Empire Deluxe Combined Edition

[Red2112]

I guess some of you do remember this. Well, didn´t even know it was still around till now, and updated!

YT gameplay:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I48sL-Y32pM

itch.IO/Killerbeesoftware: (DRM free)
https://killerbeesoftware.itch.io/empire-deluxe-combined-edition

Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/742700/Empire_Deluxe_Combined_Edition/

Red

[Kuokkanen]

I had got illegitimate copy of Empire Deluxe for MS-DOS from a friend. At the time, it felt way inferior compared to Civilization, which I had bought from the same friend for some 300 Finnish marks, and therefore I didn't put much time for Empire Deluxe. Some years ago I found demo of Enhanced Edition, and while it is improvement, it just wasn't enough to make me to toss some $40 (or whatever it used to cost) for full game. So what are our thoughts of Combined Edition? It doesn't cost too much for a new game, I give it that. Has it got mods and scenarios about World Wars yet?

[Red2112]

ORIGINAL: Kuokkanen

I had got illegitimate copy of Empire Deluxe for MS-DOS from a friend. At the time, it felt way inferior compared to Civilization, which I had bought from the same friend for some 300 Finnish marks, and therefore I didn't put much time for Empire Deluxe. Some years ago I found demo of Enhanced Edition, and while it is improvement, it just wasn't enough to make me to toss some $40 (or whatever it used to cost) for full game. So what are our thoughts of Combined Edition? It doesn't cost too much for a new game, I give it that. Has it got mods and scenarios about World Wars yet?

Seems it´s mod friendly already [:)]

https://steamcommunity.com/app/742700/discussions/2/

My guess is that a Steamworkshop will come around sometime, or just ppl doing there mods as now.

[Lobster]

It looks like a $5 game. Not $20.

[ezzler]

It is a $5 only game. I have it on ipad. Its way overpriced at $20.
Its still the same old empire. Nothing new. Which isn't all bad as its a good game. One of the great things that it had, that few civ type games followed up, was an automatic reconnaissance for aircraft. They just fly out and back on auto. Save a lot of tedium.
And being able to use a point from city to city. So reinforcements move to where you wish. I know CIv has a flag place system, but empire was easier and more visual. WOW I think had this too.

Its deeper than it appears. Doing an invasion, even against a weak AI, requires planning.Or all will die on the beach.

[Kuokkanen]

ORIGINAL: ezzler

It is a $5 only game. I have it on ipad. Its way overpriced at $20.
Its still the same old empire. Nothing new.

I recall demo of Enhanced Edition having sizable selection of different units and some have range of multiple squares.

[Greybriar]

ORIGINAL: ezzler

It is a $5 only game. I have it on ipad. Its way overpriced at $20.
Its still the same old empire. Nothing new. Which isn't all bad as its a good game. One of the great things that it had, that few civ type games followed up, was an automatic reconnaissance for aircraft. They just fly out and back on auto. Save a lot of tedium.
And being able to use a point from city to city. So reinforcements move to where you wish. I know CIv has a flag place system, but empire was easier and more visual. WOW I think had this too.

Its deeper than it appears. Doing an invasion, even against a weak AI, requires planning.Or all will die on the beach.

Perhaps this video will provide some insight as to what Empire Deluxe Combined Edition is all about to those here who aren't as familiar with the game as you and I. [:)]

[Red2112]

Actually this was the video I wanted to post first but was/is way to long for some...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tO7PHft4FQ&t=2393s

You can see all the new stuff etc.

As for World War is concerned, I see this more of a pure strategy/tactical game. There´s no political and or historical side to it. The basis is to capture city´s, with what and how is up to you. Overall, I think this is a entertaining game that can sink up some hours for sure. Price wise, well I agree, max $15 [:)]

Not state of the art, but neither are some rogue likes, the important thing is gameplay. It´s even fun to watch!

Red

[Kuokkanen]

ORIGINAL: Red2112

Not state of the art, but neither are some rogue likes, the important thing is gameplay. It´s even fun to watch!

Yeah, a number of people insist that video games made in '80s are better than anything in today or in recent history. But I pulled the trigger and just bought & installed Combined Edition. Time to find out how badly it lose to Empire - Wargame of the Century.

[Red2112]

ORIGINAL: Kuokkanen

ORIGINAL: Red2112

Not state of the art, but neither are some rogue likes, the important thing is gameplay. It´s even fun to watch!

Yeah, a number of people insist that video games made in '80s are better than anything in today or in recent history. But I pulled the trigger and just bought & installed Combined Edition. Time to find out how badly it lose to Empire - Wargame of the Century.

Nice! Please let us know what you think when you get a chance if you so like [:)]

Red

--

[Kuokkanen]

ORIGINAL: Red2112

ORIGINAL: Kuokkanen

ORIGINAL: Red2112

Not state of the art, but neither are some rogue likes, the important thing is gameplay. It´s even fun to watch!

Yeah, a number of people insist that video games made in '80s are better than anything in today or in recent history. But I pulled the trigger and just bought & installed Combined Edition. Time to find out how badly it lose to Empire - Wargame of the Century.

Nice! Please let us know what you think when you get a chance if you so like [:)]

I thought I'd play just tutorial, and I did but I ended up playing more than that and lost hours of sleep. One more turn... So typically all players (including computer players) start with 1 city each and no units. In their first starting city, they build units, use them to attack and capture more cities, then build more units in them, and repeat until only 1 player remains. World can be created randomly by a computer, but there is also a map editor. And scenario editor, though only scenario is tutorial.

There are lots of interface buttons and right-click menu, and enough of settings and customization to make the game play much like first commercial release of Empire released by Interstel in 1987 or Empire Deluxe from 1993 with related units and nothing more. You can remove interface buttons and get along with right-click menu like in Empire Deluxe, or you can keep the interface and disable right-click menu, or have both. Then are all the features of Enchanced Edition with its crapton of units and artillery/howitzers with multiple square ranges. Are there new units too? Some orbital units, and I thought I saw something about nuke? There seem to be construction units for building roads, supply system and related rules, resources that can be set limits on, units can gain experience, and those all are optional that can be enabled or disabled. Stacking goes for up to 2 units (land units need to be on a road for that) + aircraft. Transport unit can be ordered to sit around until it is in full capacity, and there are a number of other convenient orders and features for management of large # of units. Manual is 115 pages long.

In case you never played any version of Empire Deluxe, it is possible to set production value for a city and specialization to what unit it builds faster than is a default value. I can't find any maps, scenarios, or mods on Steam yet. But I strongly feel that this game has potential to create history based scenarios about both World Wars and modern wars. If I should make a comparison to a war game well known here, it'd be Unity of Command with following differences: squares instead hexes, slower paced (infantry moves only 1 square per turn), no zone-of-control, larger selection of different units (depending on options), cities build units, some units build roads and stuff (depending on options), differences with supply or no supply at all (depending on options).

I need to go to work now.

[edit]
I just realized that customization of the interface and mouse buttons is especially vital when game is played on a tablet. Default settings seem to be tablet friendly.

[Kuokkanen]

Units can gain experience and they have readiness stat. Readiness affects to combat efficiency and point of it is lost in combat. Readiness is gained by resting (not moving in turn). Upper limit of readiness is based on experience, or more experienced units can have higher readiness than inexperienced ones. In addition infantry can dig in.

Manual has vague explanation about supply system. Basically every city can support 2-4 units in the field and oilfield can support for 2 units more. In addition is a Supply unit which can be expended to supply 2 more units in a turn. If supply don't keep up with the # of units, unit construction will take more time than normal. Oilfields are built by engineers on the land and by Seabees on the sea/ocean. Those units can also build harbor, airfield, fort, and road.

Playing the game with a tablet works fine enough, though buttons are little too small and it is all too easy to touch on a wrong square when moving a unit, even with a stylus. I wish I had stylus with a narrow point, like one that used to come with Palm PDAs.

Is anyone in here up for some PBEM with me?

[edit]
For information to those who have not played any version of Empire Deluxe: cities can have varying levels of production capabilities indicated with a %. % is reduced when city is bombed by bomber, artillery, missile, or by capturing it. Production efficiency is increased when city produces nothing. City can have specialization to produce certain unit, and such cities have penalty to produce other units.

You can get an idea about Empire Deluxe Combined Edition by playing Empire Deluxe Enhanced Edition Trial and/or Walter Bright's Classic Empire.

[Garfieldthecat]

/delurkmode=on

I got EDCE a few years ago, since I loved playing the original Empire. With the disclaimer that I played EDCE with the original rules and units about 2 years ago (so no armor, bombers, etc) I stopped playing because of the RNG.

I routinely had (what I took to be) major RNG issues. Aircraft and infantry battles are 50% chance to win. My preferred strategy was always to sail a transport up to a city (holding 6 armies) and capture the city by attacking from the transport. The RNG was so bad I had to start using two transports so I could actually capture the city. Many times each game I would lose all 6 infantry units in a row, and never capture the city. For naval battles, I usually built battleships, and when attacked by the enemies fighters, I would routinely win, but take 5-6 hits in the process.

At end game, looking at the win/loss records of my units, it was pathetic, always well below 50% for my infantry and fighters. If you google around you will find a few other people that complained about it as well. Just couldn't deal with it. RNG was way way way too streaky.

[Kuokkanen]

ORIGINAL: Garfieldthecat

I got EDCE a few years ago

According to Steam, EDCE was released last June, or 1.6.2018. Are you sure you're talking about EDCE and not EDEE?

[Kuokkanen]

World War 2 mod

[pzgndr]

I've had Empires Deluxe Mobile Edition on my iPad for several years. Haven't played in a while. So I checked and got a warning that EDME needs to be updated to work with iOS 11. Maybe with EDCE out, Killer Bees will get around to updating EDME.

[Garfieldthecat]

Oops, I checked and I do have EDEE (not EDCE). Anyone know if EDCE uses the same RNG?