Warpath 97

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs

GAME DESIGNER:Dan Samuel
GAME DEVELOPER:Synthetic Reality
GAME PUBLISHER:Synthetic Reality
Copyright 1997, Synthetic Reality

Not to be confused with the Playstation game of the same name, Warpath 97 is a great game of galactic conquest that boasts one of the most intriguing diplomacy modules I have seen. The basic gameplay is well-known to fans of 4X games, although in contrast to most games in this genre, Warpath 97 is played in real time. The game was designed primarily as a multiplayer game, where up to 8 players can compete via modem, IPX LAN, TCP/IP, BBS, Telnet, and null mod. Any of the players can be computer-controlled, although its much more fun to play against other human players.

What makes Warpath 97 unique in the genre is that it combines elements from action games as well. To achieve your goal of conquering the galaxy, you can either buy allegiance from other players, and blasting those who refuse to follow you. Its a fun combination of action, strategy, and a solid multiplayer chat environment.

The underlying economic and combat model are simplistic when compared to games like Master of Orion and Space Empires IV, and the variety of ships you can build is nowhere near as large as Stars! or even Spaceward Ho!. But as a light multiplayer galactic conquest game, Warpath 97 is well worth a look especially to those who wonder how a 4X game can be done in real-time. The demo version allows 20 hours of play, and you can buy the registered version directly from the official website. You can also download Warpath Classic, an earlier version that has been released into the public domain. Recommended!