Empire Earth (video game)
| Empire Earth | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Stainless Steel Studios, later Mad Doc studios |
| Publisher(s) | Sierra Entertainment |
| Designer(s) | Rick Goodman |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release | November 2001 |
| Genre(s) | RTS |
| Mode(s) | Single player, Multiplayer |
Empire Earth, also known as EE, is a real-time strategy computer game developed by Stainless Steel Studios and published by Sierra Entertainment in November 2001. The game is based on world history, spanning 14 epochs (500,000+ years) from the Prehistoric Age and ending with the Nano Age. Many people describe this game as a mix of Civilization and Age of Empires.
Mad Doc Software developed an expansion called Empire Earth: The Art of Conquest (AOC) that was released in 2002. AOC features a 15th epoch, the Space Age, which focuses on the colonization of space, and features space terrain and space combat. It also has several special powers for building civilizations, including Priest Towers (convert enemy units into your own) and Just-In-Time Manufacturing (create units immediately for a higher resource cost).
The sequel, Empire Earth II, was featured at the 2004 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Being developed by Mad Doc Software, since Stainless Steel Studios left the project to work with Activision on Empires: Dawn of the Modern World, EE2 feautures completely revamped graphics, weather effects, as well as interactive and much more expanded maps to wage war in. Empire Earth II was released in April 2005.
Overview
The game contains many unique and innovative features, including a well implemented "morale" system which directly affects individual units statistics. It also incorporates a "hero" system, which has a special unit with extraordinary combat ability which can either heal nearby units and demoralise enemy units, or provide moral support for armies in the field by taking the front lines himself. "Fortresses" allow you to store units so that do not count in the population; they can be released when needed.
Empire Earth is completely based on 3D. The trees, units, buldings, and water are all made in 3D. You can have higher populations, zooming & rotating camera, and amazing effects.
Religion has some novel, practical uses in the game. The prophet unit allows players to take control of nature and use it to wreak havoc on the enemy. Cast plagues, volcanos, earthquakes, and more against the enemy. Show them god is on your side.
Wonders are no longer just great looking buildings. They provide special abilities to help your civilisation, such as revealing enemy buildings and healing your troops as they explore the map.
Down with micromanagement. EE has made it easier for players to focus on battles and not if a villager is farming. Mineral resources don't run out, explore option makes units scout land for you, houses aren't needed for population and farms only die out from enemy fire. It forces you to expand to find new resources and thus makes you a more versatile and competent player.
The scenario editor is currently no doubt the best editor for its time. Forged by some of the greatest designers, it has more features than you can learn in a week. It also allows you to create cinematic set pieces to advance your scenario's story, day and night effects and weather, all of which add atmosphere to your games.
One of the things that set the game apart is the Civilization builder, which can allow you to build your own civilization, even a fictional one.
Epochs
(500,000 BC - 50,000 BC) The Prehistoric epoch is the first Epoch in the game. The game is very limited at this point; warfare is only available over land, and this is limited. Resource gathering is slow and there are only few technologies available. The units available in this epoch are the Clubman, Rock Throwers, and Slingers.
(50,000 BC - 5,000 BC) The Stone Age is the second Epoch in the game. In this epoch, opportunities are given to begin building a navy and build archers. A primitive battering ram, called a Sampson, is also available.
(5,000 BC - 2,000 BC) In the Copper Age (Epoch III), players are given access to farms, which leads to an expansion in population, and walls, palisades (only found in the Art of Conquest expansion) and fortresses to enclose their cities and better protect from attacks. Hospitals become available to heal injured troops and upgrade citizens and increse your population capacity. Universtities also are available. The Priest Tower, a special tower which can convert units, becomes available only to the Babylonian civilization.
(2,000 BC - 0 AD) The Bronze Age (Epoch IV), players are given a true chance to establish themselves as a dominant superpower, with the diversification of their armies and navies, with the introduction of galleys and frigates for the sea, and siege weapons. The naval additions, in particular, begin to give rise to the game's rock-paper-scissors mentality, with galleys beating battleships, battleships beating frigates and frigates beating galleys. However balanced, the player with the most battleships will still rule the waves.
(0 AD - 900 AD) The Dark Ages (Epoch V), is fairly reflective of world history, with more 'barbarian' weapons becoming available. Notable newcomers are the crossbowman, who has a one shot one kill ratio with infantry, and the fast but short ranged cavalry archer. But the Dark Age isn't really dark in the game, as what actually was in world history.
(900 AD - 1300 AD) In the Middle Ages (Epoch VI), towers and walls become very powerful and become a fair necessity for beating away invasions by other players, however, as in real life, siege weapons and battleships become more than a match for them. This is the last chance for players to conquer their enemies before gunpowder comes along.
(1300 AD - 1500 AD) The Renaissance (Epoch VII) heralds the advent of gunpowder, and siege weapons become incredibly powerful, with trebuchets and ballistas becoming the mainstay of many defences. Archery ranges are now defunct excepting the production of crossbows.
(1500 AD - 1750 AD) The Imperial Age (Epoch VIII), like in real life, has some huge leaps in naval power, and also the advent of medics and a huge increase in the firepower of towers and the navy as gunpowder becomes widely used.
(1750 AD - 1900 AD) Many player's favourite, the Industrial Age (Epoch IX), affectionately known as "Indy" by the online players is the beginning of a huge technological and military upheaval in the real world, and is thus depicted in the game, with inventions such as the siege cannons and huge leaps in technologies. This age is the last chance to launch an invasion before the advent of aircraft and nuclear warplanes in the modern era.
(1900 AD - 2000 AD) The Atomic Age is the 20th century and is divided in to 3 parts.
The Atomic Age - World War II (Epoch X), like the real world, heralds the advent of tanks and airplanes in a military role. Artillery is invented, and like the real world, people simply become cannon fodder for the machines. There is also a huge advent in the navy, with the mighty dreadnoughts and U-boats coming into play. The rock-paper-scissors system mentioned earlier becomes far more complicated in this epoch. Markets becomes avaliable to the United States, which allows you to sell and buy resources.
Atomic Age - World War I (Epoch XI) has many huge developments in warfare, such as nuclear bombers and aircraft carriers, and a large advance in artillery and a beefing up of the infantry to combat said artillery. Paratrooper Planes becomes available to Italy. The SAS commando, becomes avaliable to Great Britain, a special unit which can travel through water and set explosives.
The Modern Epoch (Epoch XII) gives the awesome power of nuclear bombers the chance to really show themselves, as they develop the flight time to fly directly into opponents bases and evaporate civilians, known as citizens in the game. This is balanced by an advance in air defences. A major headache for any player is the development of nuclear submarines with their incredible range of nuclear tipped warheads. This is predictably combated by the new power of helicopters, specifically the H-3 Sea King anti-submarine helicopter.
(2000 AD - 2100 AD) The Digital Age (Epoch XIII), which is currently the present age, allows for the development of cybers, machines with special powers. Spy satellites become available. Also notable is the addition of laser power to towers, making siege weapons largely irrelevant.
(2100 AD - 2200 AD) The Nano Age (Epoch XIV) is mainly a development of the Digital Age, with the enhancement of cybers, notably Hades, with the ability to teleport and spread a virus among opposing cybers. A special cyber called Zeus, which can destroy all other cybers except its own kind, becomes available.
(2200 AD ->) The Space Age (Epoch XV) allows the building of spaceports and spaceships on maps that allow it, as well as replacing human soldiers and citizens with robots, and farms are now self managing. Cyber Ninja's, a special cloaked unit which can temporarily disable buildings, becomes available, but only to Japan. Only found in Art of Conquest expansion.
Technologies
There are many technolgies in the game like many other games.
Agriculture
Agriculture research is done at the granary. They increase farming.
Health
Health upgrades can be researched at the hospital. One benefit is that, it upgrades the hitpoints and attack of citizens and scouts and increses citizen speed. Another increses the hospital's healing rate and range. And one can increse your population capacity.
Education
Education upgrades are found in the university, which can protect units from being converted. One upgrade will increse your buildings line-of-sight. Another will add to the university's range. Another one will add hitpoints to all your buildings. One will increase your dock's/naval yard's healing rate. And one will decrease tribute cost.
Temple
Temple upgrades are found in the temple. A series of research projects will increase your prophets: speed, hitpoints and range. The upgrades for the priests are also almost the same, except that they have an extra upgrade which can let them convert other priests. And one upgrades your temple range.
Economy
Economic upgrades are found in the town center or capitol. All of these upgrades will increse your gathering rate for: hunting and foraging, wood cuting, gold mining, iron mining and stone mining.
Nations
Like many RTS games, Empire Earth has nations for the player/s to play with or against. Each has its own power or civ power, but many of these can't be used until a specific epoch is researched and some end after a specific epoch has passed. A civ power gives a nation a specialty, such as the French, who can hide their military units temporarily. Most of the nations in Empire Earth were real and some are still here, except Novaya Russia and Rebel Forces.
Prehistoric to Dark Age
- Ancient Greece, civ power: Flaming Arrows
- Assyrian Empire]], civ power: Slavery
- Babylonia, civ power: Priest Tower
- Byzantine Rome, civ power: Insurance
- Carthage, civ power: Pathfinding
- Kingdom of Israel, civ power: Emissaries
Middle Ages to Industrial Age
- Austria, civ power: Adaptation
- England, civ power: Exploration
- Franks, civ power: Crusaders
- Kingdom of Italy, civ power: Metallurgy
- Ottoman Empire, civ power: Expansion
- Spain, civ power: Conquistadors
Atomic Age to Modern
- France, civ power: Camouflage
- Germany, civ power: Bundeswehr
- Great Britain, civ power: S.A.S commando
- Italy, civ power: Paratroopers
- Russia, civ power: Advanced Mining
- United States, civ power: Market
Digital Age to Space Age
- China, civ power: Just-in-time Manufacturing
- Novaya Russia, civ power: Missile Base
- Rebel Forces, civ power:Cloaking
- Japan, civ power: Cyber Ninja
- Korea, civ power: Fanaticism
Wonders
Like many RTS games, Empire Earth has wonders. But unlike nearly all others before it, wonders are not simply a victory condition; they give special powers to the builder as well. At the start of each game, players can set the number of Wonders required for victory. Once a player or team have at least that number of Wonders standing simultaneously, a countdown of 1800 seconds (30 minutes) begins. Once the countdown reaches zero, victory is declared.
- Tower of Babylon:
- Power: Revelation - players priests can convert with an area of effect.
- Colosseum:
- Power: Spectacle - raises your population capacity by 20 and decreses your enemies' population capacity by 20.
- Pharos Lighthouse:
- Power: Guiding Light - lifts fog of war over areas of water within 50 tiles.
- Temple of Zeus:
- Power: Sanctity - player's units self-heal automatically.
- Ishtar Gate:
- Power: Safeguard - +200% building hit points.
- Library of Alexandria:
- Power: Survey - reveals all fully constructed enemy buildings.
- Orbital Space station
- Power: Inspiration - boost morale to all your spaceships (Note: this wonder can only be found in the expasion pack).
Campaigns
Empire Earth campaigns
Excluding the Russian campaign, and the German mission, "Operation Sealion", all of the battles in the campaigns actually took place throughout history.
Greek campaign
The first four scenarios (of eight scenarios total) focus on the rise of ancient Greek civilization. The story tells of the Helladic people, the Trojan War, the rise of Athens, and the Peloponnesian War.
The second part tells the life of Alexander the Great. The 1st scenario is about Alexander crushing the revolt of Thebes and Athens. The next scenario is about the Battle of the Granicus, Battle of Issus and the siege of Tyre. The final scenario is the Battle of Gaugamela, the capture of Babylon and the battle for the Persian Gates, a mountain pass which beyond lies Persepolis, the ceremonial capital of Persia. The campaign ends when Alexander and his army enters Persepolis and Alexander manages to escape an assasination atempt while visiting the tomb of Xerxes I of Persia.
English campaign
The England campaign is about the struggles between England and France for superiority in Europe.
The first three scenarios (of eight total) are about William I of England, his victory against the rebellion from the barons with the help of Henry I of France in 1047, and the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
The next three scenarios take place during the Hundred Years' War between England and France; Edward, the Black Prince and his raids in France are featured in the fourth and fifth scenarios. The sixth scenario is about Henry V of England's story. The first part is the internal unrest of Lollards. Henry V starts the scenario fleeing from London to Oxford, where his units are protected from conversion by Oxford University. After that Lollard churches are required to be destroyed and the capture or death of Sir John Oldcastle in order to end the Lollard's. After a very long cutscene with Henry Chichele, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the second part concludes with the Battle of Agincourt.
The next two scenarios are led by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, who meets Napoleon I of France in battle. The first scenario deals with the Battle of Roliça and the resulting Convention of Sintra, Battle of Talavera de la Reina, and driving Napoleon into Spain. The last scenario in the English campaign is the Battle of Waterloo, where Napoleon finally meets Wellesley in person.
German campaign
The first four scenarios take place during World War I, and feature the Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen. The player follows Richtofen through his early days of flight and the development of his flying circus. The first mission involves directing Richtofen and his pilot, Count Holck, to safety after their aircraft is shot down over Poland in 1914, but in subsequent missions, Richtofen is a minor character. In the following missions, the player struggles to protect shipments of war materials into Germany, directs German forces at the Battle of Verdun, and directs the Kaiserschlact at the Battle of the Somme.
The second part, consisting of three scenarios, deals with Nazi Germany and the 1st years of World War II in Europe. The first scenario introduces the Blitzkrieg, in which the player has to conquer Poland, Scandinavia, and France. The next mission deals with the German U-boat blockade of Great Britain and the Battle of Britain, which features the gargantuan German battleship Bismarck. In the final scenario, the never-attempted Operation Sealion, the player leads German forces in an invasion of Great Britain, ultimately conquering the country and annexing the United Kingdom to the Greater German Reich.
Russian Campaign
In this fictional campaign, the player leads Novaya Russia, a restructure of the Russian Federation.
The game begins in the early 21st century, with the player directing the Russian political dissident Grigor Stoyanovich from the city of Voronezh to safety in Volgograd, followed by a seizure of power in Moscow. The subsequent scenarios involve Novaya Russia's conquest of Europe. Grigor must then crush a coup in Moscow. He dies soon after this and is succeded by a robot called Grigor II. Under Grigor II, Novaya Russia continues its conquest of the world by invading and subjugating China.
In the fifth scenario, during an attempted invasion of the United States, the player directs the disallusioned General Sergei Molotov and U.S. agent Molly Ryan as they try to build a time machine to transport them back to the early 21st century and warn the original Grigor of the future. The final scenario takes place at the same time as the first. The Time Expedition, using Atomic Modern Age technology, battle against the technologically superior forces (thanks to Grigor II, who arrived earlier despite having left later) of the Ushi Party. At the end of the mission, Molotov or Ryan (it does not matter who; the outcome is ultimately the same) inform Grigor of the future atrocities that the machine will commit, and urge him to reconsider his seizure of power. The original Grigor is too propagandized by the cyber, and the character has no choice but to kill him. The Russian Campaign ends with an unanswered question:
"I can feel the tug of the time vortex...pulling...me...back. But what future will I return to? One that is better, or worse?"
Art of Conquest campaigns
Only the Asian campaign is the fictional campaign out of the 3 campaigns in the Art of Conquest.
Roman campaign
The Roman campaign revolves around the struggles of Marius and conquests of Julius Caesar.
The campaign begins with a war with the local tribes of Italy and barbarian invaders, in which the player can conscript citizens. The next scenario is Marius's war with Lucius Cornelius Sulla, which the player must liberate Rome to win.
The last four scenarios are about Julius Caesar's years as a general. The 1st scenario is about Caesar's war in the east against Sulla. The next scenario is the conquest of Gaul and the invasion of Britain, which is a verrry long scenario. The next scenario is Caesar's war with his former ally and friend Pompey, which starts with the famous crossing the Rubicon and ends at the battle of Farsala. The last scenario is the conquest of Egypt, which will be a hard fight, and the Roman campaign ends here.
Pacific campaign
This campaign focuses on American campaign in Pacific Ocean during World War II.
The campaign starts with the Battle of Midway and completes with the sinking of Japanese aircraft carriers Akagi, Soryu, Kaga and Hiryu. The next scenario is the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1943. It is followed by the island-hopping campaign derived by Douglas MacArthur, recapture of Burma and Philippines. The campaign is concluded with Battle of Iwo Jima, completing by sending five marines to the southern tip of the Island (Mount Suribachi). (See Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima.)
Asian campaign
This campaign consists of two parts, the story being told from the perspective of the Kwan Do family, who claim to be descendants of the Qin Dynasty.
Part One details the colonization of Mars. As soon as it is discovered that it is possible to colonize Mars, the major superpowers of Earth scramble to develop the technologies and resources needed to establish settlements on Mars. One of these powers is the newly-formed United Federation of Asian Republics (UFAR), essentially founded and controlled by the Kwan Do family. The UFAR government struggles to repress local rebellions in the country and acts of terrorists, which some claim that earth is the only home to mankind, whilst also struggling to develop a colonial programme in the face of rival superpowers. UFAR eventually establishes a colony on Mars, along with settlements built by the US/Canadian Conglomerate, the European Union of Nations, Novaya Russia, and the Republic of Japan, partitioning Mars into five regions.
Part Two is set 250 years after the first part for the 15th Epoch. Harsh conditions on Mars and an increasingly negative perception of the Earth governments have finally forced the Martian colonists into rebellion. During the revolutions, a descendant of the Kwan Do family unites the five territories, and with the acquisition of Space Battleship Yamato, the Martians fight Earth for their independence in an inter-planetary war. The campaign ends with the last battle for Martian indepence and the instalation of the Kwan Do family as the leaders of Mars.
Cheat Codes
Like many computer games, there are several cheat codes for Empire Earth. The codes can only be used in random map mode in the original game, but you can use the codes in the Art of Conquest campaigns.
Cheat Mode: Select "Random Map" mode, then enable the "Cheat Codes" option at the setup screen. Press [Enter] during game play, type one of the following codes, then press [Enter] to activate the corresponding cheat function.
| all your base are belong to us | 100,000 of all resources | boston food sucks | 1000 more food | atm | 1000 more gold | creatine | 1000 more iron |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rock&roll | 1000 more stone | you said wood | 1000 more wood | the quotable patella | Allows units to go up to level 10 | columbus | Allows you to see the fish |
| coffee train | Completes buildings being constructed and heals all units | display cheat | Display all codes | BrainStorm | Everything will build almost instantly | I have the power | Full energy for all units with special attacks |
| asus drivers | Full map | my name is methos | Full map and 100,000 of all resources | negerpung | Get all of enemies money | ahhhcool | Lose game |
| boston rent | No gold | the big dig | No resources | mine your own business | No rock | uh, smoke? | No wood |
| friendly skies | Refill your planes | headshot | Remove objects from map | bam | Show map | slimfast | No food |
| girlyman | No iron | somebody set up us the bomb | Win game |
Tips and Tricks
Like all games there are a lot of tips and tricks in Empire Earth. But unfortunatly they can't be discussed here because of the Wikipedia rule that this is an encyclopedia and not a strategy guide. But you can do some searching on the Internet to get some or you can buy the strategy guide at Amazon.com or any website or bookstore which sells a copy of the strategy guide. When you get the game, the manual can give you some tips and tricks. And when you get the gold edition of Empire Earth, the official strategy guide comes along with the game. But here's a single tip: enjoy the game if you're playing it.