Review by: Pete Hines
Published: May 21, 1997

Struggle for control of the galaxy and attempt to ascend to the throne of Emperor in this turn-based strategy game from SegaSoft. You assume the role of one of the five Noble House leaders, each of whom is jockeying for position in this galactic nightmare. In addition to the four other Houses, you will have to contend with other important groups like the Universal Church, the Merchant League, and rebel groups like the Vau and the dangerous Symbiots. Each plays a role in the battle for supreme power. When you begin the game, you’ll have no real enemies, other than the various rebels that are out to cause trouble for everyone. Forge alliances, start wars, trade, and do whatever else you think it takes to seize control of the galaxy and rise to the throne of Emperor.

When you begin playing, you will need to choose which House you wish to lead, what leadership qualities you want to have, the difficulty level of your opponents, and what game options you want turned on or off. There are so many variables in the game that the number of variations are almost endless. Depending on which of the five difficulty levels you choose, you will have a given number of House traits, which are characteristics that improve your leadership ability (i.e., Rule of Law increases loyalty of cities and Mercantile Savvy gets you good deals when trading with the League). You can always get more positive traits by adding negative ones, which have the reverse effect on your leadership ability. If you don’t care what the Church thinks of you, add that negative trait and gain another positive one to improve your research ability or something else. Emperor of the Fading Suns does offer multi-player games, but you have to use the same machine or play via e-mail.

Once you’ve chosen your side and options, play will begin. You’ll see at least two planets with your troops on them. One is Byzantium II, which is the “capital” planet and has representatives from each House on it. Basically, you cannot attack anybody on this planet until someone claims the title of Emperor. The other planet will be your home planet, which you have settled a good part of. Of course, there will surely be opposing forces around like the Symbiots, who are always causing trouble. Seizing control of your home planet quickly gives you a good base from which to expand your power to other planets. Wait too long to explore other planets and you may find yourself backed into a corner with nowhere to go. Expand too quickly and you will be stretched thin and torn to pieces.

Every House has five scepters, each of which represents a vote in the elections that take place every ten years. Either by forcing someone to vote for you or by capturing their scepters you try to get named to the position of Regent. The Regent appoints three ministers who report to him/her. While these positions are intended to be used for the “good of all,” they come with perks that can be used to your advantage, like extra spaceships or a foothold on several different planets. One way to win the game is by being appointed Regent and declaring yourself Emperor. At this point, everyone will try to knock you off, so you had better know what you are getting into before you stake your claim.

One of the most crucial elements of this game is the effective collection and use of money, called Firebirds, and resources. Resources are collected by building the corresponding city type (i.e., mines provide metal, farms produce food). Cities are established by building engineer units in cities, sending them to the location where you want a city, and then choosing the type of city you want. Engineers can build any type of city almost anywhere you wish, provided you have the technology to build it and have chosen the proper location. In addition to gathering resources, cities also serve as production sites where you will be able to build different types of combat units to help you flex your might.