Nanzou: The Divine Court PC

Builders of China is a city builder economic strategy that takes us to historic China. The game is the result of cooperation between two Polish development studios - Live Motion Games and Strategy Labs - and it was released by PlayWay.

Plot

Builders of China takes us to the Middle Kingdom from 618-907, when it was governed by the Tang Dynasty. The main game mode is a story campaign, divided into missions, in which we play the role of administrators looking after cities and metropolises on the orders of the Emperor himself.

Mechanics

In Builders of China, the action was shown from the top down view. When we play, we have to take care of the inhabitants of each town and also make sure that each one of them earns money. However, the missions take us to different regions of China, which are varied in terms of topography, historical conditions and the rules and problems they face (like unfavourable weather or not very fertile land). This means that the tasks entrusted to us can and must be carried out in different ways.

During the game, we deal with such issues as agriculture (with the need to irrigate farmland at the forefront), fishery, extraction of resources and technological development. Moreover, within the cities, we create efficient production chains (which are crowned by workshops creating various goods) and build various types of constructions increasing both their capabilities and the splendour. Overstock can be sold to the neighbours from whom we buy the goods we are missing; however, to be able to do so, we need to have a reasonably friendly diplomatic relationship with them.

This is not the end of the story, as it is also our responsibility to ensure the satisfaction of citizens. This is not easy, because various religions, cultures and traditions mix in the Middle Kingdom, so that we are not able to satisfy all people in one decision. Moreover, the needs of the inhabitants differ not only depending on the region, but also on the degree of development of a given city. This is further complicated by the fact that our actions are often determined by imperial edicts and orders, which should be implemented as soon as possible. Although it is possible to oppose the ruler and refuse to carry out his orders (sometimes for the benefit of citizens, for example, we have to refrain from raising taxes), there are risks whose effects are difficult to predict.

Technical aspects

Builders of China features colourful, high-quality graphics. Both the buildings and their surroundings, with lush vegetation at the forefront, were designed with attention to detail. In addition, the game has a transparent interface.

Last updated on 09 January 2024