<s>
War	B-Application
Wind	I-Application
is	O
a	O
science	O
fantasy	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
DreamForge	O
Intertainment	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Strategic	O
Simulations	O
,	O
Inc	O
.	O
(	O
SSI	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
1996	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
and	O
used	O
DirectX	B-Application
2.0	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
sites	O
list	O
the	O
release	O
date	O
of	O
War	B-Application
Wind	I-Application
as	O
August	O
24	O
,	O
1996	O
,	O
while	O
others	O
say	O
September	O
23	O
and	O
September	O
30	O
,	O
1996	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
most	O
recent	O
file	O
on	O
a	O
War	B-Application
Wind	I-Application
CD	O
bought	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
in	O
January	O
1997	O
was	O
October	O
10	O
,	O
1996	O
(	O
as	O
is	O
the	O
date	O
stated	O
in	O
its	O
version	O
1.0	O
README.TXT	O
)	O
,	O
but	O
this	O
could	O
have	O
been	O
an	O
updated	O
CD	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
,	O
War	B-Application
Wind	I-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
Human	I-Application
Onslaught	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
by	O
DreamForge	O
and	O
SSI	O
in	O
1997	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
War	B-Application
Wind	I-Application
went	O
permanently	O
free	O
on	O
GOG.com	O
on	O
June	O
3	O
,	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
War	B-Application
Wind	I-Application
was	O
released	O
as	O
a	O
free	O
game	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
on	O
September	O
16	O
,	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
War	B-Application
Wind	I-Application
takes	O
place	O
on	O
the	O
world	O
of	O
Yavaun	O
,	O
where	O
four	O
races	O
have	O
ambivalently	O
coexisted	O
for	O
millennia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lastly	O
are	O
the	O
race	O
of	O
the	O
reclusive	O
and	O
traditionalist	O
Shama	O
 '	O
Li	O
,	O
monk-like	O
practitioners	O
of	O
spiritual	O
and	O
ancient	O
magic	B-Application
,	O
who	O
desire	O
to	O
unify	O
the	O
four	O
races	O
into	O
a	O
single	O
deific	O
species	O
that	O
physically	O
represents	O
a	O
combination	O
of	O
them	O
all	O
—	O
NagaRom	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
basic	O
gameplay	O
is	O
very	O
similar	O
to	O
other	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
games	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Warcraft	B-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
unique	O
aspect	O
of	O
War	B-Application
Wind	I-Application
is	O
its	O
stealth	O
mechanics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Certain	O
spells	B-Application
can	O
also	O
temporarily	O
grant	O
stealth	O
to	O
your	O
units	O
or	O
remove	O
stealth	O
from	O
your	O
opponents	O
 '	O
units	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
with	O
most	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
games	O
,	O
War	B-Application
Wind	I-Application
features	O
a	O
fog	O
of	O
war	O
mechanic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Certain	O
spells	B-Application
can	O
also	O
reveal	O
portions	O
of	O
the	O
map	O
as	O
if	O
the	O
player	O
had	O
actually	O
discovered	O
them	O
by	O
foot	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
race	O
has	O
exclusive	O
spells	B-Application
that	O
its	O
mage	O
units	O
can	O
research	O
,	O
learn	O
,	O
and	O
cast	O
with	O
a	O
slowly	O
regenerative	O
pool	O
of	O
mana	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
mage	O
types	O
have	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
research	O
and	O
learn	O
new	O
spells	B-Application
,	O
although	O
only	O
advanced	O
mages	O
have	O
access	O
to	O
researching	O
and	O
learning	O
higher-level	O
spells	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tha	O
 '	O
Roon	O
spells	B-Application
manifest	O
as	O
a	O
form	O
of	O
psionic	O
mental	O
magic	B-Application
that	O
is	O
used	O
to	O
both	O
mentally	O
cripple	O
their	O
opponents	O
and	O
even	O
control	O
them	O
entirely	O
and	O
indefinitely	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Obblinox	O
spells	B-Application
,	O
considered	O
to	O
be	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
rarest	O
and	O
most	O
elusive	O
manifestations	O
of	O
magical	O
power	O
,	O
revolve	O
around	O
the	O
destruction	O
of	O
organic	O
life	O
and	O
artificial	O
structures	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Eaggra	O
spells	B-Application
embody	O
the	O
forces	O
of	O
nature	O
and	O
restoration	O
,	O
and	O
are	O
used	O
to	O
influence	O
both	O
the	O
earth	O
of	O
Yavaun	O
and	O
its	O
fauna	O
to	O
Eaggra	O
will	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lastly	O
,	O
Shama	O
 '	O
Li	O
spells	B-Application
center	O
around	O
the	O
concepts	O
of	O
omniscience	O
,	O
rejuvenation	O
,	O
and	O
evocation	O
,	O
allowing	O
them	O
to	O
dispel	O
illusions	O
,	O
heal	O
injuries	O
of	O
themselves	O
and	O
others	O
,	O
and	O
conjure	O
indigenous	O
wildlife	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
War	B-Application
Wind	I-Application
is	O
strongly	O
focused	O
on	O
single-player	O
gameplay	O
,	O
although	O
netplay	O
was	O
also	O
supported	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
race	O
also	O
has	O
different	O
units	O
and	O
structures	O
,	O
race-exclusive	O
spells	B-Application
,	O
and	O
strength	O
–	O
weakness	O
tradeoffs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
this	O
became	O
standard	O
for	O
the	O
genre	O
after	O
StarCraft	B-Application
in	O
1998	O
,	O
in	O
1996	O
,	O
this	O
was	O
something	O
of	O
an	O
innovation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Earlier	O
games	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Dune	B-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
featured	O
different	O
sides	O
with	O
different	O
attributes	O
,	O
but	O
not	O
to	O
the	O
extent	O
found	O
in	O
War	B-Application
Wind	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
be	O
successful	O
in	O
the	O
various	O
scenarios	O
of	O
War	B-Application
Wind	I-Application
,	O
a	O
player	O
must	O
both	O
construct	O
,	O
maintain	O
,	O
and	O
defend	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
structures	O
,	O
and	O
hire	O
,	O
train	O
,	O
and	O
promote	O
units	O
for	O
both	O
combat	O
and	O
advanced	O
construction	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Clan	O
leaders	O
are	O
the	O
head	O
of	O
group	O
,	O
upon	O
which	O
the	O
players	O
lose	O
the	O
game	O
immediately	O
if	O
they	O
die	O
;	O
workers	O
are	O
used	O
to	O
gather	O
resources	O
and	O
build	O
structures	O
,	O
vehicles	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
machinery	O
;	O
mercenaries	O
are	O
mounted	O
infantry	O
units	O
who	O
can	O
generally	O
traverse	O
Yavaun	O
very	O
quickly	O
;	O
warriors	O
are	O
battle-hardened	O
units	O
that	O
generally	O
deal	O
more	O
damage	O
than	O
any	O
other	O
unit	O
;	O
scouts	O
have	O
the	O
main	O
benefit	O
of	O
stealth	O
and	O
powerful	O
long-ranged	O
combat	O
;	O
mages	O
,	O
though	O
generally	O
weak	O
,	O
have	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
cast	O
powerful	O
and	O
game-altering	O
spells	B-Application
;	O
and	O
war	O
machines	O
are	O
incredibly	O
resilient	O
and	O
mighty	O
units	O
that	O
have	O
been	O
biomechanically	O
augmented	O
to	O
the	O
point	O
of	O
militant	O
excellency	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Courthouses	O
are	O
used	O
to	O
store	O
resources	O
gathered	O
by	O
workers	O
;	O
inns	O
are	O
large	O
buildings	O
that	O
house	O
randomly	O
appearing	O
workers	O
,	O
mercenaries	O
,	O
and	O
heroes	O
who	O
can	O
typically	O
be	O
hired	O
in	O
exchange	O
for	O
resources	O
;	O
homes	O
are	O
used	O
to	O
increase	O
the	O
amount	O
of	O
maximum	O
units	O
you	O
are	O
able	O
to	O
have	O
;	O
technical	O
facilities	O
are	O
generally	O
used	O
to	O
research	O
bio-upgrades	O
,	O
vehicles	O
,	O
advanced	O
structures	O
,	O
and	O
complex	O
machinery	O
;	O
war	O
colleges	O
are	O
generally	O
used	O
to	O
train	O
warriors	O
and	O
scouts	O
;	O
and	O
arcaneries	O
are	O
generally	O
used	O
to	O
train	O
mages	O
and	O
research	O
spells	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
War	B-Application
Wind	I-Application
has	O
unique	O
monsters	O
(	O
sometimes	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
"	O
critters	O
"	O
)	O
that	O
have	O
no	O
affiliation	O
with	O
any	O
of	O
the	O
four	O
selectable	O
races	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bonca	O
:	O
Perhaps	O
the	O
most	O
common	O
monster	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
bonca	O
are	O
rhino-like	O
,	O
bright-peach	O
colored	O
,	O
plump	O
,	O
six-legged	O
monsters	O
with	O
a	O
stubby	O
horn	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
creature	O
is	O
completely	O
immune	O
to	O
magical	O
spells	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Snipethorn	O
:	O
Snipethorns	O
are	O
small	O
,	O
white	O
anteater-like	O
creatures	O
with	O
long-range	O
firing	O
capabilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
a	O
finalist	O
for	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
Worlds	O
and	O
CNET	O
Gamecenter	O
's	O
1996	O
"	O
Strategy	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
awards	O
,	O
both	O
of	O
which	O
ultimately	O
went	O
to	O
Civilization	B-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
