Utopia (video game)
Encyclopedia
Utopia is a video game, released on Intellivision
in 1981
and often regarded as among the first sim games and god game
s. It is also regarded as setting the scene for the real-time strategy
genre. It was designed and programmed by Don Daglow
.
A Mattel Aquarius
home computer version of Utopia has also been released. In July 2010, the game was re-released on Microsoft's
Game Room
service for its Xbox 360
console and for Games for Windows Live.
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Utopia is a two-player game without an AI
opponent, although a single player can play to achieve a high score and ignore the other island. When starting the game, the players choose how long each turn lasts (60 seconds being the default), and how many turns the game lasts (15 turns being the default).
Each player rules his or her own island and uses the controller disc to move a rectangular cursor
around the screen. Both players spend gold bars to construct different buildings on their islands, build fishing boats or PT boat
s, or to fund rebel activity on the enemy island. As each island's population grows, the ruler is responsible for feeding their populace and keeping them happy, or risk rebel activity, which decrease the player's score and sometimes destroy buildings.
Income is generated when randomly generated rain clouds (and sometimes hurricanes) pass over a player's farms, when a fishing boat is positioned over a school of fish, and at the end of each turn, based on the player's factory output and fishing boats.
The winner is the player with the most points at the end of the game.
Most turns consist of constructing a building at the beginning of the turn, then continuously maneuvering the player's fishing boat over a moving school of fish in order to maintain fishing income, with occasional interruptions to construct new buildings whenever the player is able to afford them. Alternatively, the player in the lead might spend considerable time maneuvering a PT boat to try and sink the losing player's fishing boat in order to keep their income down.
Game algorithm
s generate and determine the course of rain clouds, tropical storms, hurricanes, schools of fish, and pirate ships.
Intellivision
The Intellivision is a video game console released by Mattel in 1979. Development of the console began in 1978, less than a year after the introduction of its main competitor, the Atari 2600. The word intellivision is a portmanteau of "intelligent television"...
in 1981
1981 in video gaming
-Events:* November -** The British video game magazine Computer and Video Games starts.** Game & Watch - released in Sweden.* Arnie Katz and Bill Kunkel found Electronic Games, the first magazine on video games and generally recognized as the beginning of video game journalism.-Notable releases:*...
and often regarded as among the first sim games and god game
God game
A god game is an artificial life game that casts the player in the position of controlling the game on a large scale, as an entity with divine/supernatural powers, as a great leader, or with no specified character , and places them in charge of a game setting containing autonomous characters to...
s. It is also regarded as setting the scene for the real-time strategy
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
genre. It was designed and programmed by Don Daglow
Don Daglow
Don Daglow is an American computer game and video game designer, programmer and producer. He is best known for designing a series of pioneering simulation games and role-playing games, as well as the first computer baseball game and the first graphical MMORPG, all between 1971 and 1995...
.
A Mattel Aquarius
Mattel Aquarius
Aquarius is a home computer designed by Radofin and released by Mattel in 1983. It features a Zilog Z80 microprocessor, a rubber chiclet keyboard, 4K of RAM, and a subset of Microsoft BASIC in ROM. It connects to a television set and uses a cassette tape recorder for secondary data storage...
home computer version of Utopia has also been released. In July 2010, the game was re-released on Microsoft's
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
Game Room
Game Room
Game Room is a gaming service for the Xbox 360 video game system, Microsoft Windows PCs, and Windows Phone 7. Launched on March 24, 2010, Game Room lets players download classic video games and compete against each other for high scores...
service for its Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
console and for Games for Windows Live.
Gameplay
Ai
AI, A.I., Ai, or ai may refer to:- Computers :* Artificial intelligence, a branch of computer science* Ad impression, in online advertising* .ai, the ISO Internet 2-letter country code for Anguilla...
opponent, although a single player can play to achieve a high score and ignore the other island. When starting the game, the players choose how long each turn lasts (60 seconds being the default), and how many turns the game lasts (15 turns being the default).
Each player rules his or her own island and uses the controller disc to move a rectangular cursor
Cursor (computers)
In computing, a cursor is an indicator used to show the position on a computer monitor or other display device that will respond to input from a text input or pointing device. The flashing text cursor may be referred to as a caret in some cases...
around the screen. Both players spend gold bars to construct different buildings on their islands, build fishing boats or PT boat
PT boat
PT Boats were a variety of motor torpedo boat , a small, fast vessel used by the United States Navy in World War II to attack larger surface ships. The PT boat squadrons were nicknamed "the mosquito fleet". The Japanese called them "Devil Boats".The original pre–World War I torpedo boats were...
s, or to fund rebel activity on the enemy island. As each island's population grows, the ruler is responsible for feeding their populace and keeping them happy, or risk rebel activity, which decrease the player's score and sometimes destroy buildings.
Income is generated when randomly generated rain clouds (and sometimes hurricanes) pass over a player's farms, when a fishing boat is positioned over a school of fish, and at the end of each turn, based on the player's factory output and fishing boats.
The winner is the player with the most points at the end of the game.
Most turns consist of constructing a building at the beginning of the turn, then continuously maneuvering the player's fishing boat over a moving school of fish in order to maintain fishing income, with occasional interruptions to construct new buildings whenever the player is able to afford them. Alternatively, the player in the lead might spend considerable time maneuvering a PT boat to try and sink the losing player's fishing boat in order to keep their income down.
Game algorithm
Algorithm
In mathematics and computer science, an algorithm is an effective method expressed as a finite list of well-defined instructions for calculating a function. Algorithms are used for calculation, data processing, and automated reasoning...
s generate and determine the course of rain clouds, tropical storms, hurricanes, schools of fish, and pirate ships.
Buildable units
- Fort: Prevent rebel units from appearing within 1 square
- Factory: Generate income at beginning of each turn, but with a side effect of lowering population through pollution and disease.
- Farm: Feed 500 people, and provide income when rained upon
- School: Increase well-being of people and factory production
- Hospital: Boost factory production and increase population growth
- Housing project: Increase well-being of 500 people by housing them
- Rebel soldier: Randomly place a rebel upon the enemy island, possibly destroying a building
- PT boat: Sink enemy fishing boat or tie up a computer-controlled pirate ship
- Fishing boat: Feed 500 people, generate income at beginning of each turn, and earn continuous income when positioned over a school of fish