Granted this is a OLD game. It is turn-based, which many folks find quaint. The graphics are minimal. Given the nature of the game, more graphics would merely be a distraction from the gameplay! It is not a realistic simulation but rather an abstraction of the elements of war. I don't get into wargames where there are 50 different kinds of units that can be grouped and deployed under group commanders and so on. After reaching a certain degree of complexity, those wargames simply bog down in their own interface and scenarios. Granted that some elements of the gameplay in Empire Deluxe can become a bit tedious and repetitive in the larger sized game boards. I agree that in upgrading from the previous versions of this game that the designers could have been a little more adventurous. Nonetheless, I think that this game has a great deal of entertainment value. I still play this game in 2004! For what it is worth, I think that this game has been unduly maligned by the raters on this site!
Descended from Interstel's Empire ("Wargame of the Century", 1988 I believe), Empire Deluxe improves over the original game while still retaining the simplicity of play which made war games more accessible, fro... Read Full Review
Empire was a game I played on Unix machines. The maps could be printed out on plotters (wide paper printers). This was the first strategy game I played that had a both good AI and movement code. The computer would sneak ... Read Full Review
--