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Savage 2: A Tortured Soul Overview and Features:

Players can choose between two factions: the Legion of Man or the Beast Horde. The initial launch of Savage 2 features the Conquer game type. This game is won by destroying the enemy’s command center – which is either a stronghold or a lair. Each team elects one commander – which views the world top down – that should build defenses and upgrades to support his team. The other players of his team pick a class – which can be changed later – and scout for enemies and resources.
The only real resource is gold, which can be gathered from gold mines. These mines are vital for each team since they are the only way to build defenses and pay the upkeep.
Another task of the commander is to build garrisons or sub lairs, these serve as an additional spawn point – besides the command center. Good position and defence of these structures is essential: a well placed sneak garrison can give a team a huge advantage.
After the base is set up, the commander should give orders to his team members and use a wide array of buffs and debuffs.

Experience

Each player and each team as a whole gains experience and levels. Experience is gained from defending structures and siege, killing NPCs and enemies, building and repairing structures, healing and resurrecting fallen brethren. Both teams and players have a level 15 max. As levels are gained a player has the ability to add 3 percentage points to their characters attributes: health, regeneration, mana, damage, and armour. The team commander also has the ability to add attribute bonuses which affect each player on the team. There is a cap of 20% bonus for any given category and a maximum of 30 percentage points total. This means that it is a nice advantage but that skill is still the most important aspect of winning a skirmish.

There is also overall account experience and an account level. This is simply a meter to show how much you’ve played and how well you play. It does not offer any specific advantages to a level 50 account over a level 10 account. The higher level simply signifies longer playing period and / or more skill and effectiveness in game.

Unit types

Non-siege classes have 1 melee weapon, at least 1 ranged weapon (excluding the beast ‘hunter’ class that replaced the ‘summoner’ unit) and at least 3 abilities. Additionally, all units have 9 stats: health, health regeneration, mana, mana regeneration, stamina, stamina regeneration, armour rating, speed and unit cost.

Players can switch classes when they die or when they enter their stronghold, their lair, a garrison or a sub lair.

Several units can only be used once a corresponding structure is built. Additionally certain secondary range attacks for both the humans and the beasts team can be unlocked by building the Human ‘Armory’ or the Beast ‘Nexus’.

Each unit has his own function and possesses a unique play style.

Additional, there are 3 Hellbourne units (a special one was added with FCP2). These are available to both races, but there are 2 requirements: you need to build a hellshrine on a scar, which is heavily defended by NPC’s and you need to have a certain amount of souls. Souls can be gathered by killing other players or certain NPC’s. There used to be a Helbourne character called ‘Maliken’ (see the storyline of Savage2 for more info about him) for which you did not need a hellshrine, but only 4 certain items and 15 souls. However, due balance reasons this unit got cut out. 3 of the 4 items stayed, and grant the user a small regain of either Health, Mana and Stamina whenever they resieve a soul.

Hellbourne units generally function as superior units, capable of laying waste to entire legions of enemies before falling themselves. They do have some weaknesses however, hellbourne units must constantly gather enemy souls (save for the devourer) to keep themselves alive due to natural health degeneration. Also, the Chaplain and Shaman deal extra damage to all hellbourne units, to the point where they can easily take them down without additional support from otherwise stronger units. In any case, the first team to get a hellgate and fortify it against enemy attack can be assured to have an incredible advantage over their opponents, as most maps have only 1 scar.

Melee combat

-Old Melee

The original melee combat between players in Savage 2 consisted of 4 basic moves. Each move interacted differently with the opponents moves. The basic melee attack moves were Attack, Interrupt, Block and Jump Attack in addition to each units special abilities.

Attack Attacking an enemy uses your units melee weapon to damage your foe. Each swing costs your unit stamina. However, the attacker is stunned if he attacks a blocking enemy.

Interrupt Named Strong Attack during the Beta phase of the game, the interrupt ability is used to counter an opponent that is blocking. Your unit charges into the target causing damage and stunning the blocker. Does no damage against non-blocking opponents and no damage at all against buildings. Also costs additional stamina, moreso than attack.

Block This move is used to deflect the damage of an attack as well as damage and stun the opponent. An interrupt will break through a block. Costs no stamina.

Jump Attack This is a special type of attack move that requires a lot of stamina. By jumping and then attacking, this move formerly allowed damage to be dealt by breaking all 3 of the above moves, but ceased to break the Block move at the same time the Interrupt move was removed.

-New Melee

The melee system has dramatically changed since release in an attempt to be more forgiving to new players. In the new melee system there is no interrupt action, and you have a “block meter.” If you are struck while blocking the block meter depletes and the attacker gets a debuff that slows them slightly (the debuff effects stack as of the current patch). The block meter can take one full attack (3 swings for most units, 4 for the marksman and shapeshifter units), but takes more damage from special attacks (ie shapeshifter acid spray or savage double strike abilities) or jump attacks than it does from a normal swing. If the block meter is completely depleted or “broken” the blocker is stunned for a few seconds. Since by the time you break a block meter you are too slowed to chase down the stunned unit, it is not recommended you try to break a block without assistance.

Modding

A map editor is available, which allows for scripts, events and all sorts of things so players can create their own game types, similar to Warcraft 3. Mods from Capture the Flag to Soccer have been created, and quite a few maps included in the current version of the game are made by fans, and adopted by the company. A particular map creator nicknamed “Mercenary” was later employed by S2 Games.