Another change noticeable off the bat is the ability of town guards to fight alongside the player against invading foes. Wandering the countryside, the party will even run across bands of allies fighting enemies. In other changes, a grandmaster level has been added to the experience process. Yep, the game can be played two different ways, at least after that point. The entire storyline branches.
Various cards drop from the pack.
These either attack the enemy, build up the player's defenses, add to the resources or a combination of the above. Still and all, this installment does good by the series as a whole.