History VideoGame / Eador

* NintendoHard: The game requires you to plan your macro strategy far in advance, and can be very brutal if you don't know what you're doing. Lampshaded by the game itself when it averts EasyModeMockery - when you choose your initial difficulty level for the campaign, if you hover the cursor over the "Beginner" level (the easiest one), it will show you a tool-tip that says "A reasonable choice". On the other hand, the "Overlord" difficulty gives you "Don't even try!".

* ObviousBeta: ''Broken Worlds'' at the time of release was borderline unplayable. It got better quickly, but even a full year after release it is far from perfect.

* ArtificialStupidity: In ''Genesis'', at least. The AI is very punishing to an unexperienced player, but is also very unflexible, and once you figure out what makes it tick, you can play your computer opponent like a fiddle. The most glaring example, perhaps, is if you besiege your opponents home province, it'll drop everything and send all of it's heroes running hell-for-leather back home to try and lift the siege... [[WhatAnIdiot even if at that moment it was besieging YOUR home province and was one turn away from breaching the walls]].

** Terrain also plays part on the shard map - each province has it's own terrain type, and it affects movement rates for that province, sites and strategic resource that may be found in the province, and the layout of the battle map.

* ALoadOfBull: Minotaurs. Here they are creations and servants of Eador's god of secrets. Most often they can be found in their mazes which are scattered across different shards, where they can be fought and occasionaly recruited. Getting them into your army is difficult (as it depends on random result of the maze exploration) but well worth the trouble.

''Eador: Genesis'' was released in 2009 in Russia and [[NoExportForYou nowhere else]] until December 2012 when it was released internationally via GOG. ''Eador: Masters of the Broken World'' is an UpdatedRerelease with 3D graphics (genesis had 2D sprite graphics) and features that came out in 2013 and is available on Steam and GOG. The first expansion for Masters of the Broken World, ''Allied Forces'' was released June 2014, adding a swathe of new units, chiefly variants on the demihuman/humanoid units which can be recruited via an alliance. May 2016, a new expansion, ''Eador: Imperium'' was announced and placed on Steam Early Access.

* CharacterAlignment: Your character has specific alignment that changes during campaign and/or single map. Each unit has its own alignment too and doesn't like to fight for a Lord with different morals, and trying to from an alliance with a race of different alignment from yours may be very difficult if not outright impossible. Also, army composed of creatures with different views on life will get major penalties to units' morale.

* GoodPowersGoodPeople: Healers have the "good" allignment.

** ChaosIsEvil: The demons of Chaos seek to overwhelm and utterly unmake Eador.

* OurDragonsAreDifferent: Western-type variety. They like to hoard treasures, occasionally raid your settlements for tribute but usually just stick to their lairs, and they are, not surprisingly, the strongest single units in the game, being [[LightningBruiser flying Lightning Bruisers with magical ranged attack]] and [[AntiMagic having magic immunity]]. Taking out even one can be tricky if you're not smart, and late in the game you can stumble upon sites guarded by EIGHT dragons at once. One of the Masters you may encounter is (or rather, [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence was]]) a dragon. He has a bad temper and [[FromBadToWorse he can deploy dragons in his armies]].
** A rare defender contract allows you to hire a dragon to defend your province.

* PacifistRun: Technically possible. You can capture most provinces by bribing guards, making alliances with local population/thugs/barons. Even if you've started battle you don't have to kill your opposition: most units can be frightened (usually by magic) so they simply run away and the battle is won. If your empire becomes powerful enough other Lords may just give up and you've won the scenario.

* {{Necromancer}}: Present as units, as heroes, and as Masters. "Necromancers" is a type of location guard composed of a mix of offensive spellcasters and undead, and the highest-tier offensive caster, the Warlock, has a skill which causes all units he kills to rise as skeletons. Wizard heroes can use the necromancy skill to raise undead and keep them in their army permanently: the Wizard/Scout multiclass is called a Necromancer and is extra good at it. Finally, two of the Astral Masters, Beleth and l'Anshar, are necromancers themselves.

* {{Necromancer}}: Among the Masters, Beleth and l'Anshar qualify, the latter is also a [[OurLichesAreDifferent lich]]. Necromancer is also one of professions available to Wizard hero.

* Necromancer: Present as units, as heroes, and as Masters. "Necromancers" is a type of location guard composed of a mix of offensive spellcasters and undead, and the highest-tier offensive caster, the Warlock, has a skill which causes all units he kills to rise as skeletons. Wizard heroes can use the necromancy skill to raise undead and keep them in their army permanently: the Wizard/Scout multiclass is called a Necromancer and is extra good at it. Finally, two of the Astral Masters, Beleth and l'Anshar, are necromancers themselves.

* Golem: Clay and Stone Golems are used as guards by some powerful mages, and are almost always found guarding various relics of the Ancients. With a Golem Ingot and the right stronghold building, you can construct one yourself for your army.

* Hobbits: Known here as Halflings, they are unquestionably straight out of LOTR. It is possible to ally with them by completing a brigand slaying quest then throwing them a party. Having them as allies increases your income via farming and trading and allows you to recruit Halflings. As units, they're slingers (natch) and if promoted to Halfling Scout can learn an impressive array of abilities which grant great survivability: stealth, immunity to counter-attacks, high magic resistance, and ability to flee the attacks of stronger units. Amusingly, every party of adventurers will always include a halfling.

* BadPowersGoodPeople: Continuously using chaos or necromancy spells takes a toll on your alignment meter. Yet nothing stops you from using them and maintaining an otherwise benevolent rule (and in fact, these spells often do wonders to give your strength a needed shot in the arm).

At first glance Eador (pronounced ''eh-ah-dOhr'') may seem like ''VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic'' or ''VideoGame/AgeOfWonders'' clone, but scratch the surface and you see a complex empire building game similar to ''Dominions'', ''Civilization'' and (somehow) ''EuropaUniversalis''. You simultaneously fight tactical battles not unlike ''VideoGame/KingsBounty'' or ''VideoGame/AgeOfWonders''; develop your home castle, build upgrades in provinces; keep an eye on population growth and mood; send your heroes on quests, to invade neighbouring provinces, into dungeons or to explore lands in search for resources; make alliances and trade with other players; buy and repair equipment or powerful artifacts for your heroes; learn and use rituals that affect the world and simple spells useful in battle; react to random events that influence the economy, world and your alignment... This is a big game.