Settlers 7 History: The Settlers III
Page last updated on 2011 / 02 / 08Released in 1998, two years after Settlers II, the game had a tall order to surpass the fanfare of the first two games. Settlers now had a large following, particularly in Germany and the UK.
Drastic changes were made in this version, with the total removal of the road network that played such an important part of gameplay in the Settlers prequels. A lot had depended on the efficiency of your road network, but with the roads removed, this element was no longer part of the strategy, though the distance between interdependent buildings remained an important factor.
Indeed, much of the game seemed unrecognisable from the prequels, which drew some criticism from the Settlers community who felt the game had lost its way and its unique draw. The main charge made was that the game felt more like other strategy games such as Age of Empires, which erred towards more battle and less focus on the development of logistics and economy; as you could now directly select military units and place them anywhere on the map.
Criticisms aside, it was the first Settlers game in the series where people could play another online, a major plus point for those who master the game's AI weaknesses seek a fresh challenge.
New Units and Abilities
Settlers III introduced new types of military unit, rather than the single type found in the predecessors with varying experience level, namely swordsman, archers and spearmen, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The strength of these units could further be enhanced by religious units, who themselves had their own abilities in the combat field:
- The ability to strengthen your own army
- Can cause enemy military units to mutiny to your side
- Weaken enemy units
- Conquery enemy or neutral lands, expanding your own territory
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