Empire Earth
| Empire Earth | |
|---|---|
| developer |
Stainless Steel Studios (2001) Vivendi Universal (2005) Mad Doc Software (2002-2007) |
| Publisher |
Sierra Entertainment (2001-2007) Wonder Phone (2005) Vivendi Universal (2006) Rebellion (since 2009) |
| Designer | Rick Goodman (Empire Earth) |
| First title | Empire Earth (2001) |
| Last title | Empire Earth 3 (2007) |
| Platform (s) | Windows |
| Genre (s) | Real time strategy game |
Empire Earth ( English for "Imperium Earth") is a three-part real-time strategy game series for Windows in which the player can lead a civilization through the entire history of mankind . The basic game principles (such as the economic system) are very similar to the competitor Age of Empires .
Overview
There is an expansion for each of the first two main games , and a mobile phone game is also available under the name Empire Earth. With over 200,000 copies sold in Germany, the first game received the Platinum Sales Award from the Association of Entertainment Software Germany (VUD) .
In 2009 the British developer Rebellion acquired the rights to the series of games from Vivendi Games .
| Surname | Publishing year | developer | Publisher | extension |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Earth | 2001 | Stainless Steel Studios | Sierra Entertainment | Age of Conquest |
| Empire Earth 2 | 2005 | Mad Doc software | Sierra Entertainment | The Art of Supremacy |
| Empire Earth Mobile | 2005 | Vivendi Universal | Wonder Phone | |
| Empire Earth 3 | 2007 | Mad Doc software | Sierra Entertainment |
Empire Earth
| Empire Earth | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Studio | Stainless Steel Studios | ||
| Publisher | Sierra Entertainment , Rebellion (since 2009) | ||
| Senior Developer | Rick Goodman | ||
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
November 21, 2001 | ||
| platform | Windows | ||
| Game engine | titanium | ||
| genre | Real-time strategy | ||
| Game mode | Single player , multiplayer | ||
| control | Keyboard , mouse | ||
| system advantages preconditions |
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| medium | CD-ROM , download | ||
| language | German | ||
| Current version | 2.0.0.0 | ||
| copy protection | SecuROM | ||
| Age rating |
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Empire Earth was released in Europe on November 21, 2001, was developed by Stainless Steel Studios and published by Sierra Entertainment . The game uses the Titan - Engine .
Game description
Overview
Before starting the game you have to choose a certain civilization out of 21 available . Alternatively, you can put together your own civilization at the start of the game with the help of a list of bonus points. An additional “civilization kit” is also included, with which you can create your own civilizations. Civilizations differ in different game-relevant aspects, for example some wood break down faster. These civilizations have to be led through 14 epochs in the course of the game, from prehistory to the world wars and into the future. Each epoch establishes a new combat equilibrium through military combat units such as airplanes, helicopters and later even combat robots.
At the start of the game, only limited resources of citizens and raw materials are available, as well as a "capitol" in which new citizens can be created. Resources are needed to finance buildings and "units" (citizens with an unchangeable profession). These have to be extracted in forests (wood), mines (iron, gold) or quarries (stone). Food can either be obtained in resource areas (e.g. pumpkin patch), through hunting, fishing or on farms. The total number of units that can be in a game world is limited to a predetermined number. This number is evenly divided in the case of several players, but can be changed (insignificantly) during the course of the game through player interventions.
In order to be able to create certain units, corresponding buildings must first be created. Certain buildings are only available in certain eras, such as airports . Buildings fulfill various functions: walls and towers are used for defense, universities as research facilities provide improvements to existing structures, hospitals can heal wounded units, factories form additional units, and settlements are used to store collected raw materials. New citizens can be created in settlements that have been expanded into city centers. So-called " world wonders " are a special type of building . These give one's own civilization an advantage such as B. a larger population limit as long as the wonder of the world continues.
At the start of the game, the game world is not completely displayed, except for the areas around your own (or allied) units and buildings. This fact makes it necessary to have the map explored by a mobile unit (" Fog of War "). In order to arm yourself against impending attacks or to start your own campaigns of conquest, it is possible to set up an army of military units. These are assigned to specific unit types: infantry , cavalry , tanks , navy , artillery , air force and cyborgs . The combat system works according to the rock-paper-scissors system: a military unit is differently effective in fighting other types of units. Particularly important units are the "heroes" available from a later epoch: the warrior and the strategist. The warrior has enormous combat strength and gives allied units a combat bonus, the strategist has the ability to heal his soldiers. All heroes can rise with the ages and evolve into more powerful heroes. For example, the legendary Gilgamesh , King of Uruk , can become the Carthaginian general Hannibal , or the Akkadian king Sargon can become the famous Macedonian king Alexander the Great .
The aim of the game is to defeat all opposing civilizations or to build or defend your own wonders, depending on your setting. With the help of an editor, you can create your own scenarios. You can create your own maps with mountains, forests, seas and resources and distribute your own as well as allied or enemy units and cities on the map. With the help of the trigger system it is also possible to determine the behavior of individual units as well as to define the weather and the time of day. The game mechanics can be explored in a tutorial .
Campaigns
In addition to playing a random card (“skirmish”), it is possible to play four different campaigns. There is a campaign of the Greeks ( Stone Age - Iron Age in play: Bronze Age ), the English ( Middle Ages - Industrial Age ), the Germans ( First and Second World War ) and the Russians ( Modern Age - Nano Age ), which are divided into different missions. Unlike in the skirmishes, a developed civilization is already available in the campaigns at the start of the game. It is primarily about fulfilling defined game assignments. In every mission of a campaign, certain deeds can be used to gain so-called civilization points, with which the units of the people can be improved.
With the campaign editor, the player can combine different scenarios into their own campaign and write descriptions of their own campaign.
Multiplayer
Empire Earth includes a multiplayer mode for up to eight players in a LAN or online . Empire Earth used the World Opponent Network for online games . On November 1, 2008, Sierra shut down the multiplayer servers for Empire Earth and Empire Earth: Age of Conquest . Since then, the game has not been officially playable online. However, fan projects still allow gaming over the Internet.
Others
The Titan engine was specially developed for this game by Stainless Steel Studios.
Empire Earth: Age of Conquest
Empire Earth: Age of Conquest (EE-ZDE), sold in English-speaking countries as Art of Conquest (EE-AoC, "The Art of Conquest"), is the expansion of Empire Earth. It was developed by Stainless Steel Studios and Mad Doc Software and published by Sierra in 2002.
The add-on expands the main game by an additional epoch (the "space age"), new buildings and units and three new campaigns. In addition, there are two other peoples (Japan and Korea) and civilization-specific skills: Each nation now has its own special ability (e.g. it is possible for Germany to train each of its own citizens to become a partisan against a certain amount of iron ). Furthermore, the graphics and the AI have been improved a bit.
Empire Earth gold / platinum
On May 6, 2003, Empire Earth Gold was released. It contains the main game, add-on, and manuals for both games. In addition, technology trees, quick key overviews and strategic instructions are included. Later, a reduced-price box with the same programs, but without manuals and solution books, was brought onto the market under the name “Platin” .
Empire Earth Mobile
Empire Earth Mobile is the mobile version of Empire Earth. It was developed by Vivendi Games Mobile and published by Wonder Phone. This offshoot was released on October 14, 2005. Unlike the PC game, it is part of the turn strategy . H. the game action pauses until the player has completed his inputs for a move .
The game contains ten campaigns in which historical battles can be re-enacted, e.g. B. the Hundred Years War in the Middle Ages. There are three game modes : campaign, skirmish and multiplayer mode, in which two players take turns on one device. The game is played in four different epochs, which cover a total of around 200,000 years of human history: Stone Age, Middle Ages, Modern Age and Nano Age. Just like in the Windows version, new resources and units become available through advancing into a higher epoch. The player can choose between three different levels of difficulty and learn about the functions of the game in the tutorial.
Empire Earth 2
| Empire Earth 2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Studio | Mad Doc software | ||
| Publisher | Sierra Entertainment , Vivendi Universal , Rebellion (since 2009) | ||
| Senior Developer | Ian Lane Davis, Steven W. Nadeau | ||
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
April 29, 2005 | ||
| platform | Windows | ||
| Game engine | Gamebryo , Mad3D | ||
| genre | Real-time strategy | ||
| Game mode | Single player , multiplayer | ||
| control | Keyboard , mouse | ||
| system advantages preconditions |
Intel Pentium 4 1.5 GHz, 256 MB RAM , 3D graphics card with 64 MB RAM and hardware T&L and pixel shader support, CD-ROM drive | ||
| medium | 2 CD-ROMs | ||
| language | German | ||
| Current version | 1.2 | ||
| copy protection | SecuROM | ||
| Age rating |
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Empire Earth 2 is the official successor to Empire Earth . It was released on April 29, 2005, was developed by Sierra Entertainment and Mad Doc Software , and published by Vivendi Universal . Empire Earth 2 uses the Gamebryo - Engine .
Game description
Empire Earth 2 takes place in the period from 10,000 BC. BC to AD 2,230 and contains three campaigns and two turning points.
The turning points are significant events in world history that can be re-enacted from both sides. The first turning point is about China at the time of the Three Kingdoms , in the second turning point D-Day can be re-enacted.
The stages of development are divided into 15 epochs, they range from the Stone Age to the Nano Age, the latter taking place in the future.
In Empire Earth 2 you can choose between 14 different races from four regions. These regions are West, Far East, Middle East, and Central America. The differences between these regions are limited to the different appearance of certain units and buildings, special abilities and some passive effects. Each race also has special passive effects and units that are only available for that race. The heroes were replaced by so-called "leaders". Every five eras, new types of leaders with new skills are available. Unlike in the predecessor, the leaders are not modeled on historical generals.
The fighting of territories has changed compared to the first game: The map is now divided into territories that must be conquered by the player. In each territory it is possible to build a certain number of special buildings, e.g. B. the number of city centers is limited to one. Standard building such as B. military production buildings or walls are not affected. The population limit can be increased by city centers or houses, provided they are on their own territory. So you are forced to conquer new territories. In order to claim a territory, a city center must be built or conquered in it and there must be a connection to one's own territories. If this is not available, a fortress must be built or conquered in the corresponding territory.
By collecting technology points that can be collected by citizens or priests in universities and temples, and by owning certain buildings, it is possible to research certain technologies. There are twelve different technologies in each epoch that improve skills, units or buildings. These technologies are divided into the following three areas, each with four associated technologies: military, economy, empire. If you have all the technologies and the highest number of points for an area, e.g. B. the largest army, you get the corresponding crown for a certain period of time, which brings certain advantages, such as leaders or passive effects. Another prerequisite for earning a crown is that it is not already in the possession of another player. As soon as six technologies of the age have been researched and a certain number of technology points are available, it is possible to advance to the next epoch.
The diplomacy part is more important in Empire Earth 2 than in its predecessor. There are three different attitudes: allied, neutral and hostile. If an alliance is proposed to another player, they can be offered resources, units or even territories as a tribute. In addition, other conditions such as the division of the field of vision or the accessibility of the territory are regulated. It is possible to give up resources, units and territories to every player in the game.
Another innovation is the constant change in weather. Depending on the selected climatic region (temperate, dry, tropical) there are sandstorms, snowstorms or heavy rains. These extreme weather conditions affect the visibility, combat strength and speed of the units. However, outposts allow weather forecasts.
Multiplayer
Empire Earth 2 includes a multiplayer mode for up to ten players in a LAN or online . For online games uses Empire Earth 2 the GameSpy Arcade software. On November 1, 2008, Sierra switched off the multiplayer servers for Empire Earth 2 . The online community has prepared for this and developed its own online systems.
Empire Earth 2: The Art of Supremacy
On February 24, 2006, Sierra released an add-on called Empire Earth 2: The Art of Supremacy (EEII-AoS).
The add-on includes four more civilizations (France, Russia, Maasai, Zulu), one more region (Africa, the Maasai and the Zulu belong to this region), a total of twelve new units of the new civilizations, three more campaigns, two new turning points (the Citadel company and the Battle for Rorke's Drift ) and a civilization editor that can be used to create new races. In addition, units that have killed a certain number of enemies can now become heroes. Heroes raise the morale and hit points of the troops and can raise armies. The units combined in an army have higher morale and additional hit points. Leaders can now become "Superior Leaders" after receiving a crown. Superior leaders give the units higher bonuses than normal leaders and, when stationed in a fortress, can provide a bonus not only to units in their vicinity but also to units throughout the world.
In addition, other (computer) players can be made vassals or become vassals of another player themselves. Vassals assume the diplomatic stance of their liege lords and have to share their troops with the liege lords. Native tribes are now also available in the game, depending on the selected setting. These tribes cannot rise to another epoch. Once discovered, they can be combated or assimilated . In the latter case, they become part of the empire and give the assimilating player a bonus on a specific area chosen at random. One example is the “Fighter Nature” bonus, which allows all infantry units to be produced more quickly.
Another innovation is the “flag skills”. If in a certain type of building, e.g. B. an airport, a certain number of units has been produced, the player receives the flag skill corresponding to the building type. This flag skill will reduce the cost and construction time in this type of building for the rest of the game.
A new game mode has also been added to the game. In the "Tug of War" mode, players fight a war against each other over several rounds on different maps. The game starts on a neutral card. When the battle is over on this card, the next card to the losing player continues. This continues until a player has also lost on his own map and thus the entire war. Between the different battles, like recently in campaigns between the individual scenarios, you can reinforce your troops, resources and / or technologies in the "reinforcement screen". Units, their upgrades and heroes are retained across multiple scenarios within a campaign or multiple cards within a tug of war game.
Empire Earth 2: Platinum
On July 20, 2006, Sierra presented Empire Earth 2: Platinum . The Platinum Edition contains the main game Empire Earth 2 and the add-on Empire Earth 2: The Art of Supremacy as well as the official game guide of Prima Games . It is only available in English.
Empire Earth 3
| Empire Earth 3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Studio | Mad Doc software | ||
| Publisher | Sierra Entertainment , Vivendi Universal , Rebellion (since 2009) | ||
| Senior Developer | Matthew North House | ||
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
November 16, 2007 | ||
| platform | Windows | ||
| Game engine | Gamebryo | ||
| genre | Real-time strategy | ||
| Game mode | Single player , multiplayer | ||
| control | Keyboard , mouse | ||
| system advantages preconditions |
Intel Pentium 4 1.7 GHz, 512 MB RAM , 3D graphics card with 128 MB RAM and hardware T&L and Pixel-Shader 2.0, DVD-ROM drive | ||
| medium | 1 DVD-ROM | ||
| language | German | ||
| Current version | 1.1 | ||
| copy protection | SecuROM | ||
| Age rating |
|
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Empire Earth 3 , the third installment in the series, was released in Europe on November 16, 2007, developed by Mad Doc Software and published by Vivendi Universal . Also in this part of the series which is Gamebryo - Engine uses.
Game description
In addition to graphical improvements, some playful changes have also been made. The graphics are now tending towards comic graphics. One of the most important innovations is the "World Domination Mode", which replaces the campaigns. The aim is to achieve world domination by conquering as many territories as possible on a faithfully reproduced globe. This mode is a mixture of round and real-time strategy, similar to the Total War series.
The “arctic” climate region has also been added. In addition, everything that has been researched remains researched and buildings are preserved if you play the same card again. The diplomacy part has also been expanded. In addition to the military attitude, there are now five different types of “relationships”: “Hate”, “Rejection”, “Indifference”, “Affection” and “Love”. Better relationships with a teammate reduce the risk of war and increase a. the income from trade routes.
However, the scope of the game has also been shortened in many places. So was z. B. the crown and flag system known from its predecessor abolished. In addition, there are only five epochs (ancient, medieval, colonial, modern and future) and three civilizations (West, Middle East and Far East), but their differences are relatively large.
Empire Earth 3 was not approved for young people in Germany (from the age of 18).
criticism
Critics criticized the inadequate design of the game, the simple game mechanics and the high system requirements.
"Inconsiderate and flawed epoch strategy"
"But fails because of the bad AI and half-baked innovations"
"In terms of play, EE III is pitifully simple, the graphics requirements are sheer insolence"
Empire Earth: Ultimate Edition
On December 15, 2009, a whole collection of previous Empire Earth games was published for the first time in the USA (a little later in Europe), distributed by ak tronic . In addition to the full versions of Empire Earth , Empire Earth II and Empire Earth III, the box contains the add-ons Empire Earth: Age of Conquest and Empire Earth II: The Art of Supremacy . The box was also not approved for young people (from the age of 18), as Empire Earth III is included.
Additionally, there was no official multiplayer support for any game, although the multiplayer features were still working at this point.
Modifications
V. a. There is an active fan scene for the first two parts of the series, which will continue to create mods and fan content in 2019 . This ranges from maps to campaigns and self-created units to unofficial fan patches that, for example, make the online functions work again, make the games compatible with current operating systems, fix errors and add new content to the games.
Web links
- Sierra's German website for Empire Earth 2 (archive version) ( Memento from February 8, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
- Empire Earth series at MobyGames (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Big Download: Exclusive: Rebellion CEO reveals plans for new entries in former Vivendi Games series . July 14, 2009.
- ↑ Packaging of the game
- ↑ a b Sierra - Shuts down some servers , looki.de from October 9, 2008; Accessed November 17, 2010
- ↑ Empire Earth 2 - Platinum Edition announced , gamestar.de from June 22, 2006; Accessed November 17, 2010
- ↑ Product page for Empire Earth 3 , pcgames.de
- ↑ Empire Earth 3 in progress , gamecaptain.de of February 16, 2007; Accessed November 17, 2010
- ↑ Empire Earth III - real-time strategy from 18 , krawall.de from November 11, 2007; Accessed November 17, 2010
- ↑ Product page for Empire Earth: Ultimate Edition , mobygames.com