Introduction

To judge by the preview copy, Space Empires IV looks to be one of the best turn-based 4X (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate) grand strategy space games to come down the pike in a long time. Deep, addictive gameplay is combined with customizable game code to produce an incredible amount of replay value. Space Empires IV casts the player in the role of leader of a space-faring civilization with the goal of conquering the surrounding quadrant of the galaxy. Generally starting with just a few technologies capable of producing only basic spaceships, the player can build up fleets of dreadnoughts supported by fighters from carriers, huge battlestations, troops for planetary invasion, weapons platforms, remote satellites and mines. Building up a strong economy is the key to victory, with research, diplomacy, trade, and combat playing equal parts in the grand game of empire. The technology tree is immense, with over 500 components and 300 facilities advertised.

Space Empires IV is latest in the series designed by Aaron Hall of Malfador Machinations. The series has a dedicated following, with a plethora of sites offering modified empires and fleets from most of the major sci-fi series. While keeping many of the elements of Space Empires III, this latest version takes the 2D graphics and Windows-style interface to a polished and artistic level. The game can be played either with one-empire-at-a-time turns, or with simultaneous orders and movement. Each turn is one-tenth of a year. Space combat in turn-based mode can be either tactical, with the player controlling their ships in battle, or strategic, with the computer controlling both sides. Simultaneous movement games only allow strategic combat. Currently there is no way for players to fight tactical fleet actions on-line.


Technology in action.	Watch out for that black hole!

Installation and Technical Issues

Space Empires IV installed smoothly, taking up a paltry 120 MB of hard drive space. System requirements are fairly minimal and I encountered few problems in playing the game on various systems, including a laptop, a 266 MHz Windows NT rig, and a 900 MHz Athlon home system. I did have one instance where most of my saved game files became corrupted, but I was able to trace that to a bad download of MSN Messenger. While I have heard of some bugs in the old demo, which lets the gamer cheat, I was unable to duplicate them with the preview version I had. Customer support from Malfador was superb, with quick turn-around on my questions and good follow-up.

Documentation

The manual included with the preview copy is a hefty HTML file, which covers the game in great detail. Usually I dislike not having a paper manual, but in this case the main game screens have a minimize icon which allows the player to check the electronic manual without having to quit the game. The manual not only explains how to play the game, but also provides an example of every game screen with a blurb on every button and function. The overview is especially useful, with tips for beginners and an extensive Q&A section. If anything, the sheer amount of data can be a little confusing, but a little digging invariably resulted in finding an answer to my questions.

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