Hello...
In the early to mid 80's, I had a DOS version of a game called Empire A. I think it was the very first version of Empire and was based in medieval times (there is also a text version of Empire based in modern times - that's not the game I'm trying to find). You rose in rank based upon success and had serfs and soldiers to feed and arm. Famine could wipe you out, as could a deranged mother of a soldier that was killed in battle.
Does anyone remember this game and have an idea where to get it?
Also, in highschool - probably 1980 or so, there was a very simple artillery game in which you guaged the wind and distance, then chose the elevation and amount of powder needed to destroy the enemy's gun placement. It would be fun if someone has a line on that game as well.
Thanks for any help!
Cosmos
The original, original Empire
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Cosmos
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DOSGuy
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Cosmos
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Hmmmmm.... Well, it had some very rudimentary graphics. The gun placements were graphically illustrated, and when you fired, the shell would arc up - sometimes completely off the screen for many minutes before coming down.
Now that I think about it, the machines we used in those comp science classes (the very first offered by my high school) may have been TRS-80's or maybe a TI99/4A. It had voice synth, so it might have been the TI's. Or maybe we had a mixture in the lab because we had the 7 1/4 (or were they 8"?) floppy boot disks. I think I remember that the TI's used cassettes. We once wired a unit we "borrowed" to a drafting plotter we built to draw large schematics on vellum with ink. Our plotter positions and pen servo commands were all on cassette.
Anyway, any tickle on the Empire game? It was 100% text, and it was definately DOS based as I played it on an IBM machine - an XT or an AT - when I worked for Motorola/Four Phase Systems after they relocated from Cupertino to just outside of Dallas.
THanks,
Cosmos
Now that I think about it, the machines we used in those comp science classes (the very first offered by my high school) may have been TRS-80's or maybe a TI99/4A. It had voice synth, so it might have been the TI's. Or maybe we had a mixture in the lab because we had the 7 1/4 (or were they 8"?) floppy boot disks. I think I remember that the TI's used cassettes. We once wired a unit we "borrowed" to a drafting plotter we built to draw large schematics on vellum with ink. Our plotter positions and pen servo commands were all on cassette.
Anyway, any tickle on the Empire game? It was 100% text, and it was definately DOS based as I played it on an IBM machine - an XT or an AT - when I worked for Motorola/Four Phase Systems after they relocated from Cupertino to just outside of Dallas.
THanks,
Cosmos
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DOSGuy
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This is going way, way back. I'm sorry to say that you may have spent some of your time in high school before I was born. I collect old computers, but sometimes they don't come with floppy disks, or I can't get them to work, or the disks are no longer readable. At any rate, I wasn't a computer user in that era, so I'm familiar with the machines, but usually not the software. I don't recognize either game, but I can at least try to help your memory.
The 8" floppy disk format, invented by IBM in 1969, was replaced almost immediately following the release of the 5.25" format in 1976. The only other sizes that were ever adopted, as far as I can tell, are 2", 2.8", 3", 3.25" and 3.5".
The TI-99/4A was released in June 1981. It had a 5.25" floppy drive and was capable of graphics. It used a Texas Instruments CPU that was not x86 compatible, although emulators exist. The TRS-80 was released in 1977 and used a Zilog Z80 processor, which was compatible with the Intel 8080. (I had a Kaypro 4, which also had a Z80 processor). I have a Tandy 1000 that has two 360KB 5.25" floppy drives, but the original TRS-80 came with a tape cassette drive. An expansion interface added a floppy drive controller, which appears to have only supported 5.25" floppy drives. Something called an LNDoubler later added support for 8" floppies.
The 8" floppy disk format, invented by IBM in 1969, was replaced almost immediately following the release of the 5.25" format in 1976. The only other sizes that were ever adopted, as far as I can tell, are 2", 2.8", 3", 3.25" and 3.5".
The TI-99/4A was released in June 1981. It had a 5.25" floppy drive and was capable of graphics. It used a Texas Instruments CPU that was not x86 compatible, although emulators exist. The TRS-80 was released in 1977 and used a Zilog Z80 processor, which was compatible with the Intel 8080. (I had a Kaypro 4, which also had a Z80 processor). I have a Tandy 1000 that has two 360KB 5.25" floppy drives, but the original TRS-80 came with a tape cassette drive. An expansion interface added a floppy drive controller, which appears to have only supported 5.25" floppy drives. Something called an LNDoubler later added support for 8" floppies.
Today entirely the maniac there is no excuse with the article.
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durstbj
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Empire DOS Game
In December 2007 Cosmos posted looking for a game called Empire. As he describes it (and as I remember it), it was a game based in midieval times and the ability for you to feed your serfs with bushels of food and build an army. It was 100% text based. I remember the game very well and would like to try it again if anyone knows how to find it. Thanks in advance.