Labor Day Deal: $6 off Dominions 3 for a limited time

Computer games always seem to fall off in price as they age, with the A-list titles of just a few years ago now discounted 80% (or more). One notable exception to this rule is Dominions 3: The Awakening, a labor of love game that has become a way of life for many fans even as the programmers still update and refine the game.

Although Dominions 3 (Windows, Linux, Mac) normally sells for near $55, Shrapnel Games has generously reduced the price to $48.95 until September 8, 2010. This still might seem high for an ancient game from 2006 but Dominions 3 is one of those games where, if you measure in hours of play, that kind of price comes out to a few pennies an hour at best..

Dominions 3is an epic turn-based fantasy strategy game but those few words do scant justice to the scope of this title.

The word “epic” is the most important descriptor. The god of all has died, and a number of pretender gods aspire to the title. You get to design your own god, optimizing amongst a plethora of variables, and compete against up to 21 other human (or AI) opponents. If “become god of everything” isn’t epic, nothing is.

Even if you were simply a ruler of a nation seeking to conquer the world, the game would still be epic. There are sixty-eight nations to choose from and each nation has a dozen or more units along with a wide variety of neutral forces (from centaur chariots to halfling soldiers to Amazonian Pegasus riders, to name but a few) . “Nation” by the way, can mean a feudal collection of medieval knights, an ape-based civilization of Hindu theme, statue-worshiping reptiles, Norse giants and berserkers, or gibbering aliens eager to spread madness and death, to give but a sample, as the possibilities are an epic variety unmatched by any game I’ve ever seen.

The nearly 300 page manual barely address all the strategic possibilities for managing armies of hundreds of soldiers. I know I’m grateful that it’s spiral bound, as even after many playings I’ve found myself looking up one of the 700 different spells or how to craft one of the myriad of magic items.

As a relatively independent title, Dominions 3has stayed under the radar far more than it deserves. If you’ve ever enjoyed a turn based strategy game, don’t deny yourself a look at Dominions 3, and the site even offers a free demo, knowing full well just how addictive their game can be.

Read [Gamers Daily News] Product Page [Dominions @ Shrapnel Games]