The Game

In Dragon Pass, your Clan will have to compete with other clans of Orlanthi (your people) as well as strange others: trolls, dragonnewts, beastfolk, and horse spawn.

The game begins with an overview of the clan's legends and ancient history; the player selects how the clan responded to important events, and these define the your clan.

The core of the game is a strategy and resource management game; here the player manages farming, trade, diplomatic relations, exploration, war, magic, and worship of the Orlanthi gods. In every aspect of the game, the player receives advice (good and bad) from his Clan Council, whom you select from among the outstanding nobles of the Clan. Each individual has his own personality and skills which determine their advice and affects what happens to the clan.

Every once in a while, you have to respond to events (offers of alliance, visitors, trouble within the Clan). Your decisions may trigger further events, which could have long-lasting consequences for the welfare of your clan. The game contains hundreds of unique story-lines that combine into the saga of your Clan.

The Saga of your Clan

King of Dragon Pass is an epic saga with three distinct phases.

In the beginning, your concern is to build up his Clan in the new land; exploring the land for treasures, building up your herds and magic, and increasing your herds. The player will raid and be raided in return.

In the next phase, the player attempts to unite his own and the neighbouring clans of the land into a tribe. With the tribe comes new complications, in particular to determine who will be King, adjudicating disputes between the tribes, and tribal wars (The Short Scenario in the game ends if you succeed in forming a tribe and being the King for 10 years).

Once the clans of Dragon Pass have united, the final step is to integrate them into a Kingdom. This requires your King (or Queen) to overcome a series of challenges and fulfill the ancient prophecies. If your clan magic is powerful enough and your King worthy, you may succeed in changing the destiny of Glorantha.

Gameplay

King of Dragon Pass features turn-based strategic/economic gameplay, with each year being split into the five seasons of the Gloranthan year. In each season, the player may take two actions that affect his clan, such as trade missions, building temples, sacrificing to the gods, launching a raid, or reenacting the mythical deeds of your ancestors in an attempt to gain magical rewards. Success in the game requires the player to lead his Clan, and think like an Orlanthi noble.

Combat is handled abstractly, with the player allocating forces, deciding on the tactics and objectives, and then responding to any events that may occur during battle.

Because the game relies on static 2D art, the game comes across as well today as when it was first released in 2000. Its beautiful images won the game the award for [b]Best Visual Arts[/i] at the second annual Independent Games Festival.

Summary

King of Dragon Pass combines elements of turn-based strategy games and adventure games to create the feel of a Viking saga. It has strong story elements, but economic management is important, and there's high replay value. It takes advantage of a well-developed background. The result is a strategy game with a personal feel.

• King of Dragon Pass Fan Site
• King of Dragon Pass FAQ (Gameplay and Spoilers)
• Official King of Dragon Pass Site (A Sharp)