Impressions

[coreyh2]

The retail version doesn't have a disk check or online activation. It has a huge paper map/poster of the game world included. There is also a code to download a free digital version from gamersgate.com.

There are thirteen campaign missions with five unlockable bonus missions. Six of the main campaign missions are branching so you'd only play three of them in a playthrough. It doesn't look like there is branching dialog only branching mission choices during the campaigns. In the Campaigns.script file in the Data\Levels\Campaigns folder there are references to the Fantasy Wars expansions. They aren't actually there though. There are 3 new quick missions along with the old ones from fantasy wars. One of them is a translated version of the awesome New King which is a Russian fan made map. The other ones I'm not familiar with but they may be fan maps also. There are 11 new multiplayer maps with the old ones from FW.

Map editor looks improved but is mostly the same. There is a place to enter descriptions for new quick missions now. There are new diplomacy options that I haven't played around with. It might be possible to have AIs that fight each other. There is now a campaign editor in the map editor. I haven't figured it out yet but Elven Legacy definitely supports fan made campaigns. It lets you set up a game map with the missions marked on it. It also has "corpse storing" like the official FW campaigns. The elven legacy campaign can be opened so it'll be possible figure out how things are set up.

I've only played through the first mission. There are some GUI improvements but its mostly just like FW. I like the game so its not a bad thing.