Australian game developer Strategic Studies Group has announced its upcoming fantasy real-time strategy game, Warlords Battlecry II. The game is the sequel to Warlords Battlecry, which was released in July 2000 and received praise for its innovative combination of strategy and role-playing elements. The sequel will let players control a persistent hero character who will improve over the course of the game, gaining new skills, spells, and levels.

　　Warlords Battlecry II is set in the medieval fantasy world of Etheria. It will feature 12 different hero races, 20 hero classes, and more than 100 spells and special abilities. The game includes 12 different factions, each of which has a unique set of units, structures, technology trees, and playing styles. Overall, the game will include almost 140 different types of fantasy units, ranging from the sylph to the moon king mounted on his golden dragon. The game will also feature auto-spellcasting options for magic users.

　　In addition to an open-ended nonlinear single-player campaign, Warlords Battlecry II will include multiplayer support for up to six players over a LAN or Internet connection. Players will also be able to create their own scenarios using the game's map editor.

　　Warlords Battlecry II is in development at Strategic Studies Group, the studio that created the original game. The game is currently in beta testing, and it will be published by Ubi Soft next spring. For more information, visit the game's new official Web site.