Imperialism (game)
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| Imperialism | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Frog City Software |
| Publisher(s) | SSI |
| Release date(s) | 1997 |
| Genre(s) | Turn-Based Strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single player & Multiplayer |
| Platform(s) | Apple Macintosh, Windows |
| Media | CD-ROM |
| Input | Mouse & Keyboard |
Imperialism is a turn-based strategy game for Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh computers, developed by Frog City Software and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI) in 1997. In Imperialism, the player is the ruler of a 19th century country, and must build an empire.
Empire building can be achieved either through diplomacy or through conquest. In either case, the empire must have a solid economic grounding, which is established by exploitation of the country's resources (wood, ore, etc.), by industry (turning raw materials such as iron and coal into steel) and by trade.
Imperialism was followed by Imperialism II: Age of Exploration.
Contents |
[edit] Gameplay
There are two ways to play Imperialism: in a fictional, randomly generated world, or in a historical scenario. In the first case, the player selects one of seven "great powers" and starts ruling in 1815, a year considered by many historians the beginning of the 19th century era in the real world. The goal is to be voted world ruler by a two-thirds majority in the "Council of Governors", in which all provincial governors of the world convene once in a decade. Governors in "minor nations" tend to vote for great powers that have favored their country in trade and diplomacy, governors in great powers vote for strong military powers. If no two-thirds majority is ever reached, the game continues until the year 1915, when the power with the largest number of governors behind it wins the game.
In the historical scenarios, the player chooses a European industrial power (depending on the scenario, Great Britain, France, Prussia, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Sardinia, Italy, Russia and the Ottoman Empire are available). The game starts not in 1815 but either in 1820 (apparently so that France isn't too weak at the start of the game), in 1848, the year of revolutions, or in 1882, at the start of the arms race that eventually led to World War I. The end of the game is still the same, except that in the third scenario (1882) the Council of Governors does not convene until 1915.
Game editors and mods have also been published to create new scenarios, such as a world map.
Imperialism is entirely turn-based. Each turn, players make their decisions in five screens: the map screen, where "specialists" (prospectors, engineers, etc.) are put to work, and military orders are given; the transport screen, where transport capacity is allocated; the industry screen, where production is determined; the trade screen, where offers and bids for the next trade session are determined; and the diplomacy screen, where diplomatic decisions are made.
When the players clicks the "End turn" button, the orders are processed. Turn-based trade sessions, diplomacy sessions (the acceptance/declining of treaties) and battles follow. Battles too are turn-based, and they can be either fought by the player or left to the game AI. Naval battles are always handled by the AI.
In multiplayer mode, at most 7 players can play together over a network.
[edit] Economy
Imperialism's economic model is a kind of mercantilism: the state controls production and engages in trade.
To produce anything, raw materials are needed. These can be bought on the world market, or gained by exploitation of resources in the country. For instance, timber can be obtained by exploiting woods. It can subsequently be transformed into lumber in a lumber mill. Finally, lumber can be sold on the world market, but it can be also be processed further into either furniture (needed to recruit workers) or into ships (for trade or naval warfare). It is also needed to build new factories or upgrade existing ones.
[edit] Diplomacy
In the Imperialism diplomacy screen, various treaties can be proposed to other countries, and war can be declared on them. Also, trade subsidies may be offered. These increase the prices paid for a country's export goods, and decrease the price the other country pays for the player's exports, making trade more profitable for the other country and thus more likely.
The treaties which may be proposed are:
- Non-aggression pact. Only possible between a great power and a minor nation. When a minor nation is attacked by another great power (they never attack each other), the minor nations will request help from any power with which it signed a non-aggression pact. If the request is honored, the minor nation joins the great power's empire.
- Alliance. An alliance can only be forged between two great powers. When any of them enters a war, the allies are obliged to wage war as well.
- Request to join an empire. Minor nations will voluntarily join the empire of any power that has been sufficiently kind to them in the past (lots of trade, financial grants, a pact).
- Peace treaty.
- Declaration of war. This is the only treaty which may not be refused (although no minor nation will ever refuse a non-aggression pact).
