I have recently purchased this on gog.com out of curiosity, and so far I am very pleasantly surprised.
The game exhibits excellent integration of warfare, economy, trade and diplomacy, while providing enough interesting choices every turn (i.e. no useless fluff, no fast forwarding). You have to constantly decide where to invest your precious resources, and those decisions have lasting and tangible effect. Investing into your home country infrastructure will provide steady and safe income, but a quick land grab in the new world can bring unique luxury resources, cash, and foothold for further expansion. But will you be able to withstand the diplomatic backlash of such action?
Production intensification, IMO an important process of the industrial revolution, plays a significant role in the game. More educated workforce represents an investment that yields both increased production and lower food consumption, but those elites acquire expensive taste in luxuries that only commodities from the new world can satisfy. That means - more expansion, either by trade and diplomacy, or by arms. Speaking of warfare, the game even features simple, yet functional tactical battles.
Overall, I was very surprised how long have this game been escaping my attention. It's obvious that it inspired more famous works like Europa Universalis and Victoria from Paradox.
I like the original. I haven't gotten ahold of Imp 2 yet. I would usually enjoy playing until I got attacked... I never was good at splitting between guns and butter.
Both were excellent games. Frog City Software was a small companies with some great ideas. My wife still enjoys playing Trade Empires.
Unfortunately, they spent a lot of time working on a strategic/rpg/sim title set in Greek mythology, and ran afoul of...well, idiots, while attempting to sell the idea to various companies. One producer for SSI was enthused until he discovered there was no multi-platform support at this time, and then walked out on them. (Bear in mind, this was around 2000.) At another major company they had things locked up, until the Head of Accounting told them no game could ever sell that was based on Greek myths. Even after the award-winning lead producer for the company offered to take the game under his wing, accounting refused.
The Games Industry. Most of the decisions are made by people who know people who know people who know how to make money for themselves. Makes sense that they'd decide what games should be made, right?
Sorry for the digression. Imperialism I and II were great games, with solid AI. I have to wonder that the Spieth brothers never reissued them with upgraded graphics, unless the rights are in somebody else's hands.
Trade Empires... awesome game.
Have been playing this for several days now and the game design is simply amazing. I cannot understand how can this game be so overlooked.
The snowballing, exponential growth of industrial economies, the animalistic, unsatiable growth of the empires, the interconnection between industry, diplomacy and military, the awesome complexity beneath the surface.
It's not just a box of fluffy decorations that look pretty, are numerous, but does not do anything (like all the "features" of modern games), instead, it reminds an intricate tower clock, with each cog and string being a part of finely crafted, delicate mechanism.
Once again, excellent game!
I've been playing Capitalism 2 as well, that one is very fun.
What's the difference between Imp and Imp 2?
The main novelty in Imperialism II, compared to its predecessor, is the addition of the New World, which is unknown and has to be explored.[3] Unlike in Imperialism I, only part of the world is visible at the start: the Old World. The other half of the world is the New World, which must be explored by ships and explorers. The New World has resources that don't exist in the Old World; those resources are the precious materials (spices, silver,gold, gems and diamonds) and the luxuries (sugar cane, tobacco and fur). And you can attack a New World nation without declaring war.
Another difference between the games is that Imperialism II starts in the 16th Century during the Age of explorationwhereas Imperialism starts in the 19th century during the Industrial Revolution.
Building a ship takes one member of the population, but building a civilian does not.
Instead of arms, military units are built with various amounts of materials such as lumber, bronze, and cast iron.
Grain is again half of the food requirement, but meat (cattle or fish) makes up all of the other half; no fruit.
Source - http://imperialism.wikia.com/wiki/Imperialism_2
No fruit??? Never mind that purchase.
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