Lords of the Realm II

Lead designer David Lester stated that the combination of these game modes aimed to combine features of contemporary strategy games, and make the game more accessible and appealing to multiplayer play. Upon release, Lords of the Realm II received generally favourable reviews, and was one of the highest-selling computer games of 1997–98. Critics praised its medieval theme and the combination of real-time and turn-based gameplay, whilst expressing mixed views about the depth of gameplay across the two modes, the game's artificial intelligence, and the strategic options available in the real-time combat. An expansion pack, Siege Pack, was released in June 1997, and a sequel, Lords of the Realm III, in 2004.

Lords of the Realm II is set in Europe during the medieval era in 1268 under an alternate history where a king dies without an heir. Playing as a noble, the objective of the game is to defeat other competing claimants to the throne. Gameplay occurs in a turn-based map mode and a real-time combat mode. Maps, played in an isometric perspective, are divided by up to ten counties controlled by two to five players. Players must manage the economy of each county independently, defend their borders, and conquer other counties to win the game. Games are configurable, allowing players to select one of 24 maps, and adjust the difficulty and number of competing players. Players must engage in resource management to maintain food for their counties and support armies. Food is cultivated from grain or cows. Resources are harvested from mining, smithing, foresting, and farming, and production methods for these resources can be turned on or off. Resources can be bought and sold from travelling merchants, and blacksmiths create weapons from raw materials. Players can divide labour between production of food and production of industry resources using a sliding scale, or micromanage the allocation of labor in more detail. Populations in a county have a "happiness" measure maintained by factors such as tax rates or an adequate supply of food. If happiness is low, peasants in a county can riot, or die or emigrate to other counties if food is low. Random events can affect the population and food supply, such as Black Death or drought respectively. Military units are recruited in the armoury menu by conscripting a selected number of peasants from a county's population. Units are recruited as peasants, but can be upgraded to other classes such as knights, archers and pikemen if players have corresponding weaponry. Combat is initiated by guiding troops to on the main map to enemy armies, towns or castles or in neighbouring counties. Counties can have their defences upgraded from stone and iron resources, including a Palisade, Motte and bailey, Keep, Stone Castle or Royal Castle. A diplomacy menu allows players to send gifts to competitors and create alliances. When battle commences, players can choose to automatically resolve the battle, or enter the real-time combat mode. In the real-time battle mode, opposing forces begin on opposite ends of a map, which can include terrain features or defences if one force is besieging the other. Players use point and click controls to highlight selected units and issue simple commands, including to move them to a location, or other settings, including to flee or to target remaining units on a map. Siege weapons and defences can also be constructed, including siege towers, catapults, battering rams and boiling oil. Combat can be paused and unpaused. Lords of the Realm II also features a multiplayer mode, with two-player play over a modem or four over a local area network. Starting conditions for players can be set, and time limits can be placed for how long players can take to complete a turn.

Lords of the Realm II is the sequel to Lords of the Realm, the original a 1994 title by Impressions Games. Publisher Sierra announced the game in 1996 following acquisition of publishing rights for Impressions Games titles. Impressions Games general manager and lead designer David Lester stated that the design of the sequel was inspired by the desire to merge the real-time and turn-based components of contemporary strategy games, including Civilization, Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness and Command & Conquer, seeking to merge "visceral" combat with in-depth strategy mechanics. The combination of turn-based and real-time strategy was also intended to make the series "more multiplayer friendly", designed to feature networked modem play. To "reduce the learning curve of the game dramatically", aspects of the game's economic simulation were streamlined, with slider bars introduced to automate aspects of gameplay, so that players interested in battles could focus on the real-time combat. Sierra composer Keith Zizza created the soundtrack. Online play was available on the World Opponent Network service operated by Sierra parent company CUC International. In November 1997, Impressions Games announced the Lords: Royal Collection, containing Lords of the Realm I and II, its expansion Siege Pack, and a demo for a fantasy spin-off title, Lords of Magic. A sequel, Lords of the Realm III, was developed by Impressions Games and published by Vivendi Universal in 2004.

Lords of the Realm II: Siege Pack is an expansion pack for Lords of the Realm II developed by Impressions and released by Sierra in June 1997. The expansion adds 20 scenarios and battle maps, new online networking features via the Sierra Internet Gaming System, and a one-on-one Skirmish mode. Players can also select starting units in a map by using a points system, and receive scores and ranks. An editor including new designs for maps and castles is also included. The pack was announced for release by Sierra in June 1997. Praising the expansion as giving the game a "whole new lease of life", Ultimate PC considered the Siege Pack to be good value for players interested in its multiplayer features, but felt it did not improve underlying problems with the computer artificial intelligence during battles. Computer Game Entertainment wrote the expansion was good value for money and that it would "substantially" increase the lifespan of the game, but experienced bugs operating the editor. PC Games awarded the title runner-up for the best commercial add-on for 1997.

Lords of the Realm II peaked in ninth position on PC Data sales charts in January 1997. It was listed by the firm as the 14th highest-selling computer game of 1997, and the 19th of 1998. David Lester stated that the game sold 2.5 million copies worldwide.

According to review aggregator website Metacritic, Lords of the Realm II received "generally favorable" reviews. Several critics praised the combination of turn-based and real-time strategy gameplay, although some felt the modes conflicted with each other or would not both appeal to strategy players. The turn-based mode was praised: Next Generation viewed its emphasis on economic management as "plausible" and "realistic" and gave it a "sense of the dynamics of ruling", and PCMag described it as "very well-designed". Critics disagreed on the game's challenge, with some finding it was overall accessible and easy to learn, others considering management of resources was strategic and challenging, and PC Zone wrote that the game had a "steep learning curve". The UK version of PC Gamer considered the game's strategy lacked depth, writing that its absence of different play styles, nations to play or a technology tree reflected "the limits of a game that's closed the exploration and research paths". The real time combat mode of Lords of the Realm II received a mixed reception. PC Games considered the mode "exciting" and executed with "energy, ease and visual panache". The game's artificial intelligence was faulted; Next Generation found the tactics of the computer in sieges "inept", and Computer Gaming World considered that it was easy to exploit, and lacked strategy in its response to players. Some reviewers considered the combat system lacked options or unit types, with PC Zone writing that it "could be easier and allow for more strategic control". The UK version of PC Gamer considered the real-time combat a "major flaw" of the game, writing that "once you've seen one siege you've seen them all". Reviewers were divided on the game's visual presentation. Next Generation found the graphics "excellent" and highlighted the changes of the map based on the seasons of gameplay. Hyper wrote that the graphics were an improvement on the original, but felt they were "stock-standard and "adequate" compared to its contemporaries. Critics also generally appreciated the game's medieval theme, with PC Zone considering it addressed an era that had not received much exposure in video games, and Computer Gaming World similarly appreciating the setting, although finding its representation was "half hearted" and considered the addition of historical names, designs and heraldry could have made the game more realistic. Similarly, PC Games felt some voice acting was more suited to the game's theme than others.

PC Gamer listed Lords of the Realm II as one of the best games of 1997 and the 38th best computer game of all time, praising its "hectic real-time battles" and combination of real-time and turn-based strategy. It later continued to praise its fusion gameplay, which it described as "original and thrilling" and "incredibly innovative". Computer Gaming World listed the game as one of the best strategy titles of 1996. Praising the game as an "authentic historical experience", IGN enjoyed its combination of tactical and strategic gameplay; whilst finding its real-time mode was fun to play, they considered it "far less usable and manageable" than other titles of its era.