Galactic Empire
This project is an open-source recreation/extension of a classic Mac shareware game (also called Galactic Empire) by Cary Torkelson.
How to Play
You control one fleet, composed of the following types of ships:
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Transports: manned transports carry ground troops, for ground assault or holding an occupied planet. Empty transports don't, but are ready to be manned from any planet in the Empire.
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Space fighters: for attacking space forces, or holding an occupied planet with space technology.
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Spy satellites: may be dropped off at the fleet's location, or dispatched to any remote planet, to provide intel on that planet's status. More satellites provide more information (up to 3 per planet). Planets in the Empire automatically get 3 satellites.
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Supply ships: carry supplies, so the brave men and women in your fighters and manned transports can eat on a long journey.
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Fuel ships: carry fuel; all ships in the fleet require fuel to travel from planet to planet.
The basic game loop is as follows:
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When the fleet is at a planet in the Empire (shown in green on the map), build and man ships, and stock up on fuel and supplies. Do this using the buttons in the "Information" section of the display (lower right).
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Warp to an independent planet (blue). Use the Attack button to attack, and if successful, use the "Occupation Forces" button next to it to add to the occupying forces. (Alt-click or option-click the button to add space forces.) You'll generally want to leave about 50 of each type of occupying force.
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While a planet is occupied, it will whittle away at your occupation forces; if they are reduced to 0, the planet becomes independent again. But if it stays occupied for 50 years or so, it will join the Empire.
Repeat this process, always going back to Empire (green) planets to rebuild, restock, and grow your fleet. Dispatch spy satellites to give you advance info on nearby planets.
You have 1200 years to reunite the entire galaxy.
Free and Open-Source
MiniScript source code (for Mini Micro) is available on GitHub.
Download
Development log
- combat bug fixed (thanks to an alert player!)42 days ago
Comments
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The game looks good, but the combat seems to be more difficult than intended.
I had 240 Manned Transports and started a battle with Novena, which in this test had Limited technology and 113 Ground Forces. I won the battle, but only with 51 Manned Transports remaining. This implies that I lost 189 and Novena lost 113.
Is this intended?
I've done more testing. The technology advantage in combat is reversed from what seems to be intended.
All other factors being equal, the player always suffers more losses against Primitive targets and less losses against Superior targets. That is, Superior planets are easy to conquer and Primitive planets are really hard to conquer.
I'm looking at the code, but I haven't pinned down where exactly the reversal occurs. I'll comment again if I ever find it.
I found where the reversal happens.
GameRules.ms, Lines 17, 18, 26, and 27 read:
winner = (rnd < p)
spaceForces[1 - winner] -= 1
...
winner = (rnd < p)
landForces[1 - winner] -= 1
...The way "winner" is treated in Lines 18 and 27, "winner" is SUPPOSED to represent "which side (0 or 1) won a specific round of combat". (dialogs.ms always treats the Empire as side 0 and the Independent planet as side 1.) HOWEVER, "p" is SUPPOSED to be the probability that side 0 wins a round of combat.
If side 0 has a large tech advantage over side 1, then "p" is large, "rnd" is more likely to return a number less than "p", "rnd < p" is more likely to return 1, which makes "winner" equal to 1, then spaceForces[1-1] (in other words, spaceForces[0]) is decremented, and the victorious Empire loses a ship. :P
...
This is an easy fix. Lines 17 and 26 must both be changed to
winner = (rnd > p)
to fix this problem. This should work properly even if this code is later used for fights not involving the Empire.
Wow, great work! I will go over all of this this weekend, but I am sure you are right. I'll update the build on itch.io. Thank you for your contribution — this is what open-source is all about! ❤️
Change confirmed and integrated! Thanks again for catching this. You've made the game better for everyone!
Yeah, you basically had the game on "Idiocracy" (2006) rules: the more advanced the civilization, the worse they are at fighting. :P [snickers]
Glad to be of help! :D