Parents' Guide to Age of Wonders 3

Age of Wonders 3 is great entertainment -- once you learn the ropes. Getting comfortable takes time, and beginners are likely to feel a bit at sea about their objectives and how to achieve them. The in-game glossary is packed with useful information, but using it could feel more like homework than fun. Until you've figured out how best to gather resources, earn money, and build an army, you'll likely suffer many quick and embarrassing defeats. But once you have hold of the basics, you're in store for hours of fun, trying out the races and classes and upgrading heroes, discovering their strengths and weaknesses. But empire building is really what Age of Wonders 3 is all about, and what's fun is figuring out your own unique approach.

If jumping right into making all the decisions yourself sounds intimidating, you can start with the two story campaigns. Beginners are told to start with the Elven campaign, but considering its over-efficient and ruthless AI opponent, playing it can be frustrating. Newbies are better off starting with the Commonwealth campaign, since it's much more forgiving and, ultimately, more fun with its Dreadnought hero and cool gadgetry. Of course, you can practice your skills in scenarios that give complete freedom aside from different win conditions (survival, team battle, and empire building) or try out new strategies on randomly generated maps. However you choose to learn, you'll be rewarded for your efforts with the thrill of discovering new territories, building cities, finding hidden treasures, and making an empire run like a well-oiled machine. If you're patient enough with its tactics, you might find that Age of Wonders 3 is your new favorite strategy game.