hex-based combat screen is sprinkled randomly with some obstacles and some special power-up hexes. While it at first seems like this tactical map would add layers of delicious complexity to the battles, what we really get is longer, more tedious fights. The enemy AI mostly just takes a "get em!" approach, and so battles soon become laughably simple. The elegant two-rank battle system from previous Disciples titles was much more enjoyable, and actually more challenging.

A large part of the lack of any challenge stems from the enemy AI's antics outside of battle. The static neutral troops can mostly be avoided until players' units are strong enough to vanquish them, and the active enemy factions consistently make the worst possible choices. In fact, "choice" is probably the wrong word. In all but a few occasions, the AI units simply saw my units and attacked. There was no gauging of strength, very little softening up with spells or attacking with waves of squads. There was just all-out aggression. At very early stages of a campaign, before there's much chance to work up a strong army, the more-powerful enemy factions can be a bit of a challenge. Before too long, however, it merely becomes something of a miserable comedy as the enemy repeatedly throws wimpy armies away, time after time. Thankfully we're given the option of a "quick battle" button for each combat, a feature I used almost exclusively for most of the game.

Many of us anticipated Disciples 3 for a long time, particularly on the back of the beautiful art and screenshots released.  The early reviews from Russia and, indeed, the English release were mixed but now we have our own detailed critique from VoxClamant.  Here's a snip:

Two hours into playing you are smiling ear to ear at the new combat system.  Moving your army, the new "hot spots", new special abilities for your creatures (and hero), the dynamic use of obstacles on the battlefield -- all combine for a lot of fun.  The design of the new combat system is excellent and normally would provide hours of challenges.

Four or five hours in you are starting to see that Disciples 3 increased the RPG/Quest aspect of the game.  You have rescued an angel on a mysterious mission and even met the evil protagonist who disappears after the usual threats and the promise of things to come.  You are so busy building your character and trying to figure out how things work that you push aside the nagging things that are starting to add up and bother you.

Read it all here.

A review for this game be found at Guardian.co.uk ; score is 2/5. The conclusion:

D3: Renaissance is a bold effort with plenty of atmosphere but ultimately feels poorly balanced and playtested.

Another mixed Disciples III review, with Strategy Informer awarding 6/10:

Disciples 3 is distinctly Russian, and I don't mean that in a disparaging manner. It's a game of technical and artistic highs and mind-boggling lows, carved from a genre long-presumed dead to all but the most ardent fantasy diehards on the planet. Whilst clinging to past glory like a limpet and dragging it forwards with semi-determination, it simultaneously manages to mess up a few core elements that made its precursor widely-revered. It is, in short, a bizarre project from top to toe, but definitely one that's long-awaited by a whole bunch of people.

...and Omega points out this short article that - while not a review - bemoans the lack of quality assurance on Disciples III.

Still mixed results for Disciples III with two reviews today and differing scores.  ComputerGames.ro says the game is "full of technical flaws" but still awards 70%:

In the end, Disciples III it worth a try, but I can’t just say “go and play”. It’s full of technical flaws, some of them affecting the gameplay quite a lot. The story isn’t that original either, using the most cliché races of all fantasy universes, with narrative “twists” that anyone who has ever played an elf game or watched Lord of the Rings can see coming from a mile away.

On the other hand, it offers long hours of tactics and strategy, because Disciples III isn’t the game to finish off in 8 hours and it’s not easy either. Still, for those who want to play a TBS for the first time: try Disciples III FIRST and, only after you feel there’s something missing or that you don’t like, move on to Heroes of Might and Magic and King’s Bounty.

GameShark simply isn't impressed, with a score of 'D+':

Truth is, everything that is novel about Disciples III was already in Disciples II, and the new stuff is basically a retread of features from other games. It’s frustrating to see the path Akella took for the third and I will assume final game in this series, because the fans that remember the old games are likely going to fire this up and wonder just what in the world happened to the game that they loved, because this clearly is no longer it.

A second dev video blog for Disciples III is available.  Word is "the clip highlights more of the changes from previous installments in the series".

Blue's also notes a thread on the Kalypso forums that indicates some (?) of the NA discs are dodgy:

Dear Disciples 3 customer -

Apparently, a small number of copies of the game that were shipped to stores may suffer from a "Original Disc Not Found"-error when loading.
Kalypso Media strongly apologizes if you are affected by this error, and we can confirm that we are currently working hard on a hotfix to solve the problem.
We should have a solution for our respected customers by Monday the latest and will inform you immediately then.

Thank you for your understanding and your patience, and again, we apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused.

Kind regards,

Support Team
Kalypso Media USA Inc.
support@kalypsomedia.com

Here's a pair of Disciples III reviews.  ActionTrip points to balance and AI problems, awarding a score of 6.3/10:

The first few hours of Disciples 3 were, unfortunately, a great disappointment. The battles lack the kind of excitement and challenge we remember from Disciples 2 (as well as games like HoMM). Each hero character and unit has its own melee, ranged or magic-based skills to employ on the battlefield. Trouble is, the fighting becomes dull very quickly. Skill and powers aren't in short supply, so that's not the real problem here. Implementing these skills in combat wasn't done right, which is why a majority of the battles we fought felt too easy. We got through most of them without even using any of the special abilities of the heroes and units. In games like this, it's always of question of balance. And I must say, even that didn't come across as much of a problem, because the developers have given each faction a satisfying range of skills to counter characters and units from opposing races. What really bothered me is that after only 5-6 battles I had the urge to skip every enemy encounter. Like I said, the skills are there, the unit variety is there and even a few good concepts to enhance battle tactics were thrown in - such as segments on the battlefield that can boost unit defense or augment magic, melee or ranged attacks. Even so, each fight can be won with very little effort and that certainly deemphasizes the importance of strategy on the battlefield. Basically, you don't need to bother much with positioning units, choosing skills or powers; just rush your opponent, chop down his healers and ranged units and that's pretty much all it takes to win any battle. I'm serious. This game is just too easy.

Frictionless Insight goes for 2/5, saying the exploration is good but the combat isn't satisfying:

Sadly, once I put in enough hours to fully understand all the possible upgrades, paths and styles of play, I also understood that none of it really mattered. As long as I avoided those foes at the beginning of a map that were way out of my league, I could pretty much romp through any level without much challenge at the hardest difficulty level. Even having desperately misallocated some of my advancement points, it just didn't matter. The AI would occasionally cleverly sneak around my troops to take advantage of a bonus hex, but would repeatedly fail to attempt a killing blow on my mortally wounded units, making it easy for me to win even hopeless battles. The only challenge in Disciples III comes from trying to conquer a level more efficiently than before. There is a hot-seat multiplayer mode that sidesteps the AI problem, but combat is actually fairly deterministic, and two skilled players will typically know the outcome before swords even cross.

Look for our review later in the week.

GameZone has a ridiculously short review of Disciples III.  The score is 7.5/10 and the main complaint seems to be the AI:

The enemy AI is schizophrenic at best. There are times when the game isn’t a challenge whatsoever, only to fight the next battle and exhaust every spare healing item you have. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy good challenges, but I prefer the difficulty curve to be gradual so that I can prepare for coming battles. Here, you never know whether the next battle will be a cinch, or a formidable struggle for survival.

Disciples III has been slammed at 1Up, with their review handing down a 'D' rating.  Here's a snip that clearly shows their disappointment:

There's almost nothing to recommend the new tactical battles, especially since the A.I. is unable to play them in any meaningful way. For instance, there are special squares on the map that give units a bonus. The A.I. is absolutely unaware of these. A cover system lets melee units defend frail neighbors, which is a great way to lend the tactical battles a sense of actual tactics by encouraging units to stay together. The A.I. has no sense of this. The A.I. has no idea how to effectively use unit abilities, ranged fire, spells, and so forth. This is a classic example of how a strategy game is utterly undone when it doesn't have a competent A.I.

This applies to the strategic map as well, where small stacks of A.I units march blithely to their deaths, initiating battles with no chance of success. It's stupidity after stupidity after uninformed stupidity, completely undoing any viability Disciples III has a single-player game. Which is where multiplayer comes in. Oh, no, wait. No, it doesn't. There is no multiplayer in Disciples III, unless you count a clumsily implemented hotseat option. All that's left are campaigns that pit you against brittle, scripted challenges. Puzzle missions where, if all else fails, you can grind the occasional replenishing dungeon if you want to level up your units.

Thanks, Omega.

This review of Disciples III at The Guardian carries a score of 2/5, though the short text makes it hard to really judge the issues.  Difficulty and some AI problems seem to be the main complaint:

Combat features imaginative locations that offer more than the usual bland hexes to stand on. Some offer bonuses to magic users, ranged or melee combat, making battles a satisfyingly tactical affair where both defensive and offensive formations have their merit. However, there are irritating lapses in logic. For instance, archers who can fire through solid rock, or heroes who die despite having an inventory crammed full of healing potions. Even worse, unlike some RPGs, D3R doesn't lay these challenges in a gentle learning curve. Very early on, my band of level 1 heroes found itself up against a level 33 Orc which proceeded to kick seven bells out of them every time.

A demo for Disciples III has been released, which I'm sure will be welcome.  The 4Gb download contains the tutorial and one mission for each of the three factions.  Here's a mirror list courtesy of Blue's:

• AtomicGamer
• FanGaming
• FileFront
• Gamer's Hell
• WorthPlaying.

Eurogamer reviewed Disciples 3 and decided on a 7 whilst comparing it to Kings Bounty.

Recommending a game as satisfying and substantial as Disciples III is easy. Recommending it over other satisfying and substantial titles encamped in the same neck-of-the-genre-woods is a little trickier, especially when those titles are now as cheap as, say, Heroes of Might and Magic V. What I can't bring myself to do, under any circumstances, is seriously suggest anyone buys this game before sampling the dippy delights of King's Bounty.

German site GamersGlobal published their Disciples 3 review. Despite the low score of only 6.5/10 the author thinks the game is actually quite solid and good enough for a few enjoyable weekends.

Some small signs that Disciples III might have improved since the early Russian release.  Here's a preview from GameZone:

The long gestation period has had positive effects on the gameplay. A number of tweaks and key additions have been made to the series, including the ability to teach your character skills via a new skill board, which lets you gain passive and active abilities and powers as you fill out the board. You’ll gain skill points as you gain experience and level up your character, which can then be used on the board as you see fit, allowing for some personal customization.

The game also boasts a deep strategy features as well. Allowing you to build structures with earned materials, you can upgrade your units, customize their classes, or unlock new unit types. This permits for more customization options the longer you play. Building structures takes up a turn as well as resources, but grants you significant boosts on the map.

Thanks, Omega!

Gaming Nexus has made a preview for this strategy/rpg sequel whose North American release date is coming closer every day. As always, here's a snippet:

Although I hardly had enough time to fully realize everything that's coming our way in Disciples III, what I saw was quite impressive. Firstly, this latest title looks fantastic. Rendered in 3D, Renaissance captures the dark feel of the series perfectly. Everything looks sharp and detailed, and still maintains the familiar style I have come to know so well. The artwork for the various strongholds, the overland map, and the detailed units are extremely good. The high-quality musical score is as fine as ever, something that has been a high point for me in the series.

Kalypso sent over this PR yesterday, announcing Disciples III has gone Gold for NA and will be available from July 13:

Disciples III: Renaissance Goes Gold

Ridgewood, NJ, June 29, 2010 - Kalypso Media and Akella are pleased to announce that Disciples III: Renaissance, the turn-based tactical RPG with deep strategic elements, has gone gold today. The game, which features three unique factions squaring off in a quest to capture an artifact of immense power, is set for retail release in North America on July 13, 2010 for Windows PC. For more information about Disciples III: Renaissance, please visit www.disciples3.com.

Disciples III: Renaissance is the next title in the award-winning Disciples series and represents a huge leap forward in the evolution of the turn-based RPG/strategy genre. Building on the successes of the first two games, Disciples III: Renaissance introduces a host of new features as well as the compelling gameplay that made the previous titles so popular.

Disciples III: Renaissance will be available on Windows PC on July 13. For more information on Disciples III: Renaissance, please visit www.disciples3.com.

Kalypso sent us this PR, announcing Disciples III is available in the UK (the NA release should be next month):

Disciples III: Renaissance Launches Across the UK Today

Bracknell, UK, 25th June, 2010 - Kalypso Media and Akella are proud to announce that Disciples III: Renaissance, the highly anticipated next chapter in the Disciples series has released today. The game, which features three unique factions squaring off in a quest to capture an ancient artifact of immense power, is now available on Windows PC across the UK.

Disciples III: Renaissance is the next title in the award-winning Disciples series and represents a huge leap forward in the evolution of the turn-based RPG/strategy genre. Building on the successes of the first two games, Disciples III: Renaissance introduces a host of new features as well as the compelling gameplay that made the previous titles so popular.

For more information on Disciples III: Renaissance, please visit www.disciples3.com .

...and grab some screens from IGN.

Worthplaying has some hopefully new screens showing the Legion of the Damned in Desciples III.

Kalypso has refreshed the Disciples III website in anticipation of their imminent release of the game in NA, Western Europe and Apac this month.  I can't remember what the old site looked like but you'll find the usual screens, art and videos.  There's a placeholder in the download section for a demo, which is promising.

This hands-on preview of Disciples III uses the Russian version as the basis for the article.  We don't actually know the potential differences between versions, so bear that in mind.  The gameplay comments:

And now comes the saddest part. Almost everything that was Disciples is discarded, giving way for a Heroes clone - the battle grid is almost a clear copy, although it has a new, if unnecessary addition - spots that give bonuses to certain types of units. Why unnecessary? Well, I cannot see the point of myBattle Grid mage running for three turns to get a plus to damage, if he can spend the time already blasting away at the enemy, for example. The character equipment screen borrows heavily from the modern trend of stitching RPG inventory system everywhere and has 7 slots for gear that gives slight bonuses to statistics, another new element. Such innovations are not bad themselves, but the time spent focusing on them could be better spent on polishing more important gameplay systems, in my opinion. Spells are now equippable items that you can cast on the battlefield. The only interesting idea is a change in mana capturing system, eschewing the previous rod placement for an unmoving guardian that grows bigger in time so that the longer you wait, the harder a certain spot is for retaking. The main gameplay is similar to every game of the genre, and brings nothing new to the formula of running around the map, beating up the enemy and grabbing the loot.

Thanks, Omega!

Head over to CVG for a Disciples III trailer showing"dragon and magic".

Worthplaying has eight new Disciples III screens on offer.

Two new previews for Disciples III have hit the net.  From Hooked Gamers:

The combat system has also received a major overhaul. Building on the strategy-oriented gameplay of its predecessors, the battle maps in Disciples III: Renaissance now include nodes that give bonuses to whoever stands on them. This of course means that for the first time in the series you can also move your characters around the battle map, making positioning on the battlefield important in devising strategies. Add to this the aforementioned day-night cycle and greatly increased combat scale, and you have one of the most strategy-heavy combat systems around - bold statement, I know. Yet, for all it's depth, there remains an old-school quality about the battle system and visuals that will appeal to fans of Baldur's Gate and Heroes. While Disciples' lack of decapitation and disembowelment will not satisfy the blood-thirsty simpleton gamer, its refined-yet-rustic combat animations are pleasantly nostalgia-evoking.

...and Worthplaying:

It wouldn't be an RPG without plenty of leveling and skill trees, and there's certainly plenty of that in Disciples III. The game, however, uses a more accessible and streamlined skill system in an aim to make it friendlier to new players while still keeping old fans engaged. Your hero character now has a skill board, instead of a plain old tree. This board allows you more flexibility in learning new skills and testing out others, as you can "move" in multiple directions on the skill board, without being forced to complete one "branch" of a skill tree before starting another branch. You have much less control of the skill sets of your party members, but through the use of a building system, you can still lead them down the path you prefer. For example, in your capital city, you can build a Magic Tower, which lets your mages turn into Battle Mages as soon as they have enough XP. At later levels, even the towers have skill tree-like branches, so you might have the option to create a tower to train Battle Mages or Elemental Mages. However, once you start buildings of one path, you're stuck, there's no going back and no way to re-spec. This system works for every class in the game, so Archers, as they level up, work toward becoming Imperial Assassins, fighters become Paladins, and so on. 

GameSpot has some updated impressions of Disciples III from GDC:

In addition to these tweaks, Disciples III will make additional changes to the series' formula that should offer some more strategic flexibility. For instance, while your hero unit and standard units can still gain experience levels (and your minions can still "change class" as they gain levels along a branching profession tree you build out with profession-specific buildings at your home city), your hero can now learn additional skills along a "skill board." This is a tile-based board of branching skills that includes passive enhancements and new magical powers, such as turning a powerful enemy into a harmless peasant. With each new experience level you gain, your heroes will earn two skill points that can be used to purchase two new skills. In addition, while all factions will still have numerous choices for units to join your hero, including basic foot soldiers, basic wizards, and larger heavy hitters, all units will take up only one slot in your army and require only one leadership point from your hero to recruit. Previously, certain larger units were so big and powerful that they occupied two unit slots in your retinue; now, these powerful units take only one but will cost substantially more money to recruit.

Kalypso Media has picked up the publishing duties for Disciples III in North America, Western Europe and Asia Pacific.  The release window is "Summer 2010" and here's the official PR:

Kalypso Media to Bring Disciples III to North America, Western Europe and Asia Pacific

Epic turn-based sword and sorcery title coming in summer 2010 for PC

Worms, Bracknell, Baltimore - March 8th, 2010
Kalypso Media, a global publisher of award-winning PC and console games, is pleased to announce an agreement with game developer and publisher Akella that grants Kalypso Media the rights to market and publish Disciples III: Renaissance in North America, Western Europe and Asia Pacific territories. Disciples III: Renaissance is a standalone turn-based RPG/strategy game set in an expansive fantasy world, offering players action, adventure and glory. Stunning 3D environments, three playable races, and multiplayer functionality all combine to offer an outstanding gameplay experience. Kalypso Media will release Disciples III: Renaissance in summer 2010 on Windows PC.

“Disciples III: Renaissance is a perfect fit with Kalypso’s portfolio of top-quality strategy games, and we are excited to partner with Akella to release this title to gamers around the world,” said Simon Hellwig, Managing Director, Kalypso Media. “Disciples III is poised to take this award-winning strategy franchise to the next level by appealing to existing fans and newcomers to the series.”

“Everyone at Akella has a deep respect and love for the Disciples brand,” said Dmitry Arkhipov, Vice-President of Development at Akella. “Our team is dedicated and passionate about ensuring that Disciples III: Renaissance takes the franchise further by providing fans more dynamic gameplay and deeper strategies in an incredibly atmospheric and rich 3D world. Kalypso is the perfect partner to work with to ensure that Disciples III: Renaissance will be delivered to gamers around the world.”

Disciples III: Renaissance is the next title in the award winning Disciples series and represents a leap forward in the evolution of the turn-based RPG/strategy genre. Building on the successes of the first two games, Disciples III: Renaissance introduces a host of new features as well as the compelling gameplay that made the previous titles so popular.

Key features:
• Three playable races - The Empire, the Legions of the Damned and the Elven Alliance. Each race has unique units and city designs.
• Cities, locations, units and other game assets are now represented in full 3D
• Advances in gameplay allow increased fluidity in multiplayer games and less downtime in single-player games
• A new upgrade system allows the player to assign attributes to their leader units. This system employs inventories and new stats and abilities
• Visual representation of characters’ equipped armor, weapons and artifacts

Grab some new screens at Worthplaying, by the way.

Domein writes that Disciples III has been released on the Russian market, although, the early feedback is disappointing with mixed reviews.  Major site AG.ru, for example, awarded only 40% - I can't read any of it but the score is plain to see.

News on Disciples III, the continuation By Akella and Russian developer .dat  of the old Strategy First fantasy strategy series, Disciples, is not very prolific, so even an article with some translation challenges is always welcome. Gamebanshee posts a link to the Polish site Gaminator translated to English by Google Translate. The first question asked is the one that never seems to get answered, "When will this game actually be released?"

Please bear with the rough translation and my efforts to smooth it out (in brackets):

Disciples III is in production since 2005. The year is 2009, and the game still was not completed.  Why is developing so long? Would you like to do [the] best game ever seen [in] the universe?

Given developing [is a] long process, I can assure you that all these years for our team passed quickly.  There was one month where we slowed for a moment while working [on it] since..2005 [when it was first ]announced [that]Disciples III [would be made] in cooperation with Akella. That was the initial period, the so-called pre-production. During this period, we took the concept and the grinding mechanics of setting and we decided that we wanted to introduce new elements to the brand...The production process was the whole time a great challenge, [as] it was especially important to keep the golden mean and the creation of a new series of the true, original story, while retaining the unique atmosphere and gameplay features, characteristic for the brand...

...With each passing year due to technological advances, more and more time it takes to create high-quality project, but now the game is almost finished, and we can not wait to release the fruit of our work over...four year[s] - we can say that we put in..our hearts and souls :-).

The game is still tagged with a Q42009 release date by Akella, but whether it will meet that deadline is unknown.

Disciples III producer Alexey Ilyin has been interviewed at Gaming Nexus:

What kind of RPG elements can folks expect to see in the game?
The development system of heroes changed totally. Each character has a list of parameters and skills. The parameters of each hero include stamina, strength, intellect, dexterity and initiative. The skills tree looks like a field paved with the square counters. You can only open counter neighboring the opened one. If you open the counter you get the skill written on it. Standard list of skills includes increases for leader parameters. And there are also a number of unique skills for the leaders of each game race.

Wearing, equipment and weapon by the hero always changes his visual representation both on the global map and in the battle.

Gamestrailer has a video up showing the walkthrough the Disciples 3 devs gave them while they were at Gamescom.

Thanks leth!

Sixteen new Disciples III screens are on offer at Worthplaying.

German gaming site Gamestar.de has done an in-depth, 5 page Disciples III interview (complete with some nice language-independent screenshots) and it's available in German  here.  For those who don't speak that language, Akella's site gives a very brief translated excerpt:

Quote:

"- Please summarize Disciples 3 in a single word.

Reconsideration.

- Please explain: Why did you pick that word?

When we talk about Disciples, it is quite hard to describe it with a single word. So many epithets comes to my mind: gloomy, gothic, breathtaking, stunning and so on. But in the end this particular word was chosen, because it stands for many changes and innovations introduced into the development process along with reconsideration done by the characters themselves who are reconsidering their actions & goals and changing world's history by doing that. "

Titled The Renaissance of Disciples III, IGN has an interview with producer Denis Epifanov.  Starting at the beginning:

IGN: It's been seven years since the last Disciples game, and the design team on Disciples III is new to the franchise. What's new in Disciples III, and how will does it improve on the first two games?

Denis Epifanov: When we started to work with Disciples, we realized that we had a very complicated path to tread. Disciples and Disciples II were successful games. So the title already had a history of its own, a whole army of fans and a long list of fans' expectations. We understood a great responsibility lay on us. On the other side, it was obvious that the Disciples series must evolve and it wouldn't be appreciated by gamers if we just cloned Disciples II and called it Disciples III.

First of all, we are trying to make Disciples look really nice but keep its authentic atmosphere. Disciples III is fully done in 3D and uses most modern technologies but it is still Disciples. 3D gives us more freedom in making the game and its visualization. With modern technologies, we can make Nevendaar and its inhabitants much more believable. It is very important now as more than 10 years had passed since Disciples had been created. Actually we've got a new generation of gamers that have grown up and lots of them didn't know a thing about the Disciples series. So if we didn't make D3 a modern game none of them would even want to play it.

The official site for Akella doles out a bit of resource information in a snip from an interview with Disciples III developers in French magazine PC4War. 

Here's the clip:

"What can you tell us about Disciples 3's different resources ? There are still gold, to develop our cities and armies, and four types of mana to use magic? What is the effect of neutral cities?

The system of resources is a little bit changed in Disciples III: Renaissence. Now we have 5 types of resources in the game including Gold, which is necessary for the developing of you capital; Stone, which is also needed for the Cities; and also 3 types of Mana that will be used for casting different types of spells on the map and making runes. Keep in mind, that every type of mana is related to one of the races. Thus, for example, for creating the spells of the first levels it'll be enough to have the mana of your race, but on the higher levels you'll need the other types of mana."

Akella's official website posts a link to a preview at GamingTrend of their entry in the turn-based strategy/rpgish  Disciples series originated by Strategy First,                    Disciples III: Renaissance. They also have some screens up here.

Here's a brief snip from the preview:

The core of the gameplay remains largely unchanged; At the beginning of the campaign you choose your class which still consists of the warrior, mage, and guildmaster. From this point, you begin building up your Capital City through the exploits of your hero-led squad of warriors who will acquire resources and battle enemies. For Disciples III, Akella is leaning more towards RPG-style gameplay with the implementation of an upgrade system for your hero which will allow the player to apply different attributes as well as customize the hero's equipment. Battles will now also play out in a multifarious fashion as, with the move to 3D, the battlefields are placed on a 3D map which requires more strategy in unit placement, positioning, and movement. What it all boils down to, as promised by Akella, is a more fluid and streamlined gameplay experience compared to the past games.

Trawling through the big sites, there's quite a bit of E3 material to catch up on.  Time is short, so I'm going to focus on the smaller games and then come back to the endless identical Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age previews later on.

So, GameSpot has impressions of Akella and .dat's Disciples III, along with news of a planned undead expansion and a possible worldwide release late in the year:

Disciples III will apparently be a very story-driven game, and each hero character will have his or her own motivations. The game's opening cinematic sequence (which resembles the cinematic cutscenes of the previous games, featuring camera zooms and pans past detailed 2D portrait art, similar to the work of filmmaker Ken Burns) sets the stage for the game's story. The troubled fantasy world of Nevendar has witnessed a miracle in the form of a shooting star that has brought with it a mysterious angel. No one knows who the angel is or what her motivations are, but each of the game's three races must escort this character throughout each of the game's three campaigns; first through the campaign of the empire faction (humans), then through the legions of the damned (demons), and finally, through the elven alliance (elves and humans). Disciples fans may be wondering about the series' other evil faction, the undead. As it turns out, it'll rejoin the world of Nevendar as a playable race in the first Disciples III add-on, which is already in production and which Akella suggests will be released shortly after Disciples III.

Akella sent along an E3 trailer for Disciples III to VoodooExtreme, offering a fast collage of short in-game sequences.

Based on a hands-off demo, Worthplaying has a preview of Disciples III:

During our demo, we learned that Disciples III will feature three linear campaigns spread among humans, demons and elves. Players will take control of each faction for one-third of the campaign, which creates some potential benefits and drawbacks. On the upside, gamers won't grow bored fighting with the same units and waging war against the same baddies for the duration of the title. On the other hand, we don't yet know how differently each group fights, so if there are vast differences in strategy or skills among the races, then it might lead to frustration for those who spent the past several hours honing their battle strategy only to have to essentially start all over again.

GamersHell  adds six new screens to their gallery for .dat's strategy/rpg entry in the Disciples series,  Disciples III:Renaissance, on track for a Quarter Three '09 release. You can see them here.

Akella sent word the Disciples III: Renaissance site has been overhauled - here's the accompanying PR blurb:

Ten years have passed since Disciples: Sacred Lands hit the market and won the hearts of gamers all over the world. The long-awaited new release in the fantasy series - Disciples III: Renaissance is soon coming out to bring turn-based strategies back to the top.

With regards to the upcoming release we’re pleased to announce opening of the new official “Disciples III: Renaissance” website. The renewed website features a book-like design, and we’re planning to update this book regularly with new pages and chapters, keeping it in tact with what the community in interested in. The storyline, character and game world data, game mechanics and technology used in development – there is a whole dimension of things we’re looking to share. And just like in any other great fantasy novel – lot of state-of-an-art drawings and sketches, as well as in-game screenshots.

“The main purpose of the new website is the proper presentation of game on the web, which it surely deserves”, - said Dmitry Demyanovsky, the studio head the Disciples III: Renaissance project lead at  .dat. “All the information, that was previously shattered all over the web, has been gathered on one, easy to use and great looking web resource. Our artists have put their very heart and soul into the creation of each element of the site and we hope the players will appreciate it at its true value”.

From now on the site will be regularly updated not only with development news and screenshots but also with videos, and a highly-anticipated demo-version. Additional game content, for retail copy owners will also be available for download from the website.

Residents of the old website are not to worry – all the forum messages data will be saved, so you’ll be able to continue your conversations with any issues.

RPVault posts a Q&A  complete with six new screenshots with the developers at .dat on their entry in the classic Disciples turn-based strategy series, Disciples III:Renaissance. Focus is on various aspects of the tactical map:

Jonric: How does the tactical map function, and why is it important? What activities and events take place on it, and how much of the total gameplay do they represent?

.dat: The strategic map plays a key role in Disciples III since the main part of gameplay takes place there. Traveling across it, you will find treasure chests, dungeons full of dangers and powerful monsters, and much more. You will be able to summon Earth Guardians in order to subjugate and protect territories. Most importantly though, you advance through the storyline during your travels on it, and many intrigues and unexpected events await you in your path.

Combat arena changes from the previous games are summed up in the conclusion:

.dat: The development process is now at the final stage, and we hope that not too much longer into the year, everyone will see the results of our work...

The most significant innovation, of course, is that the units no longer stand in place, but move around the battlefield as the player commands. We think this allows us to bring the tactical combat to an entirely new, higher level. We also introduced specific zones in combat arenas; they give specific bonuses to particular types of units, when they stand on them. For example, one will empower the spells of mages, another will enhance ranged strikes, a third would [make] foot soldiers' attacks more powerful, and so on. And since movement is possible, we also placed obstacles...

We also increased the number of the leader's abilities significantly. To complement the skills that can only be used on the global map, there are now others that only function in arenas, where we have also raised the number of items that are available. Instead of just two pre-selected ones, the player can now access all runes and elixirs in the leader's backpack.

Worthplaying has kicked up some hopefully new screens from Akella's Disciples III.

The official site for .dat's and Akella's strategy rpg entry in the old Strategy First Disciples series, Disciples III:Renaissance, has added a few new screenies since the last time I visited. There's no dates in sight, but there's a red-headed elf girl that definitely wasn't there before.

Disciples III developer .dat has a new video on their website showing off "new characters, unique arenas, a fascinating gameplay and a great fights!".

GamersDailyNews put up a preview last month of the early build for Akella's fantasy turn-based strategy entry in the Disciples series, Disciples III: Renaissance. For those who may not have come across it, here's a bit about the mix of strategy and rpg aspects:

Disciples III: Renaissance is labeled as a Heroic Fantasy Strategy/Role Playing game which might take a little work to digest.

It is indeed heroic in that you have a band of characters that must battle against the odds to survive. It certainly is fantasy as there are all manner of fantastical creatures, magic and warring gods. Strategy is indeed an element in the game as both the combat and the standard map interface rely on a turn-based system where you are allotted an amount of action points that can be sunk into movement, combat and more.

It certainly has elements of role-playing in that you gain experience as you go and use it to learn new skills or power up your main character as you progress. You also take on the role of that character in certain interaction with other NPCs. So it is indeed all of these things...

...the RPG element is well implemented for the main character, but there seems little you can do with the other characters in your party at present.

He seems pretty pleased with the game as a whole, however:

Overall the game looks fantastic, the gameplay is interesting and there are a diverse number of units and combat options. Artistically the game is awesome. If they bring the other small things up to the same level Disciples III could be a really fantastic game. I look forward to playing the full version when it’s ready.

At the Akella site more information about the armor for a female knight can be found including some screens.

A short preview of Disciples III is up at Games32, based on an early build.  There isn't much text but some nice screens illustrate the piece:

What I did notice and was impressed were the graphics. The developers managed to keep the same style of dark, gritty graphics that are specific only to Disciples. If Heroes is a happy, multi-colored fantasy universe, you know Disciples means business the first time you look at your screen.

That said, the third version in the series is much closer in playstyle and feel to Heroes V. This is happening especially because of the new 3D combat system. Some rules kept from the old games and unit spells, attacks and abilities make a big difference however. You almost feel the pain when your mage casts a lightning bolt right at your enemies, and you almost feel an angel's blessing when your units get healed.

Akella's latest media on .dat's strategy/rpg hybrid, Disciples III is this short video 'flythrough' of the Elven faction's town in streamable form here. It's a much darker town than in previous iterations with a more ominous feel, but the quality of the artwork and the soundtrack are very reminiscent of earlier entries in the series.

Akella has signed an agreement with Strategy First, the result of which will be the acquisition of the Disciples trade mark upon fulfillment of contract. Akella, together with the studio .Dat, has led the development of "Disciples 3: Renaissance".

Dmitry Arkhipov, Vice-President of Development for Akella says:
"Working on such a well known brand is big responsibility for us. We are confident that our new project, "Disciples III," will meet the expectations of the legendary series fans. We are going to develop the Disciples brand, invest in it heavily, and produce a really good game in best traditions of the series".

Stewart Braybrook, the executive director of Strategy First says:
"We are satisfied with the signed agreement. We have received a fair offer from Akella. Upon fulfillment of the contract conditions, The Disciples brand will be transferred into very capable and reliable hands. We are confident that Akella has the capabilities and resources for further development of the "Disciples" series.

I guess that means there will be a Disciples IV in the future.

Akella has put some information online about the armor and personal weapons of the Empire Hero in Disciples III.

The story is accompanied by some screenshots.

Akella continues profiling some of the new units in .dat's upcoming entry in the Disciples series, Disciples III: Renaissance, with some concept art and a description of the Angel:

When people are vehemently dedicated to the faith of the Highfather, and magically endowed with abilities from the moment of their birth, but choose the path of a warrior, not a priest or a magician, they become Angels.

This hidden strength helps them to move quickly on their path, and they will soon receive the rank of knight. And then, win the honor of becoming an Imperial Knight. But by that time, they are usually no longer occupied by terrestrial life, so that very soon they leave this world and rise to the throne of God.

However, in turbulent times, when the Empire needs every sword that is available, it happens sometimes that some of the angels time on the ground is delayed in order to help defend the right.

Hopefully these 17 Disciples III screens at Worthplaying are new - looking very nice, at any rate.

Akella  has posted a look at the Elven faction's  leader unit, the Archon, and two pieces of concept art for their fantasy strategy/rpg Disciples III:Renaissance. Here's a bit of the Elven backstory:

All the battle mages of the Forest People are experimenting with the deadly forces of nature and are using this new found knowledge against their enemies. However, only archons can wipe out entire enemy armies from the face of the earth by taking control of the storms and unleashing them in their attacks.

In a time of peace (but rather in the time periods between battles, because peace time in the land of Nevendaar occurs rarely), the archon assembly is taking place in the Supreme Council, which is a huge and wonderful light filled building, soaring high into the air above the elven capital. It is here that they train, maintain their skills at the right level, teach beginners, and decide who of the young wizards is worthy to replenish their ranks.

You can also see the two shots and all the other Disciples III media over at GamersHell. 

RPGVault  delves into the campaign plot structure with a look at the human faction (the Empire) in this entry in their Peek series for Disciples III: Renaissance: 

 It isn't difficult at all for even a newly arrived traveler to see abundant indications that the Empire isn't experiencing the best of times right now. Indeed, the realm has declined significantly from its former glory. A war generally known as The Elven Uprising was the direct cause. The forces of the Elven Union were triumphant. They conquered the people and seized a number of territories, which effectively dismembered the human state into divided parts. The outskirts of the main city were virtually cut off from civilization, and before long, the area turned into a haven for bandits, renegades and other undesirables....the population is growing progressively more restless, excited by the increasingly abundant rumors that a prophet is coming. Not surprisingly, the level of tension in this situation is set to become even greater when the events of Disciples III begin to unfold.

The hero of the imperial campaign, Lambert, is the captain of the Imperial Guard. He is an "old soldier" who knows no other way of life, and who is unfamiliar with the words of love. His selflessly dedication to the realm means he does not need titles and awards; indeed, he has devoted his entire life to serving the Empire while asking nothing in return. His motivation is not gold and riches. Rather, it primarily founded upon his freedom of choice.

A trailer for Disciples III is on offer at a site called MyGameTrailers.com mixing some gameplay and other elements (although an annoying banner gets in the way).

A nice preview of Disciples III is up at GameSpy.  Here's a sample:

Disciples III: Renaissance brings new graphics and some significant gameplay changes to the table while still keeping many of the core game mechanics in place. The most obvious change is the new 3D game engine. The old games were known for their brilliantly dark art direction and the third installment stays true to form. This isn't a land of bright colors and dancing elves. The land is dark, almost twisted-looking and the 3D graphics drive this home like never before. In fact, the game looks better than the latest Heroes of Might and Magic release, and while visuals and art direction are a matter of taste the atmosphere is sure to please longtime fans.

The original Disciples games used a unique combat system wherein the units never moved. This latest version allows your army to maneuver during combat but it's still abstracted. For example, all hand-to-hand units may attack each other regardless of how far apart they are. Ranged units cannot be attacked until there is an opening in the army's line. Protecting ranged units such as bowmen, healers, and mages remains a critical strategy. The battlefields are fairly good-sized. They need to be as each "leader" can recruit up to 11 different units for his or her army, which is another major change from the original.

GameShark posts their early look at Akella's and .dat's upcoming strategy/rpg entry in the Disciples series, Disciples III:Renaissance:

Akella is insistent that you see Disciples III as an adult game. Its world is darker and grittier than what you would find in the world’s most popular RPG, World of Warcraft. And it’s not “cartoonish” like its rival in fantasy turn-based strategy, Heroes of Might and Magic. No, this is a game with shadows, portents and elves that are more dangerous than the tree-huggers of other RPGs.

The insistence is rather unnecessary. Even though it has been half a decade since the last chapter in Disciples II, the series itself is familiar to most gamers. Disciples III keeps the lion’s share of the gameplay but makes small changes along the way, trying to breathe new life into a fading franchise.

There are some new screens embedded in the article that show off the 3D presentation in battle set-up and character detail, and GamersHell incudes them as well as several others in their Disciples III gallery here.

Akella has whipped up a profile of Lambert, the hero of the Imperial Campaign in Disciples III:

Among the Disciples III factions, humans are considered to be the most controversial and versatile race in Nevendaar. Created by Bethrezen, they were renounced from their origins and wholeheartedly committed themselves to the service of the Great Father.

People face no competition in the art of healing magic of light and air. In fact, as a militarized church, the race is traditionally strong in the fight against the creatures of the inferno. For example, inquisitors and witch hunters are generally immune to dark magic. Human priests, with their fanatical devotion to their God, can resurrect their fallen colleagues right on the battlefield.

Three pieces of concept art are included. 

RPG Vault has their first Peek at Disciples III, which looks at the Legion of the Damned faction.

Akella's official website  posts a profile  and concept art for the highest level unit for the Legions of the Damned faction in their upcoming fantasy strategy/rpg hybrid, Disciples III: 

Modeus is the highest level that can be reached by a magician that is a servant of Bethrezen. The more powerful the magician, the closer he is to his cursed master. The face of the modeus is always hidden under a mask. His soul was burned by fire from an abyss that consumed all of his old feelings and memories. The flame of the modeus, the source of which is a fiery Hell itself, brings death to its enemies. A death that is impossible to escape or hide from...

Modeus ingests all negative emotions including anger, envy, fear and hatred. He uses the souls of the unfortunate victims as delicacies, burning them in the fire essence that is replacing the soul of modeus itself...

GamersHell adds a chunk of new screens and concept art to its gallery for Akella's and .dat's fantasy strategy title, Disciples III:Renaissance. You can view them here,  as well as at the official site. 

Five new Disciples III screens can be found at Akella.  Looking nice.

Akella's Mariana Vashurina has participated in a Q&A and Gaming Today to discuss Disciples III.  Here's a grab on RPG elements:

GT: The Disciples franchise is highly popular with RPG fans and we have heard that while there will be a host of new features - the same style of gameplay that made the previous titles popular will not have changed. What steps did you take to maintain the same level of familiarity while still developing a new gaming experience?

MV: As new features are concerned, the most obvious ones relate to the game’s transition to full 3D. It’s important to note though that battles still keep their dynamics and simplicity of perception. Also, the gamer will be able to make use of what used to be Rodplanters (they are called Land Guardian now) not only as a tool to expand the territory of the race’s influence on the map but also as individual units with their own peculiarities and upgrade system. Land Guardians are a kind of forts that can be used in tactical and strategic planning.

The Hero’s level-up system has also been changed. We’ve introduced static parameters that are pending the gamer’s action and affect the character’s capabilities.

Role-play system has also been upgraded. As for battles, we are striving to make them look more like tactical strategy, not card duels. Tactical strategy in which thinking is highly appreciated. We’ve also added some new resources – stones and miro (god favor). We’ve balanced economics and want to avoid cases when some resources are obviously abundant while others are missing. Magic plays a big role in Disciples III: Renaissance. Besides some magic effects on the global map, potions, race differences and other features Disciples fans are so much fond of, we’ve introduced cards and runes. Cards are unique spells on the global map that are impossible to learn while you’re in the Capital; however you can find them while traveling the land (on the map) or gain them (as a victory award). Runes are objects meant to help you during the combat. Just like cards, they can be found on the global map; they can also be obtained through magic spells, though. We try to be more RPG-oriented once you’re out of arena and even more strategy-oriented once you’re inside.

Akella posts some new screens for Disciples III:Renaissance, their fantasy TB strategy title in development by .dat.

Here's the gallery link and description:

Magic effects on the battlefield, wonderful large-scale views of two capitals - that of the Empire and Elven Alliance, mortal combat with experience points gained by those who won - all these images are available for browsing, loading and enjoying on Akella's website.

The new website for Akella has a newsbit  posted regarding the start of a Newsletter for the upcoming fantasy strategy title, Disciples 3, which links to a lengthy update on the game on the official Disciples 3 site:

 We’re pleased to start a series of monthly NEWSLETTERS that will aim at updating you on the development status, new features involved and raising awareness of the game as a whole, its concept and innovations.

Today’s issue will update you on:

1. The sacred emblem of the Elven Alliance
2. Unique Hero in the Legions of the Damned
3. Hex system

A little about #3:

The game combat is now based on a hex system. A former square grid was replaced with a hex one which, to our mind, is something very natural. Say, honey combs, snow flakes, retina of insects...

Now that we’ve applied a hex system we can implement some innovative solutions re arena tactics, generating arenas, and introducing zones of influence. This can help avoid a great number of challenges, for example, a one-node unit’s upgrade into a two-node one. From now on, all the units take up one hex; heavier units possess some special points, though. These are defense points and cover points that enable heavier and stronger units [to] cover weaker ones once the latter are in their zone of influence.

Worthplaying has 4 new screenshots and one example of concept art up for Akella's and .dat's stategy/ RPG-ish title, Disciples III:Renaissance, including two shots of the game map and hex grid, along with some generic game info here. 

Worthplaying has a preview up for .dat and Akella's entry into the Disciples turn-based fantasy strategy/RPG series, Disciples 3:Renaissance covering some basics about the game now scheduled for Quarter 3 2008 release:

European developer Akella is taking a stab at the popular Disciples franchise and is hoping to deliver a product that will be both familiar to series fans and approachable for newcomers. Strategy First was at the helm of the original Disciples: Sacred Lands, as well as the sequel Disciples II: Dark Prophecy and its three expansion packs. Akella are taking over the reins for the Disciples III: Renaissance, and the culmination is a strategy RPG title that hopes to take its place among upcoming top-tier offerings.

 Some descriptions of game mechanics:

The foes you face will be rich and varied, as Akella is shooting for around 150 different creatures in the final build. In the demo they presented, the units were all different enough from one another that they could be easily identified by sight, and there didn't seem to be any repeated character models. While it will surely be difficult to maintain this level of differentiation in the final build, if the developers manage to pull it off, then this will be one of the more populous and diverse fantasy worlds ever seen.

Combat itself is turn-based and based on a hex system. Battles can be fully automated if you wish, or players can target all of their energy on knocking out one specific foe. However, don't think you'll be able to pick off that priest so easily, as stronger units can defend their weaker allies and counter your blows. The developers are still putting the final touches on balancing, but it's already obvious that it will take several battles and unit combinations before you can find a party that will be effective in nearly all situations.

 Conclusion:

A large variety of units, character customization and upgrades, and a strong series pedigree mean that all signs point to success for Disciples III: Renaissance in the near future. Akella had a daunting task before them in taking a beloved and popular series and adding their own flair to it, but things are definitely looking good so far. A year after the title had been announced, Disciples III won the "Best Game" award at the Russian Game Developers Conference in April 2007. It has only improved in the meantime, and with at least six more months to polish and fine-tune things, it's hard to imagine just how much better Disciples III can possibly get. Keep an eye out for it this fall. 

A developer Q & A is up at Gry.o2.pl with Dmitry Demyanovsky, project lead for .dat and Akella's fantasy strategy sequel in Strategy First's Disciples series, Disciples III:Renaissance. The interview is posted in Polish, with the English translation available in the sidebar. Several screenshots are also on display.

Some snips:

Andrzej "Klecha" Klimczuk (Gry.o2.pl): Let's start with the obvious question. What's different about Disciples III compared to previous editions?

Dmitry Demyanovsky (.dat/Akella): Hi, my name is Dmitry Demyanovsky, I'm a project leader. The Disciples III: Renaissance has the following features to tell it from the previous sequels:
- the world of Disciples was transferred into a stunning 3D environment;
- we have improved the battle system, which now requires more tactical decisions (more about it later:));
- level-up system has been greatly improved, now you have an opportunity to develop characteristics of your leaders as you like (or use predefined scheme of development);
- leaders now have customizable armor and equipment. Wearing different types of armor changes appearance of the character;
- we have a deep character-based storyline.

On the length of the game:

Klecha (Gry.o2.pl): How big will be the world of Disciples III for the players in the game and what sorts of locations and settings they will be able to explore?

Dmitry Demyanovsky (.dat/Akella): Disciples III: Renaissance is a strategy game, so it's better to use term "mission" rather than "location". The game is divided into 3 campaigns, each contains 6 missions. Plus a big final battle. So there are totally 19 single player missions, which take place in different regions of the Disciples world. In each mission you'll have a plethora of things to do, besides a key objective. You can complete additional quests, find hidden treasures and explore dungeons, which now have multiple floors full of nasty creatures and artifacts.

On the status of the game:

Klecha (Gry.o2.pl): At the moment, what is the current status of the game's progress and when do you expect it to be completed?

Dmitry Demyanovsky (.dat/Akella): We plan to finish the Disciples III: Renaissance project in early 2008.

Akella, developer along with .dat for the next entry in Strategy First's Disciples series, Disciples III:Renaissance, has posted three screenshots at the official gallery, stating they are from the latest development phase and promising more news:

Building upon the momentum gained so far and illustrating beautiful graphics in Disciples III: Renaissance we're adding new screens to the game gallery. Get there to view three new images depicting a battle with a dragon, a giant black spy profile (with its stats), and an elven unit (one of the mage's upgrades). Whet your appetite as more game updates and news are coming shortly.

Worthplaying has a press release from Akella titled 'Disciples III Nearing Completion', although that seems a bit ambitious given the Q3 release date.  Still, good to have an update and here's a partial quote:

Akella and .dat are pleased to report on completion of the set of important features in Disciples III: Renaissance that is drawing the game release nearer. The storyline has been completed – there’s a script for all the 19 missions that’ll be featured in the game: 6 per race and one final mission. The game will feature over 150 units. You can view some sample units in the game gallery.

All of the units and objects have been animated and textured. The dev team has almost completed generating the game content: Elven Alliance and Legions of the Damned cities are templated; only minor fixing is ahead. Now the team is focusing on finalizing the city of the Empire.

The game designers are now working closely on perfecting the interface, completing the script (separate dialogues), making briefings movies, and finalizing arts.

Thanks to CRPG.ru for letting us know they have some new Disciples III screens on offer. 

HookedGamers has several new screens from .dat and Akella's strategy/rpg title in development, Disciples III. There is some overlap with the screens already covered at CRPG.ru, but also a few I didn't see there. 

CRPG.ru has a dozen new pre-Alpha screens from .dat's Disciples III.

CRPG.ru writes they have about two dozen new screens from Disciples III. They note the screens are real in-game shots and they've included lots of screens of the interface.

This interview posted at RPGVault with Strategy First's Richard Therrien and developer .dat's Dmitry Demyanovsky is a welcome long, indepth look at Disciples III:Renaissance, the fantasy strategy/rpg successor to Disciples:Sacred Lands and Disciples II: Dark Prophecy.

The interview begins with a general overview:

Jonric: To start by introducing Disciples III: Renaissance, what are the basic facts you'd like our readers to know about the game itself and the audience to which it will appeal?

Richard Therrien: Disciples III: Renaissance is a fantasy strategy game with strong RPG elements that are strengthened in this new version. It continues in the same vein as its predecessors in mood, in its character mechanics that totally upgrade units when they gain a level, and with a storyline that is constructed as a web of events involving the factions represented, giving a distinct point of view as seen from each side.

The interview also covers in depth the ongoing storyline, new3D graphics implementation, and deals with many aspects of gameplay:

 Jonric: What are the primary goals for the game's battle system? What if anything will be different from the previous titles?

Richard Therrien: The main overall goal was to improve the credibility factor while keeping battle times to a minimum - in other words, fast and furious. Another goal was to keep the number of units relatively low so that every element does not become diluted in its relative importance.

The new battle system allows units to move about the battlefield, making things more fluid, but does not allow the ones running around to hit and run. When you enter battle, you have to fight.

The major units will also have several more options than in the previous games. For instance, the Leader-type units may have access to a choice of attacks rather than the single type they were limited to previously. They will, of course, have to acquire these magical abilities as they gain experience and explore their environments.

And in regard to the magic system and the number of  factions:

onric: What are the playable sides we can choose, and what are the particular strengths and vulnerabilities of each?

Richard Therrien: At first, we are going to have three sides to play, The Empire, the Legions of the Damned and the Noble Elves. The Empire of the Humans has strong frontline units that are especially efficient against Demons and Undead creatures. They also have a quite potent possible branching leading to Knight types. They have the best healer units, but do not have a large mage tree. Their ranged units could be their weakness because of the lack of choice, but on the other hand, are quite efficient at taking out opponents quickly at high levels. The Empire does not have the advantage of a giant units tree like the Legion does.

The Noble Elves have a very good tree of archers with special attacks that have high initiative and can inflict much damage even before the opposition has had the chance to move at all. They certainly have the most versatile roster in that unit class. Their front line is somewhat different than what was available in Rise of the Elves, the Centaurs being closer to the Wild ones. They too have healers, and those also have some special abilities that bestow certain wards against specific elements. Their mage tree is not large, but still potent, giving two branching options. They also have access to Griffins and powerful Skylords.

The Legions have the beefiest giant unit tree. They are very versatile, but most especially mobile with their common flying ability. Their fighter line is not as versatile as that of the Empire, but still leads up to scary and powerful units. They also have the advantage of the use of mind magic that paralyses foes with fear.

There's a lot of information and also some nice screenshots embedded in this Q & A, so head over to the Vault for the entire interview. The official website for the game associates .dat with Akella so there apparently is not another developer change going on.

Strategy First and Akella have launched an official website for Disciples III:Renaissance, their new game in development and the long-awaited sequel in the fantasy turn-based strategy series:

About Disciples III: Renaissance
Disciples III: Renaissance is the sequel to Disciples II: Dark Prophecy; the award winning fantasy strategy/role playing game. The player takes on the role of a Lord of one of the fantastic races of Nevendaar in their enduring struggle to establish the reign of their respective god over the world....

Advances in game play and the addition of new elements make Disciples III: Renaissance richer and more interesting. The visual design follows the ominous style of the Disciples world, and now all of the game environments and individual units are in stunning real-time 3D.

Being developed by .dat, Disciples III: Renaissance uses .dat's in-house Virtual Dream engine, which supports all modern 3D technologies, and will initially feature 3 playable races: The Empire, The Legions of the Damned, and the Noble Elves, each with unique Unit styles and city representations that will allow city sieges, and end with a battle for the main fortress.

A new preview of Akella's Disciples 3: Renaissance is up at Gamers32.  It's a very short article with only a handful of lines between screens, so now quote this time.

A mini-interview from E3 on Akella's Disciples III is up at StrategyCore:

SC: How involved will your hero be in the combat? Can he be attacked?

Yes, it's the same as in the previous series, so your hero is one of your main units. You'll be upgrading him a lot as he levels. Actually, think of Disciples III more as a strategy RPG title, not just a strategy game. Every unit is unique, and it will be same for unit upgrades, from simple peasant to a squire to a knight or witch hunter for example. Same will go for your hero; there will be a screen to modify his weapons. So you can change everything and it will be displayed on the hero in 3D. You can change all the armor, weapons, even equipment like rings.

Thanks to CRPG.ru for letting us know they have three new screens for Disciples 3.

Worthplaying has a 124Mb trailer for Akella's Disciples III.

We've published a new video from Disciples 3. Actually it contains the video material from the KRI and E3 trailer, but it's much more dynamic, has some text in English and French (that all the graphics are real, no rendering and post processing and that the video was captured on a PC with a 2Ghz CPU and Radeon 9800 videocard.) The length of the video is 1 minute.

What do you think are the core features of the earlier games, and how will you improve on them?

First of all it was turn-based strategy. It's a very interesting genre, and very popular amongst certain gamers. We're not planning to destroy the genre, or even revolutionize it. We're planning to do a very good game in the genre that will please the fans. For us the important strategy for developing Disciples III is to create a game that can be recognized on the basic principles of Disciples I and II, but we want to enlarge the game. You can do everything you could do in Disciples II for instance, but there will be more options. More spells, more units and more features. We also want to expand on the graphics, to get more realistic environments, as you can see in the trailer. For the units there are very detailed models that feature thousands of polygons, up to 20 000 for some of them. This is something that is usually not seen in the strategy genre, but is more common in for instance the cRPG genre. You'll be able to control how your units advance.