In the standard single-player modes, the game makes turns for each of the players on the map while you make your turns. This results in a strange real-time turn for each sequence. Therefore, while you've fortified all your cities, conquered a few lands and even started building an army in one turn, you'll still have to wait for everyone else on the map to finish before you regain control of your party. This significantly affects the multiplayer experience as well, unless you're willing to save every five hours and come back to it the next day.

Though the gaming consistency is affected by this time factor, Age Of Wonders is extremely addictive. There's a multiplicity of spells and skills at your disposal that you can learn as your status increases, as well as a select few units that you encounter from time to time, known as heroes. Heroes basically have the ability to gain levels and use unique skills to annihilate opponents. Usually veterans on arrival, each hero will have a few skills that they've mastered already, and they're always formidable in combat sequences. You'll find heroes that can be employed by forking out enough of your gold to satisfy their blood lust, so make sure that you've got plenty of gold spare at all times as facing a hero can end up in a very bloody situation indeed.

When you attack a unit or city, you can choose to fight the battle automatically, speeding up the game considerably, or to combat your enemy with a Command and Conquer-style strategic encounter. Depending on how many armies you have surrounding your opponent, and how many armies they have to defend, these battles can take quite some time.