This is quite literally - the second toughest strategy computer game ever made. The toughest is its successor: Doomdark's Revenge.
Mike Singleton's Lords of Midnight is centered around the lands of Corlay, as the forces of the Free, the Fey and the Foul wage war for either control, peace and harmony; or chaos and anarchy and repression.
At the beginning of the game, you command but 4 heroes: Luxor the Moonprince; his son: Morkin; Corleth the Fey and one of the very few Wise: Rorthron and you are all situated at The Tower of the Moon, ready to go your separate ways to try and achieve the ultimate goal of destroying the evil Doomdark, before he takes over the entire land.
The game is turn based, using the number keys 1 - 8 to change the direction any particular character is 'looking', space bar to 'move' forward one space (in real time a large acre of land) the graphical view at the top of the screen displays distanced landmarks and terrain (and army flags). Return brings up information of the current character, his army, and of any monsters / other characters / armies in front of you. The Restore key allows for actions to be completed, the most common being: [1] Search, [2] Hide and [4] Recruit which brings us onto the most ensnaring aspect of the game: creating your army. Pressing 0 will 'bring' nightfall and after a few painstaking minutes, the
game will tell you if the bloody sword of battle has brought death to any particular area of the game map (Doomdark's minions and armies are on the march from the icy northern plains from the very offset!).
Each of the 32 characters can take part in battles (and one of the most fun aspects is finding out how each one did (unless they died!) in each battle), but only certain characters can recruit other characters. Each Lord's name is relevant to his domain, so if you know the bloody sword of battle is bringing death to the land of Dreams - you'll bet you bottom dollar, Doomdark is in the Forest of Dreams, attacking the keeps within, or possibly even The Citadel of Dreams, and some of the Fey lords.
The recruiting is masterful: Luxor can recruit anyone, however his son, Morkin, is unable to recruit the more powerful Lords of the Free, or Fey. There are hidden characters within the game too, that it pays to remember the location of: Farflame the Dragonlord being one of them - able to smite 400 of the enemy in each battle - the old and wizened Rorthrorn can only muster 75!
Dotted around the landscape are caverns, lakes, citadels, keeps, villages, hedges and the like, which can be searched to provide shelter, respite, new dawn, early evening, etc. and you can also garrison, or recruit warriors and riders (the two only troop types) from the castles and keeps around.
You move and battle every day, aiming to either get Morking to the Tower of Doom, where (if he searches) he'll find the Ice Crown. But be warned, from the start of the game, Doomdark's forces are utterly drawn to the Moon Ring, which Luxor constantly wears, almost shadowing Morkin from his presence. If Luxor dies, or Morkin reaches the Tower of Doom and takes the Crown, all attention is turned instantly to Morkin - and he better run. Apparently, Lake Mirrow has the ability to destroy the Ice Crown...
If Morkin perishes, then Luxor must struggle on, in greater despondency (at the loss of his son) with his armies to the Citadel of Ushgarak, if he manages to take this Citadel, victory goes to the Free!
If Luxor also dies, victory goes to the Foul!
I have only once, ever seen the words Victory Goes To The Free!
And I feel absolutely proud.
This game is the best turn-based strategy/war game ever written.
