In the past few years the turn-based strategy genre has been slowly overshadowed by real-time strategy games. Given how mindless and twitch-based RTS games can be at times I was happy to dive into Domination. This new game, released by DreamCatcher, is a decent entry into the turn-based strategy genre. The graphics and sound are fairly good and the control system is extremely responsive. Sadly the way the turn-based combat is handled can lead to some very big headaches for players. 

The graphics for Domination are well done. The world players fight over is rendered in lush detail. The graphics are a little less flashy than other recent titles, but the game can handle having a lot going on without problems. Every unit has its own animations for moving, fighting, and dying. The eye-catching explosions when your enemy’s assault mech is destroyed is definitely worth the trouble of bringing one of those titans down. Units also have visible effects on their environment. Driving a tank over sand or snow will leave tread prints. The detail put into the graphics for Domination makes it much easier to get immersed in the world.

The sounds of the game are just as nice. While the voiced reminders when you forget to use units can be a little irritating, overall the sounds are wonderful. You can hear the sound of the artillery launching their cruise missiles, the roar of the engines as tanks plow through the jungles, and the whoosh as the submarines’ torpedoes bring down their prey. The background music is decent, but I didn’t find myself really getting into it. 

The control system for Domination is very responsive. Including the “rewind” button is an extremely helpful feature. Nothing is worse than getting half-way through your turn and realizing you can’t destroy your target because it is just outside of weapons range for one of your units. Selecting a unit allows you to see the maximum range it can move and its field of fire. You can move several units in succession without pause. Watching several units at a time scurry to carry out your orders can be quite entertaining. 

The turn-based combat is handled in cycles. Players first get to reveal their home country and buy units. Then they can move their units around during the combat phase. Each turn players can reveal more countries that are working for them and repeat the process. In addition players receive funds in countries they own completely as the game progresses. If you have captured the capital of a province and no enemies are present expect to get some credits during the next buy phase. The amount of money each province produces is limited, so don’t expect to be able to build up forever. Players will quickly learn the methods to effectively take down their enemies … or they won’t survive. 

The real flaw in the turn-based combat is that the purchasing phase is immediately followed by the combat phase. If your enemy invades a country you can buy “guerilla” units to defend it and the combat phase starts immediately. As the defending player you get to go first in combat. This becomes a problem when your opponent can go first. Several times as I was playing the game the computer AI built up several long-range artillery units and completely wiped out five or six of my units. Instead of having a stand-off I was suddenly faced with defeat as most of my units in a province were destroyed without firing a single shot. This becomes very frustrating very quickly in the single-player mode as the computer will pull this trick every chance it gets.

Players get to build additional units based on the income they generate from conquered territories. This becomes an issue quickly because of two factors. First you only generate money from territories that you control completely. If an enemy unit is inside the territory it generates nothing for the turn. Second, you cannot immediately move into the space where a unit was just destroyed. With the turn-based system this can lead to headaches as your opponent gets a single unit into your territory with a steady supply of replacements. As long as they don’t run out of units they can keep advancing new ones to prevent you from making any new units. 

Overall the wonderful aspects of Dominion make up for the high level of frustration when the enemy effortlessly wipes out your army while you are unable to fire a single shot in response. If you get angry easily, leave this one on the store shelf. If you are a fan of the turn-based genre Domination is probably something you should take a glance at. The controls are more responsive than many turn-based games I have seen, the graphics and sound are pretty good, and there are always new tactics and strategies to explore. Domination lets you build the army you want the way you want.

Tips:
Wherever possible use the landscape to your advantage. If you are fighting in a forest or jungle that slows down enemy advances, build units like the artillery with their long range. A relatively small number of launchers can easily take out a much larger force this way.

Watch what the enemy is building for hints. The computer AI uses cargo units to quickly advance their slower-moving vehicles to the front lines. Keeping an eye on their mobility prevents you from getting an eye-opening (and painful) lesson in logistics.

Always use concentrated fields of fire. Every unit you destroy is one more unit the enemy has to replace and one less unit they can use in a swarm attack.  Whenever possible concentrate on the more expensive units as well.  They tend to have the highest weapons’ range and damage.

Gameplay: 7.0
With its responsive controls and the inclusion of the rewind button, Domination is easy to pick up and play. The problem with enemies building units and immediately destroying your forces is a serious drawback. The few times it will happen in your favor doesn’t quite make up for the beatings you can take from the opponent. 

Graphics: 8.0
The graphics for Domination are well done. They are not as crisp and clean as I would like, but they render quickly and detail a lush world. The individual units are easily identifiable at a glance even when zoomed out all the way. The animations of the units moving as well as the weapons’ fire are all well done.

Sound: 7.5
The sounds in Domination are fairly standard for the genre. You can hear the rattle of the machine guns, listen to the missiles being launched, and revel in the explosions as your enemies are destroyed. Nothing stands out as really ground-breaking, but the sounds are still good. 

Difficulty: Med/Hard
The turn-based system is open to abuse in a few cases. Be prepared to learn how to deal with it when it happens and how to use it to your advantage whenever you can.

Concept: 7.0
There are a lot of good points in Domination, but I still can’t get over the problem with the way the turn-based combat flows. The design is great for players searching for something beyond twitch-based strategy if you can put up with the flaws in the system. The wide variety of units players can build is also a plus.

Multiplayer: 8.0
When playing with other people the major problem with the repeated turns and getting swarmed under without any chance to defend yourself fades. Humans don’t have the instant ability to see the perfect outcome which can lead to some mistakes, thus giving you more of a fighting chance. On the other hand humans will always be more creative and flexible than the AI, so choose your battles with care. 

Overall: 7.5
Domination is a decent game. The responsive gameplay and features added to the game make this a worthwhile addition to the genre. Decent graphics and sound help the game overcome some of its shortcomings. The problem with enemy swarm attacks will definitely take away some of the fun, so make sure your frustration threshold is high before you start playing.