Unknown Horizons
| Unknown Horizons | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio | Unknown Horizons team |
| platform | Windows , macOS , Linux |
| Game engine | Flexible Isometric Free Engine |
| genre | Building strategy game |
| Subject | Settlement of the New World in the 17th and 18th centuries |
| Game mode | Multiplayer , single player |
| control | Keyboard , mouse |
| language | English , German and others |
| Current version | 2019.1 (January 12, 2019) |
| information | www.unknown-horizons.org |
The computer game Unknown Horizons is a mixture of business simulation and real-time strategy game . It was largely inspired by the first editions of the Anno game series , but tries not to be a replica, but to bring new aspects into the game, while at the same time tried and tested elements are retained. The game world is displayed isometric .
Unknown Horizons was already mentioned in the Heise software collection in 2009 and is still being actively developed today (as of January 2019).
The project has already been accepted twice for the Google Summer of Code , namely in 2011 and 2012.
history
Unknown Horizons emerged from the OpenAnno project , which was planned as a clone of Anno 1602 in 2005 and originally relied on drawn graphics and C as the programming language. After the project was abandoned by the first development team, it was implemented from scratch in C ++ under new staff . After differences of opinion, the new team split up to develop a 3D and a 2D variant in parallel. Work on both branches of the project came to a halt again due to a lack of time and a poorly maintainable code base and was only resumed in spring 2008 by supporters of both branches. The entire code created up to then was discarded, only the graphics and the name remained. From then on, the Python programming language and the Flexible Isometric Free Engine were used.
In 2009, OpenAnno was renamed Unknown Horizons , on the one hand to avoid possible copyright claims on the part of the developers of the Anno series, Sunflowers , and on the other hand to illustrate the new direction as a project loosely based on the Anno series. In the same year, three snapshots were also released. The game reached 35,000 downloads on SourceForge alone in 2009 .
In 2010, the team decided to switch from Subversion to Git and the code base was moved to GitHub . In the only release in 2010, a multiplayer mode was integrated into the game. In addition, large parts of the code have been revised.
In 2011, the development team released a total of three versions. During the Google Summer of Code , among other things, an artificial intelligence for computer opponents and a simple combat system were worked on, which became available in the game with version 2011.3. In the 2011.1 and 2011.2 versions, random maps, trade routes and scenarios or campaigns were implemented. In version 2011.3, the third expansion stage also found its way into the game.
Version 2012.1 was released on April 23rd, which includes the first building of expansion stage 4, natural disasters (initially only fires) and the option to save multiplayer games.
Unknown Horizons provides an official project history.
Gameplay
The player starts with a single ship in front of an island or group of islands and has to build a settlement with limited resources . As the settlement gets bigger, new buildings are gradually available to the player and the inhabitants demand more goods . Six of these stages are currently planned and four are available in the game (as of Snapshot April 2, 2012).
The player receives gold through the tax payments of his residents. Alternatively, the player can also sell goods to a free trader . He can also buy goods from the free trader if he cannot produce them himself or in sufficient quantities.
The player also incurs costs through the construction of new buildings and the operation of existing ones. The costs and income of a settlement can be viewed in a balance sheet. Currently (as of Release 2012.1) the game can be continued even after the account balance has dropped to zero, even if the settlement has a negative balance.
Technical details
Unknown Horizons offers the following basic features:
- Single player mode with finished and randomly generated maps
- Multiplayer mode (LAN and Internet)
- Computer player (AI)
- Combat system and diplomacy
- Detailed introduction in different languages
- Support for scenarios
The project uses Pootle to provide translations (including German, Spanish and Czech).
YAML is used to describe scenarios, units and buildings . The savegames are saved as SQLite databases and can be updated for new versions of the game if necessary. Since December 2011 this has been done automatically when loading outdated saved games.
The models of the buildings and units are created with Blender and then rendered in different perspectives in order to be able to display them 2-dimensionally in an isometric view in the game.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Bill Toulas: Interview with Thomas chins from Unknown Horizons. December 5, 2011, archived from the original ; accessed on December 13, 2014 .
- ↑ c't - content 24/2009 - page 138 . Heise.de. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
- ↑ We were accepted for the Summer of Code! ( Memento of the original from May 24, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Our second GSoC! ( Memento of the original from March 23, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ SourceForge page of the original project
- ↑ Unknown Horizons Blog - Release Note for 2010.1 ( Memento of the original from May 24, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Official announcement on 2012.1 ( Memento of the original from April 26, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Official history of the project (PDF)
- ↑ Unknown Horizons Homepage - About ( Memento of the original from July 31, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Unknown Horizons Wiki - Increments ( Memento of the original from March 27, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Unknown Horizons Wiki - German game instructions ( Memento of the original from April 24, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Unknown Horizons: Official Tutorial
- ↑ http://pootle.unknown-horizons.org/
- ↑ http://wiki.unknown-horizons.org/w/Campaign_file_format ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Commit on GitHub
