SPQR: The Empire's Darkest Hour
Encyclopedia
SPQR: The Empire's Darkest Hour, also known simply as SPQR
, is a computer adventure game
set in Ancient Rome
. The player has to solve a number of puzzles to uncover a criminal who wants to destroy Rome.
The player is also told about the Navitor, a machine that allows them to wander around Rome in the comfort of the workshop. Once activated it can pick up objects and use them in other places, travel in time
and view each of the suspects' diaries.
When the player has activated the Navitor, their first task is to find the suspects' diaries. After this, they automatically update. There are also 'quests' each month, consisting of a screen shot. The player must find the location portrayed in the screen shot and complete a puzzle or task to gain more clues and/or an important object. The events in Rome can be read both through the diaries and in the city newspaper
, and can often help with the month's quest. Occasionally, the Navitor will crash, and the player must fix one of the machines around the workshop in order to fix the Navitor itself. Each of the machines represents a season, and only the correct machine for the season can be fixed.
November: The quest for November shows a door with four cogs on it. Gordian's temple is struck by lightning and blows up, and the player has to rebuild the entrance using the crane at the building site. On completing this task the player can reach the door depicted in the quest, which turns out to be the entrance to Cornelius's workshop. However, the player does not yet know how to turn the cogs to unlock the door.
December: The December quest shows the door to a temple. The Saturnalia is this month, and during the festivities the Temple of Saturn is broken into. By using the Golden Milestone and a clue found on top of the Arch of Severus, the player can enter the Aerarium underneath the temple. The player can then use a key found in the Aerarium to enter the temple itself. Inside the temple is Lucius's symbol, as well as a scroll showing how to unlock the entrance to Cornelius's workshop.
causes the Navitor to explode, although the player is unharmed. Amongst the debris are the five 'gifts' from each of the suspects, collected throughout the game, along with the initial of their owner. The player must now choose who they think is the Calamitus by clicking on their gift. On choosing a suspect, a short video will play where the suspect says how they would destroy Rome if they were Calamitus. The player must then use the chosen gift to foil their plans.
SPQR
SPQR is an initialism from a Latin phrase, Senatus Populusque Romanus , referring to the government of the ancient Roman Republic, and used as an official emblem of the modern day comune of Rome...
, is a computer adventure game
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
set in Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
. The player has to solve a number of puzzles to uncover a criminal who wants to destroy Rome.
Plot
The player is an unnamed character, a friend of the inventor Cornelius who has been arrested. His arrest was on the suspicion that he is involved with the Calamitus, a figure who intends to destroy Rome. The game starts underneath Cornelius's workshop, and once the player has entered the workshop itself they receive a message about his arrest. The message also gives the names of five possible Calamiti:- Lucius: A retired soldierRoman armyThe Roman army is the generic term for the terrestrial armed forces deployed by the kingdom of Rome , the Roman Republic , the Roman Empire and its successor, the Byzantine empire...
who is now a private investigatorPrivate investigatorA private investigator , private detective or inquiry agent, is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private detectives/investigators often work for attorneys in civil cases. Many work for insurance companies to investigate suspicious claims...
. Whilst not investigating, he spends his days drinkingDrinkingDrinking is the act of consuming water or a beverage through the mouth. Water is required for many of life’s physiological processes. Both excessive and inadequate water intake are associated with health problems.-Physiology:...
in the wine shop below his flat. - Verania: The head Vestal VirginVestal VirginIn ancient Roman religion, the Vestals or Vestal Virgins , were priestesses of Vesta, goddess of the hearth. The College of the Vestals and its well-being was regarded as fundamental to the continuance and security of Rome, as embodied by their cultivation of the sacred fire that could not be...
, who is thinking of retirementRetirementRetirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
. - Xanthus: One of Gordian's assistants who claims to be GreekGreeksThe Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
, but is actually a barbarian. - Sybil: A prophetProphetIn religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
ess who runs a small stall, but later works for the Roman EmperorRoman EmperorThe Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
. - Gordian: An architectArchitectAn architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
who is using the spare money from projects to build his own temple.
The player is also told about the Navitor, a machine that allows them to wander around Rome in the comfort of the workshop. Once activated it can pick up objects and use them in other places, travel in time
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
and view each of the suspects' diaries.
When the player has activated the Navitor, their first task is to find the suspects' diaries. After this, they automatically update. There are also 'quests' each month, consisting of a screen shot. The player must find the location portrayed in the screen shot and complete a puzzle or task to gain more clues and/or an important object. The events in Rome can be read both through the diaries and in the city newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
, and can often help with the month's quest. Occasionally, the Navitor will crash, and the player must fix one of the machines around the workshop in order to fix the Navitor itself. Each of the machines represents a season, and only the correct machine for the season can be fixed.
Quests and events
This a list of the quests for each month and the goings-on as detailed in the suspects' diaries.November: The quest for November shows a door with four cogs on it. Gordian's temple is struck by lightning and blows up, and the player has to rebuild the entrance using the crane at the building site. On completing this task the player can reach the door depicted in the quest, which turns out to be the entrance to Cornelius's workshop. However, the player does not yet know how to turn the cogs to unlock the door.
December: The December quest shows the door to a temple. The Saturnalia is this month, and during the festivities the Temple of Saturn is broken into. By using the Golden Milestone and a clue found on top of the Arch of Severus, the player can enter the Aerarium underneath the temple. The player can then use a key found in the Aerarium to enter the temple itself. Inside the temple is Lucius's symbol, as well as a scroll showing how to unlock the entrance to Cornelius's workshop.
Ending
Using Lucius's instructions, the player can enter Cornelius's workshop. On entering the workshop, however, the Navitor sees itself. The resulting paradoxParadox
Similar to Circular reasoning, A paradox is a seemingly true statement or group of statements that lead to a contradiction or a situation which seems to defy logic or intuition...
causes the Navitor to explode, although the player is unharmed. Amongst the debris are the five 'gifts' from each of the suspects, collected throughout the game, along with the initial of their owner. The player must now choose who they think is the Calamitus by clicking on their gift. On choosing a suspect, a short video will play where the suspect says how they would destroy Rome if they were Calamitus. The player must then use the chosen gift to foil their plans.
Characters
- Player: The character through which the player views the world.
- Cornelius: An inventor, whose contraptions often go wrong. These can be seen around the workshop.
- The suspects: They are not seen in the game, except in drawings in their diaries. Also, see above.
- Emperor Severus: Mentioned only in the diaries, the Emperor is not very popular.