Siege (video game)

Siege is a video game released by Mindcraft in 1992 for MS-DOS. An expansion pack, Dogs of War, was released. It added multiplayer, six new castles, and 16 new units to the game. A sequel, Ambush at Sorinor, was released in 1993.

Plot
Set in the world of Mindcraft's The Magic Candle, Siege is a castle-combat war game in which the player controls either the hordes of darkness (including orcs, trolls, domugs, and tekhirs) or the warriors of good (humans, dwarves, and elves), in a campaign in Western Gurtex that involves either attacking or defending one of its four castles. The player manages elite troops, berserkers, sergeants, and engineers, as well as assault and defense equipment (such as ballistae, burning oil, battering rams, mobile bridges, siege towers, assault ladders, and catapults) and magicians who use spells against the enemy. The game features 24 different scenarios, and comes with an editor to allow the players to create new scenarios or alter the ones included in the game.

Reception
Computer Gaming World in 1992 complimented Siege's "beautifully rendered" VGA graphics and scenario editor, and approved of it being the first game based on castle warfare. The magazine criticized the lack of detail in win conditions and a too-predictable AI opponent, but concluded that the game "is an all-around unique and engaging simulation ... If the computer AI had more of a cruel streak, the game would be outstanding". In a 1993 survey of pre 20th-century strategy games the magazine gave the game two-plus stars out of five. The game was reviewed in 1993 in Dragon #189 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 4 out of 5 stars.

Niko Nirvi of Pelit summarized: "AI is a bit weak, but the violence, playability and digitized effects make this an excellent strategy game". He reviewed the expansion and said: "The best thing about Dogs of War is the opportunity to play Siege against other human players. Wow!" and also praised the improved AI.

Reviews

 * ASM (Aktueller Software Markt) - October 1992
 * PC Games (Germany) - October 1992
 * Computer Gaming World - June 1993
 * The Good Old Days (Staff Reviews only) (February 2014)
 * Power Play (September 1992)
 * Joker Verlag präsentiert: Sonderheft (1993)