Age of Chivalry is a multiplayer-focused total conversion modification for the Valve Corporation's Half-Life 2 using the Source engine. Founded by Rickard Drakborn, Jeff Simmons and Scott Chipman, and developed by a group of independent developers called Team Chivalry, the mod features a medieval theme and aims to provide enjoyable close-combat battles.
Gameplay
Players select to play on either the Agatha Knights or the Mason Order, the two factions competing to rule the fictional kingdom that is the game's setting. Most maps have several objectives; completing one leads to the next until the final objective has been completed or the defending team is able to prevent the other team from completing theirs during the allotted time. Objectives vary from taking a strategical point to killing villagers, and include many siege-oriented ones like ramming down the main door of a castle and constructing bridges. Age of Chivalry plans to use a dynamic campaign, in which each scenario affects which map will be used in the next chapter.
Factions
There are two playable factions in Age of Chivalry, the Agathia Knights and the Mason Order.
- Agatha Knights are one of the two rival factions in Age of Chivalry. They are considered the "good" faction as opposed to the Mason Order and are easily recognized by the color blue on their clothing and shields.
- Mason Order are the other rival faction. They are considered "evil" and are easily recognized by the color red, which they wear on their clothing and shields.
Classes
There are nine classes: Longbowman, Crossbowman, Javelineer, Man-At-Arms, Sergeant, Guardsman, Crusader, Knight, and Heavy Knights. Each class has different weapons, walking speed and armour.
- Longbowmen use a longbow and have a shortsword for close combat. Their bows are fast and they have the greatest range of the three archer classes, but their arrows deal the least damage.
- Crossbowmen use crossbows which deal massive damage, although they have a shorter range than the longbow. They must also stand still for several seconds while reloading. They have a shortsword for close combat.
- Javelineers are generally considered to be an archer/melee hybrid, using powerful javelins when at range and a spear/buckler combination in melee combat. The javelins have the shortest range of all archer weapons and they are the hardest to aim, but they are fast and deal high amounts of damage.
- Men-at-arms are the fastest and most lightly armoured of all melee classes. Their weapons include a broadsword with the option of using a heater shield, as well as a fire pot that can be thrown at enemies to damage and disorient them, or be thrown on the ground to damage those that walk over the flames. Because of their speed, men-at-arms are a favorite for completing objectives.
- Sergeants are fast, highly armoured fighters that make use of the mace and buckler and a fire pot. The mace is fast and relatively powerful, but its short range and lack of a horizontal swing make it hard for many players to use effectively. As such, despite the numerous advantages at the class's disposal, the sergeant is considered to be mainly geared toward experienced players.
- Guardsmen have middle-ground speed and armour. They have either a lochaber axe or a halberd, depending on the team. These weapons deal heavy damage and have the longest range of any melee class. Because of their lack of a shield, they are particularly vulnerable to archers.
- Crusaders are a favorite for beginners due to their ease of use. They have moderately high speed and armour and use either a longsword or flamberge, depending on the team. These swords can be wielded in one hand with a shield for extra defense, or in two hands for extra power. Crusaders also have access to several throwing knives, which are designed to kill fleeing archers. The crusader is the only class that can use a kite shield.
- Knights are slow, heavily armoured fighters that have a single-handed flail as well as a heater shield. This class has a unique 360° swing rather than a stab, theoretically making it good for fights against larger groups of enemies. Like the crusaders, knights can use throwing knives to deal damage at range.
- Heavy Knights are the slowest and most heavily armoured of all classes. Using either a large battleaxe (for the Agathia Knights) or a maul (for the Mason Order), heavy knights are able to deal massive amounts of damage, often killing their opponents in a single hit. The high damage and armour make this class particularly attractive to newcomers, who may not feel comfortable with the faster weapons. The heavy knight lacks a shield, making him vulnerable to archers. It is the only class that has access to the hard-hitting throwing axe.
Reception
PC Gamer highlighted the mod's large maps, describing the mountainous stretches as "tactics-encouraging" and overall should "encourage improvisation in team play."
