Empire Deluxe Combined Edition

I’m popping this from the Kickstarter thread to its own topic, because Empire was awesome.

So What Makes Up Empire Deluxe Combined Edition?

The Combined Edition keeps the Basic, Standard and Advanced unit sets as they have always been, and tweaks the the Enhanced set, allowing users to pick and choose the rules and victory conditions they wish to use.

Add to this recipe Hotseat/Email/Network multiplayer capability, along with the ability to modify how maps are made, how the AI behaves and even what Units do in the game.

Written in C#, using the Unity Engine, Map Making and AI code can will be open sourced and so that it can be modified by those interested. One of my goals is to make AI development easier than in the previous versions.

Over the period of this Kickstarter Campaign, there will be detailed explanations of the rules, the units, the victory conditions, the modification possibilities, some streaming play of the actual game, and a few other surprises. It is my goal that you are familiar with many aspects of the game before the campaign ends.

The game will most likely retail for $20 USD

Here’s the latest video of this work-in-progress:

I’m in. It’s only recently that I haven’t had a version of Empire Deluxe on my PC.

Man, I played a ton of Empire / Empire Deluxe. Not sure if I should chance ruining my memories of it by playing it again or take the chance.

This was basically Civilization 0, right? Is there anything it did in a better way than Civ?

Rob, I cannot guarantee you would like it, but as the dev for this I am a pretty religious guy when it comes to the game. So my goal is for you to still have the same experience you had previously, and have taken steps to make sure the game can be played as it was previously. I can’t guarantee you that you would like some of the more recent unit set, as it is all a matter of taste. But the old play is still there.

Actually the game Empire Deluxe was basically developed around the same time as Civ 1 (I believe released shortly afterwards actually), but Empire Deluxe was a derivative of Interstel Empire, from where Sid Meir got inspiration.

Essentially Sid did what other great developers do. He stole certain ideas, and then added some very minor inconsequential features like tech trees, wonders, historical perspective, diplomacy and such.

Well, that’s cool! Congrats on making the game! My trepidation isn’t because I feared a poor remake, but that my tastes have changed. I’ll definitely keep it on my radar.

I think it would have been interesting to see what Dani Bunten would have come up with for game if decision had been reversed and Sid did the Axis and Allies type game.

That is great that you have been keeping this and Perfect General alive. Is the Lost Admiral still around?

@mok, can you comment on The Perfect General? If this is a success, are there any inklings of a revamp for that game too?

Also, I’m loving the Kickstarter updates that give some insight to your design decisions.

I still have an old Win XP laptop that I use for The Perfect General and XCOM: Apocalypse exclusively. No nternet connection allowed. :) I’d love a new TPG though. Beyond this, that is.

@vyshka Lost Admiral was actually re-release by the original dev in around 2003 as Lost Admiral Returns. @tomchick even reviewed that title I believe and liked it, but I believe the dev had invested a good amount into the remake and the returns for these sorts of things are not that great. At some point within a year or so he stopped supporting the game and it had flaws I believe.

The Perfect General is probably my all time favorite game. I hacked the map format for it at one point and map a hack-a-thon scenario editor for the game I was so obsessed. Alas, PG is not as popular as Empire, but with the tools I have developed making this one, a remake is certainly under consideration.

Mind you, that would still be the “original” Perfect General, as PG2 is a foggier thing. A lot of games from this period are lost in this black hole of IP rights, partially buried deep in corporate vaults, or owned by people that think they can get the large sums of monies lost on failed sequel investments recouped, or controlled by people that actually don’t own them at all. Crazy stuff.

I do have some designs on a newer like PG game, adding naval and air support, but I would have to dust those off and review them.

@RichVR - What are your ideas of Beyond That?

Mainly updated graphics, I guess. Optional new rules and units. Something that works out of the box on Win 10 64bit. I guess I should have made it clear that I’m talking about TPG2. Sorry.

Got it. Thanks!

I don’t want to sound like I’m too deep in your pocket about this, but I abso-freaking-lutely loved Empire Deluxe. I’m wishing you all the best with this project!

Keep a close eye on the updates before it is over. One day there is something special for veterans like yourself. I am jazzed.

My #1 wish for Perfect General would be an improved AI. I want it to understand how to identify chokepoints and use mines, blown bridges, and artillery barrages to close them off.

Dear lord, you people are actually talking about QQP strategy games. Those were some of the best games ever and boy do they hold fond memories for me.

Perfect General, The Lost Admiral, The Grandest Fleet, Conquered Kingdoms were the ones I really loved the most. I think Thurston Searfoss developed all of those except for Perfect General. Man it was a black day for me when that company shut down.

I would absolutely love to have a rebooted Perfect General with a better AI and updated graphics that runs on modern OS. I really hope you can do that one day, mok.

Me, too. My favorite QQP game was Conquered Kingdoms and if it were possible to purchase a copy that would play in Windows 10, I’d buy it in a heartbeat.

Mine too! A good friend and I would spend countless hours playing Conquered Kingdoms . Both against each other and against the computer.

When QQP was making Perfect General 2 and Grandest Fleet 2 I was praying like crazy for Conquered Kingdoms 2 as well but it never happened. It’s such a great game and now I fear it’s nearly forgotten because you can’t get it anywhere, even on GOG. I still have my original floppies and manual but it doesn’t run on anything anymore. I keep hoping maybe GOG will pick it up along with the other QQP games one day.

I still hold out hope that someday GOG will offer Conquered Kingdoms for sale. Until then, I can still run it on my Windows 95 machine.

At one point it looked like the guy that updated the Lost Admiral was working on updating Conquered Kingdoms:

http://www.lostadmiralreturns.com/conqueredkingdoms.html