BattleGoat Studios’ Supreme Ruler 2020 picks up where Supreme Ruler 2010 left off, bringing even more (as if that were possible) information from the world in which we live together to create what is possibly the most
realistic world-simulation ever developed. Take control of a nation, grow it in the manner you determine (diplomatically, economically, militarily, etc) and impose your will on the people. Wield the sword of thousands of military units in global domination using conventional and ‘special’ weapons platforms. Will you start World War III and plunge humanity into chaos or perhaps emerge as a beacon of democracy and hope for mankind? The choice is really yours.
Supreme Ruler 2020 gives you multiple modes of play., with my favorite being the sandbox mode in which you make your own victory conditions and pick any nation on the planet to rule. Aside from the sandbox mode, BattleGoat has created ten varied scenarios to pick from each with their own storyline and conditions. One of the more interesting scenarios deals with a break up of the United States into its respective states. There are also some tutorials that help a bit with learning the game but they are fairly general in nature. This brings us to the game’s biggest issue: learning curve.
Starting off playing Supreme Ruler 2020 can be a daunting task to say the least. Unfortunately, the game has a very steep learning curve. The user-interface does not seem to make much sense to the uninitiated and just navigating through the options available to you will seem disjointed. Just keep at it. We found that after a few serious playthroughs of several hours each (games can go on for what seem to be weeks – not that such a thing is a bad in this case) we managed to get a handle on the UI’s stylings and game mechanics. 
If you are a die-hard action or casual game fan who despises actually taking the time to learn how to play a game, this game is probably not for you.
A key feature of Supreme Ruler 2020 that saved us much misery is the adviser system. In their infinite wisdom, BattleGoat has appointed the gamer several advisers in different areas (defense, state, production, etc) which can be assigned to automate facets of each. This will allow you to scale the game’s micromanagement quite a bit and helps free you up to learn the ‘bigger picture’ elements of the title such as the aforementioned UI and combat.
Combat is handled in a fairly straightforward manner. Once you declare war on another nation, you can click and drag around an area to select units and direct them to a destination. Forces can be kept in reserve to save dollars, dinero, rupies, Microsoft Points or whatever your home currency may be when not needed or even station them as guards in case you want to be extra defense in place. Of course the nuclear option is available to you should your nation be nuclear-capable, but be prepared to reap the consequences of your actions. The world at large seems to frown on nuclear weapon usage – go figure.
Diplomacy and trade is another huge aspect to gameplay. Deals will be offered to you from time to time asking for various things such as non-aggression pacts and commodities. You can create counter-offers if you like or even put together your own offers from scratch for your neighbors to consider.
The graphics of Supreme Ruler 2020 are a mixed bag. From a distance, the Earth looks great, with land maps taken from NASA satellite imagery. However, as you zoom in, the terrain begins to blur and pixelate as the level of detail does not increase the map resolution. 
Units are symbolized by small 3d models of their respective types. The models are fairly low-detail but get the job done.
Sound in the title is adequate, with basic noises where appropriate.
Overall, Supreme Ruler 2020 builds on what was started with its predecessor by offering a pretty incredible world-sim where you can prove even the smallest nation can make a difference. Fans of complex empire-builders such as Superpower and Civilization, rejoice! This game is for you, go forth and prosper in its myriad of options!
Official Supreme Ruler 2020 website.
Author - Jerry Paxton
The third annual World Cyber Games Pan-American Championship event has concluded with the US team winning almost all of the tournaments! The complete list can be found in the press release below but we at GamingShogun would like to congratulate them in their accomplishments.
Official World Cyber Games website.
Official Release:
The third annual World Cyber Games Pan-American Championship wrapped up this past weekend in Monterrey, Mexico. The nine-game tournament took place over three days and featured a who’s who of gamers from many countries in North, Central and South America. Featuring some of the most intense and competitive matches of the 2008 World Cyber Games tournament series, the competition set many familiar faces against each other in the finals.
The USA team had an excellent showing, winning nearly all the games featured in the tournament and achieving the overall team championship.
Leading the USA to victory were:
Nikolasus Cassidy – USA – (WarCraft® III: The Frozen Throne™) – 1st place
Team EG – USA – (Half-Life®: Counter-Strike™) – 1st place
Kamran ‘omegaelite’ Siddiqui – USA – (Need For Speed™ ProStreet) – 1st place
Team Final Boss -USA – (Halo® 3) – 1st place
Sean ‘maximus’ Heffelfinger – USA – (Project Gotham Racing® 4 ) – 1st place
David MoB ‘Wolfe’ Briers – USA – (Guitar Hero® III: Legends of Rock) – 1st place
Raghav ‘parfait’ Phadke – USA – (Age of Empires® III: The Asian Dynasties) – 1st place
Let me preface this by saying I have been a fan of the Stronghold series since the beginning. In fact, since the very beginning back when it was an SSI title in 1993. That title was a bit too early to really impress anyone as computer gaming was still very young. However, a new Stronghold really sparked the interest of the real-time strategy fans out there back in 2001. It had large armies, historical accuracy, and a large part of the game was centered around building your castle. In 2002, Stronghold Crusader was released. Basically, SC was a stand-alone, updated version of Stronghold with a new setting (the Middle-East during the Crusades), new characters, and new units. Now, Firefly Studios has issued a new version of the game, called Stronghold Crusader Extreme.
theGameplay
The biggest changes with this edition of the title are the ‘Extreme’ modes. The game comes with two different executable files. One will load the original Stronghold Crusader and, the other, SCE. In the extreme edition you will find the ‘extreme trail’ mode of play along with custom campaigns. In the extreme trail mode,
you play out 20 pre-defined missions on a linear path using the limited resournces allocated to you at the beginning of each mission. You get a one minute period of time to build what you can before combat is allowed and man oh man… The new extreme trail mode is extremely tough. I recommend new players to the franchise start with the base Stronghold Crusader game until you get good and used to the game mechanics which are definitely a bit more involved that most RTS titles.
In SCE, your buildings actually have prerequisites and dependencies in the way of resources and other buildings in order to function. This adds a very strategic layer to gameplay that, while veterans of the series will be used to, newbies will finally get the chance to enjoy too. Along with the extreme trail mode, Firefly has also enhanced the ‘tactical abilities’ in the title. These are special god-like powers you wield as the commander of your troops and can range from arrow volleys from the heavens to reinforcement drops to…well tons of others.
Firefly has also raised the maximum number of units from 1,000 in the base game to 10,000 in the extreme edition. That’s right: Ten Thousand! I don’t know of ANY other game that has a unit cap that high. Now, you would think that 10,000 units would slow down your rig, right? Well because the game is six years old at its core, you should have no problems and when the action gets going it is truly a sight to behold with tons of arrows, catapults, etc.
theGraphics
Which brings us to the sight of the game. Unfortunately, this is one area where the edition is a let-down. They are still using the original artwork and resolution modes from the original game (800×600 and 1024×768).
I was looking forward to a texture resolution increase, but I guess we will have to wait for Stronghold 3. I play on a 24-inch widescreen LCD and the stretching, rough edges, and tears were very apparent. I would recommend using a smaller monitor that is closer to 1024×768 to fully enjoy the hand-made artwork that inhabits this title.
theSound
Sound has always been a bit sparse in the Stronghold series, and this is no exception. They are adequate and do the job, but are nothing out of this world.
theOverall
Stronghold Crusader Extreme is a fun game to tide you over until Stronghold 3 comes out. Unfortunately, it is plagued by its age in many areas, however still manages to offer up some new tweaks and challenges, especially for veterans of the series.
The official Stronghold Crusader Extreme website.
Looks like another sad day for Microsoft, as its whole E3 line-up has been leaked! Remember when we said they were holding two products in secrecy to reveal at the July 14th press event? Well they won’t be surprises anymore, unfortunately. Of course, as leaks, Microsoft will not comment on the authenticity of the info – so it is possible this info is not quite accurate (read with GoS).
The leak happened at the online survey site Intellisponse, and revealed the two new titles:
The first is Forza Motorsports 3, although it is not a real surprise as we have all hypothesized about it for a long while now.
The second title is called The Crucible (not based on the book) and is a hack-n-slash title featuring a very creepy atmosphere.
Via CVG
Microsoft has announced its E3 line up today and is rumored to be announcing two new titles at its E3 press conference on July 14th.
Microsoft’s E3 Line Up:
– Gears of War 2 (X360)
– Halo Wars (X360)
– Fable 2 (X360)
– Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (X360)
– Too Human (X360)
– Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise (X360)
We will be bringing all of the Microsoft info to you as it is released and during our coverage of the expo next month.
Space…. The final frontier… These are the voyages of your own space station, custom built of your imagination using an array of components and modules. Such is the premise of Vision Videogames’ Space Station Sim. Not only design and construction, but also crew selection and management. While this may sound dry to some of you, a space station simulation sounds like music to my simming ears.
You begin at mission control, where you have a large selection of areas or departments you can visit, ranging from component purchasing to astronaut creation. If you wish to launch a new module for your station, simply go to that department of mission control and select it. Then allocate funding to the construction of the module from various space agencies from around the world and select a launch vehicle. After that, the module is launched and connected to your station in orbit. Then you can outfit your newly launched module with different components. These components come in many categories such as life support and even entertainment (your astronauts get bored up there).
Once in the space station view you can take a peak inside the various modules you have added to your build and select your astronauts for activities. Astronaut management is where the game gets a bit boring for me, as Vision Videogames has gone with a ‘The Sims’ approach to management. Each astronaut has a host of needs and wants. You assign them to various tasks and hope they execute them before deciding they need to use the restroom for the umpteenth time. Personally, I would rather have seen the astronauts as npc’s so I could focus solely on station construction and technical management. Worrying about getting an astronaut their daily workout is not all that appealing to me. Now you don’t technically have to micro-control your astronauts as their AIs should take care of the most pressing issues. However, we found them to be extremely slow and inefficient in responding to situations while in ‘autonomous’ mode.
So, character management is a negative for me. How are the graphics? Well, not so great, but as a simmer I am far more than willing to forgive some bad graphics as long as gameplay is good, which it can be in Space Station Sim. Sound design is fine, with plenty of pre-recorded effects. The score is one of Space Station Sim’s strong points and as has all been recorded or sampled from an assortment of indie artists including Marilyn Rucker and the lovely Julia Othmer.
How do you keep your station afloat, so to speak? Well, through support of the international community which grants you funding. One of the biggest challenges in Space Station Sim is building an assortment of modules and funding them from a variety of agencies. This increases support from those agencies and their respective countries as does performing experiments in science modules. The more support you have, the more funding. Support is denoted by how many ‘flags’ a country has next to it. More flags, more fun (sorry, hate that commercial)! Once all five countries have 999 flags attributed to them, you win the game and can quit or continue on at your discretion.
Overall, Space Station Sim has some fun moments. However, Vision Videogames has made some poor choices which muddle the experience down in astronaut drama.
You can find the official Space Station Sim website here.
We were not fortunate enough to play the first two Virtual Villagers titles. However, we recently got a chance to play the third installment: Virtual Villagers – The Secret City. This time around, you start on the shoreline near some ancient ruins and build into them (the ‘secret’ city mentioned in the title). Your villagers consist of all manner of persons. There are men and women, skilled and unskilled people, pregnant folk and otherwise, the list goes on. Your duty is to get their new home established and prospering before the food runs out.
In fact, your first order of business in the game is to gather more good eats for your people. Villagers move around with their own agendas but that usually doesn’t get you very far. They need a guiding hand to get them to where they need to be and that hand is you! Simply click-and-drag a villager to place them where you like. When you hover them over something useful to them, a message will appear at the bottom of the screen. In the first area of Isola (the island you inhabit), you have to hover a villager over a torch near a bee hive and drop him there. The villager will grab the torch, walk over to a fire and light it – then return to the bees and smoke them calm so you can extract the honey, increasing your tribe’s food supply.
One of the more interesting aspects of the game is that if you do not click on ‘pause’ before leaving, when you return you will find your village has changed (and is possible dead completely) as the game will continue evolving when you are not there! This came as quite a shock to me originally, as I had plenty of people when I left the game and only two upon my return.
Villagers will also need to procreate in order to increase their numbers. Just click-and-drag one person over another and, if they are compatible they will mate and create another little mouth to feed. Fortunately, those larval humans grow in size and gain experience until one day they too can be useful, contributing members of the tribe. This, of course, is the goal as villagers get old and die. This can have a surprisingly rough impact as you watch a villager grow from a baby to a geriatric before you eyes. Watch their successes and failures, loves and losts as it were, all turned to shadows and dust after their passing. There is a strange realism to it, which is odd as the game is not that visually attractive.
Overall, the game is alot of fun but way more in-depth than one assumes it will be when you first sit down to it. The graphics are 2D and, while vibrant, are not exceptionally clear or high resolution. Playing in full screen mode on my 1920×1200 LCD just looks horrible, so I played it mostly in windowed mode. Sound is minimal and there is an average score to the game which sounds like a royalty free track. Even with these shortcomings however, the gameplay is a lot of fun and makes for an interesting puzzler as you try to help your villagers thrive.
You can check out an hour-long demo of Virtual Villagers – The Secret City here.
According to a very close, trusted source, invitations to participate in the Xbox 360 beta test of Tom Clancy’s EndWar have gone out today. So…Check your email boxes people, especially if you signed up for the beta test (which would be the only way you are eligible to be chosen for an invite to begin with).
The official EndWar beta website.
This was sent to my source’s email box:
Hello, *****
We’re pleased to inform you that you have been selected to participate in the Tom Clancy’s EndWar Private Beta. You now have access to the full EndWar Beta website at www.endwarbeta.com and can begin posting on the forums.
Your username is: *****
Don’t forget to check out the ‘how to play’ section for helpful information on getting started. The EndWar Beta will be ready for you soon and once it’s available for download we’ll be sure to let you know.
iGames centers will be hosting the Windows Vista Ultimate Showcase on June 9th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th which will showcase the latest of the gaming features Windows Vista has to offer.
Find your participating iGames center here.
Official Release:
Leading game center organization iGames today announced the details of the Windows Vista Ultimate Showcase, which will allow tens of thousands of gamers around North America to enjoy the supreme PC gaming experience with 200 lucky gamers winning a free one-day pass.
WHERE & WHEN:
Every Monday in June (June 9, 16, 23, 30), there will be a weekly drawing of the free passes, which gamers can use at their convenience at their local participating game center throughout the month to find out first-hand what Windows Vista-powered gaming is all about.
WHY YOU SHOULD GO:
In addition to featuring Windows Vista Ultimate, Microsoft’s premier operating system, each showcase PC will offer superior processing, memory and graphics specifications including dual core processors at minimum speed of 2 GHz each, 2 GB of memory, and NVIDIA GeForce 7800 or Radeon X1900 XT (or better) graphics cards, ensuring the ultimate gaming experience for all gamers.
Finally, we see a trailer come out for Cities XL. We have been looking forward to this title for quite some time and think it is going to be a breath of fresh air into the genre.
We got a chance to interview the game’s Project Manager here, in which he expounded upon some of the game’s features. You can find the official Cities XL website here.