Demigod is a game of warring demigods, each with unique powers and abilities. You face off against other demigods in battles that look something like an elaborate fantasy-themed real time strategy game. But since you don't control the battles - the fighting essentially happens around you - Demigod doesn't really play like a real time strategy game. It's a bit more like an action RPG you happen to play during a pitched battle. Over the course of the next eight game diaries, I'll use each of the demigods as a jumping off point to talk about the game.

Up first, the demigod I least understand. This will be a good point of entry for those of you who haven't played the game yet. My confusion and cluelessness will mirror yours.

Stumble around with me after the jump, where I'll introduce you to Sedna.

Sedna is a chick wearing fur and riding a saber-toothed tiger for whom she has already purchased downloadable tiger armor. She can summon yetis and heal wounds, which are two skills rarely seen together in fantasy games. Throw in the fact that she can impose silence, sort of like a librarian or an enemy of the First Amendment. Now you've got three skills that I'll bet have never been mixed in a fantasy world. I'm not quite sure what to do with Sedna. With the other demigods, I get a great sense for various tactics I can cook up. Every demigod is like a buffet of mix-and-match spells and powers. Each of the other seven has come with a revelation moment or two, an "Ah-ha!" as I figured out how to fit together their unique abilities to turn the tide of battle. I've had no such revelations about Sedna. It's like various relationships I've had that I look back on and go, 'Wait, what? Huh?' Sedna is like those girls. Was that too personal? I figure the word "diaries" in "game diaries" gives me a lot of leeway.

Speaking of 'Wait, what? Huh?', let's talk about how to get you past the point of cluelessness in Demigod once you've fallen for the hype, which I'll be party to over the next several game diaries (spoiler: I love Demigod!). Naturally, you're going to go straight for the tutorial. Well, there isn't one. So you'll be forced to resort to the rather unhelpful manual. Where you'll find this disclaimer:

Let's face it, the two most annoying ways to learn how to play a game are the user manual and an in-game tutorial. Anyone who has ever introduced a group of friends to a strategy game has probably not told them to take a scholarly review of the manual or had them play through some hackneyed in-game tutorial mission.

What follows is a page about how to play. I'm not sure why the developers wrote it, given that they're pretty assured no one is going to read it.

Therefore, you have a couple of options. Your first option is to just set up a game against an easy AI. But before you launch the game, go into the options and enable adjustable game speed. There's no way of knowing this, because it's completely undocumented, but now you can now use the +/- keys on the keypad to change the game's speed. So when the match starts, slow things down and take your time reading over the thorough ingame tool tips. Pay particular attention to your demigod's skills. Maybe look over the doo-dads at the item shop. Check out the upgrades your automated armies and defenses get at the citadel. Run around with your demigod and fight little enemy army men. Capture flags. To win the game, work your way up to purchasing the Catapultasuarii at your citadel, who will march out and throw rocks at things until you've won.

Alternatively, there's a tutorial/promotional video narrated by Mike Marr, the lead designer, you can watch. Go to the main Demigod page here and click on the video on the bottom of the right side of the page.

Tomorrow: I'll tell you which demigod to play, which you better hurry and do before he gets nerfed.