Top best 34-37 Games of 1973. reviews: Empire I, Empire II and Empire III, Chief, Board of Directors

All list top 37 games.

Empire I

The first part significantly differed from the subsequent ones, which would be less strategic. This year, as I will discuss in the next section, the second part was released. The third part will be released next year, and the fourth in 1976.

This game claims the role of the first multiplayer online game with Maze War. But most likely, it was indeed the first.

The first part was a turn-based strategic game for up to 8 players (in later versions, up to 30). Each player was the leader of their government, had ships for trade and warfare, and planned industry and budget. The budget allowed building more ships, with industry supporting all of it. Trade allowed supplying production with resources. Later, it was replaced by a more tactical, rather than strategic, second part. However, the first part was preserved for historical legacy under the name Conquest.

Over the years, it evolved to the point where games could last for days as players left, replaced by others. Esports competitions with entire teams were created.

Many imitators later emerged, such as Trek82, ROBOTREK, Xtrek, and Netrek.

Empire II and Empire III

Became more tactical, moving away from strategic gameplay. Here, you join a team of players as the commander of an individual ship.

I will talk about the latest version with all the improvements.

The goal of the game is to defeat everyone in the galaxy and become the empire.

There are four races in the game: Federation, Romulans, Orions, and Klingons (replaced by Kzinti due to copyright concerns). Each race has its advantages: Orions are weakly armed but fast; Romulans have the best weapons but are slow; Federates and Kzinti represent something in between.

Up to 30 players can play simultaneously, with a maximum of 15 in a team. After death, you respawn on your nearest planet.

The game has two types of weapons. Phasers fire instantly in a cone, and torpedoes have travel time, which can be dodged, but they deal maximum damage. Torpedoes can be detonated earlier to quickly release new ones or catch an opponent off guard.

The game had a limit of 20 keystrokes per minute and one frame per second. However, the number of frames could be slowed down to 1 in 10 seconds, and then time followed the slowest player.

Fuel was quickly depleted in the game, requiring strategic planning to avoid destruction due to immobility after fuel ran out or due to its conservation.

There were many tactical tricks because the game was quite balanced. Players had to often anticipate each other's actions to outsmart them.

For example, you could wait until torpedoes got closer and then make a hyperspace jump and shoot yours because the opponent could not launch new ones until the previous ones exploded. But the opponent could anticipate this and detonate them beforehand, then release new ones in the area of your jump. And other similar mind games relative to each other.

Chief (Mainframe)

A game that teaches you math with humor. An unusual phenomenon, in my opinion, so I decided to tell you a bit about it.

Here, the computer acts as the god of mathematics for Native American tribes and gives you a certain amount at the beginning. The player must try to solve the problem. If your answers are incorrect, it will provoke the wrath of the god of mathematics.

Board of Directors (Mainframe)

The game tries to make you a great manager.

But for this, you have to remember what paper letters are because that's the main way to play it. Letters are first printed, distributed to players, and player responses are entered into the computer. And then the same thing again.

Up to 10 teams can be in the game. Each manages a separate corporation. Players decide on the price to set, how much to invest in production, in research, and what the advertising budget will be.

After each turn, you receive a report showing how well the company is doing.

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