MGG review: Imperialism

Diplomacy, trading and military might are molded together to form a strategy game that is what Colonization attempted to be.

I have always been a strategy game player. From when I started playing the original Civilization and SimCity I was hooked. One of the most recent additions, Imperialism, comes form SSI (Strategy Simulations Inc) and is the first game they have made for the Mac.

In Imperialism you are the President of a country that you have to make the the most rich and prosperous in the World. To do this you must make allies with stronger nations and conquer and exploit the weaker countries. The usual strategy game dilemma is well implemented in Imperialism: do you expand and improve your economy, or do you build up your armies and conquer other countries.

The three aspects to the game are diplomacy, trading and fighting. What makes this game so special is that it is one of the only games out that includes diplomacy and it has been implemented well. In the special diplomacy screen, you can make alliances and pacts with countries, make trade agreements, offer grants and declare war.

To generate revenue, you have to trade with other countries. The best way to make lots of money is to buy a lot of raw materials off the poorer countries, expand your manufacturing facilities, and sell the goods back to them at a large profit. You can also gather raw materials from your country via railways that you build. To maximize your output you can upgrade your manufacturing plants and hire more workers.

In Imperialism there are many different types of military units. You can build up large armies and naval fleets to attack neighboring countries. To fight you first have to declare war on a country and then you can move your units into their country. You can then choose to fight the battle yourself or let the computer do it for you. Fighting is turn based and like "Conquest of the New World" only over a larger area and more units.

A really good feature of this game is that it lets you play against other people over the internet or on a network. This is something that I have always wished was in Civilization, and will no dought increase the appeal of the game.

The only downside to this game that I can think of is that it takes at least half an hour to understand what you are doing, and a bit longer than that to really get into the game. But, if you stick it out and give it a go you will find that Imperialism is one of the most addictive and enjoyable games you will ever play.

Minimum Requirements

Test Computer

CPU

Any PowerPC

180MHz 603ev

Free RAM

8 MB

24 MB

System

7.5.3

7.5.5

Monitor

640x480 @ 256 Colors

640x480 @ Thousands

Retail Price: $50

Homepage: http://www.Imperialism.com

Download URL: 54MB from Download.com

Rating (1-5):

Reviewed by Cameron Jones

Diplomacy, trading and military might are molded together to form a strategy game that is what Colonization attempted to be.
	I have always been a strategy game player. From when I started playing the original Civilization and SimCity I was hooked. One of the most recent additions, Imperialism, comes form SSI (Strategy Simulations Inc) and is the first game they have made for the Mac.
In Imperialism you are the President of a country that you have to make the the most rich and prosperous in the World. To do this you must make allies with stronger nations and conquer and exploit the weaker countries. The usual strategy game dilemma is well implemented in Imperialism: do you expand and improve your economy, or do you build up your armies and conquer other countries.
	The three aspects to the game are diplomacy, trading and fighting. What makes this game so special is that it is one of the only games out that includes diplomacy and it has been implemented well. In the special diplomacy screen, you can make alliances and pacts with countries, make trade agreements, offer grants and declare war.
To generate revenue, you have to trade with other countries. The best way to make lots of money is to buy a lot of raw materials off the poorer countries, expand your manufacturing facilities, and sell the goods back to them at a large profit. You can also gather raw materials from your country via railways that you build. To maximize your output you can upgrade your manufacturing plants and hire more workers.
	In Imperialism there are many different types of military units. You can build up large armies and naval fleets to attack neighboring countries. To fight you first have to declare war on a country and then you can move your units into their country. You can then choose to fight the battle yourself or let the computer do it for you. Fighting is turn based and like "Conquest of the New World" only over a larger area and more units.
A really good feature of this game is that it lets you play against other people over the internet or on a network. This is something that I have always wished was in Civilization, and will no dought increase the appeal of the game.
	The only downside to this game that I can think of is that it takes at least half an hour to understand what you are doing, and a bit longer than that to really get into the game. But, if you stick it out and give it a go you will find that Imperialism is one of the most addictive and enjoyable games you will ever play.

	Minimum Requirements	Test Computer
CPU	Any PowerPC	180MHz 603ev
Free RAM	8 MB	24 MB
System	7.5.3	7.5.5
Monitor	640x480 @ 256 Colors	640x480 @ Thousands