mjp@sri-unix (07/28/82)
I've just started reading the news service and I've seen alot of references to a program called Empire. Could someone give me a ground level description of this and possibly a reference for the source code? mjp Michael Pitaro
sjb (07/31/82)
I am posting this to the net so that other newcomers to Empire can also see it. Empire is a game (in a fantastic set of games) by Peter Langston. It is a multi-player game in which each person receives for governing his own country. His decisions on what to do with that country will have effects (sometimes) on the rest of the world. The multi-player part is that countries can interact with each, ranging for buying and selling goods to making alliances to (of course) having wars. To survive in Empire, you must build up your country evenly, providing food for everyone (oh yes, you tend to make more people than you do food), getting those research and technology levels up to do more advanced things (like building nukes) (oh yes, watch out that your tech level doesn't far exceed your research level, or you will be the victim of the dreaded plague!), advancing your education and happiness, defending yourself, etc. The world map is a hex oriented thing which can be (at present) up to 128 by 128. At the beginning, you will receive 2 sanctuary sectors (totally impregnable to attack, even nuclear ones), a number of people, and $5000. You can sit there for the rest of the game and be safe or have fun and expand. Better decide quickly though, because once your neighbor expands, you have to fight him for the land unless he is willing to give it to you. Oh yes, I forgot to mention. There is one country, called the DEITY, which can literally do anything in the game within the scope of Empire, from making people to changing the shape of the land. He/she usually does not play the game in the sense of other players (unless he/she makes another country for himself), but rather sits back and helps out countries in trouble (don't get too dependent on him/her though!). Also, if you turn the DEITY against you, he/she can do some very interesting, clever, MEAN things to you, or maybe help out your enemy. This is a VERY general, brief overview of the 'game' Source for it is not available; you cannot get source for any of Peter's games. To get it, mail to ...harpo!esquire!psl and he will send you an address to send a tape to. When you get the tape back, on it will be his game distribution, containing the documents and object code for all the games. It will tell how to install itself (providing you know how to read the tape!) I hope this helps. If you have any questions, I'll be glad to answer them if I can, or you can mail directly to the head hauncho himself. Adam Premier of Carldom