It is definitely not an "install and play game", this games requires at least an hour of study before even attempting it at the easiest level. I know for where I speak, in my ignorance I tried to replicate the glories of the British (read English) Empire. In two attempts I managed to reproduce the feat of Charles I and lose my head to the angered masses. It was then and only then that it became apparent that the in-depth tutorial for this game was not for idiots, but for pigheaded players like me. Imperialism was a so-called "cult" hit on the PC, never reaching the heady heights of Civilization. Frog City , the developer of the game, has stayed true to its routes and merely twigged the game, rather than changing it radically for a mass market. This release will no doubt build on its cult following, with the addition of Mac gamers, however superstar status does not, I fear, beckon. Will The Real Requirements Stand Up! As with most strategy games, for the Macintosh the requirements are reasonable. Although oddly the desired system is listed as a "Power Mac 7500 or better, " which is annoying if one does not know the mhz and type of chip in each of Apple's PowerPC machines. The box corrects this by saying 604 or above recommended. The users manual explains that it needs OS 7.5.2 or better to run while the box suggests 7.6 or higher but recommends 8.5.1. The box disagrees with the Manual on CD speed requirements as well, the box opting for 4x while the Manual recommends 8X. The box and the Manual do agree on the minimum 32 MB RAM (17.5 free for single play and 25 or more for LAN play.) According to the box Imperialism II is not a fan of virtual RAM and recommends it be off. I played the game on my G3 233 with 96 MB RAM (total: 150 MB)/ 6 MB VRAM using MacOS 8.6 and there were no problems or crashes.  The GameImperialism II is a highly complicated game of Empire building set in the 300 years of history that were the "age of exploration," in Europe. One may either choose to play in the actual geographic locations of one's starting country or begin in a randomly generated alternate reality. Seeing England as a landlocked country is not pleasant to this reviewer. The intro screen is literally a work of art, that is the study, it is claimed depicted in a "Baroque" style. . Each of the normal parts of a computer game menu are hidden in various objects in the period study. In order to start with the aforementioned tutorial one must click on the Scroll at the bottom left of one's screen. The only really obvious item is that of the door which represents the exit to the game. A statue featuring clashing Calvary denotes the Multiplayer area (LAN or Internet play for up to six. Internet play is not recommended for anyone but North Americans who have free local calls, Imperialism II will not be a quick game, ever.) A chest hides the saved games, a globe begins the game and a painting allows one to change one's preferences. Preferences in this game are almost as complicated as the game itself, allowing one almost complete control of every aspect of the game. The game's appearance is at times a bit Windows like, as this is a hybrid simultaneous release that is hardly surprising. The graphics are impressive but nothing too over the top for the type of the game. The sounds do tend to get a little annoying at times. The selection of music tracks is most pleasant but is better listened to with a nice Beaujolais sans the game. The gameplay is positively diabolical, the AI a complete Machiavellian tyrant even at the lowest levels. The AI attempts and in my view succeeds, to play each European nation in the style to which is would be expected. As the goal is to conquer or unite under your flag this can be extremely tricky. The new world is there to be exploited but not to be conquered. It needs to be used to help your position back home but not to distract one from one's ultimate objective. The intricacies of this game are immense. One learns quickly what a pain it is to have a command economy run by one person. If one feel this to be too much of a task one may call on the services of the computer to provide aide in the tasks you prefer not to manage. The computer has yet to bail me out of my predicaments, so I am yet to be convinced of its value. If one is truly paranoid as a King or Queen one would not allow the computer to run any of one's affairs as they might have "divided loyalties."
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