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By Al Giovetti03/09/97
Price:TBA
Genre:
Release:April 1997
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Publisher: GT Interactive
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Website: www.gtinteractive.com
Requirements:TBA


Imperium Galactica

History

There was the immensely popular Master of Orion (MOO) which involved the colonization of planets, the development of a colony, the production and management of resources, and the eventual production of a space fleet to conquer the known galaxy. Even before MOO was Imperium Galacticum by SSI with a similar plotline and a name almost identical to this game. Even Derek Smart's Battlecruiser 3000AD, an almost Battlestar Galactica-type game of space combat, conquest and resource management, was a game like the new Imperium Galactica appears to be.

Company Line

The next generation of galactic conquest gaming. Combining detailed Empire building with real-time strategic space and ground combat, Imperium Galactica is a sophisticated strategy gamers dream.

You start as a young Lieutenant with the assignment of restoring peace to a small area of the known galaxy. As you rise through the ranks, you will receive assignments designed to earn you more responsibility, develop your leadership skills and prepare you for the incredible challenges that await.

Ultimately, specific missions are replaced with one main objective: reclaim mankind's dwindling Empire and save humanity from destruction. How you achieve that objective is entirely up to you. The universe is yours... if you can handle it.

Game Play

You start the game as a lieutenant (Naval ranking)in control of a small destroyer with a mission to settle the now out of hand affairs of a remote planet. As with all of these games, your success on a series of mission will insure your rise to power and will result in your controlling more and more ships and resources

The missions appear to be scripted or canned as the proponents of random missions are wont to say as casting aspersions. The "canned" missions when done correctly are like a finely crafted story with a script and sufficient detail to keep those of us happy who enjoy a good book, movie, or plot in our games. Random missions are more challenging tactically and have more play value but often have no story.

The way you get variety in a scripted game is to add more missions. Some scripted games have as many as 250 missions like Origin's AH 64 D Longbow. This should be enough variety to keep even the random mission buffs happy, but another more satisfying way is to have both scripted and random missions as was seen in the first Privateer.

Mission assignments received as radio messages, include escort missions, rescue merchants from pirates, space battles, and others. Real-time tactical battles are conducted in "overhead" perspective, if there is such a thing in space. The combat screen is divided into a view of the ship with ship status, a large local battle overhead view, a small overall map view, a message window, a series of ten command buttons, including stop, move, attack, guard, grids toggle, range to target, and others.There is no first person fighter combat model in this game. There will be a ground combat module.

Most of this real time game is centered around the bridge of the ship that you command. A stellar view will allow you to navigate space to your next destination. The stellar view shows star systems and planets and as technology develops the ranges between the planets will be shown graphically on the diplay along with the ships in orbit around the systems. The overhead oblique planet view will work with colony building with structures, managing resources, and manufacturing military and civilian units. The surface of the planet is shown with diamon shaped structures filling the landscape.

Colony management on over 100 inhabitable planets is traditional with the building, repair and dimolition of over 200 structure types, setting taxes and production levels, and disasters to deal with. The colonists are finicky and they can cause you trouble unless you give them a good amount of attention and interest. You also apparently have to deal with the normal stresses of maintaining relations with your wife and children. Diplomacy with seven unique alien races and two renegade human empires increases the level of complexity. The diplomacy model provides for alliances, technology trading, treaties, and war.

You can research, develop and upgrade your technology with hundreds of new spaceships, satellites, weapons, buildings, equipment and vehicles.

Plot

There is a gigantic empire which is made up of tons of sentient races of which man is only one. In the midst of great success in avoiding wars and technological and financial success the seeds of corruption foment and grow into a giant tangled octopus extending the width and breadth of the empire. Your job is to return the empire of the galaxy to its true course and of course defeat the forces of evil. (Place trumpet blast and drum roll here - Ed.)

Graphics

Animation

Voice Actors

Music Score

Sound Effects

Utilities

Multi-player Features

Cheats, Hints, Walkthrough

  • Imperium Galactica Cheats

    Journalists

    I have started to recently re-read the Isaac Asimov's Foundation series, and Scott makes an admirably astute connection to that type of empire as a potential model for the game. Scott is on his current bent for random missions while he and others know that the scripted missions are more fun for many.

    References

    Scott Udell, Imperium Galactica, Computer Games, issue 77, April, 1997, pg. 44. Imperium Galactica GT Interactive Site
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