Peripheral Empires

Peripheral Empires Introduction A peaceful empire once governed the distant region of the galaxy known as the Periphery. After a series of incompetent emperors, the bureaucracy which had mediated inter-system disputes, and the emperial fleet which had enforced the peace, fell into irreperable decline. Without the threat of emperial intervention, new kingdoms, founded on the old emperial technology centers, quickly proclaimed their sovereignty. Lacking a central authority, the intricate trade network upon which the Periphery had depended for its prosperity collapsed as each new kingdom established its own currency and trade regulations. In the face of massive shortages, the kingdoms began unprecedented military buildups as it became clear prosperity could only be acheived by reestablishing a pan-Peripheral empire. As a commander in the fleet on one such empire warring for control of the region, it is your goal to direct the reconquest of the old empire to reestablish order under a new Peripheral empire. User Interface The user interface is the means through which the player controls his ship and empires, and is informed of current conditions in the Periphery. Key components of the interface include: the viewscreen, sector map, computer display, update window, and keypad. The viewscreen displays the sector currently occupied by the player's ship. To scan a ship on the viewscreen, the player clicks the fire/scan toggle, so that 'scan' is selected, then clicks the mouse on the ship to scan. To scan a planet, the player simply clicks the mouse on that planet. Once a ship or planet has been scanned, a readout will appear on the computer display. To fire at a ship on the viewscreen, the player sets the fire/scan toggle to 'fire', then positions the cursor (which now appears as a crosshair) over the ship and clicks the mouse. Planets can be bombarded by clicking the center button on the keypad. The resulting effect on the planet's population can be ascertained by scanning the planet after the attack. The player may only fire once per turn. The rate at which the game progresses can be controlled from the 'Speed' menu option. In addition to the four user selectable settings, an additiobal setting, 'Turn Mode' is automatically entered when a hostile ship enters the player's sector. This ensures that each ship is allowed the same number of chances to fire should the player wish to take offensive action. Should all hostile ships leave the player's sector, the previously selected game speed will be reselected automatically. The sector map provides an overview of the empires in the Periphery. The sector map has several modes which can be selected from the menu bar: Trade Routes, Alliances, Plot Attacks, Show Empire, and Show Ally. The map displays the position of ships in the sector regardless of the map's mode. When 'Trades Routes' is selected, each empire's trade network will be displayed on the map. The trade rou…