The Guild 2
Encyclopedia
The Guild 2 is a historical multiplayer real-time strategy
video game developed by 4HEAD Studios
and published by JoWooD Entertainment. It is the second installment in the historical real-time strategy video game series, following Europa 1400
. The Guild 2 was released September 29, 2006, for PCs. The game uses the gamebryo
engine.
In Guild 2's main story, the player creates a character who runs a business in a medieval world, eventually gets married and starts a dynasty
; and attempts to outplay or eliminate the other computer-controlled dynasties in the single player mode, or against other players online in the multiplayer
mode.
(also referred to as character class
), may purchase, build, and take over various businesses. The game incorporates the following modes:
All game modes can be played in varying difficulties ranging from easy to hard, chosen by a slider on the game creation screen.
With the titles come privileges that may allow the character to perform political acts like applying for public office and owning more businesses. A higher title also allows characters to improve and upgrade their homes.
" and "Reeve
," as well as more powerful positions such as "Marshal
," who may control the guards in a city, to "King
," who will make whatever decisions they wish.
New positions in government are created in new cities as they grow. Cities grow from villages to "Imperial Capitals" as they gain more population.
Children of the dynasty can be sent to school at age 8, to an apprenticeship at age 12, and can finally become fully controllable by the player at age 16, provided they are added to the player's group. At this point, they may be assigned as owners of their own home in the city of the player's choosing.
A dynasty is ended by its last member's death.
. In the city markets, a dearth of a given good will cause the value of that particular good to rise. Selling a great deal of a single good at the market will conversely decrease the value of the good.
Since the manufacturing businesses require raw materials to function, some players may find themselves relying on the city's open market for raw materials. In order to avoid this kind of situation, the player may choose to marry their character to a spouse that has a complementary profession. For example, a Crafts(wo)man with a Weaving Mill may decide to marry a Patron that has a sheep farm. Since the dynasty now contains both a Crafts(wo)man and a Patron, the player may build their own farms to raise sheep, whose wool may then be sent to the Weaving Mill to be turned into cloth.
, making this installment chronologically the second in the series. The game is set in the dark middle-age, in historical regions of Swabia
, at the River Neckar and in a valley near the Odenwald
.
, which was published in 2002 and is characterized mainly by the increased importance of the private life of the individual figures.
And add-on, Guild 2: Pirates of the Seas, added new features such as a hospital and a fishery. On August 31, 2007, The Guild 2 Gold was released, which includes the main game and Pirates of the Seas. All previously published titles in the series, so The Guild and The Guild 2 add-ons with each, were placed under the name of The Guild Universe in July 2008 in the trade.
The Guild 2: The Royal Edition appeared on July 25, 2008. It contains The Guild 2, the add-on Pirates of the Seas, new maps and patch 2.1.
A stand-alone expansion called The Guild 2: Venice was released on October 10, 2008. It includes the city of Venice, a new building style, and some minor new features.
.
The game received a C+ rating from 1UP.com
, and a 6.2 out of 10 points from GameSpot
. VideoGamer.com gave the game 4 out 10. X-Play
gave the game 3 out of 5. Strategy Informer gave the game 7.1 out of 10. The tester from GameStats gave the game 7 out of 10. and Worthplaying gave it a 7.6 out of 10. From the German magazine demonews, it earned a 77% score out of 100. IGN
rated it a 6.5 out of 10, and GameZone
gave the game 7.1 out of 10 points, Allgame rated it 3 out of 5. Hooked Gamers gave it 5 out of 10, and Honest Gamers gave the game a 6 out of 10. Game Over Online gave the game a 67%.
The Guild 2 Renaissance was awarded the Sound Award by PC Games magazine.
gave it a "fair" score (6/10), and Strategy Informer a score of 8.2 out of 10.
A second expansion for the game called The Guild 2 - Venice was published at the end of 2008. This expansion, which added the city of Venice to the game world, was received poorly by critics, having an average rating of 49% on Metacritic.
A stand-alone expanded version, entitled The Guild 2: Renaissance was released by RuneForge and JoWooD Entertainment on July 27, 2010.
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
video game developed by 4HEAD Studios
Cranberry Production
Cranberry Production GmbH is a German video game developer, located in Hanover. It is a subsidiary of dtp entertainment, an independent video games publisher based in Hamburg.- 4HEAD Studios :...
and published by JoWooD Entertainment. It is the second installment in the historical real-time strategy video game series, following Europa 1400
Europa 1400
Europa 1400: The Guild is a simulation game set in Europe from the year 1400 up to 1815. In it, the player tries to guide a family dynasty to power and wealth, starting from one character of limited means...
. The Guild 2 was released September 29, 2006, for PCs. The game uses the gamebryo
Gamebryo
Gamebryo is a game engine, originally from Numerical Design Limited , and the successor to NDL's NetImmerse engine.Since the creation of Gamebryo, NDL merged into Emergent Game Technologies...
engine.
In Guild 2's main story, the player creates a character who runs a business in a medieval world, eventually gets married and starts a dynasty
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
; and attempts to outplay or eliminate the other computer-controlled dynasties in the single player mode, or against other players online in the multiplayer
Multiplayer game
A multiplayer video game is one which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time. Unlike most other games, computer and video games are often single-player activities that put the player against preprogrammed challenges and/or AI-controlled opponents, which often...
mode.
Gameplay
The Guild 2 is a combination life simulator and economic strategy game that is set in Europe, beginning in the year 1400. The player creates a character who becomes the founding member of a "dynasty," and, based on their chosen professionProfession
A profession is a vocation founded upon specialized educational training, the purpose of which is to supply disinterested counsel and service to others, for a direct and definite compensation, wholly apart from expectation of other business gain....
(also referred to as character class
Character class
In role-playing games, a common method of arbitrating the capabilities of different game characters is to assign each one to a character class. A character class aggregates several abilities and aptitudes, and may also sometimes detail aspects of background and social standing or impose behaviour...
), may purchase, build, and take over various businesses. The game incorporates the following modes:
- Extinction: Challenges the player to be the last one standing.
- Dynasty : A mode that has no official ending and continues for as long as the player's dynasty exists. It ends when the last member of the dynasty dies.
- Mission : A certain objective to be reached may be set by the player. Accomplishing the mission ends the game.
- Time limit: This game ends after a certain number of rounds, which is determined by the player.
All game modes can be played in varying difficulties ranging from easy to hard, chosen by a slider on the game creation screen.
Professions
There are four main professions that the player may choose for the first member of the dynasty:- Patron: The Patron is considered to be one-half of the backbone of society. They can construct buildings such as farms, public houses (which may be upgraded into taverns and inns), and bakeries; and provide many raw materials that can be turned into foodstuffs and other basic necessities. Patrons are largely self-sufficient in terms of their resource production and manufacturing, in that the wheat that is produced in a Patron's farm may be sent to the same Patron's bakery to be made into bread, thus leaving all profits in the hands of the character.
- Crafts(wo)man: Crafts(wo)men are considered to be one-half of the backbone of society. They can construct buildings such as mines, woodcutter's huts, and various workshops such as foundries, carpenter's shops, and weaving mills. Crafts(wo)men are largely self-sufficient in terms of their resource production and manufacturing for many of their businesses. For example, the Mine produces iron, gold, silver, and/or precious gemstones which can be transported to the foundry where it can be turned into useful items such as tools, weapons, and jewelry.
- Scholar: The goods that Scholars produce are often very specialized. A Scholar can build a church, a tinctury, and the pesthouse (which may be upgraded to an infirmary, then to a hospital). Most of the goods that these buildings ultimately produce are items that can be used by a character or their henchmen to improve certain attributes that will make them temporarily more effective.
- Rogue: The Rogue is the only class that does not produce anything by itself. Instead, Rogues can build robber's nests, smuggling holes, and pirate havens. The main form of income from these productions might be waylaying travelers or resource carts, pickpocketing, or viciously assaulting competitors' businesses. Rogues and their employees can also hold members of competing dynasties for ransom.
Titles
The player's character(s) may go to the town hall of the town that they start in and purchase new titles, which confer different benefits. The title progression is linear, beginning with "Commoner" and proceeding through "Citizen," "Patrician," and then to titles of royalty such as "Baron."With the titles come privileges that may allow the character to perform political acts like applying for public office and owning more businesses. A higher title also allows characters to improve and upgrade their homes.
Politics
Along with their purchased titles, characters may also run for public office by visiting the town hall and choosing the office they wish to run for. The offices include positions as "Head TorturerTorture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
" and "Reeve
Reeve (England)
Originally in Anglo-Saxon England the reeve was a senior official with local responsibilities under the Crown e.g. as the chief magistrate of a town or district...
," as well as more powerful positions such as "Marshal
Marshal
Marshal , is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word is an ancient loan word from Old French, cf...
," who may control the guards in a city, to "King
King
- Centers of population :* King, Ontario, CanadaIn USA:* King, Indiana* King, North Carolina* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin* King, Waupaca County, Wisconsin* King County, Washington- Moving-image works :Television:...
," who will make whatever decisions they wish.
New positions in government are created in new cities as they grow. Cities grow from villages to "Imperial Capitals" as they gain more population.
Dynasty
The player begins with one dynasty member, and may court a member of the opposite sex. This can lead to marriage, which will allow the married couple to produce children who will carry on the dynasty after the original character's death. Only three members of the dynasty can be under the player's direct control at any given time. Dynasty members that are not under the player's control wander around the game world.Children of the dynasty can be sent to school at age 8, to an apprenticeship at age 12, and can finally become fully controllable by the player at age 16, provided they are added to the player's group. At this point, they may be assigned as owners of their own home in the city of the player's choosing.
A dynasty is ended by its last member's death.
Real-time economics
The economic simulation of the game is based on the laws of supply and demandSupply and demand
Supply and demand is an economic model of price determination in a market. It concludes that in a competitive market, the unit price for a particular good will vary until it settles at a point where the quantity demanded by consumers will equal the quantity supplied by producers , resulting in an...
. In the city markets, a dearth of a given good will cause the value of that particular good to rise. Selling a great deal of a single good at the market will conversely decrease the value of the good.
Since the manufacturing businesses require raw materials to function, some players may find themselves relying on the city's open market for raw materials. In order to avoid this kind of situation, the player may choose to marry their character to a spouse that has a complementary profession. For example, a Crafts(wo)man with a Weaving Mill may decide to marry a Patron that has a sheep farm. Since the dynasty now contains both a Crafts(wo)man and a Patron, the player may build their own farms to raise sheep, whose wool may then be sent to the Weaving Mill to be turned into cloth.
Setting
Guild 2 takes place during the year 1400, the same year like its predecessor in an medieval atmosphere, after the events of The GuildEuropa 1400
Europa 1400: The Guild is a simulation game set in Europe from the year 1400 up to 1815. In it, the player tries to guide a family dynasty to power and wealth, starting from one character of limited means...
, making this installment chronologically the second in the series. The game is set in the dark middle-age, in historical regions of Swabia
Swabia
Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...
, at the River Neckar and in a valley near the Odenwald
Odenwald
The Odenwald is a low mountain range in Hesse, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in Germany.- Location :The Odenwald lies between the Upper Rhine Rift Valley with the Bergstraße and the Hessisches Ried in the west, the Main and the Bauland in the east, the Hanau-Seligenstadt Basin – a subbasin of...
.
Development
Development for The Guild 2 began in early 2006, four years after Europa 1400Europa 1400
Europa 1400: The Guild is a simulation game set in Europe from the year 1400 up to 1815. In it, the player tries to guide a family dynasty to power and wealth, starting from one character of limited means...
, which was published in 2002 and is characterized mainly by the increased importance of the private life of the individual figures.
And add-on, Guild 2: Pirates of the Seas, added new features such as a hospital and a fishery. On August 31, 2007, The Guild 2 Gold was released, which includes the main game and Pirates of the Seas. All previously published titles in the series, so The Guild and The Guild 2 add-ons with each, were placed under the name of The Guild Universe in July 2008 in the trade.
The Guild 2: The Royal Edition appeared on July 25, 2008. It contains The Guild 2, the add-on Pirates of the Seas, new maps and patch 2.1.
A stand-alone expansion called The Guild 2: Venice was released on October 10, 2008. It includes the city of Venice, a new building style, and some minor new features.
Reception
The Guild 2 generally received moderate praise from citics. It has a 62% score on GameRankings and a 61/100 from MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
.
The game received a C+ rating from 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
, and a 6.2 out of 10 points from GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
. VideoGamer.com gave the game 4 out 10. X-Play
X-Play
X-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...
gave the game 3 out of 5. Strategy Informer gave the game 7.1 out of 10. The tester from GameStats gave the game 7 out of 10. and Worthplaying gave it a 7.6 out of 10. From the German magazine demonews, it earned a 77% score out of 100. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
rated it a 6.5 out of 10, and GameZone
GameZone
GameZone is an American multiplatform video game website. GameZone's daily coverage includes reviews, previews, news, hints & cheats, and editorials. Additionally, GameZone offers downloads, a child-targeted website and in association with GameStop, hosts GZGameShop, an online retailer...
gave the game 7.1 out of 10 points, Allgame rated it 3 out of 5. Hooked Gamers gave it 5 out of 10, and Honest Gamers gave the game a 6 out of 10. Game Over Online gave the game a 67%.
The Guild 2 Renaissance was awarded the Sound Award by PC Games magazine.
Expansion
In May 2007 an expansion pack named Pirates of The European Seas was released. This stand alone expansion pack added several features such as new professions and several different types of ships. This first expansion pack met with slightly better reviews than the original game. GameSpotGameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
gave it a "fair" score (6/10), and Strategy Informer a score of 8.2 out of 10.
A second expansion for the game called The Guild 2 - Venice was published at the end of 2008. This expansion, which added the city of Venice to the game world, was received poorly by critics, having an average rating of 49% on Metacritic.
A stand-alone expanded version, entitled The Guild 2: Renaissance was released by RuneForge and JoWooD Entertainment on July 27, 2010.
See also
- The Sims MedievalThe Sims MedievalThe Sims Medieval is a video game in The Sims series based upon The Sims 3 Engine, developed and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X and iOS, was released on March 22, 2011. The game was also released through PC downloads on the same date. Set in medieval times, it...
: Sims 3The Sims 3The Sims 3 is a 2009 strategic life simulation computer game developed by The Sims Studio and published by Electronic Arts. It is the sequel to the best-selling computer game, The Sims 2. It was first released on June 2, 2009 simultaneously for Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows...
-based game of a similar vein; no generational play, but more player classes.