The object of Galactic Empire is to conquer the 19 independent planets. To win the game, all planets must be allied with the Empire or occupied. You have only 1200 years to win the game, otherwise you fail your mission. The following information will tell you all you need to know to play this game.
Color Graphics: To have the color graphics work, you must be using system 6.0.4 or later, and have 32-bit color quickdraw. Note: There is a small bug in the program that doesn't release memory if you frequently change your monitor from black-and-white mode to color and back while the program is running. I can't find it anywhere at this time, so I recommend that you don't change from color to black-and-white too much when running this program (don't worry - you can still do it once or twice without problems, or increase the memory setting for the program).
If you are running Galactic Empire in black-and-white mode only, you can set the memory size to 320K.
Use the '+' or '=' key to speed up the scrolling story on the title screen, and the '-' or '_' key to slow it down.
New Game: To start a new game, simply select this command from the File menu.
Resume Game: To continue a game that you have previously saved, use this command from the File menu.
Save Game: If you want to save a game in progress (you need to do some real work, or you're about to attack a planet without clear superiority), select this command from the File menu.
Save Game As: Same as Save Game, but you always get to specify the file name (and this must be used the first time a game is saved).
End Game: To end a game in progress without quitting the program, use this command from the File menu.
Quit: Once you get tired, bored, hungry, or mentally deficient, use this command to regain sanity.
Windows: There are four windows which contain specific information related to the game in progress. You can move these window as you please, or even close them (though I don't know why you'd want to). To make a particular window active (and you can't click on it for some reason), you can select the name of the window you want to show from the Windows menu. If you still can't find the window, maybe it's off screen (somebody else saved the window positions far, far away from your puny monitor). Go out and buy a bigger monitor! Of course I guess you could always use the Default Window Positions command from the Preferences menu (described in more detail later in the Preferences section), but you may be less satisfied.
Skill Level: There are ten skill levels to choose from, ranging from 1 (easiest) to 10 (hardest). I make no promises on whether or not you can actually win on the hardest skill level (I'll probably set it so that I can't win under the assumption that someone out there will play better than me), but let's at least hope you can win on the easiest. The skill level affects many aspects of the game, including the initial size of your fleet, the initial makeup of the galaxy (harder planets to conquer on higher skill levels), the production rates (and parts needed to build ships), and the prices of things.
Fleet Information
Your fleet consists of your command ship (which really doesn't do much but cart you around the galaxy), fighters, transports (both manned and empty), spy satellites, supply ships, fuel ships, credits, supplies, and fuel. To take any action on a planet (attack, allocate resources, tax, build ships, etc.), your fleet must be in orbit around that planet (see the view window for which planet you're orbiting).
Fighters: Fighters are used to attack the space forces of an advanced or superior planet. Primitive and limited technology planets do not have space forces. You will also need fighters as occupation forces for advanced and superior planets.
Transports: Transports are used to attack the ground forces of independent planets. Newly constructed transports are not manned and thus can't be used in battle. In order to use a transport in battle, you must man them by enlisting troops at an Empire planet.
Spy Satellites: Spy satellites provide information on planets. In fact, they determine exactly what information you'll see in the planet information window. The number of orbiting satellites around a planet determines the detail of the information you'll get. With zero satellites, you will have no information about a planet (other than it's alliance). With one satellite, you will get the planet's technology level as well as an estimate of the planet's population. With two satellites, you'll get an exact population number as well as the allocation of that planet's resources. With three satellites, you will get all the information on a planet, which includes it's military strength (independent planets) or occupation forces (occupied planets). Having more than three satellites orbiting a planet provides no additional information.
Once a planet joins the Empire, it will automatically put up three orbiting satellites if there aren't three already orbiting. However, occupied planets will provide no such service. If you want to keep track of your occupation forces, you'll have to put your own satellites in orbit. Also note that you can not recover satellites in orbit around a planet. Once there, they remain forever.
Supply Ships: Supply ships carry supplies (surprised?). One supply ship can carry 1000 supplies.
Fuel Ships: Supply ships carry fuel. One fuel ship can carry 1000 units of fuel.
Credits: Building and maintaining a fleet is not cheap and requires cash. You obtain cash by taxing Empire planets and spend it all too quickly purchasing ships, supplies, and fuel.
Supplies: Traveling around the galaxy takes time, thus you will need supplies (food, oxygen, etc.) to sustain your forces. The amount of supplies required to travel to another planet is dependent on the distance traveled (thus the amount of time it takes to get there), and the number of fighters and manned transports you have (which contain troops that must be fed). Fighters requires 1 supply per 10 light years traveled, and manned transports require 5 (hungry little !@$%, aren't they).
Fuel: Fuel is required to transport your fleet from one world to the next, and each ship in the fleet uses 1 unit of fuel for every 10 light years traveled (this includes fighters, empty transports, manned transports, spy satellites, supply ships, and fuel ships).
Fleet Information Window: The Fleet Information window contains all the information you need to know about the current status of the fleet, as well as buttons for executing the fleet commands (see Fleet Commands later on). All components of the fleet are shown here, including credits, the number of each type of ship, the current amount and fleet carrying capacity of supplies and fuel, and the fleet destination information (destination, estimated arrival time, supplies required, and fuel required).
If you do not have enough supplies or fuel to embark to the selected planet, or you don't have any fighters or manned transports to attack the planet you're orbiting, the resource that's lacking will be highlighted in the Fleet Window (bold-faced on b&w monitors, red on color monitors).
Planet Information
The planet information window contains information pertaining to the selected planet, as well as several buttons for taking action on the planet the fleet's currently orbiting. Note that you can only take action on the planet you're orbiting. If you are viewing a planet other than the one you're orbiting in the Planet Information Window, all planet actions will be disabled. To quickly select the planet you're orbiting, press [Return], [Enter], or [Spacebar]. The following describe what information you see regarding a planet (see the next section for planetary resource information).
Alliance: There are three states for a planet's alliance: independent, occupied, or Empire. At the start of a game, Galactica is the only Empire planet, the other 19 are independent. To win the game, all 20 planets must be either Empire or at least occupied. When viewing the alliance of a planet in the planet information window, the year an occupied planet was defeated appears in parenthesis. For example, Occupied (185) means that the planet was defeated in the year 185. This information is important when deciding whether or not to beef up the occupation forces once they get low, since the longer the occupation, the higher the probability that the planet will join the Empire.
Technology: There are four technology levels: primitive, limited, advanced, and superior. The higher the technology level, the more difficult it is to conquer the planet. Your forces fight on par with advanced planets, meaning that if you have the same number of forces as an advanced planet, you'll have a 50% chance to win a battle (see Attack under Planet Commands for more information). Primitive and limited planets have no space forces, and can not construct ships for the fleet. Primitive planets also can not produce fuel.
Population: A planet's population (in addition to a planet's resource allocation) determines how much it can produce (including it's military forces when independent). A larger population produces more. Over time, a planet's population grows and thus becomes more difficult to conquer (or produces more resources for your fleet).
Number of Orbiting Satellites: The number of orbiting satellites determines the detail of information you can see on a planet. You'll need at most 3 satellites for maximum information, and Empire planets automatically put them up for you if there aren't already three when it becomes Empire. The planet information window shows both the number of satellites in orbit around a planet, and the number of satellites destined for that planet (if there are any that haven't made it yet) as well as the year of their arrival. For example, 2,1,991 means that a planet has 2 orbiting satellites and one on the way which will arrive sometime in the year 991. If there are no satellites on the way to a planet, you'll just see the number of spy satellites orbiting that planet. Technicality: If you send more than one batch of satellites to a planet, the number of pending arrivals will be correct, and the expected arrival date will be that of the first arrival(s).
If you are in orbit around a planet with no orbiting satellites, the command ship's computers will determine the technology level and population of that planet and show it in the Planet Information Window while you're in orbit. Once you leave orbit, that information will be lost.
Planet Alliance Summary: For Empire planets, the final piece of information in the planet information window is the planet alliance summary which tells you how many Empire, independent, and occupied planet there are in the galaxy.
Occupation Forces: For occupied planets, the final piece of information in the planet information window is the number of occupation forces present at the planet, both in space and on land. Note that you'll need three orbiting spy satellites in order to get this information. When you defeat a planet's military, it doesn't immediately join the Empire. In fact, it still seeks independence. You have to leave occupation forces on the planet for a while to keep it from rebuilding its military. After some time, the planet will join the Empire, but until it does so, it will work towards breaking your occupation. This means that your occupation force size will decrease with time, so be careful to leave enough forces to ensure it doesn't revert back to an independent planet.
Military Strength: For independent planets, the final piece of information in the planet information window is the military strength of the planet, both in space and on land. Note that you'll need three orbiting spy satellites in order to get this information. The size of a planet's military is dependent on its population and military resource allocation. Having this information prior to battle is extremely beneficial.
Planetary Resources
A planet's resource allocation (along with its population) determines how much it produces. You get to allocate the planets resources between 5 categories. The sum must always be 100%, and there is a minimum value (10% for advanced and superior planets, 12% for limited planets, and 16% for primitive planets). If you set a resource to its minimum value, the planet will produce just enough of that resource for itself and have nothing left to contribute to the fleet. You can only allocate resources for an Empire planet, and change them only when you are in orbit around that planet.
The planet information window shows you the current resource allocation for a planet (assuming it's in the Empire or there are at least 2 orbiting satellites). Along with the current allocation, the planet information window shows how much of each resource is produced per year (labeled "production"), and how many of that type of resource is available to the fleet (labeled "current"). Of course, only Empire planets produce resources for the fleet, so some of this information is not applicable for independent or occupied planets (though it is sometimes useful to know what the allocations are).
Agriculture: Agriculture produces supplies (food) and influences the price of supplies (the higher the allotment, the lower the price of supplies).
Economy: The economy produces taxes as well as determines the prices of ships, supplies, and fuel. The higher the economy resource, the more taxes produced and the lower the prices of things. Note that the prices of items are determined when you arrive at a planet and do not change with a change in the economy allotment until you leave the planet. This eliminates the "cheat" of setting the economy resource high just before purchasing something, and then setting it back down to it's normal level after the purchase simply to get a price break.
Industry: For advanced and superior technology planets, the industry resource determines the rate at which ship parts are produced. Ship parts are the basic components from which all ships are made. Different ships require different amounts of parts, and you can decide how best to use the available parts. Superior planets produce twice as many ship parts as an advanced planet with the same population.
Military: The military resource produces troops for manning transports. When a planet is independent, the military resource affects the number of forces that planet has (in combination with the planet's population). When a planet is occupied, the military resource (in combination with the planet's population) affects the rate at which your occupation forces attrition.
Mining: The mining resource produces fuel for the fleet and affects fuel prices. Note that primitive technology planets can not mine, and thus have no mining resource.
Galactic Map
The Galactic Map window contains the relative positions of all planets in the galaxy. In addition, it visually shows which planets are independent, occupied, or in the Empire (via different colors on color monitors, or by different planet pictures on black and white monitors), the planet you are in orbit around, and the currently selected planet (which is the fleet destination planet and the planet that is being shown in the Planet Information Window). The selected planet will have a square around it. The planet you're orbiting has a circle around it.
Clicking on a planet in the Galactic Map window causes that planet's information will be displayed in the Planet Information window and selects that planet as the fleet's destination (as well as the destination for sending spy satellites). Double-clicking on a planet will automatically invoke the embark command to that planet.
View Window
The View window shows you a little information about the planet you're orbiting. This information is obtained by the command ship's sensors, so you'll see information here even if you have no orbiting spy satellites.
The title of the window tells you the planet you're orbiting. The distance to the currently selected planet will be shown. You'll also see the planet's alliance, technology level, and population. The current star date is shown in the lower left corner of this window. Lastly, there is a thin, vertical bar at the left of the window. This bar shows you how much time remains for you to complete your mission. The longer the bar, the more time you have left. Use it as a quick guage to tell how much time is left.
Fleet Commands
Embark: You use the Embark command to move your fleet around the galaxy. When you select this command, the fleet will travel to the selected planet (which will be shown in the fleet window under planet destination, and have a square around it in the Galactic Map window). Since you are traveling over great distances, your actual arrival time will be plus or minus 0.25 years from the estimated arrival time. The destination planet will have a flashing square aound it while you "leave orbit" of the planet you're at. While you're leaving orbit (and before entering "warp"), you can cancel the embark command by pressing the spacebar.
Send Spy Satellites: Use this command to send up to three spy satellites to the currently selected planet (also known as the fleet destination planet). You can specify from one to three spy satellites to send (assuming you have enough). They will arrive plus or minus one year from the estimated arrival time since they may need time to find proper orbit to begin transmitting data.
Cryogenics: Use this command to put the fleet into stasis for up to 25 years. This command is useful to quickly pass time while you might be waiting for something (like a planet to produce supplies for your fleet). Don't be concerned if you have to use this a lot at the beginning of a game.
Scrap Ships: If you need to eliminate some of your ships for any reason (such as too few supplies or fuel to reach your next destination), use this command. You will be prompted for how many of each type of ship to scrap. Scrapped ships are gone forever and can not be recovered (so be careful!).
Decommission Troops: If you want to reduce the number of manned transports you have, while keeping the troops and transports (you don't just want to scrap them), select this command (which is currently only available from the Fleet menu). You must be orbiting an Empire planet, since the troops you decommission will be sent to the planet and added to the pool of troops that you can enlist from. At the same time, the previously manned transports will be converted to empty transports. Use this command if you don't have enough supplies to travel to a planet, or to move troops around from one planet to another.
Planet Commands
Planet commands affect the planet you're currently orbiting, which may be different from the planet information you see in the Planet Information Window (in which case, you can't select any actions).
Collect Taxes: If you are orbiting an Empire planet, and that planet has accumulated taxes for the fleet, use this command to collect all those taxes.
Enlist Troops: In order to take over other planets, you need to attack with ground forces in transports. New transports do not come equipped with those ground forces and are thus called empty transports. By enlisting troops at Empire planets, you can fill these transports. Selecting this command will allow you to man your empty transports (assuming you have some, and the planet you're orbiting has troops available).
Build Ships: You'll need plenty of ships to conquer the galaxy. Building ships requires a planet with an advanced or superior technology. To build ships you need ship parts and credits. The ship parts are supplied by the planet and the credits by the fleet. Let's hope you have enough of each to make the ships you need.
When building ships, you will be presented with an order form where you supply the number of each type of ship you want to build. For your convenience, the number of ship parts the planet has, and the number of credits the fleet has is displayed. Also, the number of ship parts and credits needed per ship is displayed for each type of ship you can build. By using the compute button, the number of ship parts and credits needed to fill your order will be shown. Since you will use transports the most, there is a button that will compute the largest number of transports you can build (based on available ship parts and credits), labelled Max T. Using this button will take into account orders for other ships, so you can build some of the other ships and use the remaining ship parts or credits to build transports. This button also performs the same function as the compute button (after determining how many transports to build).
Ships built will immediately join the fleet. Building ships will cause about 1 year to pass.
Purchase Supplies: Use this command to purchase supplies. Simply enter the number you want to buy, and assuming you have enough credits and carrying capacity, and the planet has the supplies needed, you will get them in about a quarter of a year.
Purchase Fuel: Use this command to purchase fuel. Simply enter the number you want to buy, and assuming you have enough credits and carrying capacity, and the planet has the fuel needed, you will get them in about a quarter of a year.
Allocate Resources: Use this command to change the resource allocation of an Empire planet you're orbiting. You will be presented with a screen to enter the new allocations. The compute button will add the current numbers and show the total to you (since you'll need to make sure it equals 100% before hitting OK).
Occupation Forces: Use this command to add the occupation forces of an occupied planet. This should be the first thing you do after successfully defeating a planet's forces. Since your occupation forces dwindle over time, make sure to leave enough or you'll have to come back to add more later, or worse, the planet will become independent again. Be careful, though, since occupation forces can not be recovered once committed (meaning that you won't get the remaining forces after a planet joins the Empire). You do not (and can not) allocate space occupation forces for primitive or limited technology planets.
Attack: Use this command pck an independent planet. If the planet is an advanced or superior planet, a space battle will take place (unless you have already defeated their space fleet and they have not rebuilt). The battle window shows how many ships remain in your fleet and the planet's fleet, and will be updated frequently. The probability of your winning is also shown here. If that probability is less than 50% and falling, you had better retreat, or risk losing all your forces. If you successfully defeat a planet's space forces, or are attacking a primitive or limited planet, your manned transports will enter a land battle. Again, the number of transports your fleet has and the number of transports the planet has will be displayed, along with your probability of success (based on the number of forces remaining and the planet's fighting ability). If you wish to retreat, click on the retreat button. If you want to have the screen updated more quickly (the enemy has a large number of forces and you want the battle's outcome to be determined more quickly), press the plus or equal key ("+" or "="). To slow the rate the screen is updated, press the minus or underscore key ("-" or "_"). After a battle, click OK to continue.
Assuming you have three spy satellites orbiting a planet, you will know the size of the planet's military. The size of the military and the technology level of the planet will help you determine how many forces you'll need to win. You forces fight much better than primitive technology forces, somewhat better than limited technology forces, as well as advanced technology forces, and somewhat worse than superior technology forces. Thus, if attacking an advanced planet with the same number of forces in your fleet as the planet has, you'll have a 50% chance of winning. Of course, you'd never want to do this as you'll need some occupation forces left for that planet if you planet to hold it.
After successfully defeating a planet's forces, that planet will become occupied. It won't stay so for long unless you add some occupation forces to keep the planet from becoming independent again. A planet can take over 50 years to join the Empire once occupied, so plan the number of forces you need carefully. Your occupation forces will attrition over the years, at a rate determined by the population of the planet and it's military resource allotment. The rate of occupation resource attrition is approximately one half the rate at which a planet rebuilds its military (if you don't destroy all its forces, or it goes independent again).
If you don't defeat all a planet's forces, or it does become independent again (heaven forbid!), that planet will begin rebuilding its military. A planet can rebuild its entire military (back to the levels before the attack) in 50 years. It will take even less time if you didn't defeat all its forces.
Preferences
The Preferences menu allows you to turn sound on and off, select the way the windows will be arranged on the screen, and look at the high scores.
Sound: Users of system 6.0.2 and later will have the option of digitized sound. Use this menu item to toggle sound on and off.
Arrange Windows: This command will move (and size the Galactic Map window) the game windows back to their original, or "saved" positions. Use this command to rearrange the windows after you may have moved them around. If the windows don't arrange well, maybe someone else saved their positions in places not too great for your monitor (maybe they had a bigger monitor). If this is the case, use Default Window Positions to at least get the all arranged on your screen. Then you can save them where you like.
Save Window Positions: Use this command to save the current window positions (and size for the Galactic Map window). Once saved, the windows will always start out in the saved positions for new games, or go back to the saved positions when Arrange Windows is selected.
Default Window Positions: Use this command to have the windows move to their default positions. You may not like them here, but at least they'll all be on the screen. Make sure to save the window positions if you want them to start here for new games or when using the Arrange Windows command.
View High Scores: The top 10 high scores for each skill level is kept. Selecting this command will bring up a window that allows you to see them all, one skill level at a time (the currently selected skill level is displayed when first bringing up the high scores window). To change the skill level you're currently viewing, click on the skill level number you want to see, or press that number on the keyboard (0 will show you skill level 10).
You can clear the high scores for the skill level you're currently viewing by clicking the Clear button. If you want to clear the high scores for all skill levels, click Clear All. Pressing return or clicking OK will dismiss this screen.
Your final score is based on a number of things, including whether or not you win, when you win (the sooner the better), the game's skill level, the size of your fleet (credits have no effect on score), the number of Empire planets at the end of the game, and the number of independent planets at the end of the game (the number of occupied planets at the end of a game have no bearing on your final score). The Empire planet bonus and independent planet penalty are affected by the technology level and population of the planets in the Empire or left independent.
Export Scores: This feature allows you to save the high scores to a file.
Import Scores: This feature allows you to load a previously saved high scores file. This allows you to share high scores with a friend, or keep your high scores when upgrading to a new version of Galactic Empire. When loading scores, you can either replace all the current high scores with the scores in the file, or combine the two lists. A combined list keeps the 10 best scores for each skill level from the two lists.
Quick Summary
Here's a quick summary of some of the game commands/displays:
• The planet you're orbiting has a circle around it.
• The selected planet has a square around it.
• Press [Enter], [Return], or [Spacebar] to select the planet you're currently orbiting.
• Double-click on a planet to embark to that planet.
• You can cancel an embark command when leaving orbit by pressing [Spacebar].
• You can only take planet actions on the planet you're currently orbiting.
• The thin, vertical bar at the left of the View window tells you how much game time remains.
• If you can't attack a planet due to a lack of forces, or can't embark due to a lack of supplies or fuel, the deficient item will be highlighted in the Fleet window.
• Use the '+' or '=' key to speed up the scrolling story in the title screen, or to speed up planet attacks.
• Use the '-' or '_' key to slow down the scrolling story in the title screen, or to slow down planet attacks.
