Warlords IV
Warlords IV
In Warlords IV: Heroes of Etheria continues the fantastic Warlords tradition of immersive tactical combat with creator-made heroes! Thrilling multiplayer action for up to 6 players
Customer Review: A mixed bag with a fatal flaw (for me)
I am a serious fan of the Warlords series and have owned all the turned based games and all of the BattleCry games. The first three Warlords (TB) games were seriously addictive. In fact, I still find myself playing way past the point when I should have gone to bed. I even have an old DOS system where I keep my old games and there you can find Warlords I and II (as well as x-com’s, Betrayla at Krondor, Master of Magic, etc.).
In other words, I’m a fan.
Warlords IV is a beautiful game with a visually rich world like those found in BattleCry. Cities are well-rendered and interesting. Units are varied and have tactical advantages and disadvantages that are consistent with the opposing units you will fight. The combat system allows you to choose which unit you will use to fight - and it allows you to change your fight order in mid-battle (something the earlier games would not allow). The city interface is a little confusing at first, but quickly becomes easy to use. Production cues are added so that you can plan out the tactical advantages of combined unit types in advance.
The game is very challenging, but the greatest challenge occurs only in combat with cities, because those walls are always shooting at you.
Now for that flaw. I like to play large maps with lots of cities and eight sides. In this mode, the game took FOREVER to play. I would make a couple of moves, square up my cities and hit the ‘end turn’ button. Then I would sleep for a few hours and go out for dinner, then come back and wait for the computer to move through the AI players. (Okay, that’s an exaggeration). But really, as the games progressed the turns lasted at least 5 minutes. Once, I got up and prepared a bowl of cereal as a snack - AND ATE IT - before the time was up (no lie). I play on a speedy laptop with lots of ram and I set all the game options to the fastest possible.
By the end of my first (post-tutorial) game, I would hit the ‘end turn’ button and set the computer aside so I could watch the news as the game moved through players. That can’t be good. However, I was determined to send a powerful army to an opponent’s capital to try and take it. It took a long time to create the army, 45 minutes just to get there and I still lost 7 of my 8 units. But really, I didn’t care anymore. I just wanted to try. It was so boring that I didn’t want to do any more, so I quit.
Now, I may try one more time, but I probably won’t. I will probably just keep playing War3 and shelf this one next to the disappointing end of the x-com series.
Oh, well.
p.s. - If you are a Warlords fan, by all means get this if you can get it cheap. You might tolerate the mind numbing waits better than I did and thus enjoy the other great aspects of the game.
Customer Review: Not as bad as people say, but not great
This game isn’t as bad as some of the other reviews say (especially once you get the patch), but I would agree that it’s not great. The main problem is that they removed some of the nicest features from previous versions of the game:
1. No more “King of the Hill” feature. To win, you have to capture every other enemy capital. That gets pretty boring once you’ve established an invincible supply chain. At least you don’t have to conquer every city; you just have to capture every enemy capital.
2. No more unit vectoring! Removing this was a big mistake. The new “production waypoints” system, as people have said, is a step backwards and can be a MAJOR hassle to tinker with once you’ve built a large empire.
3. I agree that magic items have become kind of wimpy now (though I don’t agree with whoever said that heroes have become expendable–you won’t feel that way when you see what a very high level hero can do). Exploring ruins usually isn’t a good gamble unless you have a very strong stack. Otherwise, you’ll lose units in the battle, and the reward is rarely worth it.
4. The AI is still very predictable. Basically, the computer will always choose the fastest route to its target, meaning that if you can take control of the obvious transit routes, the AI will have a hard time positioning its troops to attack you. So I don’t agree with the reviewer who said that strong flying troops negate the effect of terrain. In practice, it doesn’t work that way, because the AI (stupidly) always tries to use roads if it can. You almost never have to protect your flank.
On the plus side:
1. Magic, though still too weak, has been seriously upgraded. There was virtually no reason to fool around with magic in previous versions of the game; at least now the spells are stronger and the magic system is more complex.
2. The graphics are a lot better. But no one has ever played the Warlords series for the graphics.
3. Combat is more balanced. Plan on losing more units than in the past. You also have to think more carefully about how to put a stack together. Hint: having an archon and a unicorn in the same stack can be VERY useful, because they bless and heal your troops (respectively).
4. The game is stable and loads surprisingly quickly.
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Geoff Hamilton’s Paradise Gardens [1996] 
List Price: ?12.99
Used Price: ?3.74
Customer Review: Sheer Heaven
This is television gardening at its best. Geoff Hamilton makes gardens for real gardeners, and has excellent advice for the novice and the professional. The programme features visits to a wide range of gardens and demonstrates every aspect of how to create a cottage garden for the town and the country. Features include water gardens, secret gardens, and how to create your personal paradise. No offensive loud music, no helicopter gimmicks: just loads of hands-on advice and beautiful photography. Essential viewing.
Customer Review: A Good series with practical hints and inspirational gardens
The final series to be done by the great Geoff Hamilton. It combines the practical application of how to create a “paradise Garden” with a number of visits to inspirational gardens where this has already been achieved. He produces two gardens, one of which is on a budget and the other slightly more expensive, but in both the results are spectacular especially with the time scale being so short. It is a brilliant video which every level of gardener can take something from! Simply superb!!
Gardening Naturally: Getting Started 
List Price: $19.99
Used Price: $12.00
Watering Cans by Josh Bach navy blue silk ties 
A collection of vintage watering cans playfully patterns this necktie. Josh Bach Neckwear incorporates images, icons, and symbols that everyone recognizes, but no one would expect on neckties. A Necktie by Josh Bach is at once whimsical and witty, yet elegant and wearable. As a classically trained architect turned award-winning art director, Mr. Bach draws from his rich experiences in both disciplines to create neckwear of striking originality. Josh Bach Neckwear is committed to its original quest to elevate the often-maligned necktie to a position of high design and high regard.
Amazonas Koala Baby Hammoc?& Stand? 
The transportable alternative for home and travel. The Koala set, consisting of hammock and stand, is quickly and easily assembled. Appreciated by active parents just as much as babies who love the swaying motion. T?V-proofed hammock Safety harness system Optional SUNNY warming blanket (available in our accessories section or below) SpecificationsLying Surface: approx. 90 x 40 cm Total length: approx. 155 cm Weight: approx. 3.4 kg Load Capacity: approx. 20 kg
Customer Review: AMAZING
If you only buy one item for your baby buy this! I was sceptical when i brought my baby home from hospital but she slept right through the night from 5 days! I put a sheep skin liner in it and she was away. Its brilliant if you go away as they can take their bed and you know there always going to sleep. My baby was really sick when she was little and it was good to know i could put her bed up where ever i was so i could always keep an eye on her. Its not like a moses basket that lasts for a few weeks we used it until she was 5 months all the time and as a travel cot till she was 10 months.
