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Introduction

The 4X (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate) genre is an old, established one, built on the achievements of classics like Stars! and Master of Orion. As years have passed, more features, better graphics, and multiplayer capabilities have been added. However, the core gameplay is still the same, despite these innovations. The emphasis has been on customizability and an ever expanding array of game options. Space Empires IV is the latest addition to this genre. It is highly customizable, has a broad and deep technology tree, and is blessed with a clean, streamlined interface. After having played the game for the better part of two months, I can't help but say that I am very impressed.

Customization

The game itself is highly modular. Artwork consists of bitmaps, which can be replaced or supplemented as desired. Game rules and computer AI behavior is described in text files, with sufficient comments and notes for anyone reasonably familiar with the game to edit. A brand new player probably won’t understand the terms (well, they would, but not necessarily in the game context), but after playing a few games you can easily edit any of the rules as desired.

These rules include computer behavior for each of the pre-made races and the default neutral, aggressive, and defensive behavior sets. They describe how anger is handled; the AI’s building, research, and design priorities; and the AI’s general strategies. They also include the AI’s speech text, so Star Trek fans out there can make their AIs speak Klingon, if they wish.

Speaking of Star Trek fans, fans of popular television and movie series like Star Wars, Babylon 5, and the like, can import the relevant artwork, rules, and speech. I have no doubt that within weeks of this game’s release these fan-based add-ons will be available somewhere online. Full sets of skins can be designed and installed.

Game properties such as planet sizes, weapon strengths, and the research tree can be tampered with in the same way. Of course doing so places game balance at risk, but it’s always fun to poke and prod. The manual describes the naming conventions used by the game engine.

While the ability to edit text, default names, unit art, and lists isn't new (Civilization II had it, for example), none have gone this far before.

Tech Tree

Space Empires IV comes with an immense technology tree that is both wide and deep. There are three main categories: Applied Sciences, Theoretical Sciences, and Weapons Technology. Research in the Theoretical Sciences will open new avenues of invention in both Applied Sciences and Weapons Technology. New facilities and components come out of research.

Each branch on the tech tree has a different depth. Some of them extend past ten levels, while others terminate after the first. These branches cover everything from weapons, medicine, planetary engineering, resource extraction, and psychology, to ship construction, cargo holds, and stellar manipulation.

Stellar manipulation is a big feature. It allows players to tailor galaxies as they wish, to both create and destroy. Master of Orion 2 was restricted to destroying planets with its stellar converter. Space Empires IV allows the creation and destruction of stars, nebulae, wormholes, black holes, and ion storms. Of course, such large scale engineering efforts cannot be done with impunity. Many of these operations will result in the destruction of everything in the star system. After all, why settle for wiping out one colony at a time when you can do it a system at a time?

Planetary engineering can improve the value and conditions on each planet. Each race has its preferred atmosphere, and planetary atmospheres can be changed as well. Resource gathering activities such as mining, farming, and refining are all based on the number of facilities devoted to that activity and the value of the planet. Improving each planet’s value offers a way of increasing production without rabidly expanding throughout the quadrant.

Facilities are the structures built on each planet. Each planet, depending on its size and atmosphere, can only host a limited number of facilities. These facilities are involved in all facets of the game. They produce resource points, ships, units, and other enhancements. These are also customizable from outside the game. Basic facilities can be upgraded as the technology is researched, and the game provides a convenient way of upgrading multiple copies of the same facility. Facilities of the same type can be upgraded together through the planetary construction queue. This is a vast improvement over other games, which either do not offer upgrades or require scrapping the structure to upgrade it (or in Civilization's case, selling it off the moment it becomes obsolete...).