Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!uunet!bcstec!voodoo!mjt
From: mjt@voodoo.UUCP (Jim Tallant)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.games
Subject: Re: Empire v2.05 Gurus!
Message-ID: <903@voodoo.UUCP>
Date: 7 Feb 91 16:42:31 GMT
References: <43822@nigel.ee.udel.edu>
Organization: BoGART To You Buddy, Bellevue, WA
Lines: 91

In article <43822@nigel.ee.udel.edu> PYC118@uriacc.uri.edu (Rasiel) writes:
>I never thought that a game this venerable would bag but when I went into
>the editor and chose the 'sprinkle cities' option it guru'd with a 'software
>error- task withheld'. I wanted to make a terrain-less world consisting of
>city-islands only. 

Never tried sprinkling cities like this.  I did manually place a world of
only city islands and had no problem validating them.

> 	[comments about the computer players lousy strategies]
	[btw, I agree, much better to play against a human]

>1) it never attacks you from the rear

>2) It seldom builds battleships

	My favorite weapon.  Great for softening my an enemy shore
	before landing your own armys

>3) Once Empire captures a city it doesn't try to hold on to it very fervently

	You can even things up and make them harder by adjusting the 
	production and battle efficiency settings.  This makes it less 
	certain that you will win as many battles and will allow the computer 
	to build stuff faster.

>I'd like to see in a future update of this very addictive game:
>1) [allow dissimilar pieces to occupy the same space. ie: ships and planes]

	I agree! I hate it when I loose a plane because my armys are blocking
	a city.

>2) very slow towards the 200th turn. 

	Just think how long it would take if this was a manual board game
	and you had to move 200 or 300+ pieces (on each side) every turn!

>3) missing some key pieces. 
>.. satellite would make reconnaisance much easier and faster. 

	No. Not satellites.  That would make it _too_ easy to find the enemy
	held land masses.  Much of the pleasure I get from the game is in
	exploring and discovering the world and suddenly running into a black
	or a red army where you least expect it.  This is where it gets 
	interesting because you have your armys sperad all over the place
	looking for them and now you have to totally change your tactics and
	regroup your forces to the area where the enemy is.

>.. Missiles 

	This would be cool.

>.. bomber(s)

	definitely!

>.. air-transport

>4) maps should be bigger and also include different topologies 

	This would add a lot.  Especially having different types of terrain.

>5) Maybe the graphics could be improved 

	Would be nice.  The graphics are definitely lacking.  As long as
	it didn't detract from the playability of the game which is it's
	strongest asset.  I would rather have a good "game" and marginal
	graphics that have great graphics and a poor game.  This is 
	difinitely a very good game.

>.. and there should be a map of our own world so that I can have the 
>   pleasure of single-handedly invading the hell out of Iraq! :)

	My game came with maps of the Caribean (sp) and the Mediterranean Sea.
	(I also have v2.05)
	It would be great to have a map of the whole world.

>
>Maybe I'm dreaming, heh, v2.05 came out way back in 1988 so I doubt they
>have any plans to make improvements.

Your probably right.  Maybe it's time for a complete rewrite.

>Rasiel, pyc118@uriacc


-- 
Jim Tallant / mjt@voodoo.boeing.com / uunet!bcstec!voodoo!mjt / bogey on!
==============================================================================
The only trouble with the future is that it
gets here so much faster than it used to.              Author unknown