Space Empire games ?

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Ok, maybee this topic has been covered a million times before but...
What are some of the best Space Empire games; ex: Space Empires IV
 
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Yes, in my opinion you have named the best one. SE4 Gold. But you'll
have trouble finding it. It appears to be out of print. SE5 is in
beta-testing right now.

For an excellent single-player only game (no multiplayer of any kind),
I'd recommend Galactic Civilizations.

For a very good PBEM game (can be played solo, but it's boring and
tedious that way) I'd recommend the old game Stars!

VGA Planets version 4 is in perpetual beta-test but appears to be
pretty close to finalized. It's multiplayer only -- no AI -- and it
looks very complex with an interface that might not be the easiest to
use.

Matrix Games just patched and rereleased Reach For the Stars, and I've
been having fun with it. Single and multiplayer support, but no PBEM.

An older game that was underappreciated and can be downloaded from
theunderdogs.org was Emperor of the Fading Suns. Single-player,
hotseat, and PBEM. Get the Nova or Hyperion fan mods for best
gameplay.

Another really good older game, more of a light strategy game, was
Spaceward Ho! Don't expect great depth from this one -- it's more like
Risk in space. Well, a little more complex than that. It's a lot of
fun to play.
 
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On 15 May 2005 18:05:10 -0700, "ReconRyan" <lyincryin@aol.com> wrote:

>Ok, maybee this topic has been covered a million times before but...
>What are some of the best Space Empire games; ex: Space Empires IV

Ones currently receiving praise:

- Galactic Civilizations.
- Master of Orion II.
- Space Empires IV.

Other games that seem to be a hot topic (but aren't necessairly
recommended):
- Master of Orion III. (Has a poor implementation, but there were salvage
attempts made by its users.)
- (I'm sure there's others, but can't remember any.)
 
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"ReconRyan" <lyincryin@aol.com> wrote in news:1116205510.041166.110490
@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

> Ok, maybee this topic has been covered a million times before but...
> What are some of the best Space Empire games; ex: Space Empires IV

That one is the best as far as Im concerned. And I think Ive played every
one that gets mentioned here.

You can try to order one at www.gamersfront.com but its on sell down. Once
the present are sold, thats it. SEV will hopefully be out soon.

And be sure to visit the user forums at shrapnelgames.com to get all the
mods. The game is only as good as everyone says because of all the player-
made mods.

Gandalf Parker
 
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> And be sure to visit the user forums at shrapnelgames.com to get all the
> mods. The game is only as good as everyone says because of all the player-
> made mods.

What are the must-have mods?
 
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Can the regular SEIV be upgraded to gold or at least all the mods work
- because that is still for sale, I have not found Gold anywhere except
ebay for sky high $...
 
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"Mother Farquhar" <fake@ddress.com> wrote in
news:BnXhe.12240$he1.4553@newsfe6-gui.ntli.net:

>> And be sure to visit the user forums at shrapnelgames.com to get all
>> the mods. The game is only as good as everyone says because of all
>> the player- made mods.
>
> What are the must-have mods?

Well I took it from 8 races to a couple hundred, added the mod that makes
the galaxy 5-10 times bigger, the one that adds space monsters is pretty
cool.

You can always start with the basic game and add mods as you get feeling
restricted. Everything in the game seems to have an expansion mod for
later. Planet types, technologies, improving the AI, space pirates and
nomads, etc etc. I think of the basic game as almost a "demo" now compared
to what it becomes with mods.

Gandalf Parker
 
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On 16 May 2005 07:33:33 -0700, "ReconRyan" <lyincryin@aol.com> wrote:

>Can the regular SEIV be upgraded to gold

IIRC, the Gold pack is disjuncted from the original. You can't patch from
the older version to the new one, unless you go through underground
channels.

> or at least all the mods work

Not sure, but there are plenty of mods that work under Gold. If you have
compatability problems, it shouldn't be too hard to modify the mods to get
them working.
 
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<<I just bought three copies from Shrapnel a few weeks ago. >>

Congrats, but what's your point?. Their website currently lists it as
out of print.
 
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ReconRyan wrote:
> Ok, maybee this topic has been covered a million times before but...
> What are some of the best Space Empire games; ex: Space Empires IV

If you are able to hotseat, and want a bit more action in your 4x
games, I would reccomend Space Federation
http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?id=1433

It is abandonware and is free to download from the underdogs, however
it may not be your cup of tea as it is a similtanious 2 player 4x rts.
You can play single player, but it does get boring after a while of
doing that.
 
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fizzy <ewoh27@aol.com> wrote:
: Yes, in my opinion you have named the best one. SE4 Gold. But you'll
: have trouble finding it. It appears to be out of print. SE5 is in
: beta-testing right now.

I just bought three copies from Shrapnel a few weeks ago.

Valtteri
 

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"ReconRyan" <lyincryin@aol.com> wrote in
news:1116205510.041166.110490@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

> Ok, maybee this topic has been covered a million times before but...
> What are some of the best Space Empire games; ex: Space Empires IV

Best Space Empires games:

Space Empires
Space Empires II
Space Empires III
Space Empires IV
 
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Dweeb <dbohnenberger@yahoo.com> wrote in
news:Xns9659CB2E9266Adbohnenberger@216.196.97.142:

> "ReconRyan" <lyincryin@aol.com> wrote in
> news:1116205510.041166.110490@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:
>
>> Ok, maybee this topic has been covered a million times before but...
>> What are some of the best Space Empire games; ex: Space Empires IV
>
> Best Space Empires games:
>
> Space Empires
> Space Empires II
> Space Empires III
> Space Empires IV


LOL
and soon, Space Empires V :)
Gandalf Parker
 
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"Gandalf Parker" <gandalf@most.of.my.favorite.sites> wrote in message
news:Xns965834F98EA1Fgandalfparker@208.201.224.154...
> "Mother Farquhar" <fake@ddress.com> wrote in
> news:BnXhe.12240$he1.4553@newsfe6-gui.ntli.net:
>
>>> And be sure to visit the user forums at shrapnelgames.com to get all
>>> the mods. The game is only as good as everyone says because of all
>>> the player- made mods.
>>
>> What are the must-have mods?
>
> Well I took it from 8 races to a couple hundred, added the mod that makes
> the galaxy 5-10 times bigger, the one that adds space monsters is pretty
> cool.
>

Could you name those mods or give links to them - I havent played SEIV gold
for ages and they might be fun to try.

Thanks.
 
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"L'acrobat" <husky.65@delete_me.bigpond.com> wrote in
news:wdAie.6828$E7.1764@news-server.bigpond.net.au:

> "Gandalf Parker" <gandalf@most.of.my.favorite.sites> wrote in message
> news:Xns965834F98EA1Fgandalfparker@208.201.224.154...
>> "Mother Farquhar" <fake@ddress.com> wrote in
>> news:BnXhe.12240$he1.4553@newsfe6-gui.ntli.net:
>>
>>>> And be sure to visit the user forums at shrapnelgames.com to get
>>>> all the mods. The game is only as good as everyone says because of
>>>> all the player- made mods.
>>>
>>> What are the must-have mods?
>>
>> Well I took it from 8 races to a couple hundred, added the mod that
>> makes the galaxy 5-10 times bigger, the one that adds space monsters
>> is pretty cool.
>
> Could you name those mods or give links to them - I havent played SEIV
> gold for ages and they might be fun to try.

Usually I would but Im no longer getting paid for it and I should really
be working on what I am supposed to be doing. It would involve me going
to shrapnelgames.com, in the SEIV forums, and asking for the latest links
since many of these are ongoing updates by the people making them.
Maybe someone else will before I get around to it, here is the
location....
http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/ubbthreads.php
 
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Gold is no where to be found. I do see IV regular still available in a
few places is it worth it to get that or should I wait for V ???
 
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"Gandalf Parker" <gandalf@most.of.my.favorite.sites> wrote in message
news:Xns965A57916B57gandalfparker@208.201.224.154...

>
> Usually I would but Im no longer getting paid for it and I should really
> be working on what I am supposed to be doing. It would involve me going
> to shrapnelgames.com, in the SEIV forums, and asking for the latest links
> since many of these are ongoing updates by the people making them.
> Maybe someone else will before I get around to it, here is the
> location....
> http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/ubbthreads.php

OK, that gives me a starting point.

Thanks.
 
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"ReconRyan" <lyincryin@aol.com> wrote in news:1116468500.211081.201470
@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

> Gold is no where to be found. I do see IV regular still available in a
> few places is it worth it to get that or should I wait for V ???

Hmmmm feels like a tossup to me. Get regular and you will have problems
figuring out which mods will run with it. And if you wait till V you will
have a gap while the IV mods are being upgraded

Gandalf Parker
 
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fizzy <ewoh27@aol.com> wrote:
: <<I just bought three copies from Shrapnel a few weeks ago. >>
:
: Congrats, but what's your point?. Their website currently lists it as
: out of print.

No point at all, sorry :)

Being as ignorant as I am, I didn't realize it's a Shrapnel game. I
thought they were just a retail outlet and might have copies left.

Cool game, though, having a lot of fun.

Valtteri
 
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ReconRyan <lyincryin@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1116205510.041166.110490@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Ok, maybee this topic has been covered a million times before but...
> What are some of the best Space Empire games; ex: Space Empires IV
>
Regarding Space Empires IV, it appears that Shrapnel is dropping the Space
Empires franchise but that it is being taken up by Strategy First, which is
reissuing Star Fury and also Space Empires IV Deluxe, which apparently is
essentially Space Empires IV Gold but with additional add-ons or mods. It
appears that they will also be releasing Space Empires V eventually but that
is not explicitly stated at the Strategy First web site.

At the same time Strategy First itself has been gobbled up by a larger
corporate entity. Go to the Strategy First website for more information.
 
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"Scott Kurtz" <kurtz.s@worldnet.att.net> wrote in
news:lJ8je.792886$w62.230439@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net:

>
> ReconRyan <lyincryin@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:1116205510.041166.110490@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>> Ok, maybee this topic has been covered a million times before but...
>> What are some of the best Space Empire games; ex: Space Empires IV
>>
> Regarding Space Empires IV, it appears that Shrapnel is dropping the
> Space Empires franchise but that it is being taken up by Strategy
> First,

Not actually. Shrapnel was quite willing to continue but Malfador decided
that they could gamble on a shelfware publishing company. I wish him luck
with it.

> which is reissuing Star Fury and also Space Empires IV Deluxe,
> which apparently is essentially Space Empires IV Gold but with
> additional add-ons or mods.

GOOD NEWS! It took abit to find the info but yes you are correct. The
StarFury release I knew about but I didnt realize we would get some new
releases of SEIV. Thanks for the info!

> It appears that they will also be
> releasing Space Empires V eventually but that is not explicitly stated
> at the Strategy First web site.

Yes, that was actually the move,that SEV would be a Strat-1st product. The
StarFury and SEIV thing seems to have been tacked onto the deal later.

> At the same time Strategy First itself has been gobbled up by a larger
> corporate entity. Go to the Strategy First website for more
> information.

Interesting. Wow, I can buy stock in SEV :)

Gandalf Parker
 
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While we're on the topic SEIV Gold and such, has anyone ever played a
game without warp points? I notice that there is an option for that.
How does that work? How do you get from system to system? Do you
have to wait until you develope the technology to open your own warp
points?


Dav Vandenbroucke
davanden at cox dot net
 
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I really liked the SE4 game - pretty much the best 4X game I ever played.
Only problem with it was the hex type movement and the use of wormholes to
get into systems which resulted in those being mined and blockaded all the
time. I preferred the Stars! type gameplay myself. Why the makers of Stars!
have not managed to find a publisher for their sequel alludes me - I would
have thought the market for a great 4X strategy game is quite large at the
moment. Cetainly stratey games are all the rage.
Nats

"Gandalf Parker" <gandalf@most.of.my.favorite.sites> wrote in message
news:Xns965BA704C1BFDgandalfparker@208.201.224.154...
> "Scott Kurtz" <kurtz.s@worldnet.att.net> wrote in
> news:lJ8je.792886$w62.230439@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net:
>
>>
>> ReconRyan <lyincryin@aol.com> wrote in message
>> news:1116205510.041166.110490@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>>> Ok, maybee this topic has been covered a million times before but...
>>> What are some of the best Space Empire games; ex: Space Empires IV
>>>
>> Regarding Space Empires IV, it appears that Shrapnel is dropping the
>> Space Empires franchise but that it is being taken up by Strategy
>> First,
>
> Not actually. Shrapnel was quite willing to continue but Malfador decided
> that they could gamble on a shelfware publishing company. I wish him luck
> with it.
>
>> which is reissuing Star Fury and also Space Empires IV Deluxe,
>> which apparently is essentially Space Empires IV Gold but with
>> additional add-ons or mods.
>
> GOOD NEWS! It took abit to find the info but yes you are correct. The
> StarFury release I knew about but I didnt realize we would get some new
> releases of SEIV. Thanks for the info!
>
>> It appears that they will also be
>> releasing Space Empires V eventually but that is not explicitly stated
>> at the Strategy First web site.
>
> Yes, that was actually the move,that SEV would be a Strat-1st product. The
> StarFury and SEIV thing seems to have been tacked onto the deal later.
>
>> At the same time Strategy First itself has been gobbled up by a larger
>> corporate entity. Go to the Strategy First website for more
>> information.
>
> Interesting. Wow, I can buy stock in SEV :)
>
> Gandalf Parker
 

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Gandalf Parker <gandalf@most.of.my.favorite.sites> wrote in
news:Xns9659C117297CDgandalfparker@208.201.224.154:

> Dweeb <dbohnenberger@yahoo.com> wrote in
> news:Xns9659CB2E9266Adbohnenberger@216.196.97.142:
>
>> "ReconRyan" <lyincryin@aol.com> wrote in
>> news:1116205510.041166.110490@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:
>>
>>> Ok, maybee this topic has been covered a million times before but...
>>> What are some of the best Space Empire games; ex: Space Empires IV
>>
>> Best Space Empires games:
>>
>> Space Empires
>> Space Empires II
>> Space Empires III
>> Space Empires IV
>
>
> LOL
> and soon, Space Empires V :)
> Gandalf Parker

Believe it or not, I played SEII. It was kind of amusing to an old Starfire
player but the AI was REALLY bad. Aaron actually mailed out new floppies
when he patched it. I am amazed and impressed at how far it has some.
 
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On Fri, 20 May 2005 17:16:39 -0400, Dav Vandenbroucke
<dav_and_frances_vandenbroucke@compuserve.com> wrote:

>While we're on the topic SEIV Gold and such, has anyone ever played a
>game without warp points? I notice that there is an option for that.
>How does that work? How do you get from system to system? Do you
>have to wait until you develope the technology to open your own warp
>points?

That's exactly how it works - empires research warp point opening
technology to expand to other systems.

The game play is much different, as it generally revolved around maximizing
research rather than production. I'm not sure what the optimal path is,
but in general, you need to find a way to make your research as efficient
as possible (by dumping tech into research, Ice/Rock/Gas Planetary
Colonization, Planetary utilization, Stellar Harnessing, etc.)

I don't really like this system, though - it's highly dependant on the
starting system, where players that have a fully colonizable planet
(matching type and atmosphere) have an advantage.