4X

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Detailed empire management, seen here in Freeciv, is a central aspect of 4X strategy games. Freeciv-net-screenshot-2011-06-23.png
Detailed empire management, seen here in Freeciv , is a central aspect of 4X strategy games.

4X (abbreviation of Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate) is a subgenre of strategy-based computer and board games, [1] [2] [3] and includes both turn-based and real-time strategy titles. [4] [5] The gameplay generally involves building an empire. [6] Emphasis is placed upon economic and technological development, as well as a range of military and non-military routes to supremacy.

Contents

The earliest 4X games borrowed ideas from board games and 1970s text-based computer games. The first 4X computer games were turn-based, but real-time 4X games were also common. Many 4X computer games were published in the mid-1990s, but were later outsold by other types of strategy games. Sid Meier's Civilization is an important example from this formative era, and popularized the level of detail that later became a staple of the genre. In the new millennium, several 4X releases have become critically and commercially successful.

In the board (and card) game domain, 4X is less of a distinct genre, in part because of the practical constraints of components and playing time. The Civilization board game that gave rise to Sid Meier's Civilization , for instance, includes neither exploration nor extermination. Unless extermination is targeted at non-player entities, it tends to be either nearly impossible (because of play balance mechanisms, since player elimination is usually considered an undesirable feature) or certainly unachievable (because victory conditions are triggered before extermination can be completed) in board games.

Definition

4X computer games such as Master of Orion II let empires explore the map, expanding by founding new colonies and exploiting their resources. The game can be won by becoming an elected leader of the galaxy, exterminating all opponents, or eliminating the Antarans. Moo2GalaxyAndSystem400.png
4X computer games such as Master of Orion II let empires explore the map, expanding by founding new colonies and exploiting their resources. The game can be won by becoming an elected leader of the galaxy, exterminating all opponents, or eliminating the Antarans.

The term "4X" originates from a 1993 preview of Master of Orion in Computer Gaming World by game writer Alan Emrich where he rated the game "XXXX" as a pun on the XXX rating for pornography. The four Xs were an abbreviation for "EXplore, EXpand, EXploit and EXterminate". [7] Emrich wrote, "Quadruple-X - I give MOO a XXXX rating because it features the essential four X's of any good strategic conquest game: EXplore, EXpand, EXploit and EXterminate. In other words, players must rise from humble beginnings, finding their way around the map while building up the largest, most efficient empire possible. Naturally, the other players will be trying to do the same, therefore their extermination becomes a paramount concern. A classic situation, indeed, and when the various parts are properly designed, other X’s seem to follow. Words like EXcite, EXperiment and EXcuses (to one’s significant others) must be added to a gamer’s X-Rating list." [8] It is unknown if this is first use of the term "4x".

By February 1994, another author in the magazine said that Command Adventures: Starship "only pays lip service to the four Xs", [9] and other game commentators adopted the "4X" label to describe similar games. [1]

The 4X game genre has come to be defined as having the four following gameplay conventions: [1] [2] [3]

These gameplay elements may happen in separate phases of gameplay, or may overlap with each other over varying lengths of game time depending on game design. [10] For example, the Space Empires series and Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar have a long expansion phase, because players must make large investments in research to explore and expand into all areas. [11] [12] [13]

Emrich later expanded his concept for designing Master of Orion 3 with a fifth X, eXperience, an aspect that came with the subject matter of the game. [14]

Modern definition

In modern-day usage, 4X games are different from other strategy games [15] [16] [17] such as Command & Conquer [16] [18] by their greater complexity and scale, [19] and their complex use of diplomacy. [15]

Reviewers have also said that 4X games feature a range of diplomatic options, [20] [21] [22] [23] and that they are well known for their large detailed empires and complex gameplay. [22] [6] In particular, 4X games offer detailed control over an empire's economy, while other computer strategy games simplify this in favor of combat-focused gameplay. [19]

Game design

4X computer and board games are a subgenre of strategy games, [1] [2] [3] and include both turn-based and real-time strategy titles. [4] [5] The gameplay involves building an empire, [6] which takes place in a setting such as Earth, [24] a fantasy world, or in space. [10] Each player takes control of a different civilization or race with unique characteristics and strengths. Most 4X games give each faction unique economic and military bonuses.

Research and technology

Freeciv-2.1.8 technology tree.png
Freeciv-2.1.8 technology tree.png
One part of Freeciv 's technology tree. Note the complex dependencies between technologies.

4X games typically feature a technology tree, which represents a series of advancements that players can unlock to gain new units, buildings, and other capabilities. Technology trees in 4X games are typically larger than in other strategy games, featuring a larger selection of different choices. [15] [25] Empires must generate research resources and invest them in new technology. [26] In 4X games, the main prerequisite for researching an advanced technology is knowledge of earlier technology. [16] This is in contrast to non-4X real-time strategy games, where technological progress is achieved by building structures that grant access to more advanced structures and units. [27]

Research is important in 4X games because technological progress is an engine for conquest. [28] Battles are often won by superior military technology or greater numbers, with battle tactics playing a smaller part. [29] [30] In contrast, military upgrades in non-4X games are sometimes small enough that technologically basic units remain important throughout the game. [31]

Combat

Combat is an important part of 4X gameplay, because 4X games allow a player to win by exterminating all rival players, or by conquering a threshold amount of the game's universe. [32] Some 4X games, such as Galactic Civilizations , resolve battles automatically, whenever two units from warring sides meet. [33] This is in contrast to other 4X games, such as Master of Orion , that allow players to manage battles on a tactical battle screen. [33] [34] Even in 4X games with more detailed control over battles, victory is usually determined by superior numbers and technology, with battle tactics playing a smaller part. [29] [30] 4X games differ from other combat-focused strategy games by putting more emphasis on research and economics. [7] [19] Researching new technology will grant access to new combat units. Some 4X games even allow players to research different unit components. This is more typical of space 4X games, where players may assemble a ship from a variety of engines, shields, and weaponry. [33]

Peaceful competition

4X games allow rival players to engage in diplomacy. [20] [21] [22] [23] While some strategy games may offer shared victory and team play, diplomatic relations tend to be restricted to a binary choice between an ally or enemy. 4X games often allow more complex diplomatic relations between competitors who are not on the same team. [15] [16] [17] Aside from making allies and enemies, players are also able to trade resources and information with rivals. [5]

In addition to victory through conquest, 4X games offer peaceful victory conditions or goals that involve no extermination of rival players (although war may still be a necessary by-product of reaching said goal). [19] For example, a 4X game may offer victory to a player who achieves a certain score or the highest score after a certain number of turns. [35] Many 4X games award victory to the first player to master an advanced technology, accumulate a large amount of culture, or complete an awe-inspiring achievement. [33] Several 4X games award "diplomatic victory" to anyone who can win an election decided by their rival players, [36] [37] or maintain peace for a specified number of turns. [35] Galactic Civilizations has a diplomatic victory which involves having alliances with at least four factions, with no factions outside of one's alliance; there are two ways to accomplish this: ally with all factions, or ally with at least the minimum number of factions and destroy the rest.

Complexity

4X games are known for their complex gameplay [22] [23] and strategic depth. [6] [4] [38] Gameplay usually takes priority over elaborate graphics. [25] [39] Whereas other strategy games focus on combat, 4X games also offer more detailed control over diplomacy, economics, and research; [7] [19] creating opportunities for diverse strategies. [40] This also challenges the player to manage several strategies simultaneously, and plan for long-term objectives. [41]

To experience a detailed model of a large empire, 4X games are designed with a complex set of game rules. [22] For example, the player's productivity may be limited by pollution. [42] [43] Players may need to balance a budget, such as managing debt, [44] or paying down maintenance costs. [45] 4X games often model political challenges such as civil disorder, [32] [42] or a senate that can oust the player's political party or force them to make peace. [42] [46]

FreeCol is typical of 4X games where there is a separate interface for managing each settlement. FreeCol colony screen.jpg
FreeCol is typical of 4X games where there is a separate interface for managing each settlement.

Such complexity requires players to manage a larger amount of information than other strategy games. [38] Game designers often organize empire management into different interface screens and modes, [19] such as a separate screen for diplomacy, [47] [48] managing individual settlements, and managing battle tactics. [33] [34] Sometimes systems are intricate enough to resemble a minigame. [41] [49] This is in contrast to most real-time strategy games. Dune II , which arguably established the conventions for the real-time strategy genre, was fundamentally designed to be a "flat interface", with no additional screens. [27]

Gameplay

Since 4X games involve managing a large, detailed empire, game sessions usually last longer than other strategy games. [19] Game sessions may require several hours of play-time, which can be particularly problematic for multiplayer matches. [50] For example, a small-scale game in Sins of a Solar Empire can last longer than twelve hours. [22] However, fans of the genre often expect and embrace these long game sessions; [51] Emrich wrote that "when the various parts are properly designed, other X's seem to follow. Words like EXcite, EXperiment and EXcuses (to one's significant others)". [7] Turn-based 4X games typically divide these sessions into hundreds of turns of gameplay. [41] [52]

Because of repetitive actions and long-playing times, 4X games have been criticized for excessive micromanagement. In early stages of a game this is usually not a problem, but later in a game directing an empire's numerous settlements can demand several minutes to play a single turn. This increases playing-times, which are a particular burden in multiplayer games. [50] 4X games began to offer AI governors that automate the micromanagement of a colony's build orders, but players criticized these governors for making poor decisions. In response, developers have tried other approaches to reduce micromanagement, [53] and some approaches have been more well received than others. Commentators generally agree that Galactic Civilizations succeeds, which GamingNexus.com attributes to the game's use of programmable governors. [54] Sins of a Solar Empire was designed to reduce the incentives for micromanagement, [55] and reviewers found that the game's interface made empire management more elegant. [23] [38] On the other hand, Master of Orion III reduced micromanagement by limiting complete player control over their empire. [56] [57]

Victory conditions

Most 4X and similar strategy games feature multiple possible ways to win the game. For example, in Civilization, players may win through total domination of all opposing players by conquest of their cities, but may also win through technological achievements (being the first to launch a spacecraft to a new planet), diplomacy (being elected the world leader by other nations), or other means. Multiple victory conditions help to support the human player who may have to shift strategies as the game progresses and opponents secure key resources before the player can. However, these multiple conditions can also give the computer-controlled opponents multiple pathways to potentially outwit the player, who is generally going to be over-powered in certain areas over the computer opponents. A component of the late-game design in 4X games is forcing the player to commit to a specific victory condition by making the cost and resources required to secure it so great that other possible victory conditions may need to be passed over. [58]

History

Origin

Sid Meier, the creator of the Civilization series of 4X games Sid Meier - Game Developers Conference 2010 - Day 4 (7).jpg
Sid Meier, the creator of the Civilization series of 4X games

Early 4X games were influenced by board games, such as Stellar Conquest published by Metagaming Concepts in 1974, and text-based computer games from the 1970s. [59] Cosmic Balance II , Andromeda Conquest and Reach for the Stars were published in 1983, and are now seen retrospectively as 4X games. Although Andromeda Conquest was only a simple game of empire expansion, Reach for the Stars introduced the relationship between economic growth, technological progress, and conquest. [28] Trade Wars , first released in 1984, though primarily regarded as the first multiplayer space trader, included space exploration, resource management, empire building, expansion and conquest. It has been cited by the author of VGA Planets as an important influence on VGA Planets 4. [60]

In 1991, Sid Meier released Civilization and popularized the level of detail that has become common in the genre. [61] Sid Meier's Civilization was influenced by board games such as Risk and the Avalon Hill board game also called Civilization . A notable similarity between the Civilization computer game and board game is the importance of diplomacy and technological advancement. Sid Meier's Civilization was also influenced by personal computer games, such as the city management game SimCity and the wargame Empire . [62] Civilization became widely successful and influenced many 4X games to come; [61] Computer Gaming World compared its importance to computer gaming to that of the wheel. [63] Armada 2525 was also released in 1991 and was cited by the Chicago Tribune as the best space game of the year. [64] A sequel, Armada 2526 , was released in 2009. [65]

In 1991, two highly influential space games were released. VGA Planets was released for the PC, while Spaceward Ho! was released on the Macintosh. Although 4X space games were ultimately more influenced by the complexity of VGA Planets, Spaceward Ho! earned praise for its relatively simple yet challenging game design. [66] Spaceward Ho! is notable for its similarity to the 1993 game Master of Orion , [7] [67] with its simple yet deep gameplay. [34] Master of Orion drew upon earlier 4X games such as Reach for the Stars, [7] [68] and is considered a classic game that sets a new standard for the genre. [34] [50] In a preview of Master of Orion, Emrich coined the term "XXXX" to describe the emerging genre. [7] Eventually, the "4X" label was adopted by the game industry, and is now applied to several earlier game releases. [69]

Peak

Following the success of Civilization and Master of Orion, other developers began releasing their own 4X games. In 1994, Stardock launched its first version of the Galactic Civilizations series for OS/2, [70] and the long-standing Space Empires series began as shareware. Ascendancy and Stars! were released in 1995, and both continued the genre's emphasis on strategic depth and empire management. [69] Meanwhile, the Civilization [71] and Master of Orion [72] franchises expanded their market with versions for the Macintosh. Sid Meier's team also produced Colonization in 1994 and Civilization II in 1996, [73] while Simtex released Master of Orion in 1993, Master of Magic in 1994 and Master of Orion II in 1996. [74]

By the late 1990s, real-time strategy games began outselling turn-based games. [75] As they surged in popularity, major 4X developers fell into difficulties. Sid Meier's Firaxis Games released Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri in 1999 to critical acclaim, but the game fell short of commercial expectations. [76] Civilization III encountered development problems followed by a rushed release in 2001. [77] Despite the excitement over Master of Orion III , its release in 2003 was met with criticism for its lack of player control, poor interface, and weak AI. [57] Game publishers eventually became risk-averse to financing the development of 4X games. [6]

Recent history

Firaxis has continued to develop the Civilization series, with Civilization IV (2005), Civilization V (2010), [78] and Civilization VI (2016), along with expansion packs for each. Among major changes to the series have been new victory conditions, switching from a square to a hex-based grid, de-stacking military units to encourage more strategic battles, and more customizable options for governance and culture. Firaxis also developed Civilization Revolution (2008) and its sequel (2014) as lightweight, console-friendly versions of 4X games, [79] but brought the full Civilization experience to consoles with Civilization VI. Firaxis also developed a spiritual sequel to Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri with Civilization: Beyond Earth (2014). As of 2021, the Civilization series has sold more than 57 million units. [80]

The Total War series remains in development, with the latest title, Total War: Pharaoh released in 2023.

Stardock entered the market through a remake of the 1993 OS/2 game, Galactic Civilizations (2003), a space-themed 4X game. The game was successful and was compared favorably to Master of Orion, and led Stardock to continue the series with Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords (2007), Galactic Civilizations III (2015), and Galactic Civilizations IV (2022). [81] [82]

Paradox Interactive is a company that was spun out from developing video game adaptions of board games from Target Games. Through 2000 and 2003, the company began producing their own grand strategy video games, which included the Europa Universalis series dealing with conflicts in early modern Europe, the Crusader Kings series set in the Middle Ages, the Victoria series set in the Victorian period, and the Hearts of Iron series involving World War II. These series, as of 2023, remain under active development at Paradox, along with Stellaris (2016), a grand strategy title based on space conflict. [58] Paradox also acquired the Age of Wonders series, which is a 4X series based on a high fantasy world that includes elements of magic. [83]

Amplitude Studios entered the 4X venue with Endless Space (2012) and its sequel (2017), [84] Endless Legend (2014), [85] and Humankind (2021). [86] [87]

The 4X genre has also been extended by gamers who have supported free software releases such as Freeciv , [88] FreeCol , [89] Freeorion , Golden Age of Civilizations, [90] and C-evo . [91] Indie game developers have also contributed towards the 4X genre during the 2010s and 2020s.

Subgenres

Grand strategy games

Grand strategy games, such as Hearts of Iron , Crusader Kings , or Stellaris , are a sub-genre or sister genre of 4X that typically require even more detailed planning and execution than games like Civilization or Master of Orion. Within the realm of tabletop wargaming where grand strategy games originate, they are conventionally defined as those games in which the player governs all the capacities of a nation-state, including its economy, diplomacy, and internal politics, with a focus on grand strategy (a nation-state's generalised prerogative in defining and pursuing its interests on the world stage), as against games where the player mostly commands the military during wartime. In computer gaming, this definition holds considerable overlap with that of 4X games, thus a more restrictive set of defining traits are usually used.

Grand strategy games are typically more strategically open than 4X games, which often have well-defined, instantaneous victory conditions such as "conquer everyone" or "win the space race". Grand strategy games typically lack such victory conditions and instead scope themselves over a definite period of time, with specific starting and ending dates. As in 4X games, at the end of a campaign players are usually ranked on their overall achievements, and in grand strategies this is usually the only factor accounted for in victory. This results in longer, more complex and free-form campaigns structured largely by player-driven goals.

Grand strategy games also differ from traditional 4X games in being "asymmetrical", meaning that players are bound to play out specific (often historical) starting conditions, rather than play as a set of equally free factions exploring and progressing in an open world. For example, 4X Civilization starts all players on equal footing, as small tribes in a largely ahistoric wilderness, while grand strategies seek to at least approximately represent the actual conditions of their time period, even when those are not fairly balanced toward all players.

The open-ended, sprawling, and convoluted nature of grand strategy campaigns makes even major asymmetries strategically tractable: with no hard victory conditions, players in grand strategy games are not implicitly engaged to compete in a race to the finish. As there is no way for players to "rush" toward instant victory thresholds (military or otherwise), and thus no simple way for any one player to credibly brandish the threat of imminent and irremediable defeat against the others, contest in grand strategies typically emerges more organically than in 4X games, when and where it is geopolitically meaningful, rather than as the inevitable outcome of a game's initial configuration as a battle royal. [92]

Real-time hybrid 4X

Eventually real-time 4X games were released, such as Imperium Galactica in 1997, [4] Starships Unlimited in 2001, [5] and Sword of the Stars in 2006, featuring a combination of turn-based strategy and real-time tactical combat. The blend of 4X and real-time strategy gameplay led Ironclad Games to market their 2008 release Sins of a Solar Empire as a "RT4X" game. [2] [93] This combination of features earned the game a mention as one of the top games from 2008, including GameSpot's award for best strategy game, and IGN's award for best PC game. [94] [95] [96] [97] The Total War series, debuting in 2000 with Shogun: Total War , combines a turn-based campaign map and real-time tactical battles.

4X in board games

Cross-fertilization between board games and video games continued. For example, some aspects of Master of Orion III were drawn from the first edition of the board game Twilight Imperium . [98] Even Sins of a Solar Empire was inspired by the idea of adapting the board game Buck Rogers Battle for the 25th Century into a real-time video game. [99] Going in the opposite direction, in 2002 Eagle Games made a board game adaptation of Sid Meier's Civilization, entitled simply Sid Meier's Civilization: The Boardgame , significantly different from the board game that had inspired the computer game in the first place. [100] Another remake based on that series, under a very similar title, Sid Meier's Civilization: The Board Game , was released in 2010 by Fantasy Flight Games, followed by Civilization: A New Dawn in 2017. [101] [102]

Through the Ages: A Story of Civilization is a board game for 2–4 players designed by Vlaada Chvatil and published by Czech Board Games in 2006. Its theme is the development of human civilization and the players determine the progress of their own civilization in different fields including culture, government, leadership, religion and science. [103] The game won multiple awards including the International Gamers Awards in 2007 and Game of the Year in Poland in 2010, where it was published as Cywilizacja: Poprzez Wieki. [104] Scythe is a board game for one to five players designed by Jamey Stegmaier and published by Stonemaier Games in 2016. Set in an alternate history version of 1920s Europe, players control factions that produce resources, develop economic infrastructure, and use dieselpunk war machines, called "mechs", to engage in combat and control territories. [105] Players take up to two actions per turn using individual player boards, and the game proceeds until one player has earned six achievements. At this point, the players receive coins for the achievements they have attained and the territories they control, and the player with the most coins is declared the winner. [106] As of June 2023, BoardGameGeek listed slightly over 200 board games classified under 4X type, including titles such as Eclipse (2011) and Heroes of Land, Air & Sea (2018). [107]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Sid Meiers Alpha Centauri</i> 1999 strategy video game

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri is a 4X video game, considered a spiritual sequel to the Civilization series. Set in a science fiction depiction of the 22nd century, the game begins as seven competing ideological factions land on the planet Chiron ("Planet") in the Alpha Centauri star system. As the game progresses, Planet's growing sentience becomes a formidable obstacle to the human colonists.

<i>Civilization</i> (video game) 1991 video game

Sid Meier's Civilization is a 1991 turn-based strategy 4X video game developed and published by MicroProse. The game was originally developed for MS-DOS running on a PC, and it has undergone numerous revisions for various platforms. The player is tasked with leading an entire human civilization over the course of several millennia by controlling various areas such as urban development, exploration, government, trade, research, and military. The player can control individual units and advance the exploration, conquest and settlement of the game's world. The player can also make such decisions as setting forms of government, tax rates and research priorities. The player's civilization is in competition with other computer-controlled civilizations, with which the player can enter diplomatic relationships that can either end in alliances or lead to war.

<i>Civilization II</i> 1996 turn-based strategy video game

Sid Meier's Civilization II is a turn-based strategy video game in the Civilization series, developed and published by MicroProse. It was released in 1996 for PCs, and later ported to the PlayStation by Activision.

<i>Master of Orion</i> 1993 video game

Master of Orion is a turn-based, 4X science fiction strategy game in which the player leads one of ten races to dominate the galaxy through a combination of diplomacy and conquest while developing technology, exploring and colonizing star systems.

<i>Master of Magic</i> 1994 video game

Master of Magic is a single-player, fantasy turn-based 4X strategy game in which the player plays as a wizard attempting to dominate two linked worlds. From a small settlement, the player manages resources, builds cities and armies, and researches spells, growing an empire and fighting the other wizards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Technology tree</span> Diagram used in strategy computer games

In strategy games, a technology, tech, or research tree is a hierarchical visual representation of the possible sequences of upgrades a player can unlock. Because these trees are technically directed and acyclic, they can more accurately be described as a directed acyclic graph of technologies. The diagram is tree-shaped in the sense that it branches between each 'level', allowing the player to choose one sequence or another. Each level is called a tier and is often used to describe the technological strength of a player. Typically, at the beginning of a session of a strategy game, a player will start at tier 1, which offers only a few options for research. Each technology that a player researches will normally open up one or more new options, but may also, depending on the computer game, close off the paths to other options. The tech tree is the representation of all possible paths of research a player can take, up to the culmination of said sequence.

Micromanagement in gaming is the handling of detailed gameplay elements by the player. It appears in a wide range of games and genres, including strategy video games, construction and management simulations, and pet-raising simulations. Micromanagement has been perceived in different ways by game designers and players for many years: some perceive it as a useful addition to games that adds options and technique to the gameplay, something that is necessary if the game is to support top-level competitions; some enjoy opportunities to use tactical skill in strategic games; others regard it as an unwelcome distraction from higher levels of strategic thinking and dislike having to do a lot of detailed work. Some developers attempt to minimize micromanagement in a game's interface for this reason.

<i>Civilization IV</i> 2005 video game

Civilization IV is a 4X turn-based strategy computer game and the fourth installment of the Civilization series, and developed by Firaxis Games. It was designed by Soren Johnson. It was released in North America, Europe, and Australia, between October 25 and November 4, 2005, and followed by Civilization V.

<i>Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares</i> 1996 video game

Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares is a 4X turn-based strategy game set in space, designed by Steve Barcia and Ken Burd, and developed by Simtex, who developed its predecessor Master of Orion and Master of Magic. The PC version was published by MicroProse in 1996, and the Macintosh version a year later by MacSoft, in partnership with MicroProse. The game has retained a large fan base, and is still played online.

Civilization is a series of turn-based strategy video games, first released in 1991. Sid Meier developed the first game in the series and has had creative input for most of the rest, and his name is usually included in the formal title of these games, such as Sid Meier's Civilization VI. There are six main games in the series, a number of expansion packs and spin-off games, as well as board games inspired by the video game series. The seventh installment in the series is slated for release on Feb 11, 2025. The series is considered a formative example of the 4X genre, in which players achieve victory through four routes: "eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate".

<i>Civilization Revolution</i> 2008 video game

Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution is a 4X, turn-based strategy game developed in 2008 by Firaxis Games with Sid Meier as designer. It is a spin-off of the Civilization series. The video game was released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, Windows Phone, and iOS. A Wii version was originally expected but was cancelled. The absence of a PlayStation Portable version was attributed to a lack of development manpower.

Alan Emrich is best known as a writer about and designer of video games, who coined the term "4X", contributed to the design of Master of Orion and Master of Orion 3, and wrote strategy guides for video games. Before the rise of video games, Emrich wrote about and designed board games and organized conventions about them. He currently runs a small game publishing company and lectures in game design and project management. In 2001 Emrich received the Blomgren / Hamilton Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement from ConsimWorld.COM.

Strategy is a major video game genre that emphasizes thinking and planning over direct instant action in order to achieve victory. Although many types of video games can contain strategic elements, as a genre, strategy games are most commonly defined as those with a primary focus on high-level strategy, logistics and resource management. They are also usually divided into two main sub-categories: turn-based and real-time, but there are also many strategy cross/sub-genres that feature additional elements such as tactics, diplomacy, economics and exploration.

<i>Civilization IV: Colonization</i> 2008 video game

Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization is a remake of the 1994 turn-based strategy game Sid Meier's Colonization. Players control settlers from one of four European nations – Spain, England, France, and the Netherlands – that are trying to conquer/colonize the New World in the period 1492–1792. The victorious player is the first to build up his colonies and army, declare independence from the mother country, and defeat the military force that the king inevitably sends to crush the rebellion.

<i>Civilization: Beyond Earth</i> 2014 video game

Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth is a turn-based strategy, 4X video game in the Civilization series developed by Firaxis Games, published by 2K Games and released for Microsoft Windows on October 24, 2014, the Mac App Store on November 27, 2014 and for Linux on December 18, 2014. The game's premise is that Earth became uninhabitable due to an undescribed disaster known as "the Great Mistake", forcing humanity to colonize space. As a spiritual successor to the 1999 game Alpha Centauri, Beyond Earth shares much of its development team and some concepts, most notably its setting on an exoplanet in the future.

<i>Master of Orion: Conquer the Stars</i> 2016 video game

Master of Orion: Conquer the Stars is a science fiction turn-based strategy 4X game. It is the fourth game in the Master of Orion series and a reboot of the series, developed by Argentina-based Nimble Giant Entertainment and published by Wargaming. The game was released on Steam Early Access on February 26, 2016, with a full release planned on Microsoft Windows, OS X and Linux later in 2016.

<i>Galactic Civilizations IV</i> 2022 video game

Galactic Civilizations IV is a 4X turn-based strategy video game developed by Stardock for Microsoft Windows. It features standard 4X space gameplay such as colonizing a galaxy, engaging in space combat, and discovering new technology and alien species. As the fourth entry in the Galactic Civilizations series, the game adds an artificial intelligence assistant, a scoring system, and a larger galaxy organized into multiple sectors of tile-based maps. The game entered early access in 2021, promising to learn from other 4X games including Stellaris, Endless Space, and Distant Worlds.

Star Trek: Ascendancy is a grand strategy game set in the Star Trek universe. it is published by Gale Force Nine.

References

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