Officially announced in October 2004 and recently hailed in Computer Games Magazine as one of the most anticipated titles of 2006, Dominions 3: The Awakening will be available for Windows, Mac, and Linux systems and features the robust gameplay that strategy gamers around the world have craved in the Dominions series. The wizards at Illwinter Game Design have been hard at work listening to the fanbase and Dominions 3: The Awakening is poised to be the ultimate Dominions.

Gamers can expect the ability to play with up to twenty-one players in a single game, either controlled by the tough AI or other carbon-based lifeforms. Gameplay, though as feature-rich as ever, has been streamlined to make the game more accessible. There is a lot less micromanagement to worry about, allowing players to spend more time enjoying the best aspects of being a conquering nation (like taking blood slaves, and destroying your enemies) instead of the mundane world of tax assessment. A comprehensive manual written by veteran computer game scribe Bruce Geryk will also ease players into the third installment.

Dominions 3: The Awakening boasts three ages to play in and fifty different nations. Some are brand new, others have been revised from earlier games. Some of these new nations include:

• Marverni: Inspired by the Gallic tribes described by Caesar, Maeverni is a semi-civilized nation consisting of several tribes sharing common traits. Vergobrets, their village magistrates serve as priests for their armies, and the Marverni druids are looked upon to show the way for the tribes.
• Patala: Inspired by Indian and Hindu myths, it is a nation of apes ruled by serpent creatures called nagas. A strict hierarchical caste system governs the apes, while the nagas oversees all. The nagas are divine beings from the nether realm of Patala, where all rivers spring.
• Jomon: Ancient Japan influences this nation. Enslaved by the evil bakemono, the humans of Jomon rebelled and cast off their yokes of bondage. A feudal society emerged, organized around daimyos and their band of warriors. Warfare is now a very ritualized affair.

Right now you can pre-order what will be one of the most talked about games of 2006 for the discounted price of $47.50 at the Shrapnel Games e-store, the Gamers Front. The Gamers Front (www.gamersfront.com/xcart/home.php) is the only place you can pre-order Dominions 3: The Awakening and be guaranteed to be one of the first people on your block to get it when it ships. Be sure to take advantage of the pre-order price soon, because after May 20, 2006, the price will be $54.95.