Tutorial

I do not claim to be an expert empire player and there are a lot of players with more experience and/or ideas about how to play empire, but I think there is a need for a walkthrough type of tutorial for the first time user.

This tutorial for Empire will assume that you are familiar with the use of a "Client" . Because I am familiar with WinACE 1.30, I will sometime refer to this particular client but the process should be pretty much the same regardless of which type of software you use to access the empire server. It will also assume that you have checked the various commands and their syntax (available elsewhere).

So you have set aside a reasonable amount of time for a blitz game (most likely Changeling) and are successfuly logged in with a country number.

• You might want to start by changing the country name from the number (1 to 10) to your favorite name. Choose your country name carefully and stick to it. Of course you will be identified as a newbie/fodder by the more experienced players once you get into a long term game, but you will eventually improve your style and be recognised for good or bad. You can also change your representative (password) at this stage.
• The first step is then to break sanctuary. Which changes your 2 sanctuary sectors to 2 capital cities. Those have a complement of civilian, military, food, gold, minerals, oil etc... These will be different in other games depending on the Deities setup. Issue the version command and get a print out for future reference (off line).
• I have seen different strategies from this stage. It is possible to:

a - Keep those 2 sectors as capitals and get them to produce more civilians.

b - Re-designate them as gold or iron mines, oil fields etc. to get the production of these commodities started faster. But be careful because your BTUs (and your ability to issue commands) are linked to your capital city. You therefore will have to build a new capital somewhere else.

• So for the first timers I will assume that you keep those as they are. Select your second capital and issue the explore command using 1 military and with a radius of 10. (Note that this WinACE tool does all the hard work for you but require some time to update the map). Now you should be able to see your little island, all paved over with highways (those will make the initial movement a bit more efficient) Do not move anymore military or civilians in them at this stage as this would start improving their efficiency but would also cost money.
• It is usefull at this stage to have the realm #1 to encompass your whole island. You can check if you got it right by issuing a command such as map #1 or census #1 and make sure you didn't miss out a sector.
• Start designating some of your sectors. You will need at least one of each type.
• First select a sector close to the middle of your island (one without good natural resources eg. gold, min, oil) and designate it as a wharehouse. A good distribution system is the key to an efficient nation. So distribute realm #1 to this wharehouse. You will set the individual thresholds as you designate each sector.
• Gold mine. Look for the gold amount in each sector and select one or two of the highest (not the capitals) designate them as gold mine. Set the threshold at the gold mine to 1 dust and about 20 food. (I know food is not used in most blitz games but it's a good idea to learn now to do it. Starvation is seen by some players as a sign of a new players wanting to be plundered). Now move some food (about 10) from your capital and some civilians (about 150) to get things going. The efficiency will go up (at a cost) and gold dust will soon be produced.
• Bank. Your gold dust will first go into the wharehouse for storage but to make money you will have to convert it into gold bars. This is done in a bank (at a cost too... everything costs..., a bit like real life really ;+) The process is in the same as the gold mine (designate, then set thresholds and move food and civilians) but with different values. At the bank you will want a threshold of 999 dust and 20 food. Thresholds might need to be readjusted later on in the game if the commodities are needed elsewhere.
• These 2 sectors will take care of your money situation for a while. You also get income from taxes. Check your budget report from time to time. You can also demobilize most of your military (keep them into reserve) to save on the expenses. You will be able to re-enlist them when neede later.
• Your next step will be to setup an industry using the same process of designate, set thresholds and move food and civilians. You will need a couple of iron mines (look for high mineral sector) and an oil field (high oil sector). Set the thresholds respectively to 1 iron ore, 1 oil and both to 20 food. These will send the raw materials to your wharehouse.
• You also need a light industry (for Lmc) and a heavy industry (for Hmc) set the iron ore thresholds for those at 100 and the lmc and hmc to 1. I will assume that you also set the food threshold and move enough food and civilians like previously.
• It is a good idea to have an agribusiness too. Although not needed in the blitz it's good practice to remember the food production. Set food threshold to at least 20 so it doesn't send everything to the wharehouse.
• Next you can set up an enlistment centre. Thresholds for it at 30 military(and more later), 50 food (to support a large population) and the safe number of civilians (see your nation report, usually 768).
• You now need a library/school. This will use Lmc to raise the education of your country. So once again set the thresholds to 20 food and about 30 lmc. Education levels affect your research and technology so keep it up.
• Next have a technology centre with 10 dust, 50 oil, 100 lmc (and 20 food of course).
• Have a defense plant (thresholds of 1 gun, 10 oil, 50 lmc, 100 hmc, 20 food)
• and a shell industry (thresholds of 1 shell, 20 lmc, 10 hmc, 20 food)
• You can also experiment with a refinery (needs oil) uranium mine (produces rad) but those require a higher tech level to start producing.
• and a park (produces happiness)
• You could also have a couple of radar stations (they need only 1 civilian to maintain after they reach 100% efficiency) and they extend the range of your map view. So place them at the tips of your island (and keep some military there if you expect trouble).
• Check the production report for your sectors. This will show if you need to change the threshold levels of materials distributed for maximum production. Note that distribution is more efficient than manual moving of commodities. (beside the fact that you could not move them at every update by issuing move commands). Distribute uses less mobility from the affected sectors.
• Depending on how fast you can issue commands, you should have had one or more update by now. So get a radar scan and try to see where is the closest unoccupied island. (occupied sectors show as "?").
• Select an empty coastal sector and designate it as a harbour with thresholds of about 150 mil, 30 lmc, 30 hmc and 20 food). These will be used to build and load into your ships.
• One or more airfield could also be built on the sides closest to potential threats as well as fortresses. But these should not be needed until your opponents have the required technology level to start building planes and warships. (check the power report to see when the first planes are built).
• Once you have some lmc/hmc into your harbour start building ships. Most likely frigates at first then troop transports and cargo ships. These will get (some) mobility after an update. and remember to load them with a suitable amount of military. (you will need also guns and shells later on)
• Navigate your frigate until you reach the shore of another island. Use the assault command to get your military ashore and designate this sector as a harbour. This is your beach head. Check the news!
• You will not be able to enter this harbour until it's efficiency has risen but that first lot of military should be enough to get things started. You can then either use your cargo ships for civilians and commodities, and troop transports for military to get more ashore, or you can demobilize/enlist when the harbour sector is more efficient. Get your ships to navigate back to your home harbour as soon as possible to bring more needed supplies.
• At this point you can repeat the process of exploration, designation etc. as for your first island. Note that you will also need a separate wharehouse and distribution system on each island.
• If you have followed these instructions so far this should give you an empire rating of at least 2. see http://empire.idlpaper.com/ for details on ratings.

Post your comment/questions on the forum (see front page) and I will add and/or modify this walkthrough as required.

I hope you have found this tutorial of some use. Of course the "old hands" will say they do things different, but then every empire player have their own tricks and techniques. I have tried to keep thing to a bare minimum for beginners to make a start into this THE greatest of all strategy games.

Last updated in Sunny Queensland, Australia, on Monday, 18 October 1999 at 18:11:54 E. Australia Standard Time