Divinity: Dragon Commander Preview

Dragons and jetpacks are apparently an effective selling point for Divinity: Dragon Commander, judging by the premise of this Penny Arcade Report preview of the title. In the end, though, what really impressed the writer was the political intrigue:

Dragon Commander is also about managing your relations with the many races of the realm. Each brings their own benefits to your war effort, but each has their own conflicting ideologies and wants. This political system mainly plays out in your throne room as the delegates of the five main races gather to offer you counsel on how their race will react to your decisions, and to yell in your face when you anger them.

You’ll be given political decisions to ponder as well: whether to institute conscription to strengthen your ranks, whether you should institute free healthcare for the citizens of your realm, and many other topical troubles. Dragon Commander isn’t shy about tying itself to the troubles of our real world.

One of my female generals told me, in a raised voice, that the women I employed as generals were making less than their male counterparts. I told her I had no idea, and I didn’t, and ensured that everyone in my crew was fairly paid. It made her happy, but it’s a decision that diverted money from the war effort.

I didn’t get a chance to see how this system developed later in the game, that’s how poorly my military campaign went, but I’ve heard that this system can include issues as important as genocide and as simple as the price of bread in the realm.