''Xconq'' is an open-source 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 ...

. This multiplayer video game was first posted to comp.sources.games on 9 July 1987. ''Xconq'' is released as free and open-source software under the terms of the GNU GPL-2.0-or-later.

Gameplay

Originally a straightforward clone of ''

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

'', later versions included the ability to define rulesets for different kinds of games, first using a

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-like syntax, then a more powerful version based on Lisp syntax. It was also ported to other computer systems, including

Macintosh The Mac (known as Macintosh until 1999) is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc. Macs are known for their ease of use and minimalist designs, and are popular among students, creative professionals, and software en ...

, Amiga, and

Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for ser ...

. ''Xconq'' is designed to be

portable Portable may refer to: General * Portable building, a manufactured structure that is built off site and moved in upon completion of site and utility work * Portable classroom, a temporary building installed on the grounds of a school to provide ...

and re-definable. The default ruleset is similar to ''Empire'', but the ruleset, graphics, and maps can be altered to represent different time periods and strategic scales. Example rulesets provided with the game include Napoleonic strategy, Beirut guerilla fighting, World War II

grand strategy Grand strategy or high strategy is a state's strategy of how means can be used to advance and achieve national interests. Issues of grand strategy typically include the choice of primary versus secondary theaters in war, distribution of resource ...

, and

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destroying Tokyo. It can be played by multiple human or AI-controlled players over a network or via hot seat play.

History

Stan Shebs started working on a simple ''Empire'' clone in 1986, initially using

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for its interface, then adding an X10 interface. He posted this version to comp.sources.games in July 1987. It used a map based on squares rather than hexes, and supported multiple players by exploiting X's capability for a single program to open windows on multiple displays, although it accepted input from only the player whose turn it was; other players could not even scroll their map display. Even this first version included support for three rulesets (the "standard" Empire-like game, a Napoleonic-era game, and ancient Greeks), but they were defined by C structures and had to be compiled in. Shebs switched the game to use hex-based maps, added a postfix language to define the ruleset to be used when a game started, and changed the X interface to allow all players to interact simultaneously; these versions were numbered 2, 3, and 4, but were not released widely. After the addition of an

X11 The X Window System (X11, or simply X) is a windowing system for bitmap displays, common on Unix-like operating systems. X provides the basic framework for a GUI environment: drawing and moving windows on the display device and interacting wi ...

interface written by Chris Peterson, version 5.0 was posted to comp.sources.games (as "xconq5") in June 1988. 1989 saw the first attempt at a client/server version, ''uconq''. The Macintosh

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as H ...

was developed in 1993. Although work had started on version 7.5, there has been little development since 2004, with the last CVS commit made in 2007.forum_name=xconq-cvs
on sourceforge.net

References

External links

Official site

Downloads and info
on sourceforge.net {{Video game engines Computer wargames Turn-based strategy video games Open-source video games Strategy video games 1987 video games Windows games Unix games Amiga games Linux games Classic Mac OS games MacOS games Video game clones 4X video games Video game engines Video games developed in the United States Software that uses Tk (software)

Gameplay

History

See also

References

See also

External links