The prequel invites you to participate in the events preceding the story told in the campaign of the main game. You are the famous filibuster Duncan Ironbrow, who was unexpectedly dragged into "big politics". You are destined to become a hero of the Battle for Independence of Samreignia. Two story missions, plus one Endless Mode exclusive map layout await you. Like in the original RTS-game, in Diplomacy is Not an Option: Shareware, you need to develop your economy and hire armies, to stand against overwhelming enemy forces.

Build fortifications, raise your armies, and experience warfare on an entirely new scale. Over 25 THOUSAND enemies will assault your castle walls. Every arrow, catapult stone and enemy launched skywards is physically modeled, making for a tactile and coherent battlefield. Just make sure your troops have towers to shoot from and clear lines of sight, or you might find your best-laid plans embarrassingly blunted by your own fortifications. Create kill-zones and fall-back positions. You will need to take an active role in combat to get the best from your men.

A functional army requires a functional economy to support and feed it. Food, Wood, Stone, Iron, and Gold are the foundations of your city’s economy, and you will need to watch your supplies carefully if you are to meet the advancing foe in a timely manner. Gather resources, choose your storage locations, plan your expansions and upgrades with care. The enemy will not cede their lands willingly, and unprotected civilian expansions will have consequences of falling prey to the hostile incursion. Trade, via the impressive merchant dirigible, bringing emergency supplies of food to feed the men, or stone to rebuild the walls.

Of course, sturdy castle walls will protect you from most ordinary threats, but why use only might whereas magic exists as well? Learn it yourself and trap the souls of your fallen enemies. There are few spells in the game, but using any of them can change the course of the battle. Build magical monuments, harvest soul crystals and give a try to a maniacal laugh as searing magical beams tear through your foes and summoned Dark Knights to chase down the stragglers. Oh, and don't forget about the ability to freeze time. After all, pausing the game is a kind of "magic" that is available to you at any moment.