FreeCol

FreeCol
Screenshot from FreeCol 0.5.2
Developer(s)	The Freecol Team
Publisher(s)	SourceForge.net
Designer(s)	Various
Platform(s)	Java
Release	2 January, 2003
Genre(s)	Turn-based strategy
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

FreeCol is a clone of Sid Meier's Colonization. Released under the GNU General Public License, FreeCol is free software.

FreeCol is mostly programmed in Java and should thus be platform-independent. In practice, it is known to run on Linux and Windows, as well as Mac OS X (with some limitations).

In February 2007 it was SourceForge.net's Project of the Month.

Gameplay

FreeCol starts in the year 1492. With a few settlers, the player builds up colonies in the New World, struggling for power with other colonies from rival Europeans. The player gradually builds up these colonies with help from the European king until no help from Europe is necessary, meaning that the colonies can stand alone without any exterior aid, and declares independence from the King and, if the colonies are able to resist the attacks of the royal expeditionary force, victory is obtained.

The player may trade with Europe using various natural resources which are collected by cities or acquired from trade with natives. In each city the player can also build up industrial buildings to convert raw materials into processed goods, which sell for more in Europe, providing a significant economic advance. Some industrial buildings will convert materials into goods useful for running the colony, such as converting wood into lumber and ore into tools.

Assigning tasks

The player can also assign people to resource gathering through dragging them to the location of the resource on the resource map in a city. The more specialized an individual is at gathering a particular resource, the more quickly the stocks grow. Through assigning more people to work in a city it will grow. However, more people working in a city also requires more food. Assigning people to work in buildings allows for the conversion of raw materials to finished goods; the more people assigned, the faster work is done. However, this will only happen when the raw materials needed are available; when materials are unavailable, assigned workers will continue to consume food.

People can also be assigned tools to work or guns to become soldiers (tools and guns can either be produced in a city or purchased from Europe). If assigned tools, the person can be used to plow the countryside (increasing food production) or to build roads (making unit transportation more efficient).

Transportation of goods

Goods can be transported either by boat or by wagon train. Wagon Trains are used to transport goods along land routes. This is useful to move needed materials between cities within the colony, to trade finished goods to port cities for transport to Europe, or to transport goods to Europe, Indian communities, or (sometimes) other players' colonies, for trade. Ships can be used to move finished goods for sale in Europe, or to purchase raw materials in Europe. People emigrating from Europe must also be transported by ship.

See also

• Freeciv
• List of open source games

External links

• Official Website
• The Linux Game Tome: FreeCol