Trade Empires

Trade Empires is a Microsoft Windows game developed by Frog City Software in San Francisco and published by Take-Two Interactive and Eidos Interactive. During development its working title was The Silk Road; however, this was changed by Take-Two and Eidos as they were concerned about the title being too highbrow.

Trade Empires
Retailed box art in the United Kingdom
Developer(s)Frog City Software
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
  • NA: 20 October 2001[1]
  • EU: 2 November 2001
Genre(s)Business simulation game

Trade Empires is a pausable real-time strategy game about building a merchant empire. Gamers build vast transport and trade networks that change over thousands of years as new technologies are developed and more modern products are discovered. The rules of the game are simple; the variety comes in through the discovery of new products to trade and new ways to transport those products.

Gameplay
  • Play the first trading and transporting simulation to emphasize the effects of technological change over thousands of years on the relatively simple model of producing and delivering commodities to make more money than the competition.
  • Start out simple, with one merchant and his donkeys. Gradually build up your merchant empire until you control a vast trading web.
  • Manipulate the supply and demand economy to dominate the other merchant families. Corner the market. Undercut their prices.
  • Explore and Exploit: Continually discover new markets and products, from silk in the Far East to steel in industrial Europe.
  • Adapt your family's trading network to an ever-changing economy or instead face defeat when your competitors purchase advanced technology and deliver superior products.
  • Span the centuries and the world, in regions from Ancient Sumeria to 19th century Europe.
  • Build vast transportation networks, using anything from dirt trails to railroads.
  • Compete against other merchant families who are powered by a clever artificial intelligence that plays by the same rules you do.
  • Rendered units and buildings on a 3D map.
  • More than 200 structures and 30 units in 15 different episodes.

Campaigns

The game features 19 campaign scenarios based on historical trading periods in human history. A step-by-step walkthrough is playable by users on the Learn to Play mode for the Shang Dynasty of China (1700-1100 BC). The game imitates the historical period through the supply and demand process of that time. Goods such as rice, millet, silk cloth and jade idols are traded during the campaign. The Tang & Song Era (AD 615-1280) of China is also depicted, although not as a Learn to Play option.

Other Asian trading periods include First Civilization (2500-2310 BC); based around the regions of the Indus Valley, Afghanistan, Zagros, Mesopotamia and Assyria.

Reception

The game received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[2]

References
  1. Murphy, Mike (30 November 2001). "Trade Empires". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  2. "Trade Empires for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  3. Allen, Christopher. "Trade Empires - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 17 November 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  4. Bauman, Steve (11 December 2001). "Trade Empires". Computer Games Magazine. theGlobe.com. Archived from the original on 26 December 2001. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  5. Geryk, Bruce (January 2002). "Trade Empires" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 210. Ziff Davis. p. 100. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  6. Bye, John "Gestalt" (20 December 2001). "Trade Empires". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 7 January 2002. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  7. Parker, Sam (1 October 2001). "Trade Empires Review [date mislabeled as "April 29, 2003"]". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  8. Hiles, Bill (3 November 2001). "Trade Empires". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on 17 February 2005. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  9. Lafferty, Michael (13 October 2001). "Trade Empires Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 3 October 2008. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  10. pilou (10 December 2001). "Test: Trade Empires". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Webedia. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  11. Sengstack, Jeff (December 2001). "Trade Empires". PC Gamer. Vol. 8 no. 12. Imagine Media. Archived from the original on 15 March 2006. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
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