''Armada 2526'' is a 4X

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

computer

strategy game A strategy game or strategic game is a game (e.g. a board game) in which the players' uncoerced, and often autonomous, decision-making skills have a high significance in determining the outcome. Almost all strategy games require internal decisi ...

developed by British studio Ntronium Games, released in North America on November 17, 2009. Armada 2526 is an example of the space opera genre, and is the spiritual successor of the game ''

Armada 2525 ''Armada 2525'' is a 4X science fiction computer strategy game A strategy game or strategic game is a game (e.g. a board game) in which the players' uncoerced, and often autonomous, decision-making skills have a high significance in determ ...

'', which was released by Interstel in 1991. Armada 2526 puts players in charge of a fledgling

galactic empire Galactic empires are a common trope used in science fantasy and science fiction, particularly in works known as 'space operas'. Many authors have either used a galaxy-spanning empire as background or written about the growth and/or decline of s ...

, and they must attempt to explore the galaxy and expand their territory, while trying to destroy rival empires. The

gameplay Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game, and in particular with video games. Gameplay is the pattern defined through the game rules, connection between player and the game, challenges and overcoming them, plot and pl ...

is a hybrid of turn-based and real-time time-keeping systems, and players can use

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

, diplomatic,

economic An economy is an area of the production, distribution and trade, as well as consumption of goods and services. In general, it is defined as a social domain that emphasize the practices, discourses, and material expressions associated with the ...

and

technological Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, science, ...

means to further their empires. The game received mixed reviews from critics. Ntronium also released an

expansion pack An expansion pack, expansion set, supplement, or simply expansion is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game, video game or collectible card game. These add-ons usually add new game areas, weapons, objects, characters, or ...

for the game, titled ''Armada 2526: Supernova'', which enabled

online multiplayer A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system ( couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...

play. ''Supernova'' includes two new alien races, new hazards, an updated trade mechanic, and more researchable technologies.

Gameplay

The fundamental gameplay mechanic of ''Armada 2526'' is ''4X'', an abbreviation of ''explore'', ''expand'', ''exploit'', and ''exterminate''. Players must explore the galaxy, expand their empire, exploit the various resources to be found, and exterminate their rivals. The game uses elements of both turn-based and real-time time-keeping systems, there are no set battles, and there are multiple paths that players can take to victory. Games last for an arbitrary amount of time, set at the beginning of the game; the galactic civilization with the most points at the end of the game is the winner. The conditions for victory vary depending on the race that players choose to play as. Some races focus on the happiness of their citizens, others focus on developing technology, and yet others focus on

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

. There are four different game scenarios that players can choose from, each with a different size of randomly generated game map. These game maps can contain anywhere from two to seventeen civilizations. Most of ''Armada 2526'' takes place in 2D, with the main star map and battle sequences taking place on 2D planes. However, it is also possible to view the battles from a 3D perspective. Exploration is carried out on the main star map, and players can use an ''Ark Ship'' to travel to new worlds and

colonize Colonization, or colonisation, constitutes large-scale population movements wherein migrants maintain strong links with their, or their ancestors', former country – by such links, gain advantage over other inhabitants of the territory. When ...

them. As well as colonization, players can expand their empires by contacting alien colonies, by making alliances with other empires, through building, and by military means. The spaceships that the player can use in battle include small scout ships, medium-sized corvettes, destroyers, and large dreadnoughts and carriers. Players are responsible for the economic upkeep of their colonies, and they can set the tax and migration policies for them. The population of colonies is also a concern for the player, and it is possible to supplement a colony's population by transporting more people from other worlds. These processes can also be automated. Diplomacy in ''Armada 2526'' includes the ability to form offensive and defensive alliances; to trade in money, ships, colonies, technology, and information; and to threaten, give ultimatums or ask for favors. There are also some unusual technologies that players can research in the game. In addition to items such as spaceships, weapons, and shields, players can develop such technologies as

bio-engineered Biological engineering or bioengineering is the application of principles of biology and the tools of engineering to create usable, tangible, economically-viable products. Biological engineering employs knowledge and expertise from a number o ...

squid hyperdrive ships, and

psychic A psychic is a person who claims to use extrasensory perception (ESP) to identify information hidden from the normal senses, particularly involving telepathy or clairvoyance, or who performs acts that are apparently inexplicable by natural laws ...

civilians that can detect enemy warships in space above their planets.

Reception

''Armada 2526'' received mixed reviews from critics, resulting in an accumulative average score of 66 out of 100 according to review aggregator

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

. ''Game Zones Mike Splechta praised the game's accessibility and replay value, but criticised its graphics as "just not up to today's standards". Simon Priest's review in ''Strategy Informer'' was positive overall, but he criticized the game's

user interface In the industrial design field of human–computer interaction, a user interface (UI) is the space where interactions between humans and machines occur. The goal of this interaction is to allow effective operation and control of the machine f ...

, calling it "the weak link in the chain". James Allen of ''Out of Eight'', on the other hand, praised the "informative" user interface, as well as the size of the randomized maps, the computer control of colonies, the AI opponents, and the diversity of the victory conditions. However, he criticized the lack of online multiplayer play in the original version, and called the combat "bland", the diplomacy "generic", and said that ''Armada'' "lacks the 'hook' of more robust offerings". Adam Solo's review in ''Space Strategy Games Sector'' called ''Armada 2526'' "a very solid game", but said that "it may not be for everybody", noting that this is in line with Ntronium's target of hardcore strategy fans. He also praised the developers for their continuous improvement of the game.

References

External links

*{{official website, http://www.ntronium.com/Armada2526%20Home.html 2009 video games 4X video games Iceberg Interactive games Video games developed in the United Kingdom Video games with expansion packs Windows games Space conquest video games Multiplayer and single-player video games Tri Synergy games