''Space Empires'' is a series of 4X

turn-based strategy A turn-based strategy (TBS) game is a Strategy video game, strategy game (usually some type of wargaming, wargame, especially a wargaming#Unit or map scale, strategic-level wargame) where players take Time-keeping systems in games, turns when pla ...

games by

Malfador Machinations Malfador Machinations was a small game company based in Santa Rosa, California. They were best known for their ''Space Empires'' series. Brief history Malfador Machinations was created by Aaron Hall to publish '' Space Empires II'', the sequel ...

that allow the player to assume the role of the leader of a space-faring civilization.

Gameplay

In ''Space Empires'', the player assumes the role of the single leader of a race of intelligent beings that has recently acquired the technology required to build large fully space-based ships for interplanetary and interstellar travel. Starting out with only a few possible hull sizes for their ships, on which they can place any number of components to essentially create a unique ship, the player can research new hull sizes and components to use with them, eventually being able to build ships ten times the size of his original hull size. The components available to the player can vary greatly, from ship bridges, long-range scanners and shield generators to emergency supply components that, when used, will be destroyed but will allow a ship to continue moving for a longer time, and of course, weapons of various kinds, boarding parties,

cloaking device A cloaking device is a hypothetical or fictional stealth technology that can cause objects, such as spaceships or individuals, to be partially or wholly invisible to parts of the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum. Fictional cloaking devices have bee ...

s right up to

Dyson sphere A Dyson sphere is a hypothetical megastructure that completely encompasses a star and captures a large percentage of its solar power output. The concept is a thought experiment that attempts to explain how a spacefaring civilization would meet ...

construction material and star-destroying devices. The player can meet extraterrestrial races (which will inevitably happen as the player expands their realm) and conduct diplomacy with them.

Treaties A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations, individuals, business entities, and other legal perso ...

can be signed between two empires, varying from the basic

trade agreement A trade agreement (also known as trade pact) is a wide-ranging taxes, tariff and trade treaty that often includes investment guarantees. It exists when two or more countries agree on terms that help them trade with each other. The most common tr ...

to full-blown

partnership A partnership is an arrangement where parties, known as business partners, agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests. The partners in a partnership may be individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments o ...

s and even

protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a State (polity), state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over m ...

s. The player can also conduct intelligence operations, from simple information gathering missions, to ship bombs, to inciting

rebellion Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...

on a planet. Interstellar travel in ''Space Empires'' is not

faster-than-light Faster-than-light (also FTL, superluminal or supercausal) travel and communication are the conjectural propagation of matter or information faster than the speed of light (). The special theory of relativity implies that only particles with zero ...

drive based, but instead relies on anomalies called " warp points", essentially wormholes between two

star system A star system or stellar system is a small number of stars that orbit each other, bound by gravitational attraction. A large group of stars bound by gravitation is generally called a '' star cluster'' or '' galaxy'', although, broadly speak ...

s. Warp points are naturally occurring but a player can open and close these warp points if she or he has the appropriate technologies.

Games

* ''Space Empires'' (1993) * ''Space Empires II'' (1995) * ''Space Empires III'' (1997) * ''

Space Empires IV ''Space Empires IV'' is a turn-based 4X strategy computer game developed by Malfador Machinations and published by Strategy First as part of the ''Space Empires'' series in which players control an alien race in an attempt at galactic conquest. ...

'' (2000) * '' Space Empires: Starfury'' (2003) * ''

Space Empires V ''Space Empires V'' (''SEV'') is a 4X turn based strategy game that was released in 2006. It was developed by Malfador Machinations and published by Strategy First Strategy First Inc. is a Canadian video game publisher based in Montreal. F ...

'' (2006)

Later development

In 2006,

Strategy First Strategy First Inc. is a Canadian video game publisher based in Montreal. Founded in 1988 by Don McFatridge, Steve Wall and Dave Hill, the company filed for bankruptcy in 2004 and was subsequently acquired by Silverstar Holdings in 2005. Initia ...

acquired Malfador Machinations and the Space Empires intellectual property prior to publishing ''Space Empires V''. Strategy First still owns the Space Empires intellectual property and has not developed another PC game. In 2011, Strategy First released a RPG board game named ''Space Empires: 4X'', based on the digital model of the Space Empires computer games, utilizing sprites and mechanics from Space Empires IV.

References

{{Reflist

External links

''Space Empires Universe'' site
community homepage (offline) via

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

Developer website
company homepage (offline) via

Interview with Aaron Hall
the creator of ''Space Empires'' 4X video games Multiplayer hotseat games Science fiction franchises Space opera video games Turn-based strategy video games Video game franchises Video game franchises introduced in 1993