Dark Omen Gameplay Although a great deal of effort is being expended to ensure that Dark Omen's technical and presentation values are of the highest quality, by far the most effort is going into improving the gameplay itself. We have taken into account comments about Shadow Of The Horned Rat from the consumers and the press, and also drawn on experiences gained developing the PlayStation version of SotHR. This has enabled us to make many improvements, resulting in a much more fun and satisfying game. One of the major enhancements is Dark Omen's increased accessibility. The complex control panel/user interface has gone; instead we have a much simpler context-sensitive interface with a dynamic cursor which changes depending on what it's pointing at. The large static panels showing statistical information have also gone, leaving a full-screen 3D game onto which informative icons are overlayed. The importance of these changes cannot be overstated - they transform the game's base appearance from a complex statistical strategy game to a fast-moving arcade/strategy game.
	Improvements have also been made to finer details of the gameplay. Instead of existing purely to destroy the player's army, enemy armies will have their own battle objectives (for example, to capture something) - this will give the battles much more structure than those in SotHR. The enemy will attack intelligently, sending his troops forward in waves, taking the high ground, seeking out the playerís most deadly regiments, and so forth. The terrain will play a large part in battle strategy, as there will be an advantage to holding the high ground both in terms of combat strength and what the troops can see. The 3D line-of-sight system will allow troops to manoeuvre unseen by the enemy, behind hills or buildings for example, and launch surprise attacks. The 3D projectile system will offer similar advantages, giving archers who are on a hilltop a significant advantage over those below him. Enhancements have also been made to ensure that the game provides a high level of satisfaction and gratification to the player. For example, large creatures and monsters will strike "death blows" which send their smaller, more feeble opponents literally flying out of the fray! Troops will provide more precise feedback on their actions, ensuring that the player can control his army more effectively. Magic spells will be much more devastating with improved visual and audio presentation. The sampled music is context-sensitive, moving dramatically uptempo during the heat of combat and becoming softer at more serene moments. The 2-player option is another significant addition to Dark Omen, allowing players to connect their machines via serial link, modem or network. The players will be able to create and save their own armies, earning money from each battle fought with which he can upgrade his regiments and their equipment. These armies can be one of three races, and any race may fight any race (even if they are the same!).