<s>
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Wonders	I-Application
:	I-Application
Shadow	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
is	O
a	O
turn-based	O
strategy	O
video	O
game	O
in	O
a	O
fantasy	B-Application
setting	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shadow	O
Magic	B-Application
is	O
the	O
third	O
incarnation	O
of	O
the	O
Age	O
of	O
Wonders	O
series	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
a	O
direct	O
sequel	O
to	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Wonders	I-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Wizard	I-Application
's	I-Application
Throne	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
series	O
is	O
the	O
spiritual	O
successor	O
to	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wizards	O
are	O
very	O
powerful	O
at	O
magic	B-Application
,	O
but	O
rather	O
weak	O
at	O
close	O
combat	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Every	O
player	O
has	O
one	O
Wizard	O
,	O
each	O
with	O
a	O
sphere	O
of	O
magic	B-Application
(	O
Life	O
,	O
Death	O
,	O
Fire	O
,	O
Water	O
,	O
Air	O
,	O
Earth	O
,	O
Cosmos	O
and	O
finally	O
Chaos/Secret	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
decides	O
which	O
spells	B-Application
the	O
Wizard	O
can	O
research	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
Wizards	O
have	O
multiple	O
spheres	O
,	O
but	O
can	O
only	O
learn	O
less	O
advanced	O
spells	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Spells	B-Application
range	O
from	O
passive	O
spells	B-Application
(	O
for	O
instance	O
,	O
blessing	O
a	O
unit	O
with	O
additional	O
strengths	O
)	O
,	O
to	O
direct	O
spells	B-Application
(	O
i.e.	O
</s>
<s>
healing	O
spells	B-Application
or	O
attack	O
spells	B-Application
)	O
,	O
to	O
summoning	O
spells	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Instead	O
,	O
they	O
improve	O
by	O
researching	O
new	O
spells	B-Application
and	O
skills	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wizards	O
have	O
a	O
domain	O
,	O
the	O
area	O
in	O
which	O
spells	B-Application
can	O
be	O
cast	O
represented	O
by	O
hexagons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
most	O
important	O
ones	O
are	O
the	O
cities	O
and	O
the	O
structures	O
that	O
generate	O
either	O
gold	O
or	O
mana	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
both	O
its	O
predecessors	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
designed	O
for	O
single-player	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
multiplayer	O
,	O
and	O
while	O
the	O
graphic	O
engine	O
is	O
the	O
same	O
as	O
in	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Wonders	I-Application
2	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Wizard	I-Application
's	I-Application
Throne	I-Application
,	O
gameplay	O
is	O
improved	O
and	O
some	O
important	O
features	O
are	O
added	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Wonders	I-Application
:	I-Application
Shadow	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
can	O
be	O
played	O
in	O
multiplayer	O
mode	O
3	O
different	O
ways	O
;	O
1	O
)	O
Joining	O
via	O
I.P	O
(	O
Internet	O
Protocol	O
)	O
address	O
;	O
2	O
)	O
Joining	O
via	O
LAN	O
(	O
Local	O
Area	O
Network	O
)	O
connection	O
;	O
3	O
)	O
Play	O
by	O
Email	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shadow	O
Magic	B-Application
was	O
probably	O
planned	O
as	O
an	O
expansion	O
pack	O
for	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Wonders	I-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Wizard	I-Application
's	I-Application
Throne	I-Application
,	O
but	O
was	O
published	O
as	O
a	O
stand-alone	O
game	O
instead	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
official	O
support	O
with	O
patch	O
1.3	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
unofficially	O
developed	O
further	O
by	O
the	O
fan-community	B-Architecture
via	O
a	O
community	O
patch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Wonders	I-Application
:	I-Application
Shadow	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
was	O
out	O
of	O
print	O
and	O
was	O
not	O
made	O
available	O
online	O
for	O
several	O
years	O
(	O
Abandonware	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
entire	O
franchise	O
was	O
re-released	O
on	O
Stardock	O
's	O
Impulse	B-Application
digital	O
distribution	O
service	O
in	O
September	O
2010	O
,	O
soon	O
after	O
via	O
GOG.com	O
and	O
GamersGate	O
and	O
finally	O
through	O
Steam	B-Application
service	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
editors	O
of	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
presented	O
Shadow	O
Magic	B-Application
with	O
their	O
2003	O
"	O
Strategy	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
award	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
wrote	O
:	O
"	O
Of	O
all	O
the	O
strategy	O
games	O
we	O
played	O
this	O
year	O
,	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Wonders	I-Application
:	I-Application
Shadow	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
is	O
the	O
only	O
one	O
with	O
the	O
'	O
just	O
one	O
more	O
turn	O
 '	O
addictiveness	O
that	O
distinguishes	O
the	O
best	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
a	O
nominee	O
for	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
USs	O
2003	O
"	O
Best	O
Turn-Based	O
Strategy	O
Game	O
"	O
award	O
,	O
although	O
it	O
lost	O
to	O
Combat	B-Application
Mission	I-Application
:	I-Application
Afrika	I-Application
Korps	I-Application
.	O
</s>
