Introductory FAQ
The Tyrant. The Rogue. The Brute. The Bumbling Idiot.
Sumerian Chariot. Gyroneedler. Mountain Bike. Satchel Charges. Atlantis Treasures.
Dragon Sprint. Wild Cossacks. Three Skree In a Space Bar.
A game night with Duel of Ages (DOA) is a highly imaginative affair, and not a quiet one. There is much to think and laugh about, and in the end you will enjoy losing almost as much as you enjoy winning. Maybe.
DOA is generally classified as a strategy board game, but it was designed as a "nexus" game. Wargamer, role-player, young teens and even Dad can sit down around the same table and thoroughly enjoy themselves, for different reasons.
I like role-playing. DOA isn't role-playing. It doesn't even use D20's! So what would I be interested in?
We're truly sorry about the lack of D20's. We enjoy them as much as you do. But that's another story. Role-players want good storylines, good art, and epic events. DOA's art speaks for itself. And every game of DOA is a mini-adventure, with your team of randomly selected characters engaged in a life and death struggle with the festering evil being run by your opponents. Each of the 144 characters in DOA have their own storylines. We encourage the storytellers among our play groups to expand on those stories.
Finally, DOA is one small part of the Worldspanner universe. That universe is a fertile ground for role-playing environments, storylines and adventures. The Worldspanner community is supported on www.duelofages.com.
I am a hard-bitten wargamer. I demand strategy, strategy, strategy. I'm glad there's plenty for the role-playing crowd. But that doesn't satisfy my needs.
Sir yes sir! You will be satisfied. Let's look at game play in four steps:
1. Your characters
You divide into two teams. Each team is dealt a random group of characters. These characters are radically different from each other, and each demands its own strategy. One game you're running about with the Battered War Machine, the Charmer and the Samurai. The next you've got the Con Man, the Wizard and the Bumbling Idiot.
2. The map
You build the map to your liking, while trying to prevent the opponents from doing them same. DOA uses the magnificent Pakit modular board system. The Pakit platters fit to each other in 36 different combinations. With 28 different platters, the combinations are endless. Will it be open plains, lofty mountains, deep forests or urban warfare? You have half the control over that. The enemy has the other half. As you can imagine, this is a very important phase of the game.
3. The equipment
DOA contains 336 different equipment items. During a typical game, your team will be drawing about 30 random equipment cards. And what will you get? In one game, you might get the Katana, Thorine Grenades, the Velociraptor, the One-Legged Rooster, etc. The next game you may be loaded up with the Spanish Field Cannon, the Lahti Anti-Tank Rifle, the Glass Blade, Yeller Dog (with rabies), and so on.
4. Highly fluid situation
In DOA, your team does not start Over Here, and the enemy Over There. You are instead constantly mixed with the enemy. They will be uncomfortably close at all times, involved in a Mexican standoff where you must re-evaluate your decision of fight or flight on every turn.
And so...
... you who are hard-bitten wargamers, close your eyes and consider: In each game, managing a different team of characters that are equipped with different equipment, maneuvering on a totally new map on a constantly fluid situation. It's quite a strategic rush, and it never, ever gets old.
You mentioned young teens and Dad. Well, my 12-year old brother is a total dork, and Dad's not real happy with games that have a 100-page rulebook. You sure they can handle this stuff?
12-year old dork brothers? Okay, we can relate to that. But trust us, even if he is a complete illiterate, you can teach him the game in 20 minutes. And Dad does not need to fight a big rulebook. To compare it to other games and their rulebook sizes, DOA is roughly twice the complexity of RiskŪ, and half the complexity of Axis AlliesŪ.
Set 1 of DOA contains a 24-page rulebook, of which only 15 pages are actually rules. The rest of the rulebook contains items of interest, both serious and lighthearted. Rulebooks really should be fun to read. And we like to have fun. You can check out the rules on the website at www.duelofages.com, and judge for yourself.
We have a group of local gamers who like to engage in tournaments. Is DOA a good tournament game?
DOA is designed as a tournament game. The game has a time limit, so you don't have one table finishing up in one hour, and waiting for another table that takes six hours. The standard time limit is 3 hours, which gives three or four game rounds per tournament day.
DOA also provides the needs of all tournament player levels. A player can sign up for a DOA tournament having never played the game, and be plugged in almost immediately. If he has a good tactical mind, he can even win. On the other side, the strategic depth to the game ensures that the higher-level players never reach a "plateau" where only luck determines the winner.
Many games miss the mark, one way or another. They may look great, but play poorly, or the other way around. Is DOA just a poor game wrapped in great art?
Look around this site. The art is stunning. We are very proud of the art and the artists involved - 12 artists from six different countries. They produced nearly 1200 illustrations.
But the game's true, fiery core is its game play. We learned that three years ago, when the game prototypes existed with the most pathetic of clip art and hand-drawn mush. Yet those prototypes are falling apart from the extensive use they received. We leave it to the game reviewers and tournament organizers to verify this through the coming year, so keep your eyes open.
Looks great! How do I get involved?
Be a community member at www.duelofages.com. DOA is part of a whole new world, and you are encouraged to be a participant in its creation and life. DOA will also be featured at GenCon, Origins, Gamestorm and other conventions this year. See you there!
