Space Empires V is a 4X turn based strategy game

Strategy game

A strategy game or strategic game is a game in which the players' uncoerced, and often autonomous decision-making skills have a high significance in determining the outcome...

 that was released in 2006. It was developed by Malfador Machinations

Malfador Machinations

Malfador Machinations is a small game company based in Santa Rosa, California. They are best known for their Space Empires series.-Brief history:...

 and published by Strategy First

Strategy First

Strategy First is a software company based in Montreal, Canada. Founded in 1988, the company has published numerous well-known games, such as the Disciples series, Jagged Alliance series, Space Empires series, and Galactic Civilizations....

. The game retains many races and technologies from its predecessor, Space Empires IV

Space Empires IV

Space Empires IV is a turn-based 4Xstrategy computer game developed by Malfador Machinations and published by Strategy First as part of the Space Empires series in which players control an alien race in an attempt at galactic conquest.- Gameplay :...

(SEIV).

Gameplay

While Space Empires V retains much of its predecessor's gameplay, there are several key differences. It is the first Space Empires game to use three-dimensional graphics, and as such, the user interface has been heavily redesigned. New to the series is a real-time combat engine, and the player can now control ground combat in addition to the usual space battles. The empire-building aspects of the game borrows as much from the third installment as it does from the more recent fourth, with research and intelligence being assigned as percentage of available points as opposed to the queue system used for construction.

Races

Virtually all of the stock races are updated versions of SEIV races. Custom race creation is basically the same as in the previous games, with two notable changes - you must now select a government type in addition to a social paradigm, and the game master may grant players a set number of research points to improve starting technology. As of now, there are comparatively few player-created shipsets, arguably a consequence of the switch to 3D graphics.

Critical reaction

The game received mixed reviews. Several have complained that the game is over-complex and overloads the player with options, especially while setting up a new game, and that it may not be suitable for players who are new to 4X games. One huge bug in the game that frustrated many players was the fact that the AI was always building only one ship type based on largest hull size available. For example, if the AI had battleship hull size technology, it would build only battleships until a bigger hull size was available.

External links

• Official Malfador Machinations site
• Space Empires Space Empires.NET site
• Space Empires Universe Official Space Empires site