FreeCol
Encyclopedia
FreeCol is a 4X video game, a clone of Sid Meier
's Colonization
. Released under the GNU General Public License
, FreeCol is free and open source software
.
FreeCol is mostly programmed in Java
and should thus be platform-independent
. In practice, it is known to run on Linux
and Windows
, as well as Mac OS X
(with some limitations).
In February 2007 it was SourceForge.net
's Project of the Month.
While remaining faithful to the original in term of mechanics and gameplay, Freecol sports a new set of redesigned graphics. Moreover, in addition to the classical Colonization rules, it features an additional ruleset that incorporates ideas that didn't make it to the final version of Meier's game, requests by fans and original concepts like new European players with new national bonuses.
s, the player builds up colonies in the New World
, struggling for power with other colonies from rival Europeans. The player gradually builds up these colonies with help from the European king
until no help from Europe is necessary, meaning that the colonies can stand alone without any exterior aid, and declares independence
from the King and, if the colonies are able to resist the attacks of the royal expeditionary force, victory is obtained.
The player may trade with Europe
using various natural resource
s which are collected by cities
or acquired from trade with natives
. In each city the player can also build up industrial buildings to convert raw materials into processed goods, which sell for more in Europe, providing a significant economic advance. Some industrial buildings will convert materials into goods useful for running the colony, such as converting wood into Hammers and ore into tools.
People can also be assigned tools to work or guns to become soldiers (tools and guns can either be produced in a city or purchased from Europe). If assigned tools, the person can be used to plow the countryside (increasing food production) or to build roads (making unit transportation more efficient).
Sid Meier
Sidney K. "Sid" Meier is a Canadian programmer and designer of several popular computer strategy games, most notably Civilization. He has won accolades for his contributions to the computer games industry...
's Colonization
Colonization (computer game)
Sid Meier's Colonization is a computer game by Brian Reynolds and Sid Meier released by MicroProse in 1994. It is a turn-based strategy game themed on the early European colonization of the New World, starting in 1492 and lasting until 1850...
. Released under the GNU General Public License
GNU General Public License
The GNU General Public License is the most widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU Project....
, FreeCol is free and open source software
Free and open source software
Free and open-source software or free/libre/open-source software is software that is liberally licensed to grant users the right to use, study, change, and improve its design through the availability of its source code...
.
FreeCol is mostly programmed in Java
Java (programming language)
Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities...
and should thus be platform-independent
Cross-platform
In computing, cross-platform, or multi-platform, is an attribute conferred to computer software or computing methods and concepts that are implemented and inter-operate on multiple computer platforms...
. In practice, it is known to run on Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
and Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, as well as Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
(with some limitations).
In February 2007 it was SourceForge.net
SourceForge.net
SourceForge is a web-based source code repository. It acts as a centralized location for software developers to control and manage open source software development. The website runs a version of SourceForge Enterprise Edition, forked from the last open-source version available...
's Project of the Month.
While remaining faithful to the original in term of mechanics and gameplay, Freecol sports a new set of redesigned graphics. Moreover, in addition to the classical Colonization rules, it features an additional ruleset that incorporates ideas that didn't make it to the final version of Meier's game, requests by fans and original concepts like new European players with new national bonuses.
Gameplay
FreeCol starts in the year 1492. With a few settlerSettler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
s, the player builds up colonies in the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
, struggling for power with other colonies from rival Europeans. The player gradually builds up these colonies with help from the European king
King
- Centers of population :* King, Ontario, CanadaIn USA:* King, Indiana* King, North Carolina* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin* King, Waupaca County, Wisconsin* King County, Washington- Moving-image works :Television:...
until no help from Europe is necessary, meaning that the colonies can stand alone without any exterior aid, and declares independence
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
from the King and, if the colonies are able to resist the attacks of the royal expeditionary force, victory is obtained.
The player may trade with Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
using various natural resource
Natural resource
Natural resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity and geodiversity existent in various ecosystems....
s which are collected by cities
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
or acquired from trade with natives
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
. In each city the player can also build up industrial buildings to convert raw materials into processed goods, which sell for more in Europe, providing a significant economic advance. Some industrial buildings will convert materials into goods useful for running the colony, such as converting wood into Hammers and ore into tools.
Assigning tasks
The player can also assign people to resource gathering through dragging them to the location of the resource on the resource map in a city. The more specialized an individual is at gathering a particular resource, the more quickly the stocks grow. Through assigning more people to work in a city it will grow. However, more people working in a city also requires more food. Assigning people to work in buildings allows for the conversion of raw materials to finished goods; the more people assigned, the faster work is done. However, this will only happen when the raw materials needed are available; when materials are unavailable, assigned workers will continue to consume food.People can also be assigned tools to work or guns to become soldiers (tools and guns can either be produced in a city or purchased from Europe). If assigned tools, the person can be used to plow the countryside (increasing food production) or to build roads (making unit transportation more efficient).