From: mpr@netcom.com (Elliot Wilen)
Subject: Re: Empire of the Middle Ages?

In article <4fq2no$kk9@delphi.bc.edu>, Neil Carr <carrn@tony.bc.edu> wrote:
>Can someone tell me about this game.  Why is it that everyone on
>rec.games.board.marketplace that puts up a wish list always has this
>on it?

Because it's quite rare, because it is a good game (at least for some
tastes), and because it enjoys a good reputation. (In other words,
although I think it's a good game, I think this is also a situation of
"demand creates demand", if that makes sense.)

The game is a multiplayer simulation of grand strategy and diplomacy in
the middle ages. Each player controls a kingdom composed of provinces
which are rated by wealth, religion, and culture. Each kingdom also has
a monarch whose talents in war, administration, and diplomacy are
represented by numerical ratings. (Monarchs can die, in which case new
ratings are generated for their successors.) The object of the game is
essentially to grow your kingdom in terms of wealth and/or geography.
(Territorial acquisitions are worth more if you have a legal "claim" to
them, which can be established in various ways.)

The system is rather unusual in that there are no "army" pieces
(although there are defensive fortifications). Instead, a military
endeavor's outcome is affected by the skill of the monarch, the
characteristics of the target province, the characteristics of the
province from which the attack is launched, and the amount of money
spent. (It may also be affected by active defensive efforts.) In fact,
the mechanic for resolving attacks is fundamentally the same as for
conducting other endeavors (e.g., diplomacy, administration), even though
the results are different. The whole system is quite streamlined, but
it works pretty well at the intended scale.

Naturally, there are the usual random events. Depending on the optional
rules used, there are also provisions for non-player "principalities",
barbarian and Arab raiders, and Crusades to liberate the Holy Land (which
also incidentally tend to wreak havoc on the territories of the poor
Byzantine player). 

What this game is is a nice simulation of the dynamics of medieval
statecraft. What it is not is a rip-snorting adventure in
broadax-wielding mayhem. Very few kings are in a position to engage in
major military adventures without first seeing to the health of their
kingdoms and making ample preparation (i.e., saving up a big war
chest), and after ingesting new territorities, one must rest and see
to their proper pacification and incorporation into the kingdom before
moving on to further conquests. Also, while good play is certainly
rewarded, the random events can be quite (realistically) harsh--people
who are easily upset by evil (and frankly unfair, but that's life) turns
of fate should steer clear of this one.

If you are interested in Empires but can't find a copy at a suitable
price, another option is The Sword and the Stars--essentially the same
mechanics, translated to a science fiction setting. I think the current
owner of the Empires copyright might be planning a rerelease but I have
no idea when that will happen. An alternative is the computer version,
Rise of the West, which incorporates some rules changes and which is
available for Intel machines. (I don't think there's a Mac version,
other than the flawed, unauthorized, and possibly unavailable Medieval
Empires.)

If Empires of the Middle Ages seems too tame and you want more action,
you might try 3W's Imperator (formerly King of Kings from Good Industries).
It has a somewhat different scale and focus, definitely has more combat,
yet still pays some attention to the economic side of things.

--Elliot Wilen