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[danhanegan]

4X games: Conquer the World !

In a famous scene from the movie Conan the Barbarian, the Mongol general asks Conan: "What is best in life?" Conan replies: "To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of the women!" *

If this quote offends your sense of political correctness, I won't argue with you, but I will suggest this thread is probably a waste of your time. If, on the other hand, it resonates with something deep in your soul as a gamer, read on.

This thread is about 4X games. 4X is a buzzword that I think (I am not entirely certain) was originated by SSG as part of its marketing campaign promoting the 2000 rerelease of Reach for the Stars. It stands for eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate. These games are all about exploring the world, building and expanding your empire, finding and exploiting resources, and most importantly, crushing your enemies' empires, so that eventually you become the sole ruler of all that lies before you.

I intend to follow this initial post with additional posts reviewing the large number of games I have played in this genre. Other forum users are encouraged to reply and contribute to this thread. Please, however, restrict your comments to a discussion of 4X games and related material. Reviews of 4X games I have not reviewed are particularly solicited.

* This line (properly given in Arnold Schwarzenegger's outrageous Austrian accent) is actually a paraphrase of a real statement made by Temujin, aka Ghengis Khan, arguably the most feared conqueror in history. The English translation is usually given thus: "The greatest pleasure is to vanquish your enemies and chase them before you, to rob them of their wealth and see those dear to them bathed in tears, to ride their horses and clasp to your bosom their wives and daughters."