I remember that article on pcgames about the the demo; unfortunately we will never see it
Anyway i have uploaded all the images i have found on the net during those years (some could be duplicates):
https://mega.co.nz/#!D1YD2JRI!eQU_glW-A ... lnbXj95DVs
Here's the complete FAQ from the old armalion.de website, obtained with the wayback machine:
General information:
Armalion is a fantasy RPG with a new twist. With a clear focus on entertainment value instead of character stats the game mixes the best of role-playing experience with strategy and action gameplay. In-depth charater creation shows the attention to detail, while an easy-to-use interface takes all the pain of boring stats away. The real-time mode of the game can be interrupted at any time. During the game the player will even command small warbands of up to 40 warriors to fight for his goals.
- Choose between 12 playable main characters with different skills
- Highly addictive plot with lots of varying quests
- Opulent and most detailed landscapes
- Full 3-D characters with amazing animations
- Co-operative multiplayer mode (LAN/WAN)
- Low entry level due to elegant interface,
no typing or memory skills required
- Dynamic plot depending on the character-class chosen
- Continuous gaming world without cuts or limitations,
no waiting for loading
- Special skirmish mode for melees between up to 40 characters
Technical details:
System requirements:
Minimal requirements (Win98):
300 Mhz CPU
64 Mb RAM
16Mb graphic adapter
Recommend:
600 Mhz CPU
128Mb RAM ( Win 98 )
256 Mb RAM ( Win 2000)
32 Mb graphic adapter
1. How many characters will there be in Armalion?
There will be 12 different ones at your choice, subdivided into six character-classes and the two sexes. Each of these characters has different attributes, skills and abilities, depending on his or her sex, race and character class. The character classes available are: elf, mage, witch, amazon, priest of Phex, priest of Boron.
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2. What sorts of abilities will there be?
There will be 12 basic abilities (climbing, horse riding, jumping, sneeking etc.) and all weapon skills. These will be developed differently corresponding to character class and attributes.
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3. Will there be any connections between the first three parts of the Northland-Trilogy and Armalion?
Absolutely NOT. Armalion is an entirely independent program with totally different priorities and different techniques.
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4. How many characters will I be able to create at the beginning?
Just one! And plot of the game will be determined the character you choose.
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5. How many characters can I play at the same time?
Also just one. If NPCs join your party during a quest, they can be easily managed by a simple and compact "Party Menu". When the quest is completed successfully (defend a village, protect a bridge), the NPCs vanish back into a pool.
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6. How do I get quests?
By entering certain areas, by meeting NPCs, by events and other things.
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7. Why and when do RTS battles occur?
Within quests you may be asked to fight smaller battles, like defending a bridge or protecting a village, raiding a supply train ... The frequency of these battles depends on the choice of character and on chance.
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8. By means of which strategies can I solve the game (fighting, magic, conversation, thievery)?
There is always a multitude of possibilities, like the ones mentioned above. But beside this, the way to success depends on the choice of the main character.
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9. How do spells, miracles of the priests, sneaking and stealing work?
Before undertaking an action, the corresponding button on the display is to be pressed. Than the action takes place. There are other abilities, like for example: climbing or horse riding, which are executed with the mouse cursor.
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10. Is it possible to deactivate the strategy part to get a pure RPG?
No, for Armalion is - do to the license - a strategy game. But it will be easily accessible also for players not apt with strategy.
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11. In how far deals Armalion with the Borbarad campaign?
The story of Armalion uses the Borbarad campaign as Background and basis. Because it is set in the Dark Lands, effects of this campaign are always present, but the actual plot is mainly independent.
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12. How intelligent are the enemies going to be?
They will react differently from case to case. They are not going to do the same thing twice and are going to react fitly to the situation.
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13. Will there be events in which the character is involved?
Yes, this will happen. It is possible that the player is attacked, or comes to late to save a village, or that he is imprisoned without guilt etc.
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14. And what about the multi-player mode?
Up to three players can play a campaign simultaneously. There is principally no difference to the single-player game. The plot as well as the sub-plots and sub-quests will be proceeding in the same way. The first player who starts the quest transfers it to all other participating players. The number and strength of the enemies grows according to the number of players, so that a balanced game is ensured. When starting the game, the sub-quests that are available for the character-classes will be activated.
The course of the sub-plot will depend on the decision of the host and the story develops according to it. The conversations during the game can be made independently by each player. This means, there is no interruption in the game for player B or C, when player A is involved in a dialogue.
When additional troops are needed to solve tasks, each player gets a limited amount of gold, so that the recruiting does not get out of control and the game does not become too unbalanced. The recruited troops can be commanded only be the particular player.
If one of the main characters dies during a mission, the player maintains the control over the troops until the mission is over. He gets his character back by respawning at a suitable location. Because of his death, he gets only a smaller amount of experience points for this mission. If all characters in the game die, the campaign is over.
If one dies during a crucial mission, the same will happen like in a single-player game. The failure of a mission pertaining to the sub-plot a or single mission will not lead to an end of the game, as long as not all characters die.
The participating players can move independently within the game world. Communication is possible over the chat-mode. The course of the campaign is exactly the same as in the single-player game, whereas the final battle will be created specially for the multi-player game. After finishing a campaign, there is the possibility to play the campaign over again with characters with higher levels. The level and number of the enemies will then result from the level of the main character or characters. Since a campaign will take to long to be played at a time, a "save game" function is implemented. Every player in the game can save the game. Not the combination of the party, but the actual quests and the momentary status of the game world will be saved. This means that completed missions will be "blank" a certain points, so that they will not have to be solved again. The status of a loaded game depends on the host. He can decide which quests are activated at the moment and in which condition the game world will be in.
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15. What will the combat-system look like?
The battles will take place in real-time, with attack and parade. To integrate a tactical element, the game can be frozen at any time and appropriate actions can be initiated which will be executed afterwards. One example: If you take too many hits, you can retreat from the battle. Or you can concentrate on another, more powerful enemy. Or the weapons need to be changed etc.
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16. Why are there not more character-classes available?
We have chosen those that can be used most effectively in the environment of the Dark Lands (just like in the board game "Armalion"). A "joker" would not want to participate in an Armalion battle, and a Thorwal-Viking is hardly to be found that far away from the sea. Arguments like these can be extended to the other character-classes that cannot be found in Armalion. The characters are 3D images drawn with many details and animated neatly. But there will be a much larger choice of enemies and monsters instead.
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