Imperial Conquest is the copyright of Serious Games 1991,93.
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This is the pd version of IC, it is identical to the full
version apart from having the save\load facilities disabled. If
you enjoy the game sufficiently to want to save your game position
you can buy the full version by sending £5.00 to the address
below. Please make cheques\postal orders payable to Serious
Games.
Serious Games
32A Albert Street
Seaham
County Durham
SR7 7LJ
The price includes postage for Britain. Outside Britain enclose
£2.00 extra to cover postage and ensure payment is by pounds
sterling and cheques are drawn at a British bank branch or by
Eurocheque.
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Loading
To load Imperial Conquest place the game disc in the disc drive
and reset or switch on your ST. Imperial Conquest is such a large
program that when used on an unexpanded 520 ST (with only 512K of
memory) it must be run from the AUTO folder by resetting the
computer, it will not load if you double-click on the program icon.
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Starting a game
On starting a new game you will have to choose how many human
players are to take part, and which nations they will lead.
Simply select each nation from the menu that will be human
controlled, to change a choice select the same nation again.
When all the desired nations have been picked use the READY menu.
The game will now start, the first nation to move will be
selected at random and the other nations will take their turns
until it is your nation's go.
Introducing Imperial Conquest
There are three main parts to Imperial Conquest. The central
part is the area map, this shows the whole of the Mediterranean
area covered in the game. From this the user can access the unit
map, which shows a small part of the area map in greater detail.
The third part of Imperial Conquest is the battle section, this
is only used when one of the player's armies is involved in a
battle.
Imperial Conquest is based in the ancient Mediterranean,
starting in 270 BC. There are 16 nations to be lead by human or
computer players. The 5 major powers; Rome, Carthage, the
Seleucid Empire, the Ptolemaic Empire, and Macedonia, have
certain qualities or advantages that gives them a realistic
chance of conquering the whole of the Mediterranean area.
There are 11 other nations; Numidia, Gaul, Greece, Celtiberia,
Illyria, Dacia, Bithynia, Galatia, Armenia, Media, and Thracia.
Some of these have a chance of acquiring a substantial empire
given efficient leadership. The smallest nations will need an
ingenious and lucky leader to merely survive.
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The Area Map
The area map is the central part of Imperial Conquest for either
learning what your opponents are doing, or for moving about the
unit map quickly. The area map consists of a map of the
Mediterranean and a menu. By clicking the left mouse button on
the map you will be placed at that position on the unit map.
The various menus are described below.
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map - contains a series of options for showing information on
the map.
mono - sets the map to monochrome to make objects easier
to see.
physical - sets the map to coloured to show terrain.
clear - clears and redraws the map.
cities - shows the position of cities.
capitals - shows capital cities. If used for a specific
nation, the name will be shown.
armies - shows armies.
fleets - shows fleets.
show all - rather than only displaying the position of
objects for one nation, the chosen object of all
nations will be shown.
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nation - is used to select which nation's details are shown on
the map or in the status option.
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strategy - for making strategic decisions. These will be
described in greater detail later.
status - shows the current status for any nation selected
using the NATION menu.
politics - alter your nation's political relations.
tax - adjust your nation's tax level.
new unit - mobilise troops to form a new army unit.
new army - make a new army.
new fleet- start building a new fleet.
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mercs - is used to show the position of any available mercenary
units of the chosen type.
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game - to load or save a game position, or end a player's turn.
load - load a new game position.
save - save the current game position. The saved file is
about 28K in size, we suggest you use the .SAV
extension on the filename.
end turn - end the current player's turn.
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The Unit Map
The unit map is an expanded version of the area map. Here you
can examine the actual cities, armies, and fleets. This is where
armies are moved, and are used to defend or attack countries.
By clicking with the left mouse button on an army, city, or
fleet you will be shown information about it. If you click with
the right mouse button on one of your armies you will be shown all
the units in it. Armies may contain regular and mercenary units,
the former are those units mobilised from your own population.
Clicking with the right mouse button on a city will reveal if
there are any mercenary units available at that city.
To move an army or fleet select the army or fleet to be moved by
clicking on it. Now trace the path you want the army/fleet to
follow by clicking on the squares it should pass over.
An army has 8 moves per turn, a fleet 25 moves. Moves are
deducted according to the terrain underfoot. The cost in moves of
the different types of terrain is;
plain - 1
desert - 1
forest - 2
mountains - 4
river - 4
To move an army onto a fleet simply move it as if on to a land
square. To move an army off a fleet, move the fleet up to land
then continue the moving process onto the land and the army will
disembark.
attack
is used to attack an army or city. Move your army up to the
target. Choose ATTACK from the menu and click on the target.
If the target is an army you will be taken to the battle section
of the game.
If the target is a city and the attack is successful the city
will fall under your control. If the city you are attacking is
the capital of a country it will be far harder to capture unless
its loyalty is low.
If a capital city is captured one of two things will happen.
If the parent nation's unity is above 40% and there is a suitable
city available the nation under attack will move its capital. If
the attacked nation's unity is too low or it can not find another
site for its capital the entire nation will fall, all the cities
belonging to the defeated nation will fall under the control of
the attacker.
recruit
is used to recruit a unit into an army. The unit may be one of
your own earlier mobilised, or it may be a mercenary unit.
Mercenaries may be recruited at any city which contains them,
but your own units can only be recruited from your capital city.
To recruit a unit follow the steps below;
1 - find the city on the area map and go to the unit map.
2 - move your army up to the city.
3 - choose RECRUIT from the menu.
4 - select the city by clicking on it.
5 - select a unit by clicking on it.
6 - choose RECRUIT from the menu.
If you have an army on a fleet you can recruit units from
coastal cities by following the above steps, moving the fleet up
to the city, you do not have to disembark the army. If there are
mercenaries available in your capital city and there are also
regular units ready, you will first be shown your own troops then
the mercenaries.
All regular units are paid the same amount regardless of
quality, with cavalry units being more expensive to maintain than
infantry units. Mercenary units are paid according to their
quality, regular units are paid the same as POOR mercenary units.
Although most mercenary units cost more in pay and maintenance
than equivalent regular units there is no initial expenditure for
training and equipment.
demob
is used to remove a unit from an army, it can only be performed
if the army is adjacent to a city. For a mercenary unit any city
will do, but to disband one of your own units one of your cities
must be used. If the unit is one of your previously mobilised
ones the men in it will return to civilian life. If it is a
mercenary unit it will probably remain at the town where it is
disbanded for a short time.
To disband a unit follow the steps below;
1 - find the city using the area map and go to the unit map.
2 - move the army next to the city.
3 - choose DEMOB from the menu.
4 - select the city by clicking on it.
5 - select a unit by clicking on it.
6 - choose DEMOB from the menu.
DEMOB can also be used on a unit in an army on board a fleet,
providing the fleet is adjacent to a suitable coastal city.
transfer
is used to transfer a unit from one army to another. To use
this option follow the steps below;
1 - move the two armies next to each other.
2 - select the army to be strengthened by clicking on it.
3 - choose TRANSFER from the menu.
4 - select the army to be weakened by clicking on it.
5 - select a unit by clicking on it.
6 - choose TRANSFER from the menu.
Transfer can be used between armies on fleets or on land.
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Status
The status screen shows the current state of the nation chosen
from the NATION menu. Details shown are the nation's degree of
unity, population size, number of cities controlled, treasury
balance, tribute payed, trade earned, tax rate, and percentage
mobilisation. The nation's political relations are also shown in
full.
Tribute is money paid to the government by the cities it
controls, it is different from taxation and is a good sign of a
nation's wealth. Trade income is derived from all trading
relationships and alliances, the richer the trading partner the
greater the amount earned. The figures shown are for the last
quarter, and any changes made to tax, trade or tribute will only
become apparent at the start of the next quarter.
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Politics
There are only 4 different political relations that may exist
between 2 nations;
peace - two nations have no diplomatic relations.
trade - two nations trade with each other. Nations
can have up to 3 trading partners.
ally - two nations are allies, which means that
they trade with each other, and if one is
attacked the other will declare war on the
aggressor.
war - two nations at war. Wars are easy to start
but can be difficult to end.
Political relations are changed by choosing POLITICS from the
STRATEGY menu. To make a change do the following;
1 - select the nation by clicking on it.
2 - choose the new political relation from the menu.
3 - choose CONFIRM from the menu.
If the nation agrees to the new relationship it will be shown
in the table. Where the political relationship is peace a space
is left in the table, so that the other relations are easier to
see.
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Tax
lets the leader alter the tax rate that the general population
pays, between 0 and 40%. The table of figures shows how much
income different tax levels produce each quarter, this is
dependent more on the wealth than the size of the population .
10% is an average level of taxation, more than this will harm your
popularity, a lower figure will improve your nation's unity.
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New unit
this is where a leader gathers recruits from the population
into units for training and eventual transfer to armies. Each
unit takes 17 weeks to train before they are ready for combat, but
it takes a little longer, 24 weeks, before they reach full
effectiveness (they will not progress above average quality in
training).
To recruit a new unit choose the desired type from the menu.
Now select the number required by clicking on the four arrows,
then choose RECRUIT from the menu. The initial cost for the
chosen unit type and quantity is shown.
New army
if possible a new army is immediately formed. This will
contain no units and will be positioned near your capital. There
is no cost involved in creating a new army.
New fleet
if sufficient resources are available this starts the building
of a new fleet, it takes 30 weeks and costs 1000 talents. A new
fleet can only be constructed if your nation has at least one
coastal city. A nation can only construct one fleet at a time,
you can check on a new fleet's progress by choosing NEW FLEET from
the menu.
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Battle
The battle section of Imperial Conquest takes place when a
human player attacks another army, or when a human player's
army is itself attacked. This part of the game starts with
the placing of the army units on the battle field. Initially
the units are placed at random, the leaders may then position
their units as they wish.
The attacker must first position their units within the top
three rows of the battle field, the defender can then
position their units within the bottom three rows. To place
a unit select it by clicking on it, then click on the square
you want it to occupy. After placing your units click on the
END TURN box so that the battle turns can begin.
It is the turn of the attacking army to move its units
first, followed by the defender. In each battle turn units
may move, attack, and shoot.
Move
To move a unit select it by clicking the left button on it,
then click with the left button on the squares you wish it to
pass over.
Attack
To use ATTACK the attacking unit must be adjacent to the target
unit and must have at least one move remaining. Select the
attacking unit by clicking the left button on it, then click on the
target unit with the left mouse button. If a unit is moved or
used to shoot after it has had its attack set the attack will be
cancelled. All the attacks set by an army are performed at the
end of its turn.
Shoot
A unit can only shoot at an enemy unit if it is a missile firing
type, it has at least one move and one shot remaining, and the
target is within shooting distance. Select the firing unit by
clicking with the left button, then click on the target unit with
the right mouse button. The shots are fired immediately, multiple
shots can be fired by clicking on any target within range.
The difference between attacking a unit and shooting at it is
that the former inflicts losses on both sides, while shooting
inflicts losses only on the defending unit. If more than one unit
are used to attack a single unit in one turn the losses of the
defending unit will be increased while the losses of the attacking
units will be reduced. Losses are determined by the size, type,
quality, and morale of the opposing units, but there is also a
substantial random element involved.
Perhaps the most important aspect in deciding the outcome of
battles is morale. Units are not only destroyed by having all
their men killed, they will fall if their morale falls too low.
When a unit falls it will cause the morale of its fellow units to
drop and the morale of the enemy units to rise. A unit's morale
also falls every time it comes out worse after an attack
(regardless of who initiated the attack), and rises each time it
destroys proportionately more of the opposing unit than it loses.
When a battle is finished you will be shown how many men were
lost on each side. Whether or not you won the enemy may offer you
peace terms, but often they will want to continue the war.
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Time
Imperial Conquest starts in 270 BC and must end by 250 BC when
the leaders die of old age. A year in Imperial Conquest consists
of four seasons, and each season lasts six turns. With regards to
timing the training of mobilised troops or the building of a fleet,
one turn lasts two weeks so that one season lasts twelve weeks.
The main effect of the different seasons is on the rate armies
use supply and the speed at which cities can resupply them. When
an army's supply falls below 40% its morale starts to drop, so that
if it is involved in a battle all its units will start the battle
with lower levels of morale. An army can only receive supply from
a city of the same nationality to which it is adjacent. Armies in
suitable positions are automatically resupplied.
Winning and losing
There is only one certain way of winning Imperial Conquest, by
building an empire that totally dominates the Mediterranean. This
is obviously easier to do with some countries than with others,
for example the Seleucid leader can mobilise enormous numbers of
troops while the Dacian leader will struggle to make one small
army. There is no difficulty level in Imperial Conquest but the
widely different starting strengths of the nations will allow
players to set themselves various targets as to how much
territory they conquer and how quickly they do it. Of course for
the very smallest nations conquering any territory at all may be
impossible, and for these nations survival must be the aim.
Some players may prefer to set themselves the target of leading
their nations in a more civilised way, only fighting defensive
wars and relying on diplomacy and peace to build up their nation's
wealth. For these the ultimate goal is obviously not one of
conquering the Mediterranean but of maintaining the security and
wealth of their nation.
Which ever target the player aims for there are several ways of
losing Imperial Conquest. The most obvious is for the player's
nation to be conquered by another. This occurs if their capital
city is captured by an enemy army and a site for another capital
can not be found. Players may also lose by being overthrown by
an army coup. A leader's own army will turn against them if
their leadership becomes extremely unpopular with the people, or
if they bankrupt the treasury and are unable to pay the troops.
A unity level of under 45% is extremely risky as is a treasury
deficit of between 1000 and 5000 talents depending on population.
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Seasons and Supply
rate of army rate of receiving
using supply supply from city
spring 10 15
summer 4 18
autumn 4 18
winter 25 7
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Unit Costs for Mobilised Troops
initial cost quarterly costs
per 100 men per 100 men
lit inf 2 1
hvy inf 20 2
archers 4 1
lit cav 15 3
hvy cav 30 4
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Unit Costs for Mercenaries (including troop quality)
initial cost quarterly costs per 100 men
per 100 men vp pr av gd vg el
lit inf 0 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8
hvy inf 0 1.6 2 2.4 2.8 3.2 3.6
archers 0 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8
lit cav 0 2.4 3 3.6 4.2 4.8 5.4
hvy cav 0 3.2 4 4.8 5.6 6.4 7.2
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Unit Details
no of no of shot weakness max
moves shots range to shots size
lit inf 4 7 1 18 15000
hvy inf 2 0 0 2 6000
archers 4 25 2 18 3500
lit cav 6 9 1 15 7000
hvy cav 5 0 0 4 2500
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Unit type v Unit type
DAMAGE INFLICTED
lit hvy archers lit hvy
inf inf cav cav
D S
A U lit inf 15 4 20 5 3
M F hvy inf 60 5 65 15 8
A F archers 10 3 18 5 3
G E lit cav 25 8 28 15 8
E R hvy cav 18 12 20 12 8
E
D
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